Per Ljungman

..04) influenced HHV-6 DNA levels. HHV-6 viral load was significantly correlated with delayed platelet engraftment in both univariate (P < 0.01) and multivariate analysis, and to the number of platelet transfusions...

..This article examines the clinical manifestations of and risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV). Prevention of CMV infection and disease are also explored. Antiviral resistance and management of CMV are examined...

..The aim of this review is to describe current knowledge regarding recipient and donor serological status for viral infections...

..49 (s.e. 0.31) log(10)/week in patients receiving ganciclovir whereas it increased 0.15 (s.e. 0.17) log(10)/week in episodes without antiviral therapy (P=0.04). We conclude that ganciclovir can decrease the HHV-6 viral load in saliva...

..Standardized assays are lacking for these viruses and additional studies are needed...

..The introduction of alternative therapies, such as imatinib for CML, has challenged well-established indications. An updated report with revised tables and operating definitions is presented...

..Adjusted for patient serostatus, the risk of a donor being seropositive was higher in females (p<0.001) and older donors (p<0.001)...

..Several techniques have been used and each has advantages and disadvantages...

..v. ganciclovir combined with high-dose Ig, but this standard has never been evaluated in a controlled study and more recent studies have questioned whether the addition of Ig improves outcome...

..3%) died from A/H1N1 infection or its complications. Neutropenia (P=0.03) and patient age (P=0.04) were significant risk factors for death. The 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic caused severe complications in stem cell transplant recipients...

..Works presented only as abstracts were used to a very limited extent. The quality of evidence and level of recommendation were graded according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) criteria...

..The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cytomegalovirus (CMV) and extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT)...

..We conclude that HSCT with HLA-A, -B, and -DRbeta1 genomically matched unrelated donors in combination with antithymocyte globulin in the conditioning regimen gives encouraging results in patients with SAA or IEM...

..Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a possible cure for many inherited disorders...

..Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease remains an important complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). We studied viral load kinetics and correlated the viral load and other transplant factors with the development of CMV disease...

..Our results provide evidence against the emergence of alloreactive NK cells in HLA-identical allogeneic SCT...

..Our data suggest that donor CMV status influences outcome of unrelated SCT. For a CMV-seropositive patient, a seropositive donor might be preferable...

..Patients with previous acute GVHD grades II to IV may benefit from more aggressive initial treatment. This possibility would have to be examined in clinical trials...

..We aimed to determine the frequency, risk factors, and outcome of RSV infection in allo-HSCT recipients...

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..81, P=.02) and aGVHD (HR 0.84, P=.05). These results indicate that LC30 is an independent prognostic factor for transplant outcome in matched unrelated SCT for myelogenous malignancies...

..In contrast, time between ASCT and start of DLI treatment had no significant influence on the risk of developing aGVHD. To conclude, monitoring of leukemia lineage-specific chimerism is of utmost importance for DLI response after ASCT...

..The 5-year survival was 72%, 48%, and 30% with 0, 1, and 2 risk factors, respectively. We concluded that unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be improved if an optimal donor and immunosuppression are chosen...

..01), and an HLA-matched donor (P=.01). The association between herpes simplex virus infection and a low frequency of relapse is a new observation and may indicate that viral antigens play a role in the induction of an antileukemic effect...

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..Using unrelated bone marrow, there is an increased risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)...

..The cumulative probabilities of relapse were 37% in the both groups. This suggests that the Scandinavian population is more homogeneous with regard to minor histocompatibility antigens important for chronic, but not acute GVHD...

..Although no definite conclusions can be drawn from one case this might have implications for the use of Rituximab in cGVHD in ALL patients...

..Diagnosis and treatment of CMV infection is currently more advanced than for HHV-6 and HHV-7...

..Early discontinuation of antibiotic therapy in 31 patients with FUO 48 h after defervescence was not associated with an increased rate of fever relapse or mortality compared with a subgroup of 29 patients where therapy was continued...

..The introduction of alternative therapies has challenged well-established indications such as imatinib for chronic myeloid leukaemia. An updated report with revised tables and operating definitions is presented here...

..001). Our data indicate the possibility that HHV-6 can suppress the development of CMV-specific immune responses and thereby could predispose to development of late CMV disease...

..Adenovirus (AdV) infection is a life threatening condition in immunosuppressed patients. Quantitative AdV assays can improve the clinical management of these patients...

