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Background: The risk of mother to child transmission of hepatitis C from viremic pregnant women varies according to the population studied and the test used, ranging from 5 to 33%. Moreover intrafamiliar transmission also exists, and there is some evidence of transmission by breast feed, albeight low. Case report: We report a case from a viremic hepatitis C mother who delivered an apparently uninfected baby, cord blood sample being also negative for HCA RNA. A month ago a pregnant mother from a high risk ALL patient came to our Related Cord Blood Bank to ask for cord blood collection. She came just about to deliver, with no previous serologic studies. C-section was performed due to obstetric reasons. Baby boy was preterm but appropriate for gestational age; 66.5 ml of cord blood (CB) were collected (in utero + ex utero). Cellularity resulted optimal for recipient (3.4 × 10[sup 7]/kg). The unit was criopreserved under our standard procedures but had to be quarantined due to anti-HCV Ab positive in mother and cord's blood. Rest of TTI resulted negative. Breast-feeding was discontinued after 1[sup st] fed. RT-nested PCR (in house) for HCV RNA detection were consequently performed. Mother resulted positive in first round, however baby's blood and CB resulted non detectable' after nested. TTI and HCV RNA tests were requested in the possible recipient, with negative results. New tests will be performed in the baby's blood in 3 months' time. HLA studies (PCR-SSOP) resulted 4/6 identical (mm@classl). International search was initiated for unrelated HLA identical BM or CB. Conclusions: Ethical concern was raised about the use of this unit. There is consensus that the only absolute contraindication to CB collection for most centers is HIV infection. RT nested PCR sensitivity is not 100%, due to the failure to detect less than 100 copies of viral RNA in the used method. It is still not definitively assessed whether the use of identical unrelated CB vs. related mismatch CB or BM could result in better outcome for children. Careful decision must be taken in choosing between these two options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-income countries, more than 90% of children with mature B-cell lymphomas are cured with frontline therapy. However, cure requires prompt and correct diagnosis, careful risk stratification, very intense chemotherapy and meticulous supportive care, together with logistical support for patients who live far from the cancer centre or face financial barriers to receiving care. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), cure rates range from 20% to 70% because of lack of diagnosis, misdiagnosis, abandonment of treatment, toxic death and excess relapse with reduced-intensity regimens. Fortunately, a wide range of successful interventions in LMIC have reduced these causes of avoidable treatment failure. Public awareness campaigns have led to societal awareness of childhood cancer; telepathology has improved diagnosis, even in remote areas; subsidized chemotherapy, transportation, housing and food have reduced abandonment; and hand hygiene, nurse training programmes and health system improvements have reduced toxic death. These interventions can be deployed everywhere and at low cost, so are highly scalable. Children and adolescents with Burkitt lymphoma can be cured in all countries by making a timely correct diagnosis, applying protocols adapted to the local context, preventing abandonment of therapy and avoiding toxic death. Reducing these causes of treatment failure is feasible and highly cost-effective everywhere., (© 2019 British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The identification of molecules expressed selectively on the surface of retinoblastoma cells would allow applying targeted therapies. The Ganglioside, N-Glycolyl-GM3 (NeuGc-GM3), is an attractive candidate, as it has been detected in other paediatric neuroectodermic tumours, and it is not expressed in human normal tissues. The 14F7 antibody recognizes specifically the ganglioside NeuGc-GM3., Purpose: To characterize the expression of NeuGc-GM3 in retinoblastoma cell lines and in retinoblastoma tumours using the 14F7 monoclonal antibody., Methods: We studied WERI-Rb1 and Y79 cell lines, 24 retinoblastoma primary tumours from unilateral and bilateral cases and two bone marrow biopsies from metastatic retinoblastoma. Tumours were classified into three groups: non-invasive (n = 13), invasive (n = 9) and metastatic (n = 2). Three eyes enucleated because of non-tumoural conditions were used as controls. Cell lines and tumour sections were studied by immunohistochemistry using the 14F7 antibody. NeuGc-GM3 expression was evaluated by analysing the percentage of positive tumoural cells and the staining intensity. These parameters were analysed comparatively among the three groups., Results: Both retinoblastoma cell lines showed immunoreactivity to NeuGc-GM3 but WERI-Rb1 presented higher intensity than Y79. All the tumours studied showed strong immunoreactivity to NeuGc-GM3 with no significant differences among groups. In both bone marrow specimens, NeuGc-GM3 immunoreactivity was observed in retinoblastoma cells. In bilaterally enucleated cases, NeuGc-GM3 immunoreactivity was not altered before and after chemotherapy. Non-tumoural retinas were negative., Conclusions: NeuGc-GM3 is highly expressed in retinoblastoma cell lines, tumours and metastatic cells to the bone marrow, and it is not detectable in control eyes. There were no significant differences in the immunoreactivity to 14F7 among tumours from different disease stages. Its immunoreactivity did not change after chemotherapy., (© 2014 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Few cytogenetic data are available concerning the chromosomal constitution of post-transplant lymphomas. We report two paediatric cases of trisomy 3, as a primary anomaly, in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) associated with B immunophenotype. Using cytogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization on chromosome preparations, we found trisomy 3 in both patients and an extra X chromosome in one. Clinical, histological and immunophenotypical data are presented. Trisomy 3 has been observed in different types of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas but it is relatively rare in B-cell lymphomas, with the exception of marginal zone lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. To our knowledge, trisomy 3 is an uncommon cytogenetic finding in PTLD. Further cytogenetic studies of these lymphoproliferative disorders might contribute to evaluate the role of these chromosomal anomalies in the pathogenesis of this disease.