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Background: So many risk factors for mobilization failure have been described so far. We aimed to identify the risk factors and search the possible effects of bone marrow fibrosis (BMF), CD56, c-myc, and cyclinD1 expression on mobilization., Methods: We evaluated 189 patients with MM who were admitted for stem cell mobilization before autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) between 2015 and June 2021. Clinical, laboratory, treatment features, and survival outcomes were compared in patients who were successfully mobilized and who were not., Results: Mobilization failure rate was 11.1 % (21) in our study group. Male gender, mobilization with only G-CSF, history of previous ASCT, lenalidomide exposure, and 2 lines of chemotherapy before stem cell mobilization were observed more commonly in mobilization failure group. There is no relationship between mobilization failure and BMF, CD56, c-myc, and cyclin D1 expression status in patients who received either only G-CSF or G-CSF+ chemotherapy for mobilization. Overall survival (OS) was not different in groups of patients who were successfully mobilized and who were not. Neutrophil engraftment was faster in patients who were transfused > 5 × 10 6 /kg stem cells (p = 0.015). ECOG performance status (p = 0.004), c-myc expression (p = 0.005), lenalidomide therapy before mobilization (p = 0.032), and mobilization with G-CSF+chemotherapy was found to be predictive factors for OS., Conclusion: Even though we could not find any predictive value of CD56, c-myc, and cyclin D1 expression on mobilization, c-myc was found to be associated with low OS. Further studies with large and homogenous study population would be more informative., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Thrombotic microanjiopathy (TMA) is a pathological diagnosis characterized by abnormalities of small vessels leading to microvascular thrombosis of arterioles and capillaries. The current prospective, non-interventional, multicenter study aimed to define the distribution of different TMA forms in adult Turkish patients who were referred for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for presumptive diagnosis of TMA. Patients with serum ADAMTS13 activity <5% were diagnosed as having acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). Patients presenting with ADAMTS13 activity 6-10 % / normal renal function and patients with ADAMTS13 activity >10 %, normal renal function and no secondary TMA were treated as unclassified TMA. The study included a total of 80 patients (women: 50; man: 30) with a median age of 48 (20-74). Detailed evaluation at 1 month after hospital admission revealed aTTP, secondary TMA, infection/complement-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome and unclassified TMA in 29 (36.2 %), 22 (27.5 %), 23 (28.8 %) and 6 (7.5 %) patients respectively. As subclassification of various TMAs will dictate specific therapy, proper diagnosis in a timely manner is of utmost clinical significance., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Thrombotic microangiopathy(TMA) is a pathological diagnosis characterized by abnormalities of small vessels leading to microvascular thrombosis of arterioles and capillaries. The current prospective, non-interventional, multicenter (n:18) study aimed to define distribution of different TMA forms in adult Turkish patients who were referred for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for a presumptive diagnosis of TMA. Patients with serum ADAMTS13 activity <5% were diagnosed as acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). Patients presenting with ADAMTS13 activity 6-10 % / normal renal function and patients with ADAMTS13 activity >10 %, normal renal function and no secondary TMA were treated as unclassified TMA. The study included a total of 97 patients (female: 60; male: 30) with a median age of 48 (18-74). Detailed evaluation at 1 month after hospital admission revealed aTTP, secondary TMA, infection/complement-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome and unclassified TMA in 32 (33 %), 33 (34 %), 26 (27 %) and 6 (6%) patients respectively. As subclassification of various TMAs will dictate specific therapy, proper diagnosis in a timely manner is of utmost clinical significance., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We retrospectively evaluated the incidence, risk factors, treatment and survival for HSOS after allo-HSCT in Turkey. We also reported our experience of defibrotide (DF) for HSOS prophylaxis in high-risk (HR) patients. Across Turkey, 1153 patients from 10 centers were enrolled in the study. We evaluated the medical records of patients who were treated with allo-SCT between January 2012 and December 2015. The study included 1153 patients (687 males/466 females) with median age of 38 (15-71) years. The incidence of HSOS was 7.5 % (n = 86). The incidences of HSOS in the HR/DF+, HR/DF- and standard risk (SR) group were 8%, 66.7 % and 6.2 %, respectively. The rate of HSOS development was not statistically different between HR/DF + and SR group (p = 0.237). HSOS prophylaxis (defibrotide) was significantly decreased HSOS-related mortality (p = 0.004). The incidence of HSOS was found similar to literature in this large Turkish cohort. Defibrotide prophylaxis appears to be associated with low incidence of HSOS development and reduced HSOS-related mortality. Although these results are promising, future studies are needed to support the efficacy