Thermostable erythrocyte rosettes in chronic renal failure and allograft rejection.

Rejection of an allograft usually is preceded by activation of T lymphocytes, in which state such cells may be identified by their ability to form thermostable rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (TE-R). The objective of the present work, therefore, was to determine whether or not enumeration of TE-R in the peripheral blood was of any value in the diagnosis of rejection. The results showed no significant differences between TE-R (mean +/- SEM) in normal subjects (9.9 +/- 1.3; n = 25), renal allograft recipients without rejections (13.5 +/- 1.7; n = 5) and in patients who suffered from acute tubular necrosis in the posttransplant period (12.4 +/- 2.5; n = 8). In contrast, recipients who had rejection episodes showed a marked rise in TE-R levels (43.0 +/- 4.0; n = 11) about two to seven days prior to the diagnosis of rejection by clinical and chemical criteria. Furthermore, TE-R remained high if the rejection episodes turned out to be irreversible after therapy (42.2 +/- 3.7) but fell if the episodes were reversible (19.9 +/- 3.2). TE-R values were elevated in patients with chronic renal failure on maintenance hemodialysis (45.7 +/- 4.9; n = 23). Neither acute dialytic runs or acute infections altered TE-R values. In conclusion, those results show that enumeration of TE-R may be helpful in the early diagnosis of allograft rejection, before clinical and chemical stigmata are apparent.

Epidemiologic features of pain in pediatric cancer patients: a co-operative community-based study. North Central Cancer Treatment Group and Mayo Clinic).

The prevalence, etiology, and management of pain in pediatric cancer patients seen at the Mayo Clinic and member institutions of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group were assessed. Participating centers, including both primary care and referral institutions, surveyed all patients seen during a 1-week period (Monday through Friday); procedure-related pain was excluded. Of the 160 children surveyed, 28 reported pain of which 57.8% was related to a side effect of anticancer treatment, 21.1% was unrelated to the malignancy, and 21.1% arose directly from the cancer. Pain intensity assessment was performed by both health-care professional and patient using a variety of measurement tools. Correlation between assessors was close except in young children. The predominance of treatment-related rather than cancer-related pain differs from results in series in adult cancer patients.

Pernicious anemia and juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus in an adolescent: a case report.

We report a case of a 15-year-old black boy who developed juvenile-onset pernicious anemia in association with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. He had both intrinsic factor and parietal cell antibodies in addition to anti-islet cell surface antibodies. The existence of pernicious anemia and diabetes mellitus in such a young child makes this an unusual case.

The ochsner experience with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood.

Pediatricians at Ochsner Clinic and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation have treated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia for the past 17 years with excellent results. Although a single institution, and small in comparison to the national cooperative groups, we have achieved results comparable to the most successful national groups. In collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, we have pursued several themes of study, including the comparison of various drugs, doses, and schedules of administration in the context of an investigational window in previously untreated patients. Schedules and dosages of radiation for prevention of relapse of leukemia in the central nervous system have also been studied with interesting results.