..These two patients were seropositive for T. gondii. We concluded that monitoring for T. gondii DNA in peripheral blood samples using PCR might be a valuable method for identifying toxoplasma-seropositive stem cell transplant recipients...

..To describe functional status (FS), general health (GH) and symptom distress (SD) from admission to 1 year post-SCT and to identify medical, demographic, and/or patient-reported outcome variables associated with patient-perceived GH...

..Survival was similar in each group. Valacyclovir prophylaxis provides a clinically valuable intervention but must be part of an overall strategy for CMV prevention in BMT...

..Susceptibility to newer antibiotics was high; all strains were susceptible to dalbavancin, daptomycin, linezolid and vancomycin...

..This TaqMan PCR was highly sensitive, reproducible, and stable and has served a useful tool for monitoring CMV DNA levels in large number of clinical samples in a routine diagnostic setting for over 1 year...

..When we opened our study in 1984, the clinical benefit of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was not well known; to follow up the long-time outcome of this treatment was therefore of great interest...

..No established therapy exists but both ganciclovir and foscarnet have been reported to have in vitro and in vivo efficacy against HHV-6...

..Thus, this strategy can be safely used together with PCR monitoring and preemptive therapy...

..To use an instrument that distinguishes between these aspects of the symptom experience may help health care professionals to support the patients through the SCT-process...

..Real-time monitoring of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in transplant patients demands a rapid and high-throughput CMV DNA quantification method...

..01). In patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in first chronic phase, 7-year LFS was 72% and 83% in the two groups, respectively...

..Measurement of cellular and humoral immunological responses might increase our understanding of how to estimate a protective response to influenza vaccination...

..Four cases' conditions were improved or they were cured after treatment with either ganciclovir or foscarnet, and one case died of CNS disease despite foscarnet treatment...

..Recovery of CMV-specific immunity might be delayed in patients with CMV disease. These observations suggest that detection of CMV-specific T-cells is useful in assessing the immunity against CMV...

..Several preventive strategies against cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease have been developed during the last decade. These have frequently been used in combination, and it has been difficult to identify each strategy's contribution...

..We conclude that cidofovir may be useful against adenovirus after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but additional studies are needed...

..01). There was no effect as regards the type of conditioning, donor type, stem cell source or acute GVHD. Monitoring the immunity of SCT patients may allow more targeted use of antiviral therapy...

..Better supportive treatment and more frequent use of cytokines may also play a role. The improvement in survival was not directly related to the increased use of PBSCs...

..03). Treatment-related mortality was 4 and 15%, and 5-year survival was 89 and 85% in the FBC and MC groups. Although survival was similar, FBC is a promising alternative to MC in non-malignant disorders...

..Thus, co-transplantation of MSC resulted in fast engraftment of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and platelets and 100% donor chimerism, even in three patients regrafted for graft failure/rejection...

..The likelihood of PTLD is increased in the presence of specific risk factors. Monitoring of EBV DNA load and early administration of rituximab in patients with high EBV loads is recommended for high-risk patients...

..Increased levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a marker for systemic inflammation, have been associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality...

..To conclude, childhood SCT did not negatively affect overall health for most of these adult long-term survivors, although poorer HRQoL with psychological and cognitive problems are common...

..Exposure to elevated levels of ambient air pollutants can lead to adverse cardiovascular effects. Potential mechanisms include systemic inflammation and perturbation of the coagulation balance...

..Although AdV DNA was found in peripheral blood by quantitative PCR in 5% of patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT, the present surveillance program did not have a significant effect on the clinical outcome...

..01). We conclude that treatment with early-passage MSCs improved survival in patients with therapy-resistant GVHD. Death from infection was common in MSC-treated patients, but there was no increase in leukemia relapse...

..These results indicate the importance of recognizing and attempting to tackle the possible cumulative disadvantage of problems that affect the adult following SCT in childhood...

..Reduced IL-7 responsiveness will aid to monitor patients after HSCT for increased risk to develop EBV-associated PTLD...

..07). A total of 14 patients received a booster dose of an inactivated poliovirus vaccine and all responded. We conclude that poliovirus immunity is retained long term after revaccination in most patients after allogeneic SCT...

..Since measles is again circulating in many countries and measles is a serious infection after SCT, vaccination should be considered...

..New strategies, including pre-emptive therapy, should be tested in prospective, clinical trials. New agents and adoptive transfer of specific T-cells to adenovirus might improve the current situation...

