Thymopoiesis in Pre- and Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an important therapeutic option for some hematological diseases. However, patients who undergo HSCT acquire a state of immunodeficiency that causes significant mortality. Reconstitution of thymic function is needed to support the immune system. One way to measure thymic function is through T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) quantification. TRECs are generated by T-cell receptor gene rearrangements during T-cell maturation in the thymus and represent a reliable marker for thymic output. In this study, we aimed to assess aging and malignant hematological diseases as two important factors that may influence thymic output before HSCT. We observed that patients before HSCT presented signal joint TREC (sjTREC) numbers lower than 606.55 copies/µg DNA (low values) compared with healthy individuals, with an odds ratio (OR) of 12.88 [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.26-31.53; p < 0.001]. Our results showed that a group of older individuals (≥50 years old), comprising both healthy individuals and patients, had an OR of 10.07 (95% CI: 2.80-36.20) for low sjTREC values compared with younger individuals (≤24 years old; p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed that both older age (≥50 years old) and malignant hematological diseases and their treatments were important and independent risk factors related to thymic function impairment (p < 0.001). The median sjTREC value for patients of all ages was significantly lower than the sjTREC median for the subgroup of older healthy individuals (≥50 years old; p < 0.001). These data suggested that patients before HSCT and healthy individuals exhibited age-dependent thymic impairment, and that prior treatment for hematological diseases may exacerbate aging-related deterioration of natural thymic function. Furthermore, we analyzed these patients 9 months post-HSCT and compared patients who underwent autologous HSCT with those who underwent allogeneic HSCT. Both groups of patients achieved sjTREC copy numbers similar to those of healthy individuals. We did not find a close relationship between impaired thymic function prior to HSCT and worse thymic recovery after HSCT.

Avaliação de biomarcadores sanguíneos em ratas submetidas à colocação de implantes de silicone nanotexturizados e revestidos pela espuma de poliuretano / Evaluation of blood biomarkers in rats submitted to nanotextured and polyurethane foam-coated silicone implants

RESUMO Introdução: Nas últimas décadas houve uma grande evolução na superfície de revestimento dos implantes mamários, o que resultou na diminuição das complicações. No pós-operatório a inflamação é uma constante e pode ser avaliada pelo hemograma, pois é um exame rápido, barato e com alta disponibilidade. O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar os biomarcadores sanguíneos em ratas submetidas à colocação de mini-implantes de silicone nanotexturizados e revestidos por espuma de poliuretano. Métodos: Foram utilizadas 60 ratas Wistar divididas em dois grupos para utilização de mini-implantes nanotexturizados e revestidos com espuma de poliuretano, subdivididos em subgrupos de acordo com a eutanásia dos animais nos 30, 60 e 90 dias. No momento da eutanásia, as amostras de sangue foram obtidas por punção cardíaca e foi analisado o hemograma. Resultados: A hemoglobina, o hematócrito, a hemoglobina corpuscular média, os leucócitos, os neutrófilos, os linfócitos e as plaquetas tiveram os resultados muito semelhantes em todos os subgrupos avaliados (30, 60 e 90 dias). Entretanto, quando os diferentes subgrupos foram comparados entre si dentro de cada grupo, obteve-se resultados estatisticamente significantes na hemoglobina corpuscular média (nanotexturizado p=0,032 e poliuretano p=0,007) e nos leucócitos (nanotexturizado p=0,038 e poliuretano p=0,034). Sobre as alterações dos biomarcadores sanguíneos no pós-operatório encontrou-se anemia hipocrômica, contagem de leucócitos normais, neutrofilia, linfopenia e trombocitopenia. Conclusão: Após a colocação de mini-implantes de silicone, as ratas de ambos os grupos evoluíram com anemia hipocrômica, contagem de leucócitos normais às custas de neutrofilia e linfopenia, e trombocitopenia.

ABSTRACT Introduction: In recent decades, there has been a great evolution in breast implants' lining surface, which has resulted in decreased complications. In the postoperative period, the inflammation is constant and can be evaluated by the blood count, as it is a fast, inexpensive, and highly available examination. The present study evaluates blood biomarkers in rats submitted to the placement of nanotextured silicone implants and implants coated with polyurethane foam. Methods: 60 Wistar rats were used divided into two groups for nanotextured mini-implants and others mini-implants coated with polyurethane foam, subdivided into subgroups according to the animals' euthanasia in the 30, 60, and 90 days. At the time of euthanasia, blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture and the blood count was analyzed. Results: Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets had very similar results in all subgroups evaluated (30, 60, and 90 days). However, when the different subgroups were compared within each group, statistically significant results were obtained in the mean corpuscular hemoglobin (nanotextured p=0.032 and polyurethane p=0.007) and leukocytes (nanotextured p=0.038 and polyurethane p=0.034). Changes in postoperative blood biomarkers were hypochromic anemia, normal leukocyte count, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Conclusion: After the placement of mini-silicone implants, the rats of both groups evolved with hypochromic anemia, normal leukocyte count at the expense of neutrophilia and lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia.