Wide availability of HLA-matched or a few loci-mismatched donors in the graft-vs-host direction among nonsibling first-degree relatives.

Although outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from alternative donors have been improved, it has not yet challenged the precedence of HLA-matched or a few loci-mismatched donors. Because the availabilities of these donors among nonsibling relatives have been scarcely discussed, we analyzed them using a large Japanese dataset of HLA typing. Data set included HLA data from 2838 patients and their relatives, distributed in all parts of Japan. Antigen mismatches at the HLA-A, -B, -DR loci and allele mismatches at the HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 loci were examined. The availabilities of 0 to 1/6 antigen-mismatched donors among one parent-candidate and one sibling-candidate were 24.3% and 33.9%, and those of 0 to 2/8 allele-mismatched donors were 18.6% and 32.1%, respectively. Additional HLA-C antigen mismatches (18.1% vs 0.0%) along with the possession of 1 to 3/8 allele mismatches (31.3% vs 3.0%) were more frequently observed in parent-candidates than in sibling-candidate. Most multiple allele-mismatched pairs had HLA-B allele mismatches. In conclusion, expanding donor searches to include nonsibling relatives could widen the availability of conventional relative donors with 0 to 1/6 antigen mismatches or 0 to 2/8 allele mismatch to 20% to 30%. High-resolution typing including HLA-C locus examination should be performed, because additional mismatches at HLA-C loci along with multiple allele mismatches were often observed, especially among nonsibling pairs.

Extraskeletal chondrosarcoma in the abdominal cavity of a cow.

A 25-month-old female crossbred cow presented with astasia, emaciation, and stunted growth. Macroscopic examination revealed a large mass in the abdominal cavity, approximately 100 × 30 × 30 cm. Microscopic examination revealed that the mass consisted of multilobular mature and immature cartilaginous matrices with chondrocytic cells, surrounded by spindle to pleomorphic mesenchymal tumor cells. The cartilaginous matrices consisted of hyaline and elastic cartilages, as confirmed with Azan stain, and Victoria Blue and Van Gieson stain. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the chondrocytic and mesenchymal cells both expressed S-100. The tumor was diagnosed as an extraskeletal chondrosarcoma in the abdominal cavity of this cow.

[Japan Marrow Donor Program and its coordinating process: current situations].

We evaluated 18,487 patients and 223,842 cases of donor coordination among patients enrolled in the Japan Marrow Donor Program (JMDP) from January 2004 to December 2013. For patients who underwent stem cell transplantation from a JMDP donor [unrelated bone marrow transplantation (UBMT)], the median number of coordination and days from registration to transplantation were 11 and 146, respectively. Among enrolled patients, 40% did not undergo UBMT. With the increased estimated number of human leukocyte antigen 6/6-matched donors, the probability of undergoing UBMT was higher, and in those who underwent UBMT, the duration of coordination was shorter. Regarding the reasons for the termination of coordination, those attributable to the donors varied depending on the age and sex of the donors. Male donors in their 20s had lower and higher termination rates because of health conditions and inconvenience, respectively, compared with donors of different age and female sex. Among donors who experienced coordination more than once, the donation rate was higher if the precedent coordination ended because of reasons attributable to the patient compared with the donation rate because of other reasons. Using the results of our study, strategies to achieve a more efficient and rapid coordination process are warranted.

Structure-activity relationship studies on acremomannolipin A, the potent calcium signal modulator with a novel glycolipid structure 4: Role of acyl side chains on d-mannose.

As part of an ongoing study on the structure-activity relationship of acremomannolipin A (1)-the novel glycolipid isolated from Acremonium strictum possessing potent calcium signal-modulating activity-the role of acyl substituents on the d-mannose moiety was examined. Three partially deacylated homologs (2a-2c) and 20 homologs (2d-2w) bearing different acyloxy side chains were synthesized via the stereoselective ß-mannosylation of appropriately protected mannosyl sulfoxides (3) with d-mannitol derivatives (4), and their calcium signal-modulating activities were examined. The activities of 2a-2c were completely lost. Homologs bearing relatively short acyloxy groups at C-3, C-4, and C-6 positions (2t-2v) exhibited less activity than 1, whereas a heptanoyl homolog (2w: C7) maintained activity nearly equal to that of 1. When the acyl groups at these three positions were substituted by an octanoyl group (2i: C8), the activity was completely lost. On the other hand, of the 10 homologs in which the octanoyl at C-2 was substituted by other acyloxy moieties (2j-2s), three (2m: C7, 2n: C9, 2o: C10) maintained potent activity. These results suggested that peracylated mannose structure is critical for calcium signal-modulating activity, and this activity is precisely dependent on the length of four acyl side chains on d-mannose.