The FACT-G7: a rapid version of the functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G) for monitoring symptoms and concerns in oncology practice and research.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) assessments in research and clinical oncology settings are increasingly important. HRQOL instruments need to be rapid and still maintain the ability to capture the most relevant patient issues in a valid and reliable manner. The current study develops and validates the FACT-G7, a rapid version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Oncology patients with advanced cancer (N = 533) from 11 diseases sites ranked the symptoms and concerns they viewed as 'the very most important' when undergoing cancer treatment, completed the FACT-G, and additional HRQOL measures. Oncology patients' scores were referenced across a general US population sample (N = 2000). RESULTS: We selected the highest priority cancer-related symptoms and concerns endorsed by patients for inclusion in the FACT-G7. Fatigue and ability to enjoy life were ranked the most highly. The results provide preliminary support for the FACT-G7's internal consistency reliability (α = 0.74) and validity as evidenced by moderate-to-strong relationships with expected criteria. The references for the general population are summarized. CONCLUSIONS: The FACT-G7 can be used to assess top-rated symptoms and concerns for a broad spectrum of advanced cancers in clinical practice and research.

[How to handle unexpected biological abnormalities observed in the pre-donation workup for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: an SFGM-TC report on pre-transplant cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Toxoplasma gondii, or syphilis IgM positive serology test]. / Conduite à tenir devant une anomalie biologique découverte lors du bilan pré-don cellules souches hématopoïétiques: sérologie IgM positive pour le cytomégalovirus, le virus d'Epstein-Barr, la toxoplasmose, ou la syphilis.

In the attempt to harmonize clinical practices between different French transplantation centers, the French Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy (SFGM-TC) set up the third annual series of workshops which brought together practitioners from all member centers and took place in October 2012 in Lille. Here we report our results and recommendations regarding the management of pre-transplant donor's cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Toxoplasma gondii, or syphilis IgM positive serology test.

[How to handle unexpected biological abnormalities observed in the pre-donation workup for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: an SFGM-TC report on pre-transplant positive pregnancy test and monoclonal gammapathy]. / Conduite à tenir devant un problème du donneur de cellules souches hématopoïétiques: test de grossesse positif et gammapathie monoclonale.

In the attempt to harmonize clinical practices between different French transplantation centers, the French Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy (SFGM-TC) set up the third annual series of workshops which brought together practitioners from all member centers and took place in October 2012 in Lille. Here we report our results and recommendations regarding the management of common issues related to the donor: pre-transplant pregnancy and monoclonal gammopathy.

French version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) version 3.

PURPOSE: Impairment of cognitive function, a common complaint in patients receiving chemotherapy, is usually measured through neuropsychological tests. Patient self-evaluation of cognitive difficulties is an important complement to those tests. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) is a self-report questionnaire with potential to be used in standard clinical practice as a tool for evaluating patient's cognitive function before, during, and after chemotherapy. The purpose of our study was to conduct linguistic validation of the French version of the FACT-Cog. METHODS: Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this study. After undergoing a rigorous translation methodology, the French FACT-Cog version was pretested in France with 35 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Interviews were conducted with all patients to ascertain their understanding of each item. The validation of the final version was conducted among 63 cancer patients, and sociodemographic information was collected as well as brief measure of cognitive function and depression score. RESULTS: Patient comments obtained through the cognitive debriefing interviews indicated that patients understand the French FACT-Cog items as they are intended and that the measure is culturally appropriate. Internal consistency reliability of the subscales, evaluated using Cronbach's coefficient alpha, was high for all four subscales: Perceived Cognitive Impairments = 0.93, Impact On QOL = 0.85, Comments From Others = 0.70, and Perceived Cognitive Abilities = 0.89. All item-total correlations for each subscale were greater than 0.20, and most were greater than 0.50. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study effectively demonstrate that the French FACT-Cog is a reliable instrument for the self-reporting of cognitive abilities in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Do minitransplants have minicosts? A cost comparison between myeloablative and nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a widely used, cost-intensive procedure. Although pretransplant nonmyeloablative (NMA) or reduced-intensity conditioning regimens appear very promising, prospective studies comparing this approach with the conventional myeloablative (MA) approach in specific hematologic diseases are necessary, especially in patients in whom the conventional approach is not contraindicated. Cost may be an important factor in the decision-making process. We compared the costs of MA and NMA transplants in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We estimated 1-year resource utilization in 12 consecutive MA patients (median age: 39 years) and in 11 consecutive NMA patients (median age: 58 years) who underwent HLA-identical sibling SCT for AML. Resources care expenses were valued using the average daily rate for personnel costs, supplies, and room costs. Other data were directly collected from the patients' charts. Despite a trend for lower costs in NMA patients during the first 6 months, costs during the 6-12-month period were significantly higher after NMA due to late complications and readmissions (P=0.03). Finally, mean 1-year costs were not different in MA and NMA patients (P=0.75). Prospective studies comparing conventional and NMA approaches in homogeneous populations should include economic items.

