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Analysis of hematopoietic chimerism is important for monitoring engraftment, graft failure, and disease recurrence. Although several techniques are now available, their sensitivity is unsatisfactory. In sex-mismatched stem cell transplantation (SCT) with a female donor, Y chromosome-specific sequences have proven the most sensitive marker. However, in the case of a male donor, no such reliable marker has been available to date. In this study, we report a novel method we developed to detect microchimerism in female recipients who receive SCT from male donors. The X-linked human androgen receptor gene (HUMARA) contains a highly polymorphic CAG trinucleotide repeat. Near this polymorphic site are methyl-sensitive HpaII restriction enzyme sites. After HpaII digestion, unmethylated male HUMARA sequences are completely digested, while methylated female ones remain intact among the male origin cells. This allows a highly efficient detection of a small number of female cells. Combined with the nested PCR technique, the X chromosome methylation-based chimerism assay could attain a 10-4 level of sensitivity, which is 1000-fold higher than that of conventional assays. The applicability of the method was confirmed in two transplant cases. This highly sensitive method can also be applied to detect minimal residual disease or microchimerism in conditions other than hematopoietic SCT. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 28, 969–973. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] No data are available on the total number of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). [•] Stereological analyses were applied for the total quantification of ORNs in mice. [•] We concluded that the total number of ORNs was approximately 10,000,000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report improvement in characteristics of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H ) p-i-n structured solar cells by high-pressure H2O vapor heat treatment. a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells were formed on glass substrates coated with textured SnO2 layer. P-, i-, and n-type a-Si:H layers were subsequently formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Finally an indium-tin-oxide layer was coated on the n-type a-Si:H surface. Heat treatment at 210°C with 2×105 Pa H2O vapor for 1h was applied to the a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells. Electrical characteristics were measured when samples were kept in dark and illuminated with light of AM 1.5 at 100mW/cm2. The heat treatment with H2O vapor increased fill factor (FF) and the conversion efficiency from 0.54 and 7.7% (initial) to 0.57 and 8.4%, respectively. Marked improvement in solar cell characteristics was also observed in the case of a poor a-Si:H p-i-n solar cell. FF and the conversion efficiency were increased from 0.29 and 3.2% (initial) to 0.56 and 7.7%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary Introduction: T-helper cell type 1 (Th1) polarization of the immune response has been documented in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Interleukin (IL)-10 is the most important factor regulating Th1 and T-helper type 2 cytokine synthesis. This study evaluated the impact of IL-10 polymorphisms on both susceptibility to, and severity of, chronic ITP. Methods: We analyzed -1082(G/A), -812(C/T), and -592(C/A) IL-10 polymorphisms in 90 patients with adult chronic ITP and 202 race- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: No significant differences in the genotype or haplotype frequencies were observed between the patient with chronic ITP and the control group. However, more patients with the -592AA genotype showed a severe thrombocytopenic state (platelet count <10 × 109/l) than those with the -592CC/CA genotypes (44.1% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.01). Furthermore, more patients with the ATA/ATA haplotype showed a severe thrombocytopenic state than those without the ATA/ATA haplotype (44.1% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.01). Conclusion: According to our data, patients with low producer type of IL-10 polymorphisms have more severe thrombocytopenia, suggesting that IL-10 gene polymorphisms may reflect the severity of ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosome 5 abnormalities, deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 (del(5q)) or monosomy 5 (−5), arise in about 10% of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), either as the sole cytogenetic abnormality or as part of complicated karyotype, and has distinct clinical implications for MDS. However, the prognostic factors of MDS patients with chromosome 5 abnormalities are not determined yet. In this study, 183 Japanese MDS patients with chromosome 5 abnormalities were analyzed. Estimated incidence of del(5q) and 5q- syndrome among MDS patients was 8.4 and 1.3%, respectively. Significant shorter overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were observed in −5 patients than del(5q) patients. Among del(5q) patients, addition of monosomy 7 or complex karyotype with more than three abnormalities were significantly related to shorter OS.LFS of del(5q) patients was divided into two risk groups by international prognostic scoring system (IPSS): low/intermediate (Int)-1 and Int-2/high groups. LFS sorted by World Health Organization classification-based prognostic scoring system (WPSS) was also divided into two groups: very low/low/Int and high/very high, and WPSS was able to predict the outcome of del(5q) patients more clearly than IPSS.Together with additional cytogenetic data, WPSS might be useful for clinical decision making in MDS patients with del(5q).Leukemia (2008) 22, 1874–1881; doi:10.1038/leu.2008.199; published online 31 July 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoproliferative disease of granular lymphocytes (LDGL) is a disorder characterized by the clonal expansion of granular lymphocytes. It has recently been shown that the clonal expansion of granular lymphocytes occurs in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) in a subclinical fashion. To test the possibility that LDGL patients share a PNH phenotype, we obtained peripheral blood cells from 20 patients with LDGL and examined the expression of the glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored proteins, CD55 and CD59. Compared with normal controls, however, a defective expression of CD55/59 was not observed on either granulocytes or erythrocytes from LDGL patients. An unexpected finding was the significantly lower CD55/59 expression on granular lymphocytes from patients with CD16+CD56− phenotype LDGL than from patients with CD16+CD56+ phenotype LDGL, or natural killer (NK) and NK/T lymphocytes from healthy individuals. The positive correlation between the expression of CD56 and CD55/59 might have some relevance to the functional properties of the CD56+ subset of large granular lymphocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a 65-year-old man diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma arising from the intestine. The tumor cells had a mature B-cell immunophenotype and rearrangement of the c-myc gene. The patient was treated with intensive multiagent chemotherapy. After four courses of chemotherapy, an ileus developed due to a residual abdominal disease. We administered rituximab in combination with the same chemotherapy regimen. A dramatic clinical improvement was observed and abnormal uptake by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography disappeared. The patient experienced complete remission for 1 year. This encouraging result indicates that rituximab might be an important treatment choice in management of Burkitt's lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of haemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) occurring after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) in a patient in fourth complete remission (CR). Anti- cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody (Ab) was negative in this patient before BMT. BMT was performed from an HLA-identical unrelated donor who was positive for CMV Ab. After bone marrow engraftment and haematological recovery, severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) developed. This patient was treated with methylprednisolone in addition to cyclosporin A (CsA). Acute GVHD showed partial improvement, but CMV antigenaemia was observed. Despite administration of gancyclovir and immunoglobulin, CMV antigenaemia showed no improvement and HPS developed. As no other infections or malignancies were observed, we suspect that CMV infection was the trigger for development of HPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented which discusses a case of T-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after allogeneic-peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) transplantation in a patient with chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (CIMF).

The article presents a case study of a 62-year-old woman presented with microscopic hematuria and proteinuria with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for which she was treated with methotrexate which interrupted because of pancytopeni. Topics include test revealed positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, diagnosis of lupus nephritis (LN) that accelerated during golimumab therapy to control RA and consideration of golimumab as important as it can induce LN in some patients.