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B Bostrom

Publications and source records attributed to B Bostrom.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Comparison of autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for treatment of high-risk refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Chemoradiotherapy and transplantation of bone marrow from matched sibling donors have been useful for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in patients with a poor prognosis but are not available to some two thirds of patients who do not have a matched allogeneic donor. We undertook this study to compare autologous and allogeneic marrow transplantation in the treatment of such cases. We treated 91 patients with high-dose chemoradiotherapy and followed them for 1.4 to 5 years. Forty-six patients with an HLA-matched donor received allogeneic marrow, and 45 patients without a matched donor received their own marrow taken during remission and purged of leukemic cells with use of monoclonal antibodies. Bone marrow engraftment occurred earlier in patients who received autologous marrow. Recipients of autologous marrow had shorter hospital courses, with significantly fewer peritransplantation deaths than recipients of allogeneic marrow. Post-transplantation relapse of leukemia was the most frequent cause of treatment failure; relapses occurred in an estimated 37 percent of patients with allogeneic grafts in whom graft-versus-host disease developed, 75 percent of patients with allogeneic grafts in whom graft-versus-host disease did not develop, and 79 percent of patients who received autologous grafts. The interval before relapse was significantly shorter in the autologous-marrow group than in the allogeneic-marrow group. Recipients of autologous and allogeneic marrow whose first pretransplantation remissions were short (less than 18 months) had eventual outcomes similar to those whose first remissions were longer than 18 months. Patients with a first remission lasting less than 18 months had an outcome better than that expected with chemotherapy alone. The fractions of "cured" patients were estimated to be 20 percent in the autologous-marrow group and 27 percent in the allogeneic-marrow group--not a significant difference, but because of the limited statistical power of the study, the question of long-term disease-free survival must still be considered open.

Adolescent↗

Successful reinduction of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who relapse following bone marrow transplantation.

At the present time, there is limited information on the outcome of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who relapse after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Intuitively, it might be expected that leukemia recurring after BMT would be refractory to further treatment. In an attempt to improve survival in patients with ALL who relapse after BMT, we used standard chemotherapy for reinduction and maintenance. Of 65 patients who relapsed following allogeneic, autologous, or syngeneic BMT, 12 elected to receive no further chemotherapy, and their median survival from relapse was 36 days (range 13 to 167 days). The 53 patients who received therapy had a significantly longer median survival of 168 days (range 18 days to 4.7 years). With multidrug induction regimens there were 29 of 52 (56%) complete remissions. Six patients are currently alive, with two off therapy. In the patients who received therapy, the following factors were independent predictors of prolonged survival: longer time from BMT to relapse; younger age at diagnosis; and the use of a preparative regimen containing fractionated total body irradiation. In conclusion, leukemia recurring after BMT remains sensitive to standard therapy in many patients. We recommend that patients with ALL who relapse after BMT receive reinduction and maintenance therapy as additional good quality survival time is achieved in patients who attain a remission.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Elevation of cerebrospinal fluid catecholamine metabolites in patients with intracranial tumors of neuroectodermal origin.

The concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA), hydroxymethoxyphenylethyleneglycol (HMPG), and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) were determined in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens. The study population consisted of the following groups: control subjects with malignancies of nonneuroectodermal origin (mostly leukemia in remission), neuroblastoma (extracranial and intracranial or cranial metastases), brain tumors (neuroectodermal and glial), and retinoblastoma. A significant increase in the CSF concentration of HVA was observed in patients with brain tumors (neuroectodermal), neuroblastoma (intracranial or cranial metastases), and retinoblastoma when compared with age-matched controls. In contrast, HMPG and VMA concentrations did not differ from controls except in patients with neuroblastoma (intracranial or cranial metastases) and brain tumors (neuroectodermal) who had significant elevations in HMPG and VMA, respectively. An inverse correlation was noted between the CSF concentration of HVA and clinical response to therapy. Nonresponding patients exhibited increases in HVA when compared with pretreatment values. These data suggest that the quantitative determination of catecholamine metabolites in lumbar CSF is an effective method for diagnosing intracranial tumors of neuroectodermal origin and assessing their response to therapy.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Stimulation of human committed bone marrow stem cells (CFU-GM) by chloramphenicol.

