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Biomedical subjects

M Flesch

Publications and source records attributed to M Flesch.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for acute leukaemia in complete remission: a pilot study of 33 cases.

Thirty-three leukaemic patients in CR were treated by high-dose therapy followed by ABMT: 18 of them had acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia (ANLL) in first remission (CR1) with a mean age of 23.7 years (3-44). All but one of them were conditioned with a polychemotherapy regimen including 6-thioguanine, Ara-C, CCNU, and cyclophosphamide. The marrow cells were purged by chemical means in 16 cases. Five transplant-related deaths were observed: three cardiac failures, one interstitial pneumonitis and one aspergillus pneumonia. At the time of analysis (October 1984), four patients had relapsed and eight were still in unmaintained CR1 (44+, 46+, 30+, and five between 2.5+ and 8+ months post transplant). Fifteen patients had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: four were autografted in CR1 and 11 children were grafted in CR2; the conditioning regimen was fractionated total body irradiation followed by cyclophosphamide for all but one patient who was conditioned with BACT (Burkitt leukaemia); the marrow was purged by a chemical agent in 11 patients and by monoclonal antibodies and C' in four: four out of 15 patients relapsed (two grafted in CR1 and two grafted in CR2); 10 patients are still in unmaintained CR: two adults grafted in CR1 (26+; 12+ months) and eight children with a mean follow-up of 13.4 months post graft (2 + -45+ months). The clinical study leads to the following conclusions: in adult patients the marrow should be harvested during CR1 and at the time of minimal residual disease. The quality of previous chemotherapy and conditioning regimen prior to ABMT play a prominent role in the in vivo eradication of the leukaemic cells. The real impact of marrow purging is still unknown and a larger series of homogeneous patients, conditioned with the same protocols and the same transplant timing, is required before any conclusions can be drawn.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

[Cellular sorting methods in autologous (elimination of residual malignant cells) or allogeneic (T lymphocyte elimination) bone marrow grafts. Clinical pilot studies].

Ex vivo bone marrow treatment prior to autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia or solid tumors (known for their frequent medullary metastatic dissemination) has provoked a great deal of hope and enthusiasm. If, as in most cases, the feasibility of various methods (exposure to chemical products, monoclonal antibodies and complement-dependent cytolysis, immuno-magnetic procedures) has been confirmed, no study to date has shown the efficacy. Only randomized studies will result in such a proof, on the condition that all the specific technical parameters of each method have been perfectly defined. The clinical results of pilot evaluation studies for the prevention of graft-versus-host reaction through the elimination of T lymphocytes in the donor graft have been encouraging. They have shown the feasibility and efficacy of different methods of T cell depletion. One point however remains controversial: is it necessary or not to eliminate all T lymphocytes? After a depletion which is too efficient, the difficulties involved in grafting the donor's hematopoietic cells on the recipient represent a new problem, e.g., in allogenic grafts for acute leukemia (host-versus-graft). In order to resolve the problem of these take failures (10 to 20% of the published series except for Royal Free Hospital and Besançon) it appears necessary to redefine the conditioning regimen prior to allogenic bone marrow transplantation.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

[Acute myeloblastic leukemias and myelodysplasias: treatment with low doses of aracytine].

The anti-leukaemic effect of low-dose cytosine arabinoside was assessed in 36 patients; 15 patients presented with an acute myeloblastic leukaemia and were treated in first induction because of age or preexisting disease and clinical and biological stabilization was obtained in 7 cases, with a mean duration of 8.7 months. In 4 relapsed patients 2 complete remissions were obtained, 1 of which after several courses of cytosine arabinoside. In all cases an important haematopoietic and extra-haematopoietic toxicity was noticed. In 15 patients treated for a myelodysplastic syndrome terminating in acute myeloblastic leukaemia stabilization was obtained in 8 cases, but final conclusions were difficult. The cytotoxic effect of cytosine arabinoside even at low dosage remains important. The optimal modalities in the administration, and the actual advantages of this treatment compared with conventional chemotherapy have still to be defined.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Removal of marrow T cells with OKT3-OKT11 monoclonal antibodies and complement to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease. A pilot study in ten patients.

