Differences In White Blood Cell Research Articles

The comparison of blood characteristics in low- and high-altitude chickens

Tibetan chicken (TC) is a unique chicken breed that has inhabited the Tibetan Plateau for thousands of years and has adapted to the harsh environment of an altitude of over greater than 4000 m. The changes in blood characteristics that occur in high-altitude rearing of TCs are unknown. To obtain a deeper insight into the blood characteristics of chickens in low and high altitudes, we focussed on four chicken populations to compare the variations among them. In the present study, we found significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) count, red blood cell (RBC) count and haematocrit (HCT) values between TCs and other chicken populations. When TCs were reared at low altitude, there was a significant (p < .05) decrease in the WBC, RBC and HCT values compared with the TCs reared at high altitude; however, whether the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) value is related to oxygen transport and hypoxia adaptation requires further study. It is likely that haemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and MCH concentration (MCHC) values are decrease at high-altitude hypoxic environments. Therefore, the increase in WBC, RBC and HCT values may be the common haematological mechanism for TCs to adapt to high-altitude hypoxia. These research results provide the scientific basis and theory to explain how TCs are able to adapt to high-altitude hypoxia.

Principles of antibiotic application in children with lobar pneumonia: Step-up or step-down.

In order to provide a scientific basis for rational use of antibiotics, we studied and compared the therapeutic effects of step-down and step-up antibiotic treatment schemes in children with lobar pneumonia. Eighty cases of children with lobar pneumonia were enrolled in this study and were randomly divided into two groups: The observation group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. In the observation group, there were 23 cases with mild and 17 cases with severe lobar pneumonia, and in the control group, 25 were mild and 15 were severe cases. Patients in the control group were treated with antibiotics using step-up therapy method, while patients in the observation group were treated using step-down antibiotic therapy. Our results showed no significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) reduction rate, the course of antibiotic treatment, disappearance time of pulmonary rales and total efficiency in children with mild lobar pneumonia in the observation group after 72 h of treatment. The level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the observation group were significantly lower. After 72 h of treatment of children with severe lobar pneumonia in the observation group, the rate of WBC reduction accelerated significantly. Compared to the patients in the control group, the course of antibiotic treatment and disappearance time of pulmonary rales were shortened significantly, while the total efficiency of treatment was improved considerably in the observation group. Also in the observation group, hs-CRP and PCT levels were significantly lower than that in the control group. In severe cases, step-down therapy showed a better result in relieving the inflammatory reactions. The disappearance time of pulmonary rales and the effective rate of treatment was significantly higher than those of step-up therapy. It was obvious that for children with severe lobar pneumonia, step-down therapy produced better results in relieving the inflammatory reaction.

Sustained-release microspheres of amifostine for improved radio-protection, patient compliance, and reduced side effects

A biweekly administration of sustained-release microsphere dosage form of amifostine, a radioprotective drug used in radiotherapy, was performed to examine the feasibility to minimize injection frequency and blood concentration-associated side effects. Model animal trials indicated that this subcutaneously injecting microspheres, 50–100 μm in diameter, achieved bi-weekly prolonged radio-protective efficacy and, at the same time, significantly reduced skin irritation than the solution form of amifostine given by the same administration route. In addition, the hypertension associated with blood concentration of amifostine was not observed in the drug-treated rats. The animals given the amifostine microspheres and amifostine showed significantly differences in white blood cell, red blood cell, hematocrit, hemoglobin and spleen tissue histopathology after exposed under a cobalt-60 γ-radiation at a dose rate of 1.0 Gy/min for 6 min. The in vitro release profile of amifostine from the micropsheres showed a minor initial burst (less than 20% of total drug loading in the first day of administration), consisting with the side effects observations. The results suggest that amifostine encapsulated in sustained-release microspheres may be an ideal dosage form for prolonged radio-protective efficacy and improved patient compliance.