Binding to plasma lipoproteins of chlorophenoxyisobutyric, tibric and nicotinic acids and their esters: its significance for the mechanism of lipid lowering by clofibrate and related drugs.

The binding of chlorophenoxyisobutyric (CPIB), tibric (TA) and nicotinic (NA) acids and CPIB ethyl ester (Clofibrate), TA and NA isopropyl esters (TAPE and NAPE) to human lipoproteins of low density of different classes (LDL2, LDL1 and VLDL) and high density (HDL) were studied by equilibrium dialysis and Sephadex gel filtration. Clofibrate and TAPE bound strongly to lipoproteins, but their acids, CPIB and TA and also NA and NAPE, did not bind. In the same experimental conditions, Clofibrate and TAPE bound only weakly to human serum albumin (HSA) and CPIB bound to HSA with a Ka of 3.3 X 10(5) M(-1) for 1 site of high affinity. The Clofibrate and TAPE bound to lipoproteins did not dissociate either during dialysis or during filtration on Sephadex G 25. The binding percentage remained constant for all drug concentrations studied, and the molar ratio of bound drug rose linearly with increasing concentrations. This suggests that the interaction may be irreversible, and there is some evidence that binding may induce irreversible changes in the lipoprotein molecules. These results, and those already found in experiments made with three other drugs related to Clofibrate, lead to the proposal that in their interaction with lipoproteins, the phenyl groups are necessary and the esterification is contributory. The possible role of this interaction in the lipid-lowering effect of the drugs is discussed with special reference to their possible implication in lipoprotein synthesis within the intestinal and hepatic cells.

Circulating IgA-Lp complexes in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic and cholesterol fed NZW rabbits.

Auto-immune immunoglobulin-lipoprotein complexes (Ig-Lp), as well as other modified lipoproteins, are activators of the transformation of macrophages into foam cells which may be the first step in atherogenesis. In humans circulating Ig-Lp have been demonstrated in autoimmune hyper- or dyslipidemia (AIH, DIH) and found to be associated with conditions related to atherosclerosis. Thus Ig-Lps may be significant and potentially primary atherogenic factors. In order to test this hypothesis we compared the distribution of Ig-Lps in 14 WHHL homozygote rabbits and in 15 normal fed and 8 cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits, all males aged 4-6 months. The Ig-Lps were detected by ELISA using 2 different capture anti-Lp and 4 indicator antibodies specific for either total Igs or the IgA, IgM or IgG classes. Some Ig-Lp of all classes were found in normal fed NZW. As compared with these normal levels, IgA-Lp are increased 2.5-fold in both the WHHL and the cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits (P = 0.0002). During cholesterol feeding the increase of IgA-Lp and total cholesterol and their decrease after returning to a normal diet were parallel in NZW rabbits, but their variation was mainly independent. IgM-Lp was also increased, but to a much lesser extent, in WHHL and in cholesterol-fed NZW. IgG-Lp was not increased in WHHL and only moderately increased in some of the cholesterol-fed NZW. The WHHL and the cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits did not differ by the IgA-Lp content of the serum, but the level of IgM-Lp was higher in the former.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Retinyl palmitate labeled intestinally derived lipoproteins accumulate in the circulation of WHHL rabbits.

