Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018133 (graft-versus-host disease)
 18,032 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is increasingly used in pre-allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) conditioning regimens to prevent graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease. However, ATG was also found to be associated with increased incidence of thrombosis during organ transplantation. In the present study, we tested the coagulation status of 21 patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allo-SCT who received ATG-based (11 patients) or non-ATG-based (10) conditioning treatment. We assessed several thrombophilia markers as well as circulating total and endothelial microparticles (TMP/EMP) and soluble CD40 ligand (CD40L). No significant difference in the mean values of prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin, protein C, protein S, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, homocysteine levels, prevalence of genetic thrombophilia markers and levels of EMP, TMP or CD40L was observed between the ATG-treated and ATG-untreated patients, as well as before and after conditioning in each group separately. Platelet counts decreased significantly in ATG-treated patients; however, this decrease was not associated with clinical or laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. No patient developed thromboembolic event or veno-occlusive liver disease. Our results suggest that allo-SCT is not associated with increased hypercoagulability and addition of ATG to conditioning regimen has no significant procoagulant effect.
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PMID:Assessment of the coagulation profile in hemato-oncological patients receiving ATG-based conditioning treatment for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. 1524 31

Brief virologic news included the discovery of the virophage, a unique parasite of the giant mimivirus and the association of HHV-8 infection with a peculiar form of African diabetes. Secondly, this news focused on risk factors for arterial or venous thrombosis and therapy for auto-immune disorders. Only oral estrogen therapy increases the risk of venous thromboembolism in postmenopausal women. Despite significant homocysteine lowering, vitamin supplementation with folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 did not reduce total cardiovascular events among high-risk patients. Patients with venous thromboembolism have a substantially increased long-term risk of subsequent cardiovascular events while obesity, systemic arterial hypertension, and diabetes are common risk factors for arterial and venous thrombosis. The non fasting ApoB/ApoA1 ratio was superior to any of the cholesterol ratios for estimation of the risk of acute myocardial infection in all ethnic groups. Preventive anticoagulation of in-patients with risk of venous thromboembolism was inadequately prescribed in many hospitals of the world. Subcutaneous administration of methotrexate was more effective than the oral administration at the same dosage in patients suffering from active rheumatoid arthritis. Hydroxychloroquine directly reduces the binding of antiphospholipid antibody-beta2-glycoprotein I complexes to phospholipid bilayers. Anti-IL-5 and anti-IL-6 antibodies were effective for the treatment of respectively hypereosinophilic syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. The efficacy of proteasome inhibitors and mesenchymal stems cells have been demonstrated in respectively two mouse strains with lupus-like disease and steroid-resistant severe acute graft-versus-host disease. These treatments may be useful for auto-immune disorders if their long term toxicity is acceptable. In conclusion, subcutaneous injections of physiological saline, used as placebo in two different trials, enhanced in vitro activation of immunocompetent cells in healthy individuals.
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PMID:[What's new in internal medicine?]. 1926 9