E2A-PBX1 exhibited a promising prognosis in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with the CCLG-ALL2008 protocol.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to observe the prognosis of pediatric patients with E2A-PBX1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from the treatment with the CCLG-ALL2008 protocol.Design and methodsThree hundred and forty-nine Chinese pediatric patients with pre-B-cell ALL were enrolled in this study from December 2008 to September 2013. Of these, 20 patients with E2A-PBX1 expression and 223 without the gene expression were stratified into two cohorts. Clinical and biological characteristics and 5-year event-free survival (EFS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed and compared between these two groups.ResultsThe E2A-PBX1 fusion transcript was detected in 20 of 349 (5.7%) patients. Compared with the gene-negative subgroup, patients with E2A-PBX1 were younger in age but did not show significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) count or gender distribution at primary diagnosis. Moreover, there were more inferior karyotypes detected in the E2A-PBX1 subgroup (P=0.035). With the CCLG-ALL2008 treatment protocol, patients with E2A-PBX1 showed a favorable treatment response with lower minimal residual disease (MRD) levels (<10−4) at time point 1 (TP1, P=0.039) but no superior steroid response or histological remission. We also observed a promising survival outcome, with a 5-year EFS reaching 95.0%±4.9% versus 66.3%±3.9% in the gene-negative group (P=0.039). However, we did not find significant differences in RFS (P=0.061) and OS (P=0.113).ConclusionOur data provided clinical observation of Chinese pediatric patients. Patients with E2A-PBX1-positive ALL benefited well from the CCLG-ALL2008 protocol, a risk-based intensified treatment trial, with lower levels of MRD and longer RFS duration though they had no favorable characteristics at primary diagnosis.

Routine Hemostasis and Hemogram Parameters: Valuable Assessments for Coagulation Disorder and Chemotherapy in Cancer Patients.

Background:The clotting system abnormalities are the common complication in cancer patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the coagulation state, clinical features, and treatment in cancer patients by routine tests.Methods:A total of 2328 patients with different types of cancer were classified as the positive group (n = 1419, including 53 patients with thrombosis) and the negative group (n = 909) based on D-dimer (DD) value. Of the 2328 cases, 354 were admitted for chemotherapy. Hemostasis test and complete blood count (CBC) were performed during treatment or following-up.Results:This study showed that the hypercoagulable state was affected not only by clinical staging (P < 0.0001) but also by metastasis site (P < 0.0001 for bone vs. lung). Compared to negative DD group, the higher fibrinogen level, the extended activated partial thromboplastin time, and prothrombin time interacted markedly with disease clinical stage (P < 0.05) in the positive group. Between positive DD groups with and without thrombus, the significantly statistic difference in white blood cell (WBC) and DD (P < 0.05) rather than in red blood cell (RBC) and platelet count was observed. However, the higher DD level was not correlated with WBC, RBC, and platelet count in the positive DD group. Furthermore, the hypercoagulable plasma profile in cancer patients was moderated 2–3 weeks after chemotherapy (P < 0.05 for first six cycles).Conclusions:The routine hemostatic parameters and CBC are valuable to assessment for thrombosis and chemotherapy even for disease prognosis.

Seasonal changes in hemograms and Theileria orientalis infection rates among Holstein cattle pastured in the mountains in the Republic of Korea

In the current study, we compared seasonal changes in complete blood counts (CBCs) and rates of infection with a tick-borne pathogen between Holstein cattle housed indoors and those maintained outside on pasture. There were differences in white blood cell (WBC) parameters, but the changes were not associated with seasons or the housing type. Analysis of red blood cell (RBC) parameters showed lower values in August and November versus March, and in the cattle maintained on pasture versus the housed cattle. In comparison with the RBC count of the housed cattle in March (10.1M/μL), the RBC counts of the pastured cattle were significantly lower in August (7.8M/μL; p<0.01) and November (7.5M/μL; p<0.01). The hematocrit (HCT) also showed a decrease in March (33.5%), August (30.0%, p<0.01) and November (28.5%, p<0.01). According to PCR analysis, the Theileria infection rate among the pastured cattle in March was only 11%, but this rate increased to 22% and 60% in August and November, respectively. The RBC count (7.4M/μL) and HCT (27.7%) values in Theileria-positive pastured cattle in November showed a dramatic decrease compared to those of cattle examined in March. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these Theileria isolates correspond to T. orientalis. These results suggest that a remarkable increase in tick infestation in mountainous areas in the summer may cause increased rates of infection with T. orientalis, leading to significant changes in the RBC profile after grazing. Therefore, these hematological changes may be associated with T. orientalis infection caused by tick-biting; thus, additional studies on the pathogenicity of T. orientalis are needed.

