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In the Czech Republic, anagrelid is used according to the recommendations of the Czech Working Group on Myeloproliferative Disorders for treatment ofthrombocythaemias associated with chronic myeloproliferative disorders--mainly essential thrombocythaemia and, regularly, reports are being presented from the Register of Patients Treated with Thromboreductin, most recently last year (Vnitr Lék 2009; 55: I-XII). The Register commenced in 2005 and from then it aims to determine detailed clinical and laboratory profiles of the patients. The structure of the Register has changed significantly in the course of its existence, reflecting the reports from each of the analyses conducted so far. Also, the data entry in the database improves every year and it reaches 97% on some of the items. The longest evaluation period in some of the patients is 108 months. By April 2010, the Register database contained data on 717 patients. Of these, 672 patients with the diagnosis of a Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorder were evaluated. This year's analysis included the patients with essential thrombocythaemia, polycythaemia vera and primary myelofibrosis only. The analysis included 418 women and 254 men with median age of50 years. Unlike the first years, 2/3 of the current sample are non pretreated patients, meaning that the patients reach the specialized centres early in their treatment. Also, patients, and the older patients in particular, are more frequently treated with combined regimens including Thromboreductin. We increasingly observe hypertension as one of the monitored risk factors preceding the disease and laboratory parameters showJAK2 mutation in more than a half of patients while some form ofthrombotic diathesis is found in the anamnesis of 7-10% of patients. Some bleeding is observed in 1-5% of the registered patients. In comparison to the previous years, this is a decrease in the prevalence of clinical symptoms prior to the disease onset; this is very likely associated with an earlier patient diagnosis within the asymptomatic phase of the disease. Therapeutically, we achieve a fast treatment response but there still are 16.3% of sufficient afterone year of treatment. Thromboreductin dose is increasing but even in this group it does not exceeds the mean of 2.38 mg per 24 hours. Complications are observed in 6.2% of patients in the first year of therapy, and ofthese, thrombotic events in about 2.5% and (small) bleeding complications in 4% of patients. The data suggest that we still do not reach treatment response in a certain proportion of patients after a year of their therapy. Even though the care results from the analysed data improve every year, the Register helps to uncover some issues that still remain, such as treatment intensification and other treatment modifications.

We present two years' experience in the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) according to the German GMALL 07/2003 study protocol at CELL (Czech leukemia study group--for life) hematological centers in the Czech Republic.A total number of 37 patients were included in this analysis. We evaluated complete remission and molecular remission rate, incidence of relapse, patients' status at the end of the follow-up period, incidence of chemotherapy-related adverse events and causes of death. A statistical analysis of risk factors affecting survival was carried out.Complete remission was achieved in 36 (97%) patients and molecular remission in 16 (62%) of 26 evaluable patients. Disease relapse occurred in 5 (14%) patients. At the end of the follow-up period with a median of 261 days, 28 (76%) patients were alive in complete remission, one (3%) with relapsed disease and 8 (22%) dead. Treatment toxicity resulted in death in 5 cases, relapse or progression of ALL in 3 patients. Adverse events most often followed consolidation I, induction phase I, consolidation II and induction phase II. Infectious complications in the context of febrile neutropenia, GIT mucositis and side effects of PEG-asparaginase were the most common adverse events observed. The toxicity of allogeneic transplantation was not unexpected, four (25%) patients died after transplantation. Two-year progression-free and overall survival were 66% and 70%, respectively. High risk ALL, age over 35 years, CNS infiltration, disease relapse and permanent minimal residual disease were identified as the major adverse prognostic risk factors. Practical experiences and possible pitfalls of the protocol are described in the discussion.Our initial impression is promising. The treatment is feasible, the results very good and the toxicity acceptable. Patients at high risk should be headed to allogeneic transplantation, since the results ofconsolidation chemotherapy alone are very poor in this group. We believe that this study protocol could become a standard adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment in the Czech Republic.

The registry of patients treated with Thromboreductin (anagrelide) in the Czech Republic contains data concerning patients that have been treated using this drug since 2004. As of June 2009, the total number of patients was 549. The current analysis focused mainly on evaluation of anagrelide dosage needed to achieve a complete response in high-risk patients: reduction in platelet count to below 400 x 10(9)/l, which was also considered as reaching the therapeutic goal. The outcomes of the registry confirm that although anagrelide (Thromboreductin) is a very effective platelet-reducing agent, the administration of which is related to a low incidence of adverse effects and complications, the therapeutic goal is not achieved in all cases and or despite a quick treatment response, the therapeutic goal is achieved more slowly.

