Outcomes of CAG Regimen for Refractory Biphenotypic Acute Leukemia Patients

Objective To evaluated the efficiency of low-dose cytosine arabinoside plus aclarubicin with concurrent administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor （CAG） regimen for refractory biphenotypic acute leukemia （BAL）. Methods We treated 5 refractory BAL patients by CAG regimen （10 mg.m 2 cytosine arabinoside subcutaneously administrated every 12 hours, day 1-14; 5-7 mg·m^-2 aclarubicin intravenously administrated daily, day 1-8; and concurrently used 200 μg·m^-2·d^-1 granulocyte colony-stimulating factor subcutaneously） from November 2002 to April 2007. The efficacy of the regimen was evaluated by response rate, and the side effects were also measured. Results The complete remission rate was 80%, median duration of absolute neutrophil count〈5.0×10^8/L and platelet count〈2.0×10^10/L was day 13 and day 1, respectively; and the infection rate was low （Ⅲ-Ⅳ infection rate, 20.00%）.

Preservation of platelet function in patients with cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia undergoing esophageal variceal ligation

Background:Thrombocytopenia is a possible risk factor for bleeding after band ligation of esophageal varices.However,elevated von Willebrand factor(VWF)in cirrhosis improves platelet function and could decrease this risk.Our objective was to assess platelet function in patients with cirrhosis undergoing esophageal variceal ligation(EVL).Methods:The assessment consisted of platelet count,antigen and activity of VWF and VWF-cleaving protease ADAMTS-13 activity,and a platelet adhesion and aggregation test simulating vascular flow in vivo(Impact-RR)prior to EVL.Results:Totally 111 patients were divided into three groups according to platelet count:(1)<50×109/L(n=38,34.2%);(2)50×109/L to 100×109/L(n=47,42.3%);and(3)>100×109/L(n=26,23.4%).No statistically significant difference was found in the aggregate size of platelets[group 1:41.0(31.8–67.3)μm 2;group 2:47.0(33.8–71.3)μm 2;and group 3:47.0(34.0–66.0)μm 2;P=0.60]and no significant correlation was found between aggregate size and platelet count(Spearman r=0.07;P=0.47).Surface coverage was 4.1%(2.8%–6.7%),8.5%(4.0%–10.0%),and 9.0%(7.1%–12.0%)(P<0.001)in groups 1,2 and 3,respectively and correlated with platelet count(Spearman r=0.39;P<0.0001).There was no significant difference between groups in VWF or ADAMTS-13.Post-EVL bleeding occurred in six(5.4%)patients(n=2 in group 1,n=1 in group 2,and n=3 in group 3;P=0.32).Patients with bleeding had higher MELD scores[15.0(11.3–20.3)versus 12.0(10.0–15.0);P=0.025],but no difference was demonstrated for platelet function parameters.Conclusion:Platelet function is preserved even in the presence of thrombocytopenia,including in the patients with post-EVL bleeding.

The effects of obesity on venous thromboembolism: A review

Obesity has emerged as a global health issue that is associated with wide spectrum of disorders, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, and venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE is one of the most common vascular disorders in the United States and Europe and is associated with significant mortality. Although the association between obesity and VTE appears to be moderate, obesity can interact with other environmental or genetic factors and pose a significantly greater risk of VTE among individuals who are obese and who are exposed simultaneously to several other risk factors for VTE. Therefore, identification of potential interactions between obesity and certain VTE risk factors might offer some critical points for VTE interventions and thus minimize VTE morbidity and mortality among patients who are obese. However, current obesity measurements have limitations and can introduce contradictory results in the outcome of obesity. To overcome these limitations, this review proposes several future directions and suggests some avenues for prevention of VTE associated with obesity as well.