of defibrotide prophylaxis in patients with risk of HSOS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest to report., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used to treat more than 60 diseases worldwide and has drawn growing interest. Little is known about the current situation of TPE activity in Turkey, so we developed a survey to obtain information about this timely topic. We collected data on TPE from 28 apheresis units throughout Turkey. We performed a total of 24,912 TPE procedures with 3203 patients over the past decade. Twenty years ago, the majority of procedures were performed for neurological and hematological disorders, and today, most TPE procedures are done for the same reasons. The only historical change has been an increase in TPE procedures in renal conditions. Currently, renal conditions were more frequently an indication for TPE than rheumatic conditions. Fresh frozen plasma was the most frequently used replacement fluid, followed by 5% albumin, used in 57.9% and 34.6% of procedures, respectively. The most frequently used anticoagulants in TPE were ACD-A and heparin/ACD-A, used with 1671 (52.2%) and 1164 (36.4%) patients, respectively. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) was 12.6%. The most common AEs were hypocalcemia-related symptoms, hypotension, and urticaria. We encountered no severe AEs that led to severe morbidity and mortality. Overall, more than two thirds of the patients showed improvement in the underlying disease. Here, we report on a nationwide survey on TPE activity in Turkey. We conclude that there has been a great increase in apheresis science, and the number of TPE procedures conducted in Turkey has increased steadily over time. Finally, we would like to point out that our past experiences and published international guidelines were the most important tools in gaining expertise regarding TPE., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is a routinely used procedure in the treatment of adult patients presenting with multiple myeloma (MM), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and various subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in upfront and relapsed/refractory settings. Successful hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization (HPCM) and collection are the rate limiting first steps for application of AHCT. In 2015, almost 1700 AHCT procedures have been performed for MM, HL and NHL in Turkey. Although there are recently published consensus guidelines addressing critical issues regarding autologous HPCM, there is a tremendous heterogeneity in terms of mobilization strategies of transplant centers across the world. In order to pave the way to a more standardized HPCM approach in Turkey, Turkish Society of Apheresis (TSA) assembled a working group consisting of experts in the field. Here we report the position statement of TSA regarding autologous HPCM mobilization strategies in adult patients presenting with MM and lymphoma., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is an established treatment option for adult patients presenting with multiple myeloma (MM), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and various subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in upfront and/or relapsed/refractory disease settings. Although there are recently published consensus guidelines addressing critical issues regarding autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization (HPCM), mobilization strategies of transplant centers show high variability in terms of routine practice. In order to understand the current institutional policies regarding HPCM in Turkey and to obtain the required basic data for preparation of a national positional statement on this issue, Turkish Hematology Research and Education Group (ThREG) conducted a web-based HPCM survey. The survey was designed to include multiple-choice questions regarding institutional practice of HPCM in adults presenting MM, HL, and NHL. The representatives of 27 adult HCT centers participated to the study. Here we report the results of this survey shedding light on the real-world experience in Turkey in terms of autologous HPCM mobilization strategies in patients presenting with MM and lymphoma., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the literature, risk factors for poor mobilization were tried to identify. However, most of the studies consisted heterogeneous group of patients including both hematologic and oncologic malignancies. In this study, we aimed to identify the risk factors for poor mobilization in adults with solid tumors., Methods: We enrolled 49(47 men, 2 women) adult patients with solid tumor who were mobilized between September 2007 and February 2017. All the mobilization procedures were performed with G-CSF(10μg/kg/day) with chemotherapy. Mobilization insufficiency was defined as peripheral blood CD34+stem cell number less than 10/μl and/or total collected CD34+cells less than 2.5×10 6 /kg., Results: The patients were divided into two groups, patients with successful mobilization at the first attempt(group 1, 36 patients,73.5%) and poor mobilizers (group 2, 13 patients 26.5%). Second and third mobilization attempt was needed in 11 and 2 patients, respectively. The median number of CD34+cells collected was 7,08×10 6 /kg(0,6-19) with a median 4(1-6) apheresis. There was no statistical difference between two groups in terms of patient's and mobilization characteristics. Only number of CD 34+stem cells collected was statistically different (median 9,07×10 6 /kg CD34+cells in group 1 versus 2,14×10 6 /kg in group 2, p<0.05). The only possible risk factor that we could define was presence of organ metastasis., Conclusions: Since several methods and new drugs are available for peripheral stem cell collecting, risk factors should be identified clearly in adult population with solid tumors. So multicenter studies should be constructed for resolving this problem., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