To summarize available data concerning hematologic malignancies in pregnancy.Review article.Department of Obstetrics and Gynekology, Fakulty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno.Compilation of published data from scientific literature.Cancer complicating pregnancy is a rare coexistence. The incidence is approximately 1 in 1,000 pregnancies. The most frequent hematologic malignant tumor is Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia is less frequent and myeloproliferative diseases complicating pregnancy are sporadic coexistence. Symptoms of these deseases are often nonspecific and disguised in pregnancy, then the diagnosis can be late. It is imperative that a multidisciplinary team involving hematooncologist and obstetrician (pediatric specialist) care for patient with hematologic malignancies. Cleary, every patient have to know whole prognosis and all risk factors of treatment. Optimum timing of delivery is after 36th week of pregnancy (when chemotherapy is ended more than two weeks ago). We prefer vaginal delivery to caesarean section.

cDNA microarray technology is widely used in various biological and medical disciplines to determine gene expression profiles. Unfortunately, this technology requires a large quantity of input RNA. Since there is an increasing need for more precise analyses of defined cell subpopulations with low cell counts, working protocols using a minimal number of input cells are required. Optimal RNA isolation and its accurate amplification are crucial to the success of these protocols. The HL-60 cell line was used in the search for a suitable protocol that can be used for clinical samples of CD34+ haematopoietic cells obtained from bone marrow. The goal was to discover the best method for isolating and amplifying RNA from a small number of cells. Our evaluation of various methods and kits available in the market revealed that the combination of RNAqueous Kit for RNA isolation and the SenseAmp Plus Kit for one-round RNA amplification produced the best results. This article presents a verified protocol describing a reliable and reproducible method for obtaining enough input RNA for microarray experiments when the number of cells is limited.

CD4+56+ hematodermic neoplasm or leukemia from early plasmocytoid dendritic cells type DC2 was recognized by WHO-EORTC classification of cutaneous lymphomas as a separate entity related to the plasmacytoid precursor dendritic cell (pDC). This diagnosis is based on expression of CD4 and CD56 antigens and absence of B, T or myeloid lineage markers. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry are the only methods, which allow identification of this disease, either in isolated skin lesions or in a leukemic form. Although the co-expression of CD4 and CD56 is rare and the number of described cases is low, this group bears similar characteristics in a clinical course of disease. It is a very aggressive leukemia/lymphoma, usually with primary skin involvement, in half of the cases infiltrating bone marrow or lymph nodes. Despite high rate of initial response to treatment, early and widespread relapses occur and patients die of disease progression. Although the physiological counterpart of tumour cells was identified, the origin of the disease is still discussed because of aberrant expression of cell markers. Optimal treatment is not known. However, this aggressive disease requires radical approach with intensive chemotherapy regimens, prophylaxis of CNS involvement and early indication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Two case reports are described.

The registry of patients treated with Thromboreductine (anagrelid) in the contributing centres in the Czech Republic has been updated with data on the patients receiving this medication since 2004. The original purpose of the registry was to record responses to Thromboreductine therapy and adverse drug reactions in patients with essential thrombocytopenia. However, data on additional Ph negative myeloproliferations, as well as data on cytoreductive therapies other than exclusively that using Thromboreductine has also been recorded in the course of its compilation, including data on combined regimes. At present, the database contains data on 421 patients, and valid conclusions can be drawn if the level of data filling is enhanced. Evaluation has been currently focused on the analysis of the risk of development of clinical symptoms of thrombosis and on the standards of treatment from the viewpoint of the achieved treatment response. Analyses of data from the registry corroborate the special importance of the proof of JAK2 mutation, and of the test for factor V Leiden mutation, and of protein of S for the assessment of the risk of thromboembolic complications. The output of the analysis confirms that anagrelid is a very efficient thromboreductive agent the administration of which is associated with a low incidence of non-serious adverse effects (10.9%). However, in spite of a fast response to therapy, the therapeutic goal consisting in the reduction of the platelet count below 400 (or below 600) x 10(9)/l, i.e. the complete (or partial) treatment response, is relatively slow to achieve. This is likely to be due to lack of radical corrections in the dosage of the drug for different reasons.