Chloramphenicol, an antibiotic associated with reversible bone marrow suppression and fatal aplastic anemia, was found to increase human bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage colonies (CFU-GM) in vitro. Maximal stimulation was at a concentration of 1.0 micrograms/ml (3.1 microM), with inhibition at concentrations greater than 10 micrograms/ml. This effect was noted in normal donors and in children with neutropenia of various etiologies. Stimulation was ablated by depletion of bone-marrow-adherent cells and was restored by addition of peripheral-blood-adherent mononuclear cells. The stimulatory effect appears to be specific for chloramphenicol, as numerous structural analogues of chloramphenicol, including its three stereoisomers, did not show stimulation. The stimulation was present at plateau concentrations of colony-stimulating activity, suggesting that the stimulatory effect is not due to elaboration of excess colony-stimulating activity by chloramphenicol. We hypothesize that low concentrations of chloramphenicol stimulate CFU-GM by a highly specific interaction with adherent mononuclear cells and elaboration of an undefined growth factor.

Bone Marrow Cells↗

Bone marrow transplantation for acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in first remission: analysis of prognostic factors.

Prognostic factors were reviewed retrospectively for 39 children and adults aged 1 to 40 years (median 14 years) with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) who attained a first remission and underwent bone marrow transplantation from November 1976 to July 1983. The preparation regimen for transplantation was cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/d for two days) followed by total body irradiation (either 750 cGy single dose at 26 cGy/min, n = 37, or 1,320 cGy fractionated at 10 cGy/min, n = 2). Twenty-three patients are surviving disease free with a median followup of three years. The three-year estimated disease-free survival is 55% +/- 17% (+/- 2 SE). Five patients have relapsed from 92 to 756 days after transplantation for an estimated relapse rate of 21% +/- 18%. Two factors, the white blood cell (WBC) count and the French-American-British (FAB) classification at leukemia diagnosis were found to be of prognostic importance. Patients with a WBC of less than 20,000/microL at diagnosis had a three-year estimated disease-free survival of 74% +/- 18% v 26% +/- 24% for those with a WBC of greater than or equal to 20,000 (P = .008). The estimated relapse rate was 6% +/- 12% for patients with a WBC at diagnosis less than 20,000 v 53% +/- 38% for patients with a WBC at diagnosis of greater than or equal to 20,000 (P = .01). Patients with myeloid morphology at diagnosis (FAB M1,2,3) had an estimated relapse rate of 9% +/- 12% v patients with monocytoid morphology (FAB M4,5a) whose estimated relapse rate was 58% +/- 44% (P = .05). Our data suggest that a high WBC count at poor prognostic factors for patients with ANLL who undergo bone marrow transplantation in first remission after conditioning with cyclophosphamide plus total body irradiation.

Acute Disease↗

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Crying↗

Paraldehyde toxicity during treatment of status epilepticus.

A 2-month-old girl survived a lethal serum level of paraldehyde after being given the drug intravenously (IV) for status epilepticus. On the basis of known pharmacokinetic data in man, a slow IV infusion, over a period of five minutes, of 200 mg/kg of paraldehyde followed by a drip of 20 mg/kg/hr should result in safe, rapid control of status epilepticus when first-line anticonvulsant drugs have failed. The paraldehyde should be diluted to a 10% solution with 5% dextrose water.

Female↗

Tumoral calcinosis in an infant.

Tumoral calcinosis is a disease characterized by large, calcified, painless masses, usually near joints, in otherwise healthy children and young adults. Biochemical findings are normal except for an association with hyperphosphatemia. A familial and racial predisposition is seen, with most cases affecting blacks. This disease is believed to represent an unknown inherited abnormality in phosphate metabolism. Because of the tendency of the masses to recur after incomplete excision, the recommended treatment is early and complete excision. Phosphate binders may be useful in certain cases.

Adolescent↗

One course versus two courses of antithymocyte globulin for the treatment of severe aplastic anemia in children.

PURPOSE: The aim of the therapeutic trials was to optimize the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) and moderate aplastic anemia in children who lack a suitable bone marrow donor, using immunosuppressive therapy in the most effective combination and dose. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two sequential therapeutic trials for the treatment of severe and moderate aplastic anemia in children were conducted by 10 institutions. The treatment protocols included antithymocyte globulin (ATG), prednisone, and cyclosporine A (CSA); patients entered on the first protocol, 0190 (ATG X 2), were given two courses of ATG, and those enrolled on the second protocol, 0190B (ATG X 1), were given only one course of ATG. Ten patients were evaluable on ATG X 2. All patients had SAA; three had hepatitis-induced severe aplastic anemia (HI-SAA). Twelve patients were evaluable on ATG X 1; all had SAA, one of whom had HI-SAA. RESULTS: Seven of 10 patients on ATG X 2 responded, and eight of 12 patients treated on ATG X 1 responded. CONCLUSION: Treatment with immunosuppressive therapy using ATG, CSA, and prednisone was very well tolerated. The response rates in both protocols were similar, and results compare favorably with those of previous therapeutic trials, suggesting that a second course of ATG is not necessary.

Adolescent↗