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Biomedical subjects

B Labar

Publications and source records attributed to B Labar.

105 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

[In situ PCR in the diagnosis of acute leukemia].

Cytomorphologic and cytochemical bone marrow analysis is essential in the diagnosis of acute leukemia. Immunophenotyping and conventional cytogenetics, just as fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) are other diagnostic procedures, as well as genome analysis by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). PCR is inevitable in searching for minimal residual disease, because it may detect very small amount of malignant hematopoietic cells even when a patient is in complete remission (less than 5% malignant cells in bone marrow and disappearance from peripheral blood) which helps better monitoring of patients. By in situ hybridization (ISH) it is possible to associate specific cell type with genome alteration, but the method is not sensitive enough. By combining ISH and PCR a novel technique with increased sensitivity was developed, PCR in situ, which enables nucleic acid amplification in an intact cell. In this case report we present two patients whose bone marrow aspirates were analyzed also by PCR in situ.

Bone Marrow Cells↗

[The nucleolar organizer region in malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].

Nucleolar organizer region-associated proteins (AgNORs) have been studied in parafin sections of 15 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas by a silver staining technique. On the basis of the Working Formulation of malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas all studied cases were divided into three groups. A statistically significant difference was found between number of AgNORs in the nuclei of low-grade lymphomas (mean 2.654 per nucleus), and also between intermediate-grade (mean 1.588 per nucleus) and high-grade malignant lymphomas. Significant difference was also observed between AgNOR area in high-grade and low-grade malignant lymphomas and between high-grade and intermediate-grade malignant lymphomas. However no statistically significant differences between all three studied groups with regard to the size of nucleus were found. It is suggested that this method can be very useful in the diagnosis of malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Humans↗

[Sepsis caused by Yersinia enterocolitica in a female patient with liver cirrhosis].

As a primarily intestinal pathogen. Yersinia enterocolitica (Y. e.) may cause generalized infection in patients with malignant and other serious diseases or immunodeficient subjects. In certain conditions, elevated serum and tissue iron concentrations represent an additional risk factor for systemic infection with this opportunistic bacterium. In our patient, Y. e. septicemia developed during liver cirrhosis decompensation. Clinical signs of infection were alleviated by appropriate antibiotic therapy (gentamycin, cefuroxime), but as septicemia had been present for several days prior to therapy, it aggravated the patient's general condition, which entailed the development of hepatorenal syndrome and eventually lethal outcome.

Female↗

[Hematopoietic growth factors].

Hematopoietic growth factors are glycoproteins that stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Due to several technical advances, first of all to the techniques of recombinant DNA, it has become possible today to produce them highly-purified and in amounts big enough to enable its application in clinical trials. Until now, 5 hematopoietic growth factors have been studied on humans. In early clinical trials their safety and favourable biological efficacy has been proved. Obvious effectivity in vivo significantly broadens frontiers of possible therapeutic effects in several clinical conditions that include primary or secondary insufficiency of hematopoiesis. Their future applications have to include combinations of several different hematopoietic growth factors or their combinations with cytostatic drugs or immunomodulators.

Animals↗

[Treatment of neoplastic hematologic diseases with intensive radio-chemotherapy and transplantation of cryopreserved autologous bone marrow].

Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) allows application of intensive myeloablative therapy aimed at eradication of neoplastic disease by facilitating haematopoietic reconstitution. Between March and June 1988, four patients (two with acute myelogenous leukaemia in first remission, one with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in second remission, and one with Burkitt lymphoma, stage IV with CNS involvement in second remission) received this treatment. Methods of collecting, processing and freezing bone marrow as well as thawing and reinfusion of the marrow into patients after intensive chemoradiotherapy are described. Viability of bone marrow cells tested by the dye exclusion method after freezing and thawing process was 89, 88, 91 and 78%, respectively. CFU-GM recovery in culture, as a test of marrow stem cells clonogenicity was between 63,3 and 156,5%. Patients received between 1,7 and 3,0 x 10(8)/kg nucleated cells and 4,0 to 7,6 x 10(4)/kg CFU-GM, respectively. In all four patients stable haematopoietic reconstitution was achieved. The bone marrow function was evident mainly at 11th day after marrow reinfusion. Leukocyte count reached 1,0 x 10(0)/L in 11 to 15 days, and granulocyte count raised more than 0,5 x 10(9)/L in 19 to 37 days after transplantation. Platelet recovery was prolonged with the minimum of 29 days and maximum of more than 60 days to reach 20 x 10(9)/L. Side effects caused by the intensive radiochemotherapy were moderate. Bacterial, fungal and viral infections in early posttransplant period were successfully treated. All patients have survived and left the hospital 63, 54, 36 and 65 days after ABMT, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

Donor buffy-coat infusion and chemotherapy for leukemia in relapse after marrow transplantation.

A patient relapsing with blastic lymphoid transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia after bone marrow transplantation received donor buffy-coat infusion. Low-dose chemotherapy was added because of a rapid WBC increase. Complete hematologic and cytogenetic remission was obtained. The patient remained in complete hematologic and cytogenetic remission for four months until he died in an accident. Two patients with acute leukemia failed to respond to a similar treatment.

Acute Disease↗

Molecular monitoring of minimal residual disease in acute promyelocytic leukemia by the polymerase chain reaction assay for the PML/RAR alpha (retinoic acid receptor-alpha) fusion transcript in patients treated with all-trans retinoic acid followed by chemotherapy.

Five acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients who achieved a complete remission (CR) with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) underwent residual disease monitoring through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for PML/retinoic acid receptor-alpha (PML/RAR alpha) fusion transcript. All received consolidation chemotherapy in CR, one in the form of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). In four of the patients PCR was positive for the PML/RAR alpha transcript immediately after ATRA treatment and/or after the first consolidation chemotherapy course. In the patient treated with ABMT, positivity was still detected six months after ABMT. One patient given five repeated courses of chemotherapy was PCR negative for PML/RAR alpha after 14 months in CR. Our pilot study confirmed that ATRA is a highly efficient induction therapy for APL in various stages of the disease, but ATRA alone cannot cure the disease. PCR should be considered a fundamental assay for assessing minimal residual disease in CR that will influence further treatment strategies and permit evaluation of treatment results.

Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute↗