No detailed information currently exists about the immune phenotypic profiles of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) obtained by different mobilization regimens. The effects of these profiles on the outcome of transplantation are largely unknown. In this prospective study, the surface immune phenotypic features (CD11a, CD18, CD31, CD38, CD44, CD62e, CD62L, CD90, CD117, CD135 and CD184 expression) of sorted PBSCs that had been mobilized by growth factor with (group I and group II) or without (group III) disease-specific chemotherapies were investigated. The immune phenotypic features on mobilized PBSCs in groups I, II and III were not significantly different. The CD31 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1) positivity ratio on PBSCs inversely correlated with both the duration of neutrophil (r=-0.32, p=0.03) and platelet (r=-0.36, p=0.02) engraftment. No relationship was found between the engraftment (neutrophil and platelet) durations and CD184 (chemokine receptor CXC motif receptor 4 [CXCR4]) expression on PBSCs. We demonstrated that the surface immune phenotypic profiles on PBSCs obtained by several mobilization regimens were not different. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that CD31 expression on human PBSCs may positively affect both neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Contrary to our expectations, CD184 (CXCR4) expression on PBSCs has no effect on neutrophil or platelet engraftment. Considered together, our results suggest that additional surface antigens (such as CD31) may be more effective in the homing process., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is no detailed information about the clearance time of infused hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) from the blood circulation in humans. In this prospective study, peripheral blood CD34+ cell counts were detected during the 4days period following autologous HSC transplantation in 20 patients by means of flow cytometry. The median CD34+ cells were at the highest level in the first hour and decreased below pre-infusion values on the first day after HSC infusion. By nonparametric analysis, positive correlation was found between CD34+ cell levels at the first hour and the post-thaw CD34+ cell dose (r=0.57, p=0.01). An inverse correlation was determined between CD34+ cell levels at the first hour and neutrophil engraftment (r=-0.54, p=0.01). Compared with the patients having CD34+ cell count of ⩾2μL(-1) in the first hour following HSC infusion, the patients having CD34+ cell count of <2μL(-1) had delayed both neutrophil (20 vs. 12, p=0.008) and platelet (47 vs. 11, p=0.01) engraftments. Our results indicated that infused HSCs were removed from the blood circulation within 1day. In addition, CD34+ cell levels at the first hour may be used as an important indicator to predict the delay of neutrophil and platelet engraftments., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a fatal disorder if left untreated. Therapeutic plasma exchange (PE) has resulted in excellent remission and survival rates in these patients but there is a need for alternative immuno-modulatory treatments in unresponsive patients. We present a descriptive, retrospective study of 25 (14 female, 11 male) adult patients admitted to our hematology unit with TTP. The patients' median age was 32 years. The patients were treated with immediate PE and a standard dose of corticosteroid therapy. Twenty percent of the patients obtained a complete response after the addition of Intravenous immuno-globulin (IVIg). Improvement of clinical status, platelet counts and serum LDH levels were seen after a median 13, 14 and 3.5 PE sessions, respectively. The mortality rate was 12%. One patient has a chronic relapsing form of TTP and two patients have relapsed. All the other patients are still in complete remission after a median of 7 years of follow-up. Although PE therapy is life-saving and the application of early corticosteroid treatment could obtain early and durable responses, addition of other immuno-modulatory treatments are needed in unresponsive patients. The use of IVIg could result in a dramatic response.

We present a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia who developed severe acute intestinal graft versus host disease (GVHD) after donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) following non-myeloablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBCT). One month after DLI, patient developed severe abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea without any signs or symptoms of the skin and liver GVHD. Treatment with steroid, cyclosporine A, tacrolimus and mycophenolat mofetil were not effective in controlling intestinal symptoms. Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), a recently used procedure in the treatment of GVHD was employed periodically and the symptoms subsided gradually. Acute GVHD after DLI may occur severely and atypically, but being limited to the intestine has rarely been reported.