Red blood cell depletion of cord blood using hydroxyethylstarch double sedimentation: analysis of 40 cases.

Cord blood has been shown to successfully reconstitute haematopoiesis following allogeneic transplantation in a variety of disorders. A major drawback of cord blood has been the risk of transfusion reaction secondary to ABO incompatibility and reduction in the stem cell pool if cord blood is manipulated to remove red cells. We report our experience on red blood cell depletion of cord blood (CB) with hydroxyethylstarch (HES) double sedimentation. The nucleated and mononucleated cell recovery passed from 78.4% at 90 min to 92.9% at 180 min and from 85% at 90 min to 96% at 180 min, respectively. The overall recovery of CCD34+ cells and of haemopoietic progenitors (CFU-GM) was 90.5% and 83.8%, respectively. The data indicate that HES double sedimentation is a simple and effective technique for cord blood manipulation, but further studies are necessary to evaluate the clonogenic progenitor recovery after thawing.

[Adjuvant and first line chemotherapy of carcinoma of the ovary. Current approaches]. / Chemioterapia adiuvante e di prima linea del carcinoma ovarico. Orientamenti attuali.

In the present work, on the basis of the most recent knowledges, tha Authors analyse and discuss the pharmacological and clinical aspects of the different types of adjuvant and first-line chemotherapeutical treatment of the ovarian cancer (single agent chemotherapy and multidrug chemotherapy).

[Chemotherapy of carcinoma of the cervix uteri. Current approaches]. / Chemioterapia del carcinoma della cervice uterina. Attuali orientamenti.

In the present work, on the basis of the most current knowledges, the Authors analyse and discuss the pharmacological and clinical aspects of the chemotherapy of salvage for the advanced or recurrent tumoral forms, and of the "neoadjuvant" chemotherapy, employed before of surgery or radiotherapy during the primary treatment of cervical cancer.