Physiological functions and clinical implications of fibrinogen-like 2:A review

Fibrinogen-like 2(FGL2) encompasses a transmembrane(m FGL2) and a soluble(s FGL2) form with differential tertiary structure and biological activities. Typically, m FGL2 functions as prothrombinase that is capable of initiating coagulation in tissue without activation of the blood clotting cascade, whereas s FGL2 largely acts as an immunosuppressor that can repress proliferation of alloreactive T lymphocytes and maturation of bone marrow dendritic cells. Protein sequences of FGL2 exhibit evolutionary conservation across wide variety of species, especially at the carboxyl terminus that contains fibrinogen related domain(FRED). The FRED of FGL2 confers specificity and complexity in the action of FGL2, including receptor recognition, calcium affiliation, and substrate binding. Constitutive expression of FGL2 during embryogenesis and in mature tissues suggests FGL2 might be physiologically important. However, excessive induction of FGL2 under certain medical conditions(e.g. pathogen invasion) could trigger complement activation, inflammatory response,cellular apoptosis, and immune dysfunctions. On the other hand, complete absence of FGL2 is also detrimental as lack of FGL2 can cause autoimmune glomerulonephritis and acute cellular rejection of xenografts. All these roles involve m FGL2, s FGL2, or their combination. Although it is not clear how m FGL2 is cleaved off its host cells and secreted into the blood, circulating s FGL2 has been found correlated with disease severity and viral loading among patients with human hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection. Further studies are warranted to understand how FGL2 expression is regulated under physiological and pathological conditions. Even more interesting is to determine whether m FGL2 can fulfill an immunoregulatory role through its FRED at carboxyl end of the molecule and, and vice versa, whether s FGL2 is procoagulant upon binding to a target cell. Knowledge in this area should shed light on development of s FGL2 as an alternative immunosuppressive agent for organ transplantation or as a biomarker for predicting disease progression, monitoring therapeutic effects, and targeting FGL2 for repression in ameliorating fulminant viral hepatitis.

Inflammation and oxidative stress caused might lead to left ventricular diastolic and hypertension by nitric oxide synthase uncoupling systolic dysfunction in patients with

Objective To investigate the role of oxidative stress, inflammation, hypercoagulability and neuroendocrine activation in the transition of hypertensive heart disease to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction （HFPEF）. Methods We performed echocardiography for 112 patients （≥ 60 years old） with normal EF （18 controls and 94 with hypertension）, and determined protein carbonylation （PC）, and tetrahydrobiopterin （BH4）, C-reactive protein （CRP）, interleukin-6 （IL-6）, tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor type-I （PAI-I）, von Willebrand factor, chromogranin A （cGA） and B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） levels from their blood samples. Results We found that 40% （38/94） of the patients with hypertension （HT） had no diastolic dysfunction （HTDD-）, and 60% （56/94） had diastolic dysfunction （HTDD＋）. Compared to the controls, both patient groups had increased PC and BH4, TNF-α, PAI-I and BNP levels, while the HTDD＋ group had elevated cGA and CRP levels. Decreased atrial and longitudinal left ventficular （LV） systolic and diastolic myocardial deformation （strain and strain rate） was demonstrated in both patient groups versus the control. Patients whose LV diastolic function deteriorated during the follow-up had elevated PC and IL-6 level compared to their own baseline values, and to the respective values of patients whose LV diastolic function remained unchanged. Oxidative stress, inflammation, BNP and PAI-I levels inversely correlated with LV systolic, diastolic and atrial function. Conclusions In patients with HT and normal EF, the most common HFPEF precursor condition, oxidative stress and inflammation may be responsible for LV systolic, diastolic and atrial dysfunction, which are important determinants of the transition of liT to HFPEF.

Early local intracoronary platelet activation after drug-eluting stent placement

Background Early local platelet activation after coronary intervention identifies patients at increased risk of acute stent thrombosis （AST）. However, early changes in platelet activation in coronary circulation following drug-eluting stent （DES） implantation have never been reported. Methods In a prospective study of 26 consecutive elective stable angina patients, platelet activation was analyzed by measuring soluble glycoprotein V （sGPV） and P-selectin （CD62P） before and after implantation of either DES or bare metal stent （BMS）. All patients were pretreated with clopidogrel （300 mg loading dose） and aspirin （75 mg orally） the day before the procedure. Blood samples were drawn from the coronary ostium and 10 - 20 mm distal to the lesion site. Results Consistent with the lower baseline clinical risk, the levels of CD62P and sGPV were within normal reference range, both in the coronary ostium and distal to the lesion before percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） procedure. The levels of CD62P and sGPV did not change significantly （CD62P： （31.1 ± 9.86） ng/ml vs （29.5 ± 9.02） ng/ml, P=0.319 and sGPV： （52.4 ± 13.5） ng/ml vs （51.8 ± 11.7） ng/ml, P=0.674, respectively） after stent implantation when compared with baseline. Changes in these platelet activation markers did not differ between stent types. Conclusions Intracoronary local platelet activation does not occur in stable angina patients before and immediately followina DES implantation when dual anti-Dlatelet is administered.