The behavior of native retinyl palmitate labeled intestinally derived lipoproteins and their remnants was studied in 8 NZW and 8 WHHL (5 homo- and 3 heterozygote) normal-fed rabbits and in 3 cholesterol-fed NZW, after 1 month of cholesterol feeding, and 3 and 5 months after resuming normal feeding. Palmitate labeled lipoproteins were produced by the intestine after administration of 50,000 IU of Vitamin A, together with olive oil via gastric intubation. Blood was drawn before and 3,6,9,12,24, and in some instances, 48 h later. Retinol (R) and retinyl palmitate (RP) were measured in whole serum and in the chylomicron, d less than 1006, d greater than 1006 less than 1019, d greater than 1019 less than 1063, d greater than 1063 less than 1210 g/ml lipoprotein fractions and in the infranatant. The R content of the serum was almost all concentrated in the infranatant, it did not change during the vitamin A test and was similar in WHHL, and normal- or cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits. In the normal-fed NZW the RP content of the serum increased within 6 h after giving the vitamin A fat meal (peak value less than 200 microgram/100 ml) and then decreased. In the WHHL homozygotes, the RP increased to a much greater degree (peak value 600-1820 micrograms) and for a much longer time, as it was still increased in the 5 cases studied after 24 h, and in 3 cases studied after 48 h. Similar RP curves were obtained in NZW rabbits, after 1 month of cholesterol feeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ischaemic disease in men and women with familial hypercholesterolaemia and xanthomatosis. A comparative study of genetic and environmental factors in 274 heterozygous cases.

The incidence of ischaemic diseases in familial hypercholesterolaemia and xanthomatosis (familial Type II) was studied in a group of 158 men and 116 women. (1) Men and women did not differ with regard to the inherited metabolic disease. Levels of serum cholesterol, the marker of the genetic defect, were not statistically different, and cholesterol deposition in tissues, visualized by skin tendon xanthomas, was not sex related. (2) Men and women were different with regard to ischaemic diseases. The incidence was much lower in women, and the mean age of onset 9 years later. Moreover, there was a sex difference in the nature of the ischaemic disease, with a high male predominance of myocardial infarction. (3) Since the major risk factor hypercholesterolaemia could not explain such a difference, the role of other risk factors was investigated. It was shown that the incidence of ischaemic diseases was increased in women by cigarette smoking and hypertension, and that the difference in age of onset between males and females was no longer seen in smoking women. It is suggested that the genetic factor is responsible for the atherosclerotic lesion in both sexes and that other factors playing a role in ischaemic complications including tobacco and hypertension may explain the difference between men and women.

Cytotoxic effect of serum on fibroblasts in one case of normolipidemic plane xanthoma and myeloma IgG lambda.

Serum was examined for a cytotoxic effect on cultured human fibroblasts, using 8 normal controls and 4 patients. Three of the patients had secondary lipidoses associated with monoclonal gammapathies of IgA kappa, IgG kappa and IgG lambda types. The fourth had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with hyperlipidemia. Only serum containing the monoclonal IgG lambda was found to be cytotoxic. This circulating IgG lambda was strongly bound to HDL and behaved like an antilipoprotein antibody. The circulating immune complexes may be the serum factor responsible for the cytotoxicity and the cutaneous plane xanthomas, thus giving another example of 'antibody-dependent' cellular cytotoxicity previously described for endothelial cells in other diseases.

Immunoglobulin-bound lipoproteins (Ig-Lp) as markers of familial hypercholesterolemia, xanthomatosis and atherosclerosis.