Construction of a scoring system for predicting the risk of severe gastrointestinal involvement in Henoch-Schönlein Purpura.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the parameters associated with significant gastrointestinal (GI) involvement in Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP), and construct a scoring system for the identification of patients at high risk of gross blood in stools.Study designData for HSP patients hospitalized at each of seven institutes were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into four groups according to the consequent severity of GI involvement. Identification of laboratory parameters at the time of admission were then used to differentiate the groups, and a scoring system to predict gross intestinal bleeding was constructed. Prognostic efficiency, correlation with the subsequent duration of abdominal pain, and association with manifestations excluding abdominal pain were also analyzed.ResultsAn analysis of variance (ANOVA) test showed significant intergroup differences in white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, serum albumin, potassium, plasma D-dimer and coagulation factor XIII activity. A scoring system consisting of these parameters showed a good prognostic value for gross intestinal bleeding in a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and a cut-off value of 4 points showed a sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 80.6%. The score was also correlated with the duration of abdominal pain after admission. A significantly higher score (s) was observed in patients presenting with nephritis, although the predictive value was poor.ConclusionA scoring system consisting of generally available parameters was of use in predicting severe GI involvement in HSP patients. Although further study is needed, initial therapy in accordance with disease activity may be taken into consideration using this scoring system.

Preliminary Safety Evaluation of Photodynamic Therapy for Blood Purification: An Animal Study

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to inactivate blood-borne pathogenic microorganisms in vitro. The method may be used to purify blood in the body, kill pathogenic microorganisms, and treat difficult diseases. Our aim was to investigate the safety of photodynamic blood purification (PBP) therapy using an in vivo blood circulation experiment in an animal model. Twenty-four New Zealand rabbits were used as experimental subjects; 12 received PDT and 12 served as negative controls. Extracorporeal blood bypass was established using the femoral artery and vein. A sterile disposable irradiation chamber was connected in the bypass pathway. Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether was injected intravenously as a photosensitizer with an initial bolus of 3.7 mg, followed by a continuous infusion at 24 mg/h during PDT administration. Five minutes after initial injection, a laser beam was vertically focused on the irradiation chamber side wall, with a 9.5 cm(2) spot area, 1 h exposure time, and 20 mW/cm(2) power density. Six animals received a single PDT application, and six received PDT every other day for three applications. The 12 control group animals underwent extracorporeal blood circulation but did not receive the photosensitizer or light treatment. Blood samples were taken 20 min, 1 day, 4 days, and 7 days after PDT treatment for analysis of cell counts, coagulation, liver and renal function, and other biochemical changes. On the 7th day, animals were sacrificed, and parenchymal organs were evaluated for morphological changes. There were no significant differences in white blood cells, red blood cells, or destroyingplatelets after PDT compared with the control group. There was a little significant difference in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine in the PDT group compared with the control group, except at individual time points. We found no significant damage in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, or other organs after PDT. This short-duration, fixed-strength PBP method did not cause changes in blood parameters or in the structure or function of major organs in an animal model. These findings suggest that PBP is safe in vivo and has potential as a new therapy for inactivating blood-borne microorganisms.

Clinical presentations and outcomes of systemic lupus erythematosus patients with infection admitted to the intensive care unit

The objective of this article is to investigate clinical presentations and outcomes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with infection admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). SLE patients with infection, SLE patients with noninfectious causes, and non-SLE patients with infection were identified from the Cooper University Hospital Project IMPACT database between 2002 and 2010. We examined demographic data, APACHE II scores, physiologic data, laboratory data, length of stay in the ICU and hospital, and mortality of the three groups. Twenty-five SLE patients with infection, 45 SLE patients with noninfectious causes, and 1466 non-SLE patients with infection were included in the study. SLE patients with infection had higher APACHE II scores, higher maximum temperature, higher minimum and maximum heart rate (HR), lower minimum and maximum systolic blood pressure (SBP), and longer ICU length of stay in comparison to SLE patients with noninfectious causes. There were no statistical differences in white blood cell (WBC) count. SLE patients with infection had a higher mortality compared to SLE patients with noninfectious causes. There was no difference in mortality between SLE patients with infection and non-SLE patients with infection. SLE patients with infection in the ICU had a higher mortality and a higher APACHE II score compared to SLE patients with noninfectious causes in the ICU. Their physiologic signs including temperature, HR, and SBP were more reflective of infection than their WBC count.