We studied the feasibility of T cell depletion of bone marrow for transplantation in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease GVHD in patients having a high risk of acute GVHD. We report our preliminary clinical experience of the ex-vivo treatment of allogeneic marrow using a pan-T monoclonal antibody combination (OKT3-OKT11) plus baby rabbit complement. Ten patients received allografts from HLA-identical sibling donors. All patients had malignant hematological disease with poor prognosis (6 acute leukemia, 3 chronic granulocytic leukemia, and 1 multiple myeloma). Nine patients were at high risk of acute GVHD (older than 30 years for 4 patients, chronic granulocytic leukemia in acute or accelerated phase for 3, and acute leukemia in relapse for 2). Posttransplant management with methotrexate was maintained until day 100 in the first four patients and stopped at day 11 for the six others. The ex-vivo treatment with the OKT combination and complement removed 88.3% +/- 11.8 of the T lymphocytes. The myeloid progenitors recovered at the end of the procedure showed a moderate effect of monoclonal antibodies and complement (75.8% +/- 12.2). Engraftment was achieved in all patients: 23.3 days +/- 5.10 to reach 0.5 X 10(9) granulocytes per liter and 31.5 days +/- 12.2 to reach 50 X 10(9) platelets per liter. No acute GVHD was observed in this group of patients. Of the 10 patients, 7 are alive and well and have been in continuous remission from 2-10 months. Three patients have relapsed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Venous occlusive disease of the liver and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Preventive role for heparin?].

The pathogenesis of veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver remains unclear. In a retrospective study we reviewed 63 patients treated with high dose conditioning regimens followed by autologous bone marrow transplant. All patients were given low dose heparin (1 mg/kg). Only one patient developed VOD when heparin was stopped. We think that low dose heparin seems an interesting proposal for an randomized study to prevent VOD.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia using transplant chemopurified with metabolite of oxazaphosphorines (ASTA Z 7557, INN mafosfamide). First clinical results.

The contamination of autologous marrow with clonogenic tumor cells has been the main argument against ABMT in acute leukemia. In a preclinical study we evaluated an active cyclophosphamide derivative named "ASTA Z 7557". We observed that the toxic effect of this drug on CFU-GM growth was dependent on nucleated cell concentration as well as on red blood cell contamination. The potency of the drug was in close relationship with the incubation temperature. The growth of leukemic CFU was inhibited with an ASTA Z dose higher than 30 micrograms/ml. In our system, beyond 40 micrograms/ml more than 95% of committed stem cells are destroyed. Fifteen patients had autotransplant because of AML for 10 patients and because of ALL for 5 patients (4 patients were grafted in relapse and 11 patients in remission). We demonstrated that the marrow take was possible although the inoculum is CFU-GM depleted. Five of the 10 AML patients are alive and remain disease-free at 45+, 65+, 190+, 345+ and 570+ days from ABMT without any maintenance treatment. Four of the 5 ALL patients are alive, three of them in complete remission (40+, 110+, 250+ days). The number of patients reported in this clinical study was relatively small and more cases should be evaluated to be conclusive. Nevertheless the feasibility of chemopurified ABMT was demonstrated.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

High-dose melphalan with autologous bone marrow rescue for the treatment of advanced adult solid tumors.

High-dose melphalan followed by "rescue" with autologous marrow stored for 12-24 hours at room temperature was used in the treatment of 14 patients with advanced tumors refractory to conventional treatment. Twelve patients were evaluable, with three complete responses (25%), five partial responses (42%), and two minimal responses (16%). Response durations ranged from 4 to 38 weeks (median, 7). There were two treatment-related deaths and one patient developed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia 3 months after a second course of high-dose melphalan.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Intensive cytoreductive regimen and autologous bone marrow transplantation in leukemia. Present status and the future. A review.

High-dose cytoreductive treatment followed by ABMT represents a new approach to the treatment of acute leukemia as an alternative when leukemic patients do not have HLA-identical donors. ABMT protocol seems to be a valuable treatment for AML if it is immediately employed after the remission obtained to consolidate the remission. For ALL adult patients, and so for poor prognosis ALL in children, intensive therapy with ABMT represents a new approach when conventional therapy has failed or failed to consolidate the remission. The results of ABMT in CML in the literature have been disappointing; the bone marrow could be collected during the course of the first chronic phase after hydroxyurea therapy or other treatment programs. In leukemia the ABMT approach will be more credible if the protocol includes in vitro immunologic or pharmacologic means to eliminate residual leukemic cells.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Autologous bone marrow transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia in relapse or in complete remission.

We report ten cases of acute myeloid leukemia treated by intensive therapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation. Seven patients were in first relapse, and three were in complete remission. The conditioning regimen consisted of either chemotherapy alone (6-thioguanine, cytarabine, lomustine, and cyclophosphamide [TACC; eight patients]) or cyclophosphamide and total-body irradiation (two patients). All the patients in first relapse achieved complete remission (CR). The median remission duration was 9.9 months (range, 5-14), and the median survival was 14.4 months (range, 9-23.8). Of the three patients autografted during CR, one relapsed at Month 5 and two others remain in CR and are well at 18+ and 18.3+ months. High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation seems to be a valuable treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, if it is used immediately after the CR to consolidate the remission.

Adolescent↗