The Extent of Aspergillosis in Critically Ill Patients With Severe Influenza Pneumonia: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Objectives: To determine the frequency and prognosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in critically ill patients with severe influenza pneumonia.

Design: Retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Setting: Five French ICUs.

C3 glomerulopathy - understanding a rare complement-driven renal disease.

The C3 glomerulopathies are a group of rare kidney diseases characterized by complement dysregulation occurring in the fluid phase and in the glomerular microenvironment, which results in prominent complement C3 deposition in kidney biopsy samples. The two major subgroups of C3 glomerulopathy - dense deposit disease (DDD) and C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN) - have overlapping clinical and pathological features suggestive of a disease continuum. Dysregulation of the complement alternative pathway is fundamental to the manifestations of C3 glomerulopathy, although terminal pathway dysregulation is also common.

Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury in high income countries: still a critical issue.

The rate of pregnancy-associated acute kidney injury (P-AKI) has dwindled in high income countries mainly following the legalization of abortion in the seventies and early eighties and the general improvement in obstetrical care. P-AKI has not however disappeared from high income countries and several reports indicate that its frequency has even increased during the last decade. The reasons for such evolution are probably an improved surveillance and reporting of P-AKI and a more aggressive approach to the treatment of pregnancy complications, with unintended renal side effects.

Higher Early Monocyte and Total Lymphocyte Counts Are Associated with Better Overall Survival after Standard Total Body Irradiation, Cyclophosphamide, and Fludarabine Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Double Umbilical Cord Blood Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adults.

This single-center retrospective study aimed to report the impact of early hematopoietic and immune recoveries after a standard total body irradiation, cyclophosphamide, and fludarabine (TCF) reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen for double umbilical cord blood (dUCB) allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in adults. We analyzed 47 consecutive patients older than 17 years who engrafted after a dUCB TCF allo-SCT performed between January 2006 and April 2013 in our department. Median times for neutrophil and platelet recoveries were 17 (range, 6 to 59) and 37 days (range, 0 to 164), respectively.

High conservation of herpes simplex virus UL5/UL52 helicase-primase complex in the era of new antiviral therapies.

The emergence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) resistance to current antiviral drugs, that all target the viral DNA polymerase, constitutes a major obstacle to antiviral treatment effectiveness of HSV infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. A novel and promising class of inhibitors of the HSV UL5/UL52 helicase-primase (HP) complex has been reported to hinder viral replication with a high potency. In this study, we describe the low natural polymorphism (interstrain identity >99.

Involvement of the CX3CL1 (fractalkine)/CX3CR1 pathway in the pathogenesis of acute graft-versus-host disease.

This study investigated the role of cytokines and chemokines in aGVHD incidence and severity in 109 patients who underwent reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Among the 42 cytokines tested at d 0 HSCT, only CX3CL1 levels at d 0 HSCT were significantly associated with Grades II-IV aGVHD development (P = 0.04).

[Comparison of calculated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) versus measured LDL cholesterol (LDL-M) and potential impact in terms of therapeutic management].

LDL-cholesterol value is one of the criteria used by the Haute autorité de santé (HAS) in the management of patients in primary and secondary prevention with the aim to reduce cardiovascular mortality. In this respect, the recommendations have been established based on target to achieve LDL-cholesterol. Currently in France, the determination of LDL-cholesterol is mainly carried out by the Friedewald formula whose limits are well known.

Impact of rabbit ATG-containing myeloablative conditioning regimens on the outcome of patients undergoing unrelated single-unit cord blood transplantation for hematological malignancies.

This study aimed to assess the impact of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) on patient outcome in a retrospective series of 91 patients (median age: 12 years) who underwent unrelated single-unit cord blood transplantation (allo-CBT) following a myeloablative conditioning regimen. Cord blood units were HLA-matched (6/6, n=18; 21%), one-Ag mismatched (n=30, 35%) or two-Ag mismatched (n=38; 44%). In this series, the OS, nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and cumulative incidence of relapse were 47±6%, 23±4% and 48±5%, respectively.

Early corticosteroid avoidance in kidney transplant recipients receiving ATG-F induction: 5-year actual results of a prospective and randomized study.

One hundred ninety-seven patients received anti-T-lymphocyte globulins Fresenius, mycophenolate mofetil and delayed cyclosporine, and were randomized to ≥6-month corticosteroids (+CS; n=99) or no CS (-CS; n=98). One- and five-year actual graft survival (censored for death) was 93.2% and 86.

Human herpesvirus 6 reactivation before engraftment is strongly predictive of graft failure after double umbilical cord blood allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adults.

Our main objective was to determine new factors associated with engraftment and single-unit predominance after double umbilical cord blood (UCB) allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. Engraftment occurred in 78% of cases in this retrospective study including 77 adult patients. Three-year overall survival, disease-free survival, relapse incidence, and nonrelapse mortality were 55 ± 6%, 44 ± 6%, 33 ± 5%, and 23 ± 4%, respectively.

[Ischemic stroke related to pauci-symptomatic acute aortic dissection. Risks of intravenous thrombolysis].

Introduction: Acute aortic dissection involving the cervical arteries often induces cerebral infarction. In this context, there is a high risk of hemorrhage and thrombolytics are contra-indicated.

Observation: We report two patients with a cerebral infarction which occurred after a pauci-symptomatic and undiagnosed aortic dissection treated with thrombolysis.

Management of high ferritin in long-term survivors after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Management of high serum ferritin levels after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) should, from the diagnostic standpoint, be based on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of hyperferritinemia. This knowledge is essential for differentiating increased serum ferritin due to iron overload from "non-iron overload" situations such as inflammation, metabolic syndrome, or hepatitis. Once body iron overload has been proven, especially by quantifying tissue iron excess with the noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method, it is important, considering the damaging effects of chronic iron overload in these patients, to start iron depletive therapy by oral chelation or phlebotomy.

