Positive direct antiglobulin test in a pediatric patient following high-dose cisplatin.

A positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) and hemolytic anemia are uncommon side effect of cisplatin (CDDP) therapy. A 9-year-old girl treated for extraosseus Ewing's sarcoma with a multiagent regimen, including 200 mg/m2 CDDP preceded by vincristine (VCR) and cyclophosphamide (CY), developed a positive DAT, followed by hemolytic anemia. When CDDP therapy was discontinued, the DAT became negative and no signs of anemia were observed during the maintenance treatment, which included VCR and actinomycin D.

[Total body irradiation, vincristine in continuous infusion and high-dose melphalan with transplant of autologous bone marrow in the treatment of neuroblastoma]. / Irradiazione corporea totale, vincristina in infusione continua e melfalan ad alte dosi con trapianto di midollo autologo nel trattamento del neuroblastoma.

High dose chemo-radiotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is known to be an effective treatment in stage IV neuroblastoma (NB). Since October '84, 19 children with NB (12 relapsed or resistant: Group A; 7 in first CR: Group B) received ablative therapy (AT) consisting of VCR (4 mg/mg), L-PAM (140 mg/mg) and fractionated TBI (1000 Rads). Induction strategy at diagnosis or at relapse included high dose Peptichemio, 2-3 cycles of Vincristine-Cyclophosphamide--high dose Platinum and surgery. Bone marrow was harvested after 2 evaluation proved negative by cytomorphology, histology and immunofluorescence. Mononuclear cells (median 6.7 x 10(7)/kg) were cryopreserved and reinfused without purging. At the time of AT in Group A8 children were in CR, 4 had minimal diseases; in Group B 6 were in CR and one in PR. One toxicity-related death occurred on day 7 in a child in first CR; median duration of granulocytopenia 0.5 x 10(9)/l and thrombocytopenia less than 50 x 10(9)/l were 20 days (R: 9-40) and 27 days (R: 11-51) respectively. Persistent immune thrombocytopenia occurred in 4 children. Fever higher tha 38 degrees C developed in all patients: sepsis was documented in 6 patients. Extramedullary toxicity was moderate: GI tract was the most affected. Two out of 5 children who received AT having residual disease achieved CR; relapse or progression of disease occurred in all these patients. Four out of 8 children in second or subsequent CR and 4 out of 5 in first CR are alive and well at 3-12 months (median 7).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Some characteristics of the residue obtained after pronase treatment of sheep erythrocyte membranes. I. Protein and phospholipid patterns.

In this note some data regarding analysis of sheep erythrocyte stromata after pronase treatment are reported. The membrane material obtained after pronase treatment was analyzed by density gradient ultracentrifugation, gel filtration, acrylamide gel electrophoresis and for phospholipid content. With all techniques employed two major lipo or glycolipopeptides can be observed. The whole body of phospholipids is not lost after pronase treatment, therefore lipid-lipid interactions are maintained after pronase treatment, moreover sodium dodecyl sulphate is not efficient in the breakdown of some protein-lipid interactions. The results are discussed in view of the correspondence of the two fractions obtained with portions of the major glycoproteins of the erythrocyte membranes.