A Study of the Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Disease in Argentina.

Yellow leaf disease, caused by Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV), is widespread around the world but very little information is available on this viral disease in Argentina. Therefore, the aims of the study were to assess the presence of SCYLV, analyze its distribution in the main sugarcane production areas of Argentina, characterize the virus, and determine histological alterations caused by its presence. For this purpose, 148 sugarcane samples with and without symptoms were collected in 2011 and 2012 from the province of Tucumán. One additional sample was collected in Salta, a different geographical, agroecological, and producing region. Results showed that SCYLV is widely distributed in commercial varieties of sugarcane throughout Tucumán in both symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves. A low but statistically significant positive correlation with virus detection and disease symptoms was found. BRA-PER was the only genotype detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis of the SCYLV capsid protein gene. SCYLV-positive samples showed high starch levels in bundle sheath cells, whereas the asymptomatic ones, probably in an early stage of infection, were found to contain more chloroplasts. Symptomatic noninfected samples presented crystal formation probably associated with phytoplasma infection.

Incidence of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and current practice of prophylaxis with granulocyte colony-stimulating factors in cancer patients in Spain: a prospective, observational study.

We aimed to describe the incidence of neutropenia in breast cancer and lymphoma patients and granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) use in clinical practice. We conducted a multicentre, prospective, observational study including breast cancer and lymphoma patients initiating chemotherapy (≥ 10% febrile neutropenia risk). We included 734 patients with breast cancer and 291 with lymphoma. Over the first four chemotherapy cycles, patients had an incidence of 11.0% grade 3-4 neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <1.0 × 10(9) /L) and 4.3% febrile neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <0.5 × 10(9) /L and fever ≥ 38 °C) in the breast cancer cohort, and 40.5% and 14.8% in the lymphoma cohort. Full dose on schedule (>85% of planned chemotherapy dose and ≤ 3 days delay) was achieved by 85.6% of breast cancer and 68.9% of lymphoma patients. Hospitalisation due to febrile neutropenia was required in 2.0% and 12.0% of breast cancer and lymphoma patients respectively. G-CSF was administered to 70.0% of breast cancer and 83.8% of lymphoma patients, and initiated from the first chemotherapy cycle (primary prophylaxis) in 60.6% and 64.2% of cases. Severe neutropenia affects approximately one in 10 breast cancer patients and one in two lymphoma patients receiving chemotherapy with moderate or greater risk of febrile neutropenia. Most patients received treatment with G-CSF in Spanish clinical practice.

Home practice and quality of life among patients with neurofibromatosis randomized to a mind-body intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to summarize home practice in patients with neurofibromatosis (NF) randomized to an 8-week group mind-body intervention, the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program for NF (3RP-NF). We further examined the association between home practice and changes in four domains of quality of life (QoL). METHODS: Data are derived from a single-blind RCT of the 3RP-NF (N = 31) delivered via videoconferencing versus an attention placebo control. 3RP-NF participants submitted weekly home practice logs to the group leader prior to each weekly session, which included information regarding their engagement of relaxation response (RR)-eliciting skills and appreciation skills. Physical, psychological, social and environmental QoL were measured at baseline, post-intervention and at a 6-months follow up. RESULTS: Participants reported engaging in home practice of RR-eliciting skills on average 28.55 days (SD = 10.79) and appreciation skills on average 24.39 days (SD = 13.48) over the 49-day treatment period. Participants reported an average of 383.42 (SD = 274.38) minutes of RR-eliciting skills home practice and an average of 49.13 (SD = 41.90) appreciations skills home practice. A significant association was observed between frequency of RR-eliciting skills home practice and physical QoL at the 6-month follow-up (r = .383, p = .034). CONCLUSIONS: Participants with NF are able and willing to practice RR-eliciting skills and appreciation skills outside of treatment sessions. Frequency of RR-eliciting skills home practice may be associated with improvement in physical QoL. Future research should replicate these efforts with larger samples, and attempt to identify additional factors that predict optimal response to mind-body interventions other than home practice.

