[Apoptosis in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF)]. / Apoptoza u chorych na przewlekla niewydolnosc nerek (PNN).

UNLABELLED: Apoptosis is a programmed active and selective mechanisms of cell death allowing for the removal of cells in the living organisms. It is initiated by a number of stimuli, which are subject to complicated regulating system. It is proved that apoptosis plays a significant role in immunological disorders in uremic patients. The aim of the study was to estimate activity of apoptosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic renal failure treated in our Department. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 70 patients (13 on HD, 14 on PD and 24 pre-dialysis uremic children) were enrolled in the study. The control group comprised 19 children. We evaluated activity of mononuclear cells apoptosis exposed to Annexin V-FITC, Fas Ligand and Bcl-2 proteins activity were investigated also. RESULTS: The results show that cell apoptosis was increased in pre-dialysis uremic patients (both phases early and late). The activity of Fas Ligand protein was similar in every group and activity of Bcl-2 protein was significant higher in HD and PD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The highest intensity of mononuclear cell apoptosis in pre-dialysis children was observed. The significantly enhanced activity of Bcl-2 protein in dialysis patients probably protected from apoptosis.

Monitoring of hematopoietic chimerism after sex-mismatched allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) by dual-color FISH analysis of X and Y chromosomes.

Hematopoietic chimerism was monitored in 18 patients with various diseases after gender-mismatched allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). To detect host and donor cells, FISH analysis of sex chromosomes was applied. X and Y chromosomes were detected simultaneously in interphase nuclei by two-color probes. Chimerism was examined sequentially in post-transplant peripheral blood and bone marrow as well as in purified T cells. Patients with complete donor or decreasing host chimerism have not rejected or relapsed but experienced a high incidence of acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD). The clinical value of stable mixed chimerism detection remains uncertain. However, it appears to be associated with a lower risk of aGvHD. Three patients with an increase in host cells rejected their grafts. The immunotherapy was introduced to four other patients with increasing host chimerism. All of them responded, however, one relapsed in CNS despite the conversion to complete donor chimerism in both bone marrow and peripheral blood. We concluded that two-color FISH analysis of sex chromosomes was a valuable tool for chimerism monitoring and provided significant clinical data.