In autoimmune hyper- or dislipidemia secondary to a monoclonal antilipoprotein gammapathy, immunoglobulin-lipoprotein (Ig-Lp) complexes are found in the circulating blood. In order to determine their possible significance in common types of hyperlipidemia we compared the Ig-Lp content of sera from 98 healthy blood donors and 155 outpatients from a Lipid Clinic, including 91 cases of hypercholesterolemia (55 familial and 36 non-familial), 15 cases of hypertriglyceridemia, 20 cases of mixed hyperlipidemia and 29 miscellaneous cases. Detection of the Ig-Lp was performed by an ELISA technique with polyclonal affinity purified anti-LDL + HDL as capture antibodies and peroxidase-labeled anti-Ig antibodies specific for IgA, IgG, IgM heavy chains as indicators. Two cases of monoclonal gammapathy (one IgA K and one IgG L) with dislipidemia served as positive controls for the test. IgG, IgA and IgM Lp were found in the sera of the blood donors, in very small quantities when compared with the monoclonal gammapathy cases. All three types of Ig-Lp were also found in the different hyperlipidemic populations studied. When blood donors were compared to hyperlipidemic patients, no difference was observed for IgG Lp. A significant increase in IgM Lp was found in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (P less than 0.01). An increase in IgA Lp was also found in hypercholesterolemia, familial or not (P less than 0.01), and in patients with corneal arcus (P less than 0.0001), ischaemic disease (P less than 0.01), tendon xanthomas (P less than 0.05) or xanthelasma (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, in a group of 18 paired parents from 9 different families, positive interparent correlations were found for IgM Lp (r = 0.78; P = 0.013) and IgG Lp (r = 0.69; P = 0.038). Therefore IgM Lp may be markers for subpopulations of familial hypercholesterolemia, and IgA Lp markers for the risk of atherosclerotic ischemic disease and deposition of lipids in the cornea. It may be (1) that natural clones of autoanti-lipoprotein antibodies are responsible for the minute quantities of Ig-Lp found in normal people; (2) that the marked development of one of these clones is the cause of autoimmune hyper- or dyslipidemia and xanthomatosis associated with monoclonal gammapathy; (3) that the limited development of a clone produces the Ig-Lp particles found in hypercholesterolemic patients; (4) that there are types of Ig-Lp particles (IgA Lp) that may be harmful for tissues independently of hypercholesterolemia.

Lp(a) levels and antiestrogen antibodies in women with and without thrombosis in the course of oral contraception.

Several reports have shown that lipoprotein(a) is associated with ischemic diseases. Two characteristics might explain this association. Firstly, Lp(a) is an LDL-like lipoprotein which may be implicated in the atherosclerotic process and secondly, Lp(a) possesses an additional apolipoprotein(a) whose structure is close to that of plasminogen and might confer to the molecule prothrombotic properties. It seemed of interest to see whether Lp(a) was a risk factor in oral contraceptive users with thrombotic complications, a group of young women with presumably little or no atherosclerosis. Three groups of women were compared: 25 of them served as controls and did not use oral contraceptives (OC) (group 1); 25 women were healthy current users of OC (group 2); 35 women suffered thrombotic complications in the course of OC (group 3). Mean levels of Lp(a), estimated by RID, were not found to be significantly different in the 3 groups: 19 +/- 18, 20 +/- 23 and 16 +/- 22 mg/dl, respectively. Levels above 30 mg/dl were similarly distributed. Among the other risk factors studied, antiestrogen antibodies were absent in group 1, present in 24% of group 2 and 71.4% of group 3 (P < 0.01). Serum cholesterol levels were similar in the 3 groups: 209 +/- 33, 220 +/- 41, 213 +/- 45 mg/dl respectively. Mean serum triglyceride levels were higher in group 2 than in group 1 (61 +/- 18 and 83 +/- 32, P < 0.01), and higher in group 3 than in group 2 (116 +/- 66 and 83 +/- 32, P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood changes in sex steroid hormone users. Circulating immune complexes induced by estrogens and progestogens and their relation to vascular thrombosis.