Hematological and biochemical indices of kutum Rutilus frisii kutum, associated with capture methods

The aim of current research was to determine hematological and biochemical parameters of captured kutum with gill net and beach seine. A total of 16 matured kutums were used for blood sampling from each device. The result showed significant differences in white blood cells, red blood cell, mean corpuscle volume, Ca2+, Cl−, and cholesterol between gill net and beach seine methods, but there were no significant differences in other parameters. Based on obtained results during our experiment, we concluded that the stress due to capture can influence the blood parameters, and different capture methods lead to different reactions in blood parameters.

Correlation between the cord vitamin D levels and regulatory T cells in newborn infants

Vitamin D is important for calcium homeostasis, muscle, and bone health. It has also immunomodulatory capacities in vivo and in vitro. Regulatory T cells (Treg) have been found to suppress a number of T cell-mediated immune disorders, including allergic responses and autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the regulatory T cells in cord blood. The study group is comprised of 101 full-term newborn infants. Umbilical cord 25(OH)D levels and number and percentage of T lymphocyte, T helper, and Treg cells were measured. Infants were grouped according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (25(OH)D <12 ng/ml and 25(OH)D >12 ng/ml) (converting factor of 25OHD level into SI unit, 2.6). Severe vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <12 ng/ml) was observed in 32% of the infants. There was no significant correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and T cell number and percentages. There were also no significant differences in white blood cell, total lymphocyte count, T helper, and Treg cell percentage and number between groups. These results suggest that the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is not crucially involved in the correlation between vitamin D status and T cell regulation in cord blood.

Identical but not the same: The value of DNA methylation profiling in forensic discrimination within monozygotic twins

Monozygotic twins (MZs) show remarkable resemblance in many aspects including behavior and health, because they share identical genomic DNA. However, evidence for epigenetic differences within MZs has been accumulated. DNA methylation differences between MZs could partially account for their phenotypic discordance of behavioral traits and diseases. High throughput epigenomic microarray profiling can be a strategy of choice for identification of epigenetic differences in phenotypically different MZs. In this study, we mapped MZs DNA methylation differences in white blood cells by interrogation of the unmethylated genome on methylation Beadchip. Blood samples were taken from 22 pairs of adult MZs. Genomic DNA was bisulfite modified by EZ DNA methylation-Gold kit according to the manufacturer's protocols, consequently analyzed with Illumina's Human Methylation27 Beadchip including more than 27,000 CpG sites. The results indicated that MZs exhibited remarkable differences among their genome-wide 5-methylcytosine. According to a set of selection criteria, 377 CpG sites with significant differences of methylation status were picked out. Although DNA methylation shows only partial stability, primary results of this study strongly suggested that the CpG methylation could be a perspective biomarker to distinguish MZs from each other.

Evaluation of hematological parameters on admission for the prediction of 7-day in-hospital mortality in a large trauma cohort

We evaluated the complete blood count (CBC) for the prediction of 7-day in-hospital mortality in a large adult trauma cohort. We conducted an analysis of two prospectively collected databases on 1673 patients aged ≥18 years admitted to a level I trauma center (2005-2007). Comparisons between survivors and non-survivors within 7 days after admission and between single and multiple trauma patients were made. Discriminative performance for 7-day in-hospital mortality was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Logistic regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors for 7-day in-hospital mortality. Comparison between survivors and non-survivors showed significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) count, absolute neutrophil count, segmented neutrophil count and most red blood cell (RBC) and platelet indices. Comparison between single and multiple trauma patients showed significant differences for WBC count and differential count and most RBC and platelet indices. Among the CBC parameters, RBC count (ROC=0.748), hemoglobin concentration (Hb) (ROC=0.734), hematocrit (Ht) (ROC=0.726), platelet count (PLT) (ROC=0.684) and plateletcrit (PCT) (ROC=0.696) showed the highest ROC. Using logistic regression we showed that RBC count, Hb, Ht, PLT and PCT were predictors of 7-day in-hospital mortality independently of patient's age, injury severity and initial physiological state. Significant differences in CBC parameters were found between survivors and non-survivors and between patients with single and multiple trauma, but most of the CBC parameters demonstrated poor to moderate predictive ability for 7-day in-hospital mortality in adult trauma patients. Routine laboratory workup of trauma patients should be performed as treatment guidance. However, prognostic value of initial hematological parameters remains limited.

