ABSTRACT
Facile and innovative route for large-scale synthesis of SiO2 fibers with excellent textural properties and H2O adsorption performance is presented. At first, a three-dimensional network of SiO2 precursor fibers was produced from tailored spun solutions (without any toxic elements and surfactants) by centrifugal spinning, which is a very modern fiber-synthesis technique, with numerous advantages over electrospinning. Upon thermal annealing of the precursor fibers, mesoporous amorphous SiO2 fibers with an ultrahigh surface area of up to 824 m2/g and pore size distribution in the range of 2-10 nm were produced. Owing to the high number of OH groups available on the surface, the produced SiO2 fibers showed significantly better performance in H2O adsorption compared to that of the reference silicagel.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: To evaluate the incidence of bone marrow suppression and consequences of MMF dose adjustment in patients within the first year after heart transplantation. METHODS: Group I (n=47) was treated with a regimen currently used in patients after heart transplantation (mycophenolatemofetil - MMF, valganciclovir - VGC and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole - TMP-SMX). Group II (n=47) received only MMF of potentially myelotoxic medications. The myelotoxic effect and need for dose modification were assessed. The incidence of rejections and infectious episodes associated with MMF adjustment were analyzed during the first 12 months in Group I. RESULTS: There was a significantly greater proportion of patients with leukopenia (leukocyte count < 4 x 10^9/L) at 3 months after orthotopic heart transplantation in Group I compared with Group II (19.1% vs 2.1%; P = 0.02). The difference in lymphopenia (lymphocyte count < 0.8 x 10^9/L) at 3 months follow-up was highly significant (38.3 % vs 6.4 %; P = 0.0002). MMF was modified due to bone marrow suppression or severe infection in 63.8% patients in Group I and in only 8.5% of patients in Group II (P < 0.001). Reducing or stopping MMF was not associated with increased rejections. In Group I, at least 1 episode of higher degree cellular or humoral rejection occurred in 35% of patients with the standard MMF dosage compared with only 26% in patients with modified MMF (P = 0.0534). CONCLUSIONS: Addition of VGC+TMP-SMX to current immunosuppressive medication regimen in patients after heart transplantation is associated with significant lymphocytopenia and leukopenia. Importantly, modification of immunosuppressive prophylaxis (reducing or stopping MMF) leads to normalization of blood count without increased incidence of rejections.