..Additional studies are needed to assess efficacy of this approach in the prevention of HZ...

..Overall and relapse-free survival were not improved by the occurrence of acute GVHD...

..6; P=0.03). However, when analysing HSCT performed with URD or RD grafts separately, BKV (OR 8.5; 95% CI 1.8-19.3; P=0.004) and MC (OR 5.9; 95% CI 1.3-11.3; P=0.009) increased the risk for HC only with a URD, but not with an RD graft...

..In conclusion, our results suggest that the ELISPOT assay might be used as a complement to serology for monitoring of future influenza vaccine studies in SCT patients...

..Patients with advanced disease and patients with multiple myeloma were found to report more SD and poorer FS and HRQOL...

..For this group of patients new innovative preventive and therapeutic strategies are needed...

..This study seeks to update the definitions of CMV on the basis of recent developments in diagnostic techniques, as well as to add to these definitions the concept of indirect effects caused by CMV...

..Patients treated with monoclonal antibodies for lymphoma had very poor responses. We conclude that two doses of influenza vaccine do not improve the antibody response in patients with haematological malignancies...

..The problem of relapse still has to be remedied. Thus, several different developments together have resulted in significantly lower TRM and improved survival after HSCT over the last few years...

..This article examines the clinical manifestations of and risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV). Prevention of CMV infection and disease are also explored. Antiviral resistance and management of CMV are examined...

..04) and an increased incidence of transplant-related mortality (27 vs 9%, P<0.01). IgG levels generally increase after SCT. Persistent low levels of IgG are a risk factor for death after SCT...

..In conclusion, infections occurring later than 6 months after HSCT are important contributors to late non-relapse mortality after HSCT. CMV infection or acute GVHD markedly increase the risk...

..1 ELISA to be highly specific and also showed a good agreement between two of the immunofluorescence assays. However, generally there was a poor correlation for positive results, indicating the need of further methodological development...

..1%. In an 18-month extension, an additional 53 patients with CRV were identified. Results for the combined data were similar to those from the first phase of the study...

..BKV load in combination with acute GVHD discriminated the best, while BKV and viral load alone, but not GVHD, still showed predictive ability for HC...

..Moreover, the novel liposomal form of busulphan showed a favorable toxicity profile and seems safe as a part of the high-dose therapy prior to SCT...

..S. sanguis was the most common subtype (18/47; 38%) in Group A and S. mitis was the major subtype (51/74; 69%) in Group B...

..Subsequent SCT/ASCT was feasible for half of the responders (< 65 years), and one individual underwent double ASCT. Novel therapeutic options for CML patients in AP/BP are needed...

..We conclude that metronidazole should not be administered simultaneously with Bu to avoid the high plasma levels of Bu, which may lead to severe toxicity and/or treatment related mortality...

..Therefore, a female donor is as good as a male one for male patients, while for female patients gender disparity is a negative factor for outcome...

..Finally cidofovir is an interesting agent with broad spectrum antiherpesvirus efficacy. However, because of the drug's toxicity profile, further studies are needed...

..We then did a randomised trial to compare this individually tailored FEC regimen with conventional adjuvant chemotherapy followed by consolidation with high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell support...

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..The EBMT produced recommendations for vaccination of SCT recipients published in Bone Marrow Transplantation in 1995. This paper updates the previous recommendations based on current knowledge...

..146 and r2 = 0.046, respectively). No toxicity related to the liposomal formulation of busulphan was observed. We conclude that LBu is suitable for conditioning before stem cell transplantation...

..02), and conditioning with busulphan (P =.02). Our conclusion is that norethisterone treatment should not be used in patients undergoing BMT and heparin prophylaxis did not affect the incidence or mortality of VOD...

..We conclude that CMV retinitis is a rare but important complication to allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation...

..01) and in female donors compared with male donors (29 vs 14%, P=0.002). In conclusion, both GA and RA are comparable with regard to BMH. Nevertheless, non-severe intra- and postoperative events were frequent...

..Two vaccine doses are recommended in children below the age of 9 years, who have not been previously vaccinated against influenza. Vaccination of family members, close contacts and health-care workers is recommended...

..4%. For influenza A virus infection, the corresponding percentages were 23.0% and 15.3%. This prospective study supports the fact that community-acquired respiratory virus infections cause transplant-related mortality after SCT...

..04). The study underscores the importance of the host-pathogen interplay in determining the level of inflammation, and hence the severity of disease...