Bone marrow micro-metastases in clinically stage I-III HER2/Neu positive breast cancer

Patients with breast cancer should have a favorable outcome when diagnosed early. Occult distant metastases, especially in the Bone Marrow [BM] was claimed to be responsible for tumor relapse in certain cases, especially in HER-2/neu expressing tumors. Such an occult metastases may be detected by PCR techniques for a BM aspirate, which is the aim of this study. Between May 2004 and May 2005, PCR technique was used to determine the tumor HER-2/neu status of 37 patients, attending Suez Canal University Hospital for the treatment of stage I-III breast cancer. BM and peripheral blood of those positive patients were examined by the same technique for the presence of micro-metastases. Correlation between tumor characteristics and the HER-2/neu status was done. Fifteen patients were tumor HER-2/neu positive, which correlated with stage and number of positive lymph nodes. BM micro-metastases were detected in 7 patients, with no correlation to the tumor characteristics. Additionally, HER-2/neu positive tumor cells were detected in the peripheral blood of 6 patients. BM micro-metastases can be detected in HER-2/neu positive non-metastatic breast cancer that may be predicted by the peripheral blood not the primary tumor characteristics

Haemolytic anaemia after ABO-mismatched living-donor kidney transplantation

ABO.mismatched transplants are used frequently. Acquired haemolytic anaemia have been reported after ABO mismatched transplantation. Among 214 ABO.unmatched living-donor kidney transplants tS, 10 cases with cyclosporine based therapy developed haemolysis All studied patients had pre-transplant non specific blood transfusion and received kidneys from one haplotype HLA mismatched living donors. There were 164 males and 50 females. while the mean age was 30.41 years. CsA was stopped in patients treated with triple Immunosuppression while the patients received Pred-CsA were switched to conventional immunosuppression 6 patients were transfused with washed O cells and no plasma exchange was required. The prognosis was excellent in 9 patient, and one died from severe haemolysis. The haemolytic anaemia was more frequent among blood group A recipients [60% of our cases] and more severe among recipients with blood group B. Univariate analysis demonstrated significant impact for recipient age. donor sex, number of pretransplant blood transfusions. primary immunosuppression, time to onset of diuresis, recipient and donor blood groups. On the other hand, multivariate analysis restricted the significance to blood group of donor and recipient. time to onset of diuresis and primary immunosuppression. ABO unmatched kindray transplantation had no impact on patient survival, mean while the graft survival appeared to be better among unmatched ABO group in comparison to the same blood group recipients