Oral contraceptives (OC) have been shown to induce in some women antiethinylestradiol antibodies which may be detected as circulating immune complexes by precipitation in ammonium sulphate at 25% saturation (CIC.AS). A reevaluation of the presence of CIC.AS in 644 women either receiving sex steroid hormones or not was made, and the respective role of estrogens and progestogens investigated, together with the influence of the dose. The study confirmed that CIC.AS levels were significantly different in controls (442 +/- 246 micrograms/ml serum), healthy gonadal hormone users (754 +/- 700 micrograms) and users with thrombosis (1331 +/- 1099 micrograms/ml). These results indicated that: 1. CIC.AS could be induced by synthetic estrogens as well as progestogens, but not by non-synthetic hormones; 2. the induction of CIC.AS seemed poorly dose-related, and 3. was not correlated with the duration of use; 4. in reactive women, high CIC.AS levels occurred as soon as 3 weeks after the beginning of synthetic gonadal hormones use, persisted throughout treatment and decreased slowly when discontinued; 5. in women with thrombosis CIC.AS were more frequently detected (64.7%) than in healthy users (32.2%) P less than 0.001. The importance of the immunologic changes as a risk factor in thrombosis in OC users was evaluated in comparison with other predisposing factors and tobacco smoking.

PIP: Oral contraceptives (OCs) have been shown to induce antiethinyl estradiol antibodies in some women which may be detected as circulating immune complexes by precipitation in ammonium sulphate at 25% saturation (CIC.AS). A reevaluation of the presence of CIC.AS in 644 women either receiving sex steroid hormones or not was made, and the respective role of estrogens and progestogens investigated, together with the influence of the dose. The study confirmed that CIC.AS levels were significantly different in controls (442 +or- 246 mcg/ml serum), healthy gonadal hormone users (754 +or- 700 mcg) and users with thrombosis (1331 +or- 1099 mcg/ml). These results indicated that: 1) CIC.AS could be induced by synthetic estrogens as well as progestogens but not by nonsynthetic hormones; 2) the induction of CIC.AS seemed poorly dose-related; and 3) the induction was not correlated with the duration of use; 4) high CIC.AS levels occurred as soon as 3 weeks after the beginning of synthetic gonadal hormone use in reactive women and persisted throughout treatment and decreased slowly when discontinued; and 5) CIC.AS was detected more frequently (64.7%) in women with thrombosis than in healthy users (32.2%), P0.001. The importance of the immunologic changes as a risk factor in thrombosis in OC users was evaluated in comparison with other predisposing factors and tobacco smoking.

Inhibition of lipoprotein lipase activity by a monoclonal immunoglobulin in autoimmune hyperlipidemia.

Autoimmune hyperlipidemia (AIH) may be induced a variety of antibodies which inhibit different stages of the lipolytic process by which the lipid load is removed from the circulating lipoproteins. In a patient having a monoclonal gammopathy and a nephrotic syndrome with a glomerulonephritis and a marked hypertriglyceridemia, it was found previously that the monoclonal IgG gamma Lac. reacted with human VLDL as well as with human serum albumin. Here it is demonstrated that the purified IgG gamma inhibits the lipolysis of triglyceride substrates by reacting with a substance (Lac. S) necessary for lipoprotein lipase activity. The interaction of IgG lambda Lac. with serum or HDL-activated triglyceride substrates inhibits the lipolytic activity of human and rat plasma post heparin and also adipose tissue lipases. It slightly inhibits the activity of swine pancreatic lipases. The Lac S. which reacts with IgG Lac. is associated to whole and delipidated VLDL and HDL and not to LDL or purified APo-A. It may be an Apo-C or a non-peptidic co-factor of the lipases which remains bound to the apoprotein core after delipidation. Its lack of species specificity and its presence as traces in HSA preparations favors the latter hypothesis. The Lac. substances is different from the Pg and As substances which were found to react with IgA anti-Pg and IgG anti-As antibodies in previously reported antilipoprotein AIH.