Plerixafor for autologous peripheral blood stem cell mobilization in patients previously treated with fludarabine or lenalidomide.

Fludarabine and lenalidomide are essential drugs in the front-line treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM), respectively. Data suggests that fludarabine and lenalidomide therapy may have a deleterious effect on stem cell mobilization. In the European compassionate use program, 48 patients (median age 57 years) previously treated with fludarabine (median 5 cycles; range: 1-7 cycles) were given plerixafor plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for remobilization following a primary mobilization attempt.

Reduced-intensity conditioning before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients over 60 years: a report from the SFGM-TC.

This retrospective multicenter report assessed the outcome of 600 patients with hematologic diseases older than 60 years who received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), with the specific aim to compare outcomes of patients between 60 and 65 years old (N = 493) with those older than 65 years (N = 107). Except for donor age, there were no significant differences between the groups regarding patients, diseases, and allo-HSCT characteristics. At time of RIC allo-HSCT, 276 patients (46%) were in complete remission.

Long-term physiological side effects after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) or stem cell transplantation has the potential to cure a significant proportion of patients with otherwise fatal diseases. At present, immediate survival is no longer the sole concern after allo-BMT, because many patients can survive the acute complications of the procedure and remain free of their original disease for several years. Although long-term allo-BMT survivors generally enjoy good health, for many others cure or control of the underlying disease is not accompanied by full restoration of health.

Advances in umbilical cord transplantation: the role of thymoglobulin/ATG in cord blood transplantation.

Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is increasingly being used as an alternative to conventional allogeneic stem cell transplantation. However, despite significant improvements, an appreciable proportion of patients (especially adults) receiving UCBT will still face some form of severe acute and/or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Moreover, poor engraftment and delayed immune recovery are still challenging issues.

Corticosteroid avoidance in adult kidney transplant recipients under rabbit anti-T-lymphocyte globulin, mycophenolate mofetil and delayed cyclosporine microemulsion introduction.

We conducted the first prospective, randomized, open-label multicenter study in low-immunologic risk adult recipients of primary cadaver kidney transplants receiving rabbit anti-T-lymphocyte globulin, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine microemulsion introduced on day 5, with and without corticosteroids. Patients were randomly assigned according to age and cold ischemia time to receive corticosteroids for at least 6 months or no corticosteroids at all. The main efficacy evaluation criterion was acute rejection (including all treated episodes and those biopsy-confirmed) during the first year following transplantation.

Inflammatory cytokines and dendritic cells in acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

The wider use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is still limited by the immunologic recognition and destruction of host tissues, termed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The role of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-1, and their impact on immune effectors (mainly CD4+ and CD8+ T) cells has been extensively studied in the context of GVHD occurring after standard myeloablative allo-SCT. However, recent data suggested that GVHD pathophysiology is likely to involve more complex interactions where antigen-presenting cells, especially dendritic cells (DCs), may play a major role at time of initiation of acute GVHD.

[Heat stroke in hospital patients during the summer 2003 heat wave: a nosocomial disease].

Objective: We investigated patients who died in our institution during the August 2003 heat wave, to determine whether some in hospital patients actually died of heat stroke.

Methods: Records of all patients who died in our tertiary care hospital between 6-15 August 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. Heat stroke was considered the cause of death when the following criteria were met: body temperature higher than 40.

Steroid avoidance versus steroid withdrawal after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Two steroid-sparing immunosuppressive regimens were prospectively compared in recipients of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants, one did not include steroids at all and the other included steroids for the first 3 months following transplantation. All patients received rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and cyclosporine. Fifty patients were randomised in an open-label, single center and prospective study.

Switching from cyclosporine to tacrolimus in patients with chronic transplant dysfunction or cyclosporine-induced adverse events.

Background: Progressive renal-function decline caused by chronic allograft nephropathy is the main cause of long-term failure after kidney transplantation. Moreover, chronic cyclosporine (CsA)-induced nephrotoxicity is an important nonimmunologic factor contributing to graft dysfunction and loss, and adverse events may require CsA withdrawal.

Methods: Tacrolimus (Tac) replaced CsA-based immunosuppression in 133 transplant patients (114 kidney, 15 kidney-pancreas, 4 pancreas after kidney) with progressive loss of renal function (71% of patients) or CsA intolerance (29% of patients) not responding to CsA dose-lowering.

Prenatal sonographic patterns in six cases of Wolf-Hirschhorn (4p-) syndrome.

This multicentric study presents 6 cases of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (deletion of 4p) detected after a sonographic prenatal diagnosis of early intrauterine growth retardation with fetal abnormalities. Standard karyotyping on regular G-banding during pregnancy was normal in half of the cases. Fortunately, the associated sonographic signs of a typical face, cystic cerebral lesions, midline fusion defects and bilateral renal hypoplasia may help to refine specific indications for high-resolution banding and molecular analysis by in situ hybridization.

Pharmacodynamic dose-response and safety study of cisatracurium (51W89) in adult surgical patients during N2O-O2-opioid anesthesia.

After administration of doses ranging from 0.025 to 0.25 mg/kg, the neuromuscular blocking effect of cisatracurium was assessed in 119 adult surgical patients receiving N2O-opioid-midazolam-thiopental anesthesia.

Ketamine and norketamine plasma concentrations after i.v., nasal and rectal administration in children.

It has been suggested that nasal administration of ketamine may be used to induce anaesthesia in paediatric patients. We have examined the pharmacokinetics of ketamine and norketamine after nasal administration compared with rectal and i.v.