The Alterations in the Hematological Parameters of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Exposed to Cobalt Chloride

Summary Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss were exposed to a concentration of cobalt chloride (180 μg/l of ) at 8 hours intervals, for 28 days in order to determine the eff ects of this chemical compound on the hematological parameters of this fish. The blood samples were obtained from the all control and treatment fish at the end of the exposure period. Increases were observed in red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), thrombocyte count, hemoglobin, erythrocyte-sedimentation rate (ESR) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). On the other hand, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) values were decreased because of the cobalt chloride exposure. Statistical analyses showed that the diff erences in WBC, hemoglobin, MCV and MCH were very important (P<0.01), in MCHC was important (P<0.05) but the others were not important.

Mean platelet volume is elevated during paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a marker of increased platelet activation?

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation might be a risk factor for stroke such as chronic atrial fibrillation. We examined the relation between mean platelet volume and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation to determine the effect of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation on the thrombotic state via elevated mean platelet volume. Mean platelet volume is a marker of platelet size, function, and activation. Increased mean platelet volume reflects active and large platelets that release more thromboxane A2 than smaller ones. We hypothesized that mean platelet volume is elevated in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The study population comprised 103 consecutive patients who were detected to have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by 24-h Holter monitoring and 87 control individuals with normal Holter monitoring. Mean platelet volume and inflammatory parameters were measured. Comprehensive clinical and echocardiographic data were collected. Patients with aortic and mitral stenosis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, malignancy, infection, and pregnancy were excluded from the study. Mean age of the patients was 63 +/- 11 vs. 45 +/- 14 years (P < 0.001) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and control groups, respectively. Fifty-seven patients (55%) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 19 (21%) (P < 0.001) patients in control group were men. Mean platelet volume was significantly higher in the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group when compared with control group (10.0 +/- 2.0 vs. 8.3 +/- 1.5 fl, respectively; P < 0.001). C-reactive protein (18.5 +/- 28 vs. 3.8 +/- 2 mg/l, respectively; P = 0.004) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (21 +/- 21 vs. 12 +/- 7 mm/h, respectively; P = 0.01) were also higher in the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group. There was no difference in white blood cell and platelet counts between groups. In a multivariate analysis, elevated mean platelet volume was associated with the occurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation before and after adjustment for age and sex. Our results indicate that inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the marker of platelet size and activity mean platelet volume are elevated in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Leukemia-Related Transcription Factor TEL Expands Erythroid Precursors.