[The follow-up of the mobilization of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells by granulocyte growth factor (G-CSF) using flow cytometry]. / Seguimiento de la movilización de células progenitoras hematopoyéticas circulantes con factor de crecimiento granulocítico (G-CSF) por citometría de flujo.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of the mobilization of hematopoietic precursor cells CD34+ in peripheral blood following stimulation with recombinant granulocytic colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). METHODS: Fourteen patients (10 males, 4 females: mean age 33 years; range 14-58 years) diagnosed with oncohematologic neoplasms, in complete remission were studied. The patients had not received antineoplastic for at least four weeks prior to inclusion in the study. Recombinant G-CSF (8 micrograms/kg) was administered subcutaneously over a minimum of 4 days. Peripheral blood control were performed prior to administration of G-CSF (day 0), the third (day +3) day, and the sixth day (day +6). Daily leukapheresis was initiated at day +3 in 5 patients and at day +4 in 9 patients. The CD34+ cell content was determined in both peripheral blood and leukapheretic material by flow cytometry with an anti CD-34 monoclonal antibody conjugated with fluorescein. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the mononuclear cells and CD34+ counts obtained at the first apheresis and those performed at days +3 or +4 (32 +/- 14 x 10(9) vs 29 +/- 19 x 10(9) and 240 +/- 125 x 10(6) vs 162 +/- 160 x 10(6), respectively). The content of the apheresis products in CD34+ cells correlated positively with the number of these cells circulating in peripheral blood (r = 0.53, p = 0.001). In the second apheresis, the presence of mononuclear cells decreased approximately 20% with respect to the first, remained constant in later collections. To the contrary, a constant maintained decrease was observed in the collection of CD34+ on each leukaphesis in that the fourth apheresis only contributed in approximately 10% of the total quantity of CD34+ cells collected. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum mobilization of precursor cells was achieved on the third day at a dosage of 8 micrograms/kg/day, with the data found suggesting that three leukapheretic procedures are enough to collect most of the CD34+ cells mobilized.

[Economic costs of autotransplantation of hematopoietic progenitors]. / Coste económico del autotrasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos.

BACKGROUND: A comparative analysis of the economic costs of the different methods of autologous transplantation was carried out. METHODS: A series of 22 patients was retrospectively studied: 8 treated with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT), 9 treated with peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation and 5 in whom mixed transplantation of bone marrow and peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitors was performed. The expenses derived from pretransplant studies and from the collection of hematopoietic progenitors and from the autologous transplantation procedure itself were evaluated. RESULTS: The pretrasplant study and the collection of hemopoietic progenitors were significantly more expensive in the PBSC than in the ABMT (p = 0.04 and p = 0.007, respectively). Nonetheless, the costs of the transplant procedure were lower in the PBSC than in the ABMT group although the differences were not statistically significant. The estimated costs of these procedures in the Hematology Unit of the General Hospital of the University of Murcia, Spain, is of 3 million pesetas for the ABMT and 2.5 million for the PBSC. The greatest cost observed in the ABMT was due to these patients requiring longer hospitalization, greater transfusion support and longer antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although the collection of hematopoietic progenitors and pretransplant evaluation are less expensive in autologous bone marrow transplantation, the early morbidity is higher than that of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or mixed autotrasplanted of bone marrow and circulating progenitors thus resulting in higher costs.

Non-ABO blood group systems phenotyping in non-human primates for blood banking laboratory and xenotransplantation.

