RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Human chitotriosidase (ChT) is an active chitinase expressed by activated phagocytes. Increased ChT activity has been reported in systemic Candida albicans infections and in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections, indicating that an increase in ChT activity reflects phagocyte activation. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in serum ChT activity in patients who underwent high dose chemotherapy (HDC) and stem cell transplantation (SCT), who are at an increased risk for fungal and bacterial infections due to depression of the immune system during the neutropenic period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 55 SCT patients were included in the study. Serum ChT activity was determined before the initiation of HDC and during the neutropenic period after hematopoietic stem cell reinfusion on post-transplant first, fifth and tenth days. RESULTS: Chitotriosidase levels before transplantation were significantly lower than the results at first, fifth and tenth days post-hematopoietic stem cell reinfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of neutrophils was low, ChT enzyme activity was high in newly produced granules of neutrophils. Chitotriosidase may be supplemented as a drug for preventing and treating infections in the near future.
Assuntos
Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/métodos , Hexosaminidases/sangue , Neoplasias/enzimologia , Neoplasias/terapia , Adulto , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Infecções Bacterianas/sangue , Infecções Bacterianas/enzimologia , Terapia Combinada , Feminino , Humanos , Linfoma/sangue , Linfoma/tratamento farmacológico , Linfoma/enzimologia , Linfoma/terapia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mieloma Múltiplo/sangue , Mieloma Múltiplo/tratamento farmacológico , Mieloma Múltiplo/enzimologia , Mieloma Múltiplo/terapia , Neoplasias/sangue , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common form of autoinflammatory syndromes and is characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks of fever and serositis. Amyloidosis is the most common renal complication of FMF. In addition to amyloidosis, many renal lesions have been anecdotally reported in patients with FMF and other hereditary periodic fevers. We report a Turkish child with FMF presenting with hematuria during attacks, in whom kidney biopsy documented the presence of mesangial IgA deposits and the absence of amyloidosis. Kidney biopsy should be performed in patients showing microscopic or gross hematuria during attacks of familial Mediterranean fever in order to gain additional epidemiological data about specific features of renal involvement and to allow adequate treatment.