Haematologica
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Multi-center validation of the transferability of the magnetic resonance T2* technique for the quantification of tissue iron.
The transferability of the T2* technique for measurement of tissue iron between magnetic resonance (MR) scanners is unknown. Heart and liver multi-breath-hold T2* sequences were installed on MR scanners at six different sites. ⋯ Inter-center reproducibility of T2* in heart and liver was 5.0% and 7.1%, with mean absolute differences in T2* of 1.3 ms and 0.45 ms, respectively. The MR multi-breath-hold T2* technique for tissue iron quantification is transferable between scanners with good reproducibility.
-
Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Solvent/detergent plasma for prevention of bleeding in recessively inherited coagulation disorders: dosing, pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy.
This open-label multicenter trial of solvent/detergent (SD) plasma involving 17 patients with recessively inherited coagulation disorders (one afibrinogenemia, four FV, six combined FV and FVIII, one FX and five FXI deficiencies) evaluated the pharmacokinetics of the deficient factors and hemostatic efficacy. ⋯ These results suggest that, even though the current absolute risk of blood-borne infections associated with fresh-frozen plasma is relatively small, SD plasma should be preferred in patients with recessively inherited coagulation disorders who need replacement therapy when virus-inactivated single-factor concentrates are not available.
-
Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Effect of chemotherapy with alkylating agents on the yield of CD34+ cells in patients with multiple myeloma. Results of the Spanish Myeloma Group (GEM) Study.
Although alkylating agents are clearly beneficial in multiple myeloma (MM), their deleterious effect on bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells usually precludes their use as front-line therapy in patients scheduled to undergo autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). We analyzed the impact of first-line chemotherapy with alkylating agents on stem cell collection in MM patients. ⋯ A short-course of therapy with alkylating agents according to the GEM-2000 protocol was associated with an appropriate CD34+ cell collection, and allowed the planned ASCT to be performed in the majority of MM patients.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Filgrastim-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells versus bone marrow transplantation for treating leukemia: 3-year results from the EBMT randomized trial.
Allogeneic peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) are now widely used as the source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. However, it is still not clear which patients should receive mobilized PBPC or bone marrow cells to reconstitute hematopoiesis after myeloablative conditioning. The aim of this study is to present 3-year-follow-up data on outcome (incidence and severity of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) after a PBPC transplant (PBPCT) or a bone marrow transplant (BMT). ⋯ Patients transplanted with PBPC from an HLA-identical sibling develop more chronic GvHD than those transplanted with bone marrow, but the final impact of this difference is unclear. Longer follow-up is necessary to characterize the impact of chronic GvHD on quality of life, leukemia-free survival and overall survival.
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Diagnostic value of serum erythropoietin level in patients with absolute erythrocytosis.
The diagnosis of polycythemia vera (PV) is based on clinical and biological criteria defined by either the Polycythemia Vera Study Group (PVSG) or the World Health Organization (WHO). Both the PVSG and WHO PV criteria have proved helpful and are extensively used, yet diagnostic strategies and scheduling of biological investigations vary. We assessed the value of measuring serum erythropoietin (Epo) as a first intention diagnostic test in patients with absolute erythrocytosis (AE). ⋯ Based on these data, we propose that measurement of serum Epo level, a simple, reliable and inexpensive test, should be considered as a first intention diagnostic test for patients with absolute erythrocytosis.