Chronic myeloid leukemia has got an outstanding position among the other oncology diseases, particularly due to specific chromosomal abnormality called Philadelphia chromosome, its molecular consequence BCR/ABL fusion gene and its biologic product BCR/ABL tyrosinekinase, which is responsible for the leukemic transformation of the hematopoetic cells. We can see a real revolution in the treatment of the chronic myeloid leukemia in the last few years. The authors pay attention to the developement of the new drugs in the large historical consequences from the beginning in the 19th century (describing leukemia first time) to the introduction of the new small specific molecules into the clinical practice.

Since 2005, registers of patients treated with Thromboreductin (anagrelid) kept by some centres in the Czech Republic have been supplied with data concerning patients whose treatment with this preparation started in 2004. The purpose of the register is to record responses to therapy by Thromboreductin and adverse events in patients with essential thrombocytemia and other myeloproliferations, and to subsequently analyse the data. Another objective is to detect predisposition to clinical symptomatology and disease complications. Apart from thrombocyte count, additional risk factors are monitored. The database currently contains data for 336 patients. Initial analyses of data from the register point to the fact that anagrelid is a highly effective thromboreductive agent the administration of which is associated with relatively low incidence of adverse events (11.8 %) of mild and usually transitory nature. The therapeutic objective is attained at a relatively slow rate (according to overall stratification under 400 or under 600 x 10(9)/l thrombocytes), which is probably due to insufficient dose adjustment.

To assess the prognostic relevance of activating mutations of FLT3 gene on outcome of allogeneic transplantations in AML patients, we performed an analysis of all patients with FLT3 mutations registered in the Czech Acute Leukemia Clinical Register (ALERT) from 2003 till the end of 2005. Within the mentioned period 170 patients with AML of median age 56 years (23-77) were investigated for FLT3 mutation, within them 36 cases (21%) with FLT3 mutations (32 FLT3 ITD and 4 FLT3 D835) were found. Out of FLT3 ITD positive patients 13 had allogeneic transplantation, 20 patients with mutations of FLT3 were treated with chemotherapy without transplantation. Results of the treatment of these patients were compared with the results of the group of patients without FLT3 mutation, which was according to other characteristics identical with the group of patients with FLT3 mutations (n=134). Median overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter for patients with FLT3 ITD (34.8 weeks) than for those without FLT3 mutations (67.7 weeks; P=0.028). Median OS of patients with FLT3 ITD who had allogeneic transplantation was 42.5 weeks; median OS of patients with FLT3 ITD treated only with chemotherapy was 29.6 weeks (P=0.362). After allogeneic transplantation, median OS of FLT3 mutations negative patients was similar to FLT3 ITD positive patients (46.7 versus 42.5 weeks; P=0.443). Our results suggest that at present there is no strong evidence that FLT3 status alone should influence the decision to proceed to allogeneic transplantation in AML patients. Decision to proceed to alogeneic transplantation should not be based on the FLT3 status only, but it should also consider other prognostic factors.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a heterogeneous disease manifesting with a variable clinical course. It is evident from many studies, that the division into two main prognostic categories is possible on the basis of mutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene. The objective of our work was to identify a presence or absence of IgVH gene mutations in B-CLL patients which are monitored or treated on hematological clinics and to determine the presence of individual D and J, subgenes in malignant population of B-cells.A nucleotide sequence of IgVH gene of neoplastic cells was analyzed by appropriate molecular-genetic methods. RNA/cDNA was collected from 358 patients and a spectrum of individual subgenes translocations was identified. Our results show that 56.3% of patients manifested an unmutated variable (VH) segment. It is expected from the published data that this group of patients will suffer from aggressive course of the disease and will exhibit a substantially shorter survival in comparison to patients possessing somatic hypermutations. An expanded population of leukemic B-cells showed increased occurrence of clones whose variable segments belong to three different families. VH3 alleles are the ones most frequently used. A frequency of unmutated alleles is prominently shifted into families with V I homology. The preferred "diversity and joining" segments are D3, D2 and JH 4 and JH 6.The analysis of heavy chain immunoglobulin gene after recombinant VH-D-J11 segments translocation belongs to a standard hematooncological investigation. The results are an important prognostic criterion for prediction of expected disease aggressivity and for a minimal residual disease monitoring.

