A randomized study of buffy coat platelets in platelet additive solution stored 1-5 versus 6-7 days prior to prophylactic transfusion of allogeneic haematopoietic progenitor cell transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Storage of platelets > 5 days provides improved availability, logistical management and decreased outdating. Promising results on in vitro parameters and on in vivo post-transfusion recovery and survival of autologous platelets in healthy volunteers have earlier been shown. To provide additional verification, randomized patient transfusion studies are needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty allogeneic haematopoietic progenitor cell transplant recipients were randomized to receive buffy-coat (BC) platelets stored in platelet additive solution (PAS) for 1-5 days the first time a prophylactic transfusion was needed after transplantation, followed the second time by platelets stored for 6-7 days or vice versa. The corrected count increment (CCI) for 1 and 24 h were calculated. RESULTS: CCI 1 h and CCI 24 h were higher for platelets stored 1-5 days as compared to 6-7 days, 10.4 +/- 5.1 vs. 7.4 +/- 3.8 (P < 0.001) and 5.4 +/- 4.1 vs. 2.6 +/- 2.6 (P < 0.001), respectively. Time to next platelet transfusion was significantly longer after a transfusion of platelets stored for 1-5 days as compared to platelets stored for 6-7 days: 2.2 +/- 1.1 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.8 days, respectively (P < 0.005). No differences in bleeding events and no transfusion reaction were recorded. CONCLUSION: The advantage of an extension of platelet storage time beyond day 5 should be balanced against the increased need for platelet transfusions that may occur and the conceivable risk of transfusion failure.

Post-transfusion mortality among recipients of ABO-compatible but non-identical plasma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The consequences of ABO-compatible non-identical plasma for patient outcome have not been studied in randomized clinical trials or large cohort studies and use varies widely in the absence of evidence-based policies. We investigated if transfusion with compatible instead of identical plasma confers any short-term survival disadvantage on the recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort of all 86 082 Swedish patients who received their first plasma transfusion between 1990 and 2002 was followed for 14 days and the risk of death in patients exposed to compatible non-identical plasma compared to recipients of only identical plasma. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounding factors, there was an increased mortality associated with exposure to ABO-compatible non-identical plasma, with the excess risk mostly confined to those receiving 5 or more units (relative risk, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.29). Stratification by blood group indicated higher risks in group O recipients, especially when the compatible plasma was from a group AB donor. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that ABO-compatible non-identical plasma is less safe than identical plasma. Subanalyses by blood group suggest a role for circulating immune complexes. Our findings may have policy implications for improving transfusion safety.

Refractory acute renal allograft rejection successfully treated with photopheresis.

INTRODUCTION: Acute rejection episodes still occur in spite of modern immunosuppressive protocols. We present seven patients with biopsy-proven acute rejections after kidney transplantation refractory to repeated pulses of high-dose steroids and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) or OKT-3, but responsive to photopheresis therapy. METHODS: Photopheresis is a nontoxic immunomodulatory, apheresis-based treatment with no general immunosuppressive action. Rather, it suppresses specific pathogenic T-cell clones. During photopheresis mononuclear leukocytes are collected from the patient using centrifugation technique, treated with a photosensitizing agent, irradiated, and subsequently retransfused. RESULTS: All patients tolerated the treatment well, with no notable side effects. At the 12-month follow-up the median creatinine had decreased to 161 mumol/L compared to 282 mumol/L at the start of photopheresis and at the last follow-up 12 to 43 months after transplantation all patients still had functioning grafts. In five of the seven cases there had been a significant improvement in renal function, whereas in two of the patients the renal function remained stable but without a decrease in creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: It is our experience that the prognosis for renal allografts with acute rejection unresponsive to conventional antirejection treatment (ie, repeated pulses of methylprednisolone and ATG or OKT-3) is very poor. Therefore, we conclude that the photopheresis treatment contributed to the favorable outcome in this small group of patients. We are presently designing a prospective randomized study to further evaluate the effect of photopheresis after renal transplantation.

Rejection of the second allogeneic graft in a patient with severe aplastic anemia reversed by antilymphocyte globulin and donor lymphocyte infusions.

Rejection after allogeneic BMT for aplastic anemia is a complication with a high risk of mortality. We describe a patient who, following a second episode of rejection after a second BMT entered a third durable remission subsequent to treatment with ALG, donor lymphocyte infusions, GM-CSF, and erythropoietin. Therapy was well tolerated. At 5 years after rejection treatment, his hematopoiesis is of complete donor origin as determined by analyses of short tandem repeats. Thus, donor lymphocyte infusions can be considered as a therapy option for marrow rejection after allogeneic BMT for aplastic anemia.

