Prognostic significance of MRD [minimal residual disease] quantification by PCR in childhood acute leukaemia

Twenty five cases with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia were included in this study. They received induction, intensification and maintenance chemotherapy [Modified Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster BMP 76/79 Protocol], plus prophylactic cranial irradiation to a total dose of 1800 cGy/ 2 weeks/ 10 fractions. MRD quantification was done using real-time PCR. It was found that patients with negative MRD had much better overall and relapse-free survivals than those with positive one, 100% versus 20% and 100% versus 25% at the end of 24 months follow-up. Again, it was found that PCR-MRD levels > 0.01 or more can predict the relapse and the prognosis of those cases was much worse than those with lower levels

neutrophil phagocytic activity and the effect of liquid preservation

The phagocytic activity of polymorphonulcer leukocytes was studied after Collection in different anticoagulants. The effect of storage in different anticoagulants and storage media was studied after 24,48 and 72 hr of collection Fivety one blood samples were taken from Mansoura University Hospital blood hank donors by phlebotomy into plastic bags using citrate phosphate dextrose [CPD], citFate Phosphate dextFose adenine[CPD-A] and heparin Then, stored under standard blood bank conditions in different storage media i.e. whole blood leukocyte-rich plasma and synthetic media [RPMI 1940 and Medium 199]. Granulocytes were separated and their phagocytic activity was assessed immediately after collection, then after 24, 48, and 72 hr of Storage. A comparative study was done between neutrophil phagocytic activity after storage in different anticoagulants and also between four different preservative media. The comparative study between anticoagulants showed that CPD and CPDA were superior to heparin As regards preservative media leukocyte rich plasma was the best medium

Non-Secretion of blood group antigens and susceptibility to urinary tract infection

The material of the present study comprised 103 patients of urinary tract infection confirmed by bacterial examination of urine, [64] out of them had chronic renal failure, due to recurrent urinary tract infection these patients underwent determination of blood group [ABO and Lewis] and secretor status, to find out if there is relation between it and susceptibility to urinary tract infection. There was a predominance of blood group AB and non secretor status [Se Se] which proves that the absence of A and B antibodies and also absence of Se gene combine to give an increased risk to urinary tract infection. The appearance of increased frequency of Lea [a-b] in non secretors confirms the consumption of Le antigen as receptors for pathogenic organisms.There is no predominance of special blood groups in patients not confirmed to be recurrent

Blood groups, secretor status and role of Lewis in adenovirus conjuncitivitis

40 patients of adenovirus conjunctivitis were diagnosed by clinical picture, absence of evidence for bacterial infection and confirmed by serological CFT. Their blood grouping [ABO and Lewis] and aecretor status were determined to find association of adenovirus confunctivitis with genetic composition of blood groups and secretor genes. In AB blood group there is insignificant increase which may be attributed to absence of corresponding anti-A and anti-B. In homozygous nonsecretors [se/se] there is highly significant increase of blood group Le[a+b-] who have perhaps Le [a+b-] phenotype, as Le[a] antigen is consumed as receptors for the adenovirus