Rituximab is being used successfully in the treatment of patients with chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases. The success of treatment by rituximab is influenced, among other factors, by the antigen density on tumor cells. Therefore, the authors analyzed and compared the densities of the CD20 antigen in patients with chronic lymphoproliferative diseases.Previously untreated patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL), and small-cell lymphocytic lymphoma (SCLL) were evaluated by flow cytometry. The control group consisted of blood donors. The CD20 density was measured on tumor cell populations in patients and on the B-lymphocytes of the control group. The density was expressed in MESE In the patients with B-CLL and SCLL, the CD20 density was low (25,300 vs. 36,100 MESF) and it was significantly lower than in donors (172,800 MESF; p0.001). The difference between B-CLL and SCLL patients was not statistically significant. The density in MCL patients (196,300 MESF) was comparable to that of donors.We did not prove statistical different density of CD20 antigen in patients with SCLL when compared with B-CLL patients. High density in MCL patients may be helpful in differential diagnosis against B-CLL and

Anagrelide hydrochloride is an effective drug used in patients with ET and other myeloproliferative disorders with thrombocythemia to selectively decrease the number of thrombocytes. Indications for use of anagrelide were described in detail in Czech medical literature. Since 2005 data concerning treatment with anagrelide in some medical clinics have been collected in patient register showing course of treatment from 2004, when the medicament obtained marketing authorization from State Institute for Drug Control to be used in the treatment of thrombocythemia in myeloproliferative disorders. Aim of patient register is to monitor medical effect of anagrelide therapy and incidence of adverse effects in patients with ET and other myeloproliferative disorders and subsequent analysis of collected data. At the moment patient register contains data from 154 patients.

State-of-art of aggressive treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in patients older than 60 years is one of the least satisfactory topics of present-day hematology. This fact led us to ask the following questions: Does it make sense to administer aggressive treatment to older patients with AML? Could it be that we only complicate the rest of the life of these older patients with AML, by using aggressive treatment? Would they not benefit more from palliative or symptomatic therapy? What is the quality of life of older patients with AML like? Therefore, to try to answer these questions, we performed the next analysis. A retrospective analysis was performed including (without any selection) all consecutive patients over 60 years of age who were treated with AML in our centre from 1998 till 2003. We have analyzed data from 137 elderly patients who were diagnosed with AML (excluding acute promyelocytic leukemia). Median survival from diagnosis in the aggressive (curative) therapy group was 4 months, in palliative therapy group 2 months and in symptomatic therapy group 0.8 months. Patients receiving curative therapy spent in a hospital (in-patient stay) 70% (median) of their life after diagnosis of AML, patients receiving palliative treatment 64% (median) of their life after diagnosis, and patients receiving symptomatic treatment 100% (median), respectively. Only marginal advantage in the median overall survival is observed in the group of aggressively treated patients.

The POEMS syndrome is a synopsis of different symptoms such as polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrine disturbances, M-protein and skin changes. POEMS syndrome has a complete and incomplete form. The leading symptoms are neuropathy and the monoclonal gammopathy. The authors report about a 55 year old lady who fell ill with this disease.

The nuclear and nucleolar ultrastructure was studied by means of conventional transmission electron microscopy to provide more and complementary information on nucleolar changes accompanying the apoptotic process in leukaemic granulocytic precursors (HL-60 cells) produced by PDT without previous terminal differentiation. PDT induced the apoptotic process using BL irradiation and ALA as a precursor of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX. PDT produced marked changes of the nucleolar ultrastructure in apoptotic cells, such as reduction of the number and loss of fibrillar centres surrounding dense fibrillar components. Such nucleolar changes are known to reflect an alteration of nucleolar biosynthetic activities, which are believed to be located at the periphery of fibrillar centres. Some electron micrographs also indicated that fibrillar centres apparently migrated out from nucleolar bodies.

Hereditary thrombocytopenias are a heterogeneous group of extremely rare diseases characterized by a reduced number of blood platelets and by bleeding tendency of variable severity. Some of these diseases are exclusive to platelets, while in others the pathology extends to other cell types. Although rare, hereditary thrombocytopenias should be considered in the diagnosis. Hereditary thrombocytopenias have been classified into three groups depending on platelet volume. Hereditary thrombocytopenias with giant platelets form one of these groups. About fourteen clinical entities of inherited giant platelet disorders have been described. Bernard-Soulier syndrome, grey platelet syndrome and May-Hegglin anomaly are the most common giant platelet thrombocytopenias. May-Hegglin anomaly is condition characterized by the triad of thrombocytopenia, giant platelets, and pale-blue inclusions in leukocytes. May-Hegglin anomaly has an autosomal-dominant mode of inheritance. We described clinical and laboratory features of three adult women from one family with recently diagnosed May-Hegglin anomaly. Described cases are probably the first observed cases of May-Hegglin anomaly in the Czech lands.