Transplantation of peripheral blood progenitor cells from unrelated donors.

Six patients with high risk haematological malignancies received peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) from unrelated donors. Four patients received PBPC as primary treatment and 2 following graft failure. Five donors were HLA-A, -B and -DR identical and one had a one antigen mismatch. PBPC were mobilised by treatment with G-CSF for 4-6 days. The patients received a range of 3.4 to 11.4 x 10(8) mononuclear cells/kg and 1.0 to 15.0 x 10(6) CD34 positive cells/kg. Four patients were given Campath 1G and 2 ATG prior to transplantation. The patient with one antigen mismatch received in vitro T-cell depleted PBPC using Campath 1M. All received cyclosporin and 5 in addition methotrexate. All recipients were given G-CSF and all engrafted. The patients developed no or mild acute GVHD. Two patients had limited chronic GVHD of the skin. The recipient of the mismatched graft died from extensive chronic GVHD. Three patients have had a relapse and two are alive and free of leukaemia.

Screening for human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus among blood donors in Sweden: cost effectiveness analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the cost effectiveness of a national programme to screen blood donors for infection with the human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus. DESIGN: Three models for calculating the costs and benefits of screening were developed. The first model analysed the cost of continuously testing all donations; the second analysed the cost of initially testing new blood donors and then retesting them after five years; the third analysed the cost of testing donors only at the time of their first donation. Patients who had received blood components from donors confirmed to be infected with the virus were offered testing. SETTING: Sweden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of infection with the virus among blood donors, the risk of transmission of the virus, screening costs, and the outcome of infection. RESULTS: 648 497 donations were tested for the virus; 1625 samples tested positive by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. 6 were confirmed positive by western blotting. The prevalence of infection with the virus was 2/100 000 donors. 35 patients who had received blood infected with the virus were tested; 3 were positive. The cost of testing every donation was calculated to be $3.02m (1.88m pounds); this is 18 times higher than the cost of testing new donors only, and only 1 additional positive donor would be discovered in 7 years. Regardless of the model used, screening was estimated to prevent only 1 death every 200 years at a minimum cost of $36m (22.5m pounds). CONCLUSION: Based on these estimates the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare decided that only new blood donors would be screened for infection with the virus.

[A case of neonatal ABO immunization which was difficult to diagnose. The mother with blood group A2 and the infant with negative direct antiglobulin test]. / Svårdiagnostiserat fall av ABO-immunisering hos nyfödd. Mor med blodgrupp A2 i kombination med negativt direkt antiglobulintest hos barnet.

In caucasians, in about 15 percent of all pregnancies the mother has blood group O and the child blood group A or B which is the usual setting in cases of HDN due to ABO-incompatibility. We describe a case of HDN where the mother had blood group A2 and no irregular erythrocyte antibodies. The patient, who was born at full term, had blood group A2B and negative DAT (Direct Antiglobulin Test). At 36 hours of age exchange transfusion was performed due to a serum bilirubin level of 340 (< 150) mumol/l. The mother had high titres of anti-B antibodies of IgG type and elution indicated presence of anti-B antibodies on the child's erythrocytes.

[Successively improved prognosis in erythrocyte immunization]. / Successivt förbättrad prognos vid erytrocytimmunisering.

Prognosis in cases of erythrocyte immunisation has improved continuously over the past decades. Morbidity and mortality have been reduced by improvements in management, including screening programmes, non-invasive ultrasound evaluation and invasive procedures. The article provides an outline of the latest developments in the management of erythrocyte immunisation, and several controversial issues are discussed, such as antibody screening, strategies for the reduction of antibody titres, and the organisation of care.

[High-dose chemotherapy in breast cancer. Promising results in combination with stem cell support]. / Kemoterapi i högdos mot bröstcancer. Lovande resultat i kombination med stamcellsunderstöd.

Thirty-three women with breast cancer have undergone high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support at Huddinge Hospital. Twenty-eight patients had stage IV disease while five patients had disease stage II or III with involvement of > 10 axillary lymph nodes. Patients who received peripheral stem cells had a shorter duration of neutropenia than patients who received autologous bone marrow (p < 0.001). The transplant related mortality was 3 per cent. The calculated progression free survival was 39 per cent at 24 months after high dose therapy in women with stage IV chemosensitive breast cancer. Patients who got a complete remission after standard dose chemotherapy had a better survival rate than patients who got a partial remission. All women with refractory disease progressed within five months from therapy. Four out of five patients with disease stage II or III are progression free with the longest follow-up time of 46 months. High dose chemotherapy with stem cell support can be given with acceptable toxicity. The follow-up time is short but the results are promising, in particular for women who obtain a complete remission before the high dose therapy starts.