TEL/ETV6 gene located at chromosome 12p13 is frequently rearranged in a variety of leukemia and solid tumor resulting in the formation of oncogenic chimeric protein product. TEL encodes a member of the ETS family of transcription factors and is also known to be essential for bone marrow hematopoiesis and vascular formation. To understand the role of TEL in erythropoiesis, we generated transgenic mice expressing TEL under the control of GATA1 promoter IE3.9int (Onodera et al, PNAS 1997) that is known to be active in erythroid-lineage hematopoiesis (GATA1-TEL transgenic mice). Although GATA1-TEL transgenic mice appeared healthy up to 18 months of age, Hb level was relatively higher in GATA1-TEL transgenic mice compared to non-transgenic littermates in 2 out of 4 transgenic lines (17.44±0.99 vs 16.52±0.97, 17.84±1.27 vs 17.06±0.75, p<0.05). There were no significant differences in white blood cell and platelet counts between GATA1-TEL transgenic mice and control littermates. FACS analysis of bone marrow cells showed no apparent differences in any hematopoietic cell population between them. Hematopoietic progenitor activities of bone marrow were assessed by means of colony formation assay, but there observed no difference in erythroid and myeloid colony-forming activity. However, CD71+/TER119+ population was more effectively expanded in GATA1-TEL transgenic mice after bone marrow cells were cultured in the presence of EPO. We further evaluated expression of endogenous and exogenous TEL transcript in erythroblasts at various differentiation stages in the controls and GATA1-TEL transgenic mice, by using FACS-sorted bone marrow cells. The amount of exogenous TEL in the transgenic mice was most abundant in CD71+/TER119+ cells having the highest induction of endogenous GATA1, while endogenous TEL showed a robust increase in CD71−/TER119+ mature erythroblast. Interestingly, in the CD71+/TER119+ cell population, expression of major-globin gene was higher in the transgenic mice than the controls, but that of erythropoietin receptor gene was comparable. The mRNA level of FLI1, one of TEL's target genes, was relatively lower in the CD71−/TER119+ fraction of the transgenic mice compared to that of the controls. ES cells expressing TEL under the same GATA1 promoter as used in transgenic mice were established (GATA1-TEL ES) and hematopoietic differentiation capacity was examined. When ES cells were differentiated into hematopoietic cells, GATA1 began to express at day 5 of differentiation and the expression gradually increased during the differentiation. Expression kinetics of GATA1-TEL corresponded well to that of endogenous GATA1. ES cells after 7 days of differentiation were subjected to colony formation assay. Because the number of BFU-E was increased, immature erythroid precursor was considered expanded in the GATA1-TEL ES cells. Our GATA1-driven transgenic system guaranteed earlier and abundant expression of exogenous TEL during the erythroid differentiation in both mouse bone marrow and ES cells, and postulated some important roles of TEL in erythropoiesis. TEL could expand erythroid precursor at a stage of BFU-E and stimulate further differentiation afterwards. Negative transcriptional regulation of FLI1 may be one of possible underpinning mechanisms by which TEL exaggerates erythroid differentiation.

In Vivo Expansion of Megakaryocyte Progenitors in CD26−/ − Mice: Implications for Novel Post-Transplant Therapeutics.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a successful treatment option for patients with malignant or non-malignant severe hematologic diseases. Readily available umbilical cord blood (CB) has emerged as an important donor source that has a lower histocompatability requirement and carries a reduced risk of graft vs. host disease. However, a frequent complication of CB use is delayed hematopoietic recovery, in particular long lasting severe thrombocytopenia (median of 117 days to platelet recovery, COBLT 2005). To overcome this clinically, effective strategies for enhancing megakaryopoiesis, thrombopoiesis, or both are needed. We have previously described the importance of CD26 (dipeptidylpeptidase IV) in engraftment (Christopherson, KW 2nd, et al, Science 2004. 305:1000–3). However, the involvement of CD26 in megakaryopoiesis has not been investigated. We hypothesized that CD26 acts to suppress megakaryopoiesis and that removal of CD26 activity would result in expansion of the megakaryocyte progenitor population in vivo. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated megakaryocyte (MK) development in the context of development of other mature blood cells in CD26 deficient (CD26−/ −) mice as compared to control C57BL/6 mice. Histological analysis of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections and peripheral blood cytopsins revealed an increased presence of MK in the bone marrow, spleen, thymus and peripheral blood. However, complete blood counts (CBC) suggest no difference in white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil, and platelet counts. Flow cytometric analysis also revealed no significant changes in CD3, CD4, or CD8 T-cells; B220 B-cells; and Gr-1/Mac-1 granulocytes/neutrophils in the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, or peripheral blood as appropriate. There was also no change in the percentage of peripheral blood CD41 MK but there was a increase from 0.09% in C57BL/6 BM to 0.26% CD41+Sca-1+c-kit− MK progenitors in the CD26−/ − BM (P≤0.05). Methylcellulose based myeloid progenitor assays did also reveal respective CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-GEMM per femur values (mean±SEM) of 24480±1426, 1448±154.86, and 852±41 for C57BL/6 BM cells; 24451±1342, 974.29±81, and 1634±177 for CD26−/ − BM cells. This represents a 92% increase in CFU-GEMM and corresponding 30% decrease in BFU-E in the CD26−/ − mouse BM (P≤0.01, n=7 mice/group). Collagen based megakaryocyte progenitor assays (CFU-MK) revealed a 25% increase from 4455.00±207.62 colonies/femur in C57BL/6 BM to 5555.00±608.12 in CD26−/ − BM (P≤0.05, n=3 mice/group). These results establish a basis on which to propose that CD26 may act to regulate early events in megakaryocyte progenitor formation and function. They also suggest that the use of CD26 inhibitors may have a beneficial effect on improved megakaryocyte progenitor function and/or reconstitution post-transplant.