Some biomedical research procedures, such as organ xenotransplantation, usually require intensive hemotherapy. Knowledge of the whole phenotype of blood donor and graft could be useful in the field of xenotransplantation. Human and simian-type categories of blood groups have been established and they can be tested by standard methods used for human blood grouping. The aim of this work was to study the incidence of non-ABO blood group systems in different species of non-human primates, which are employed in biomedical research. The phenotype of Rh, Lewis, Kidd, Kell, MNSs, Lutheran, P and Duffy antigens was investigated in olive baboon (n = 48), chacma baboon (n = 9), Guinea baboon (n = 14), Rhesus macaque (n = 38) and squirrel monkey (n = 30) by using commercial microtyping cards. Kell, Lutheran, Kidd and Duffy antigens have been detected in all species, Rh in squirrel monkey, MNSs in rhesus macaque and squirrel monkey, and Lewis in baboon and rhesus macaque. There were differences in frequency and haemagglutination scores between species regardless of their gender and age. The main differences were found in squirrel monkey when compared with baboons and macaques. This typing system provides a tool to assess the presence of antigens in animals used for experimental procedures, such as xenotransplantation and xenotransfusion.

First report of a medullar cord compression secondary to osseous plasmacytoma successfully treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone.

Medullar cord compression secondary to osseous plasmacytomas affecting the vertebrae is an oncological emergency. A 75-year-old woman with recurrent osseous plasmacytomas and thoracic spinal cord compression, previously treated with radiotherapy, was successfully treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Three years later, when the plasmacytoma and spinal cord compression relapsed, she was retreated with the same therapeutic scheme, achieving a new complete clinical remission. This is the first reported case of an excellent response to the combination of bortezomib and dexamethasone for spinal cord compression due to osseous plasmacytoma.

[3 cases of postpartum acquired factor VIII inhibitor]. / Tres casos de inhibidor del factor VIII adquirido postparto.

Three cases of postpartum acquired factor VIII inhibitors were seen in our hospital between 1981 and 1989. The clinical picture, which was mild in one patient and severe in two, began several months after delivery (four to nine). After treatment with methylprednisolone, good clinical response was obtained in the three cases. However, normal values of factor VIII:C were obtained more easily with the higher doses of steroids. A new pregnancy and delivery in one of our patients did not induce the reappearance of the inhibitor after several years of follow-up.

Prevalencia de la beta-talasemia en el Área sanitaria de Cartagena / Beta-Thalasemia prevalence in Cartagena sanitary area

Objetivo: Conocer la prevalencia de la beta-talasemia en nuestra área sanitaria, la cual no se había estudiado previamente y detectar los portadores para control y consejo genético. Material y métodos: Estudiamos la prevalencia de esta patología en nuestra área sanitaria, de la cual no existían datos previos. Realizamos un estudio prospectivo de 10237 hemogramas de pacientes analizados en nuestro laboratorio (3.95 por ciento de la población total de nuestro área) siendo un 35 por ciento hombres y un 65 por ciento mujeres. La selección de las muestras de los pacientes se realizó a partir del volumen corpuscular medio de los hematies (VCM) <=70 fL; a todos ellos se les determinó la ferritina, hemoglobina A2 y morfología eritrocitaria óptica. Conclusiones: Detectamos un 1.39 por ciento de la microcitosis, de las cuales el 0.38 por ciento fueron diagnosticadas de beta-talasémicas y un 0.88 por ciento de ferropenias; el 0.13 por ciento restante eran secundarias a otras patologías (AU)

Malaria congénita: Informe de caso y revisión de la literatura / Congenital malaria: Report of a case and review

Paciente multipara, con historia de cuatro días de evolución de fiebre intermitente cada 3 días, evaluada en clínica particular por trabajo de parto de 6 horas de evolución, se realizó Frotis de Sangre Periférica el cual reportó Plasmodiun vivax. Posterior al parto se tomó sangre del cordón umbilical el cual reportó Glóbulos Rojos aumentados de tamaño, a los 60 minutos de nacido el producto presentó fiebre, por lo que se tomó examen de gota gruesa que reportó Plasmodiun vivax. Madre e hijo recibieron tratamiento con cloroquina una evolución satisfactoria