In cancer patients with persistent fever and neutropenia, amphotericin B is administered for the early treatment and prevention of the clinically occult invasive fungal infections. The major drawback of the conventional amphotericin B is its nephrotoxicity. We have previously showed that massive potassium, sodium, and magnesium supplementation, which corresponds to the amount lost in kidney during amphotericin B administration, as well as vigorous hydration, can markedly reduce nephrotoxicity of conventional amphotericin B. Clinical courses of four oncological patients treated with conventional amphotericin B suspected or proven fungal infection for a period of 24 days (two patients), 39 days, and 47 days are described. During the long-term amphotericin B administration with nephroprotective measures, no severe renal function decrease was observed in any of our patients. Massive ion supplementation corresponding to the amounts lost in kidney, as well as the vigorous hydration are effective in the prevention of the renal function decrease induced by the long-term conventional amphotericin B therapy.

Landmark works of the 17th century concerning observations of blood cells are quoted in the article. "Simple" and successively "compound" microscopes made their appearance in the late 16th century and early 17th century. In 1656, Frenchman Pierre Borel, physician-in-ordinary to the King Louis XIV, who first applied the microscope to medicine described a type of "worn" found in human blood. In 1657, Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit priest and scientist from Germany, examined blood from plague victims, and described "worms" of plague. In 1661, 1664 and 1665, the blood cells were discerned by Marcello Malpighi. In 1678, the red blood corpuscles was described by Jan Swammerdam of Amsterdam, a Dutch naturalist and physician. The first complete account of the red cells was made by Anthony van Leeuwenhoek of Delft in the last quarter of the 17th century.

Recent findings of the role of the immunity in eradication of residual tumour tissue after autologous transplantation rejection leading to extensive studies on T-cell mediated specific antitumor effects or nonspecific NL-cell mediated anticancer effects. We have evaluated on the methods of adoptive cell therapy--IL-2 activation of autologous graft in the preclinical conditions. In laboratory conditions we have manipulated with autologous grafts form patients suffering with chronic myelocytic leukemia and patients suffering with multiple myeloma.Autologous graft was activated with IL-2 during 24-hours cultivation period in X-Vivo 10 medium with heparine, glutamine and Dnase. Quality of grafts after cultivation, contamination and activation of T and NK cell were evaluated. No significant differences between IL-2 activated graft and control were found. Results of autologous graft quality (CD34+, CFU-GM) were comparable with already published results. Quality of final product allowed starting of clinical experimental trials.We have proved the possibility to use IL-2 activated autologous graft in the clinical conditions. Based on our preclinical results experimental clinical trials have been initiated in patients suffering from chronic myelocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma.

Treatment of early relapsing or resistant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) remains problematic. High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation improves the prognosis for patients in response following standard dose regimens. We adopted the strategy of using salvage chemotherapy to debulk disease and simultaneously mobilize stem cells. We used regimens based on ifosfamide and etoposide because these drugs are not usually used as the front-line treatment. Twenty-seven patients with NHL received MINE chemotherapy (mesna and ifosfamide 1330 mg/m2 and etoposide 65 mg/m2 i.v. days 1-3, and mitoxantrone 8 mg/m2 i.v. day 1). The same schedule, but higher doses were used for PBSC stimulation (mesna, ifosfamide 1700 mg/m2, etoposide 175 mg/m2, mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2). Forty-six patients with HD received VIM chemotherapy (mesna, ifosfamide 1200 mg/m2 i.v. days 1-5, etoposide 90 mg/m2 i.v. days 1, 3, and 5, methotrexate 30 mg/m2 i.v. days 1 and 5). After both VIM and high dose MINE, chemotherapy for mobilization was followed by G-CSF administered at a dose 5-16 micrograms/kg/day depending on the clinicians judgement of the patient's pretreatment. Complete response after VIM and MINE were 39% and 38%, respectively; partial response (PR) rates were 17% and 29%, and stable disease (SD) 25% and 4%, respectively. In both groups, patients with relapsing disease had better responses than did those with primary progressive disease. Both regimens exhibited excellent mobilizing capacity. We performed 213 aphereses with a median 3 per patient starting on either day 13 as a median for VIM, or on day 12 as a median for MINE. In the majority of patients, the collection started in the time interval median +/- 1 day (n = 62, 85%). The median yields were 10.6 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg and 53.1 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg for VIM, and 13.3 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg and 54.5 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg for MINE. We collected at least 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg in all but six patients (8%), and the harvested amount of CD34+ cells was less than 1.0 x 10(6)/kg in only two patients (3%). The toxicity of VIM and MINE was minimal and chemotherapy-induced trombocytopenia did not occur with PBSC collection.