V617F JAK-2 mutation in patients with essential thrombocythemia: relation to platelet, granulocyte, and plasma hemostatic and inflammatory molecules

This article evaluates patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) to determine whether the V617F mutation in the JAK2 gene affects platelet hemostatic and adhesive molecules, platelet-polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) interactions, and PMN-activation characteristics, as well as plasma hypercoagulation markers. Thirty-seven ET patients with V617F JAK2 mutation and 38 wild-type, and 50 healthy controls were studied. Platelets from overall ET patients, compared to controls, expressed significantly higher membrane tissue factor (TF) and P-selectin (p < 0.01) and lower CD41 and CD42b (p < 0.01). TF appeared significantly higher in the V617F JAK2 carriers compared to wild-type, and total platelet TF antigen levels confirmed the same result. The presence of circulating platelet/PMN aggregates was significantly greater in the JAK2-mutation carriers than in the wild-type and controls (p < 0.05). PMN surface activation and inflammatory markers (i.e., CD14, TF, CD11b, and leukocyte alkaline phosphatase [LAP]) were all significantly higher in ET versus control subjects, with CD14 and LAP being the highest in the JAK2 mutation carriers. Finally, a significant increase in plasma hypercoagulation markers was found in ET patients, and the only difference for the V617F JAK2 carriers was higher plasma thrombomodulin levels (p < 0.01). Differences in white blood cell and PMN count, platelet TF, PMN CD14, and LAP, and plasma thrombomodulin remained significant after multivariate analysis. These results show that a correlation exists between the presence of V617F JAK2 mutation and selected hemostatic activation variables.

The Influences of Chan-Chuang Qi-Gong Therapy on Complete Blood Cell Counts in Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Chemotherapy

After surgery, breast cancer patients are offered adjuvant chemotherapy to avoid cancer cell spread. During chemotherapy process, neutrophils could fall relatively, and side effects could spike to the peak. Therefore, the medical care personnel should prevent the progression of the side effects. This study aimed to examine the effects of Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy on complete blood counts in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. This study used a quasi-experimental design. The experiment group (n = 32) received a 21-day Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy, whereas the control group (n = 35) did not. White blood cells, platelet, and hemoglobin were measured on the day before chemotherapy and on days 8, 15, and 22 during chemotherapy. According to this study, there were significant differences in white blood cells (F = 115.76, P <.001), platelets (F = 25.29, P <.001), and hemoglobin (F = 15.39, P <.001) over the 3-week therapy between the experiment and control groups. Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy may decrease leukopenia in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. It is recommended conducting more studies on qi-gong and then introducing it in clinical nursing practice at an appropriate time to promote quality of nursing care and quality of patient life.

Long-term erythropoietin gene expression from transduced cells in bioisolator devices.

Recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) is widely administered for long-term treatment of anemia associated with renal failure and other chronic diseases. The ability to deliver EPO by gene therapy would have clinical and economic benefit. We compared autologous and allogeneic transduced primary vascular smooth muscle cells for their ability to provide sustained EPO gene expression when encapsulated in TheraCyte devices implanted subcutaneously (SQ) or intraperitoneally (IP) in rats. Cells were transduced with retrovirus vector LrEpSN encoding rat EPO cDNA. Rats that received either autologous or allogeneic transduced cells showed elevated hematocrits (HCTs) ranging from 50 to 79% that were sustained for more than 12 months. The HCT of control rats remained at baseline (45.8%). Rats that received second SQ implants of either autologous or allogeneic cells showed elevations in hematocrit that were sustained for up to 12 months, suggesting the absence of immunological responses to transduced cells or implant material. All experimental groups had statistically significant elevated HCT (p < 0.001) when compared with controls. Both SQ and IP implantation were equally effective in delivering EPO long term. There were no significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) or platelet (PLT) values between treated and control animals. Implantation of TheraCyte devices was well tolerated and histological evaluation of the devices up to 12 months after surgery revealed a high degree of vascularization and no evidence of host immune response. TheraCyte devices offer a simple and safe gene delivery system that provides sustained therapeutic gene expression, permit removal and implantation of new devices, and do not require immunosuppression of the host.