Residual vascular risk of discontinued oral contraception. Role of antibodies to synthetic sex hormones.

Recent epidemiological data indicate that the risk of thromboembolic disease associated with oral contraception (OC) may persist after discontinuation of the drug. It was demonstrated on the other hand that antibodies to sex steroid hormones which develop in OC users, were significantly correlated with the incidence of thrombosis. It is well known that antibodies may persist years after the antigenic stimulation. So it was of interest to see if the eventual occurrence of thrombosis in ex-users might be correlated with the presence of anti-sex steroid antibodies remaining after stopping OC. Thirty-eight women with thrombosis on OC and positive antibody levels, who were required to stop the pill, were followed for periods ranging from 1 to 10 years. No disappearance of anti-ethinyl-estradiol antibodies (anti-EE ab) was observed except for 2 cases. On the other hand, 109 patients with thrombosis either current- (50), past- (29), or never-users (30) of OC were compared to 102 controls of similar groups. Results indicate that the levels of anti-EE ab, and the percentage of women who had anti-EE ab, were similar in those who experienced thrombosis either in the course of OC or after discontinuation. A significant difference was observed between both cases who were current- or ex-users and their controls.

Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia, anti-estrogen antibodies and other risk factors for thrombosis in women on oral contraceptives.

Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia was shown to be associated with vascular occlusion in atherosclerotic patients. We have conducted a study to determine if hyperhomocyst(e)inemia was also related to the vascular events observed in women on oral contraceptives, presumably having little or no atherosclerosis. Two hundred women receiving oral contraceptives were included in the study: 100 were healthy controls and 100 had documented vascular occlusion. Determination of serum homocyst(e)ine and anti-estrogen antibody levels wore performed under blind conditions. They were evaluated in logistic regression models in which age and smoking were also included. Women with vascular occlusion had higher levels of homocyst(e)ine (P less than 0.001) and of anti-estrogen antibodies (P less than 0.001) when compared to controls. They were also older (P less than 0.001) and more frequently smokers (P less than 0.05). The above mentioned variables were, in isolation, independent predictors of vascular occlusion. Moreover, a model assessing those variables and their interactions indicated that the levels of anti-estrogen antibodies and smoking increased the predictability in older women, as well as the levels of age-adjusted homocyst(e)ine. The study suggests that the above factors can identify women at risk and that determination of anti-estrogen antibodies and homocyst(e)ine levels may help to detect women predisposed to vascular occlusions when taking oral contraceptives.

PIP: This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that hyperhomocyst(e)inemia may be an additional risk factor for vascular occlusions in women taking oral contraceptives (OCs). A total of 200 women who were regular users of OC tablets containing 30 or 50 mcg ethinyl estradiol were studied: 100 were controls and 100 had documented vascular occlusion. Serum levels of homocyst(e)ine and anti-estrogen antibody were determined under blind conditions. These were evaluated in logistic regression models in which age and smoking were also included. Women with vascular occlusion had higher levels of homocyst(e)ine and anti-estrogen antibodies when compared to controls. They were also older and frequent smokers. The variables investigated--namely, anti-estrogen antibody, age-adjusted log, transformed homocyst(e)ine, age, and smoking--were independent predictors of vascular occlusions when considered in isolation. Moreover, a model assessing these variables and their interactions, indicated that the levels of anti-estrogen antibodies and smoking increased the predictability in older women, as well as the levels of age-adjusted log and homocyst(e)ine. The study suggests that these variables can identify women at risk, and the determination of anti-estrogen antibody and homocyst(e)ine levels may help to detect women predisposed to vascular occlusions when taking OCs.

Purification of a monoclonal IgA with antiheparin activity.