Authors present a historical overview of multiple myeloma. The first well-known case of multiple myeloma was that of Mr. McBean described in 1846, 1847, and 1850 by John Darlympe, Henry Bence Jones, and William MacIntyre. The term multiple myeloma dates from 1873, and was introduced by von Rusitzky. In 1889, Otto Kahler published the case report about Dr. Loos, his patient with multiple myeloma. In 1895, Marschalkó described the essential characteristics of plasma cells. Authors present other interesting early cases of multiple myeloma and diagnostic advances in this disease.

Lymphoproliferative disorders of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) can arise from either CD3+ T cells or CD3- natural killer cells. Polyclonal proliferation of LG lymphocytes is called LGL lymphocytosis, monoclonal proliferation of LG lymphocytes is LGL leukaemia. Prominent clinical manifestations of LGL lymphocytosis and leukaemia are bacterial infections, splenomegaly, and may be connected with rheumatic or autoimmune disorders. Hematologic findings reveal particularly lymphocytosis, and severe neutropenia. The beta chain gene of T cell receptor rearrangement analysis is necessary for distinguishing of T LGL lymphocytosis from T LGL leukaemia. The authors report a case of young woman with T cells LGL lymphroproliferative disorder, bacterial infection, reactive lymphadenopathy, and spontaneous regression of the lymphocytosis within 6 months.

Madelung disease, benign symmetrical lipomatosis, is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. It is characterized by the accumulation of fat deposits around the neck and upper body. It is often associated with glucose intolerance, liver disease, and malignant tumors of the lungs. This disease normally affects middle-aged males with a history of alcohol abuse. Surgical removal of the lipomatose mass is the treatment of choice. A case of Madelung disease in a 53-year old man with hepatopathy and respiratory failure is presented.

Amphotericin B treatment in oncological patients is irrepaceable due to the high frequency of mycotic infections. From data in the literature ensues that the most serious undesirable effect of amphotericin B is nephrotoxicity, manifested by a reduced glomerular filtration and impaired tubular function (in particular the development of hypokalemia, and hypomagnesaemia). Prophylaxis of nephrotoxicity is despite major efforts unsatisfactory. In the submitted work the authors tested in a major group of patients their working hypothesis based on previous observations, that prophylactic replacement of the increasing ion losses in urine during amphotericin B treatment without waiting for a decline of serum concentrations of these ions, along with adequate hydration delays or eliminates the decline of glomerular functions.During amphotericin B therapy of 25 oncological patients renal functions, Na, K and Mg urinary excretion and the serum concentrations of these ions were followed up in detail. The urinary losses were replaced. No overall prophylaxis to prevent acute toxic reactions associated with administration of the drug was used. The mean dose of amphotericin B was 0.82 mg/kg, the mean diuresis 3662 ml/24 hours. Acute toxic reactions calling for hydrocortisone administration were observed only in 6% of the patients. During treatment the urinary K and Mg losses increased significantly and had to one replaced. There was also a significant increase of the excretory fractions of K and Na. However there were no significant changes of serum ions nor a rise of creatinine. The creatinine clearance even increased slightly though insignificantly (1.384 ml/s as compared with 1.392 ml/s).Consequential hydration of patients and prophylactic replacement of urinary ion losses during amphotericin B therapy are effective in preventing ion disbalances and a decline of glomerular functions. Acute toxic reactions associated with administration of amphotericin B are infrequent.

Myeloablative chemotherapy improved the results of multiple myeloma treatment but the disease remains incurable. Residual disease eradication is one of the main clues for further improvement of the prognosis of myeloma patients. Interferon alpha maintenance therapy has controversial results. New methods, such as consolidation therapy, antibodies, gene therapy, interleukins, immunotoxins, dendritic cells, vaccines and induction of graft-versus-tumor effect, are tested in the phase I/II clinical trials. This article briefly reviews the new treatment modalities of immunotherapy. Progress in adoptive cellular immunotherapy and progress in induction of graft versus myeloma effect are very promising. We are still not able to transfer very good preclinical results of immunotherapy into clinical results in vivo measured by event free and long-term survivals. Combination of myeloablative therapy followed a new type of immunotherapy focusing on residual disease eradication evaluated in the setting of sensitive disease may be optimal. Such approach could improve the current controversial status of immunotherapy in MM.