Poor outcome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of patients with unclassified inherited bone marrow failure syndromes.

Classification of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) according to clinical and genetic diagnoses enables proper adjustment of treatment. Unfortunately, 30% of patients enrolled in the Canadian Inherited Marrow Failure Registry (CIMFR) with features suggesting hereditability could not be classified with a specific syndromic diagnosis. We analyzed the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in unclassified IBMFSs (uIBMFSs) and the factors associated with outcome. Twenty-two patients with uIBMFSs and 70 patients with classified IBMFSs underwent HSCT. Five-year overall survival of uIBMFS patients after HSCT was inferior to that of patients with classified IBMFSs (56% vs 76.5%). The outcome of patients with uIBMFS who received cord blood was significantly lower than that of patients who received other stem cell sources (14.8% vs 90.9%). Engraftment failure was higher among patients with uIBMFS who received cord blood than those who received bone marrow. None of the following factors were significantly associated with poor survival: transfusion load, transplant indication, the intensity of conditioning regimen, human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling/alternative donor. We suggest that identifying the genetic diagnosis is essential to modulate the transplant procedure including conditioning agents and stem cell sources for better outcome and the standard cord blood transplantation (CBT) should be avoided in uIBMFS.

Investigating coping strategies and social support among Canadian melanoma patients: A survey approach.

Complex support needs are involved in coping with a diagnosis of melanoma. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived social support levels and utilization of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies by Canadian melanoma patients. The impact of social support level on coping strategy utilization was also examined. Social support and coping strategies were assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) and the 28-item Brief COPE, respectively. Perceived levels of emotional/informational support were significantly lower than affectionate support and positive social interaction. Acceptance, active coping, and use of emotional support were the most frequently utilized coping strategies. Patients with higher perceived levels of social support had significantly higher adaptive coping scores than patients with lower levels of social support. Health care professionals have an important role in promoting awareness of and access to emotional and informational support resources in order to improve perceived social support levels.

Detrimental effects of prolonged warm renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury are abrogated by supplemental hydrogen sulphide: an analysis using real-time intravital microscopy and polymerase chain reaction.

UNLABELLED: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Hydrogen sulphide (H(2) S) has recently been classified as a member of the gasotransmitter family. Its physiological and pathophysiological effects are rapidly expanding with numerous studies highlighting the protective effects of H(2) S on ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in various organ systems, e.g. heart, liver, CNS and lungs. The mechanisms behind its protective effects reside in its vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant characteristics. These specific mechanistic profiles appear to be different across different tissues and models of IRI. We recently showed that supplementation of preservation solutions with H(2) S during periods of prolonged cold renal storage and subsequent renal transplantation leads to a massive and significant survival, functional and tissue protective advantage compared with storage in standard preservation solution alone. However, there have only been a few studies that have evaluated the effects of H(2) S against warm renal IRI; although these studies have focused primarily upon shorter periods of warm renal pedicle clamping, they have shown a clear survival benefit to H(2) S supplementation. The present study adds to the existing literature by evaluating the effects of H(2) S in a model of warm IRI with clinically relevant, prolonged warm ischaemia-reperfusion times (1 h ischaemia, 2 h reperfusion). We show an unprecedented view into real-time renal and hepatic perfusion with intravital microscopy throughout the reperfusion period. We show, for the first time, that supplemental H(2) S has multiple protective functions against the warm IRI-induced tissue damage, which may be clinically applicable to both donation after cardiac death models of renal transplantation, as well as to uro-oncological practices requiring surgical clamping of the renal pedicle, e.g. during a partial nephrectomy. OBJECTIVE: • To determine the protective role of supplemental hydrogen sulphide (H(2) S) in prolonged warm renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) using real-time intravital microscopy (IVM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: • Uninephrectomised Lewis rats underwent 1 h of warm ischaemia and 2 h of reperfusion during intraperitoneal treatment with phosphate buffer saline (IRI, n = 10) or 150 µmol/L NaHS (IRI+H(2) S, n = 12) and were compared with sham-operated rats (n = 9). • Blood was collected for measurement of serum creatinine (Cr), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). • IVM was performed to assess renal and hepatic microcirculation. • Kidneys were sectioned for histology and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for markers of inflammation. RESULTS: • The mean (sd) Cr concentration raised to 72.8(2.5) µmol/L after IRI from 11.0 (0.7) µmol/L (sham) but was partially inhibited with H(2) S to 62.8 (0.9) µmol/L (P < 0.05). • H(2) S supplementation during IRI increased renal capillary perfusion on IVM, and improved acute tubular necrosis and apoptotic scores on histology (P < 0.05). • Supplemental H(2) S decreased expression of the pro-inflammatory markers toll-like receptor 4, tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 8, C-C chemokine receptor type 5, interferon γ and interleukin 2 (P < 0.05). • Distant organ (liver) dysfunction after renal IRI was limited with H(2) S supplementation: blunting of the ALT and AST surge, decreased hepatic sinusoidal vasodilation, and decreased leukocyte infiltration in post-sinusoidal venules (P < 0.05). • H(2) S supplementation directly inhibited interleukin 8-induced neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: • These findings are the first to show the real-time protective role of supplemental H(2) S in prolonged periods of warm renal IRI, perhaps acting by decreasing leukocyte migration and limiting inflammatory responses. • The protective effects of H(2) S suggest potential clinical applications in both donors after cardiac death models of renal transplantation and oncological practices requiring vascular clamping.