A monoclonal IgA with antiheparin activity was obtained from a hyperlipidemic plasma. For the separation of the IgA antibody the plasma was passed through a column of Bio-Gel P-6 to eliminate the unbound heparin. As a second step, intervent dilution chromatography was used. The active peak of the intervent dilution chromatography was finally purified on heparin coupled to epoxy-activated sepharose 6B at pH 4.0. The obtained fraction gave a single arc with sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Using a lower pH (pH 2.8) for the separation, an aggregation of the IgA molecule was observed. Either the monomere or the aggregated IgA had a strong antiheparin activity. The presence of this antiheparin antibody is suggesting the possibility that certain immunoglobulins may play a role as heparin inhibitors in the development of hyperlipidemias.

Circulating lipophages and aortic foam cells in experimental atherosclerosis of rabbits under altered reticuloendothelial activity.

Administration of Freund's adjuvant to cholesterol-fed rabbits inhibited the induction of atheroma in the aorta of rabbits when compared with cholesterol-fed indiaink-treated animals and cholesterol-fed saline-treated controls. Simultanously the blockade of the reticuloendothelial system by india ink caused a greater degree of atheromatous lesions in these rabbits. Smears of peripheral blood studied by light microscopy revealed the presence of circulating lipophages which were morphologically similar to the aortic foam cells isolated from the same animal. Isolation of mononuclear lipid-containing foam cells from aortic intima and the presence of a morphologically similar type of cell in circulating blood indicate that the blood might be the most likely source of intimal foam cells.

Plateletpheresis concentrates produced with the COMTEC cell separator: the French experience.

The latest generation of cell separators such as Trima (Gambro), Amicus (Baxter) and AS-TEC 204 (Fresenius), allow the collection of leucocyte-reduced platelet concentrates without secondary filtration. Fresenius has recently developed the COMTEC cell separator whose performance has been evaluated by several teams in France. This new cell separator is an improved version of the Fresenius AS-TEC 204 cell separator, designed to allow more efficient platelet collections. This study reports on the experience of six French teams (from Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Creteil, Dijon, Lille and Nancy) who obtained 696 leucocyte-reduced plateletpheresis concentrates in the course of collection using the new Fresenius COMTEC cell separator. All healthy volunteer donors fulfilled French selection criteria for platelet apheresis. Donors were eligible if they had suitable venous accesses, if their bodyweight was *50 kg and if their pre-apheresis platelet count was >150 x 10(9) l(-1). Between 4606 and 5229 ml of blood were processed. The mean volume of the platelet concentrates was between 439 and 493 ml (mean 460 +/- 63 ml). The platelet yield was of the order of 5.18 +/- 1.02 x 10(11) with only one platelet concentrate below the norm of 2 x 10(11) platelets (0.91 x 10(11)). No plausible explanation for this was found. The residual leucocyte levels conform to current norms. The platelet concentrates contained less than 1 x 10(6) leucocytes per concentrate (mean 0.233 +/- 0.150 x 10(6) leucocytes) in more than 97% of the components produced with >95% statistical confidence. The efficacy of the cell separator (52.44 +/- 7.35%) is comparable to that of other separators. The Fresenius COMTEC cell separator makes it possible to obtain leucocyte-reduced platelet concentrates which comply with current standards both in terms of platelet content and residual leucocyte level.

[Does preoperative erythroapheresis avoid homologous transfusion?]. / L'érythroaphérèse préopératoire permet-elle d'éviter la transfusion homologue?

The risk of transfusion-related viral infections promotes techniques intended to reduce such a risk. Preoperative erythroapheresis is an autologous blood collection technique which minimizes the inconvenience of repeated predeposit autologous donations. Erythroapheresis has been performed in 451 patients, 24 to 72 hours before surgery using a discontinuous flow cell separator (PCS+Haemonetics). The mean collected red cells volume was 485 ml (250-900) and was replaced by hydroxy-ethyl-starch (ELOHES). Homologous blood transfusion was avoided in 431 patients (95,6%). This technique is indicated for surgery with an expected blood loss between 1000 and 1500 ml or when the patient cannot be included in a preoperative blood donation programme. Preoperative erythrocytapheresis is a simple and well tolerated procedure. To have recourse to apheresis techniques allows to increase the number of autologous transfused patients.