Biomedical subjects

M Ozcan

Publications and source records attributed to M Ozcan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Avulsion fractures of both anterior and posterior cruciate ligament tibial insertions.

Ipsilateral femur fracture, patellar fracture, and tibial avulsion fractures of anterior and posterior cruciate ligament injuries are reported. We know of no other report of an injury such as this in the literature. We sutured the tibial avulsion fractures by transtibial suturing technique and internally fixated the femur by intramedullary interlocking nailing 2 weeks after the trauma. After 1 year the results were evaluated as very good. Early surgical repair is valuable in these injuries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Arthroscopic mediopatellar plicaectomy and lateral retinacular release in mechanical patellofemoral disorders.

Arthroscopy was performed on 168 knees of 164 patients with anterior knee pain by a single arthroscopic surgeon between April 1993 and March 2000, with a mean follow-up of29 months. There were 168 mediopatellar plicae, 16 infrapatellar plicae, 8 suprapatellar plicae, and 30 lateral plicae, and all plicae were excised. Lateral retinacular release was performed in 74 patients with patellar lateral compression syndrome, patellar lateralization, and patellar lateral subluxation through anterolateral portal without using a third portal with the help of a hook knife. Débridement and drilling were performed in type 3 and 4 chondropathies (Outerbridge classification), and cartilage débridement was performed in type 2 chondropathies. We examined the effect on morbidity and prognosis of the arthroscopic lateral retinacular release through the standard anterolateral portal; the results of condylar chondropathies and débridement and drilling applied to the chondropathies were also evaluated. Mediopatellar plica was seen to play a mechanical role in the development of medial femoral chondropathy, which confirms that excision of plica is a prophylactic procedure. A further successful method is lateral retinacular release applied through the standard anterolateral portal with conventional methods without using a third portal at the cases with patellar lateral compression syndrome, patellar lateralization, and patellar lateral subluxation. Classical débridement and drilling methods are cheap and easy for the treatment of chondropathy. We consider these methods still to be useful methods of treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

A randomized trial of assessment of efficacy of leukapheresis volumes, 8 liters vs 12 liters.

It is logical to expect that large-volume leukapheresis may be able to collect adequate numbers of PBSC with fewer procedures. To date, there is no agreement on the optimal volume of leukapheresis. Therefore, in this study we compared 8 l volume with 12 l and assessed whether a 50% increase in the blood volume processed would decrease the number of leukaphereses each patient needed to collect > or =2.5 x 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg in normal mobilizers. PBSC mobilization was done with cyclophosphamide etoposide followed by rhG-CSF in all patients. Forty patients were randomized to undergo 8 l leukaphereses (n = 20 patients) or 12 l leukaphereses (n = 20). The median numbers of leukaphereses required in order to collect > or =2.5 x 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg in patients processed with 8 l and 12 l were 1 (range 1-5) and 1 (1-4), respectively (P = 0.50). The median number of total nucleated cells (TNC) collected per patient was greater for the 12 l group (7.47 x 10(8)/kg vs 3.90 x 10(8)/kg, P < 0.001), as was the median number of total mononuclear cells (TMNC) (4.26 x 10(8)/kg vs 2.16 x 10(8)/kg, P < 0.001), whereas there was no difference between the two groups for the median number of CD34(+)cells collected per patient (8.94 x 10(6)/kg vs 8.60 x 10(6)/kg, P = 0.85). The TNCs and TMNCs collected per leukapheresis were again greater for the 12 l group (3.64 x 10(8)/kg vs 1.91 x 10(8)/kg, P = 0.001 and 2.17 x 10(8)/kg vs 0.88 x 10(8)/kg, P < 0.001), whereas there was no difference between the two groups for the median number of CD34(+) cells collected per leukapheresis (3.98 x 10(6)/kg vs 3.26 x 10(6)/kg, P = 0.90). This study showed that there is no difference between 8 l and 12 l volumes in regard to collected CD34(+) cells/kg and also the use of a 12 l leukapheresis volume did not decrease the number of leukaphereses performed compared with a 8 l leukapheresis volume. In fact, the use of the larger leukapheresis volume had the disadvantage of adding 60 min to the time the patient was on the machine.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells with chemotherapy and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF): a randomized evaluation of different doses of rhG-CSF.

To date, no randomized study has compared different doses of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) following submyeloablative mobilization chemotherapy. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of different doses of rhG-CSF following mobilization chemotherapy on yields of CD34+ peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). Fifty patients were randomized to receive 8 (n = 25) versus 16 microg/kg/d (n = 25) of rhG-CSF following mobilization chemotherapy. The median number of CD34+ cells collected after 8 microg/kg/d of rhG-CSF was 2.36 x 10(6)/kg (range, 0.21-7.80), compared with 7.99 (2.76-14.89) after 16 microg/kg/d (P < 0.001). Twenty out of 25 (80%) patients in the low-dose and 23 out of 25 (92%) in the high-dose rhG-CSF arm underwent high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Median days to white blood cell engraftment in patients mobilized with 8 microg/kg and 16 microg/kg of rhG-CSF were 12 (10-20) and 9 (8-11) respectively (P < 0.001). There was no difference between the two groups regarding the other parameters of peritransplant morbidity: days to platelet engraftment (P = 0.10), number of red blood cell (P = 0.56) and platelet transfusions (P = 0.22), days of total parenteral nutrition requirement (P = 0.84), fever (P = 0.93) and antibiotics (P = 0.77), and number of different antibiotics used (P = 0.58). These data showed that higher doses of rhG-CSF following submyeloablative mobilization chemotherapy were associated with a clear dose-response effect based on the collected cell yields. Based on the parameters of peritransplant morbidity, 8 microg/kg/d was as effective as 16 microg/kg/d except for a rapid neutrophil engraftment in the high-dose arm. Therefore, in routine clinical practice, despite some advantage in the use of higher doses of rhG-CSF, lower doses may be used for PBSC collections following chemotherapy-based mobilization regimens in this cost-conscious era.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Effect of length and diameter of tapered posts on the retention.

The force transmission of tapered unthreaded posts along the root has been reported to be homogenous but their retentive strength was found to be lower compared with those of parallel unthreaded or other kinds of threaded posts. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the effect of length and diameter on the retentive strength of sandblasted tapered prefabricated titanium posts (Erlangen post system). Posts with constant taper angle but with three different lengths (9, 12, 15 mm) and apical diameters (0.5, 0.9, 1.1 mm) were cemented using zinc phosphate cement into the prepared and roughened post spaces of 90 intact anterior teeth. The post retention concerning length and diameter, being independent from each other, was measured by a tensile force test. The retentive strength was found to be proportional to the length as well as to the diameter of the posts. The mean minimum strength (181 +/- 14 N) recorded for the thinnest and shortest post was significantly lower than that of mean maximum strength (612 +/- 85 N) obtained from those of the thickest and longest post. Proportional bond strengths of the posts comprising their surface areas ranged between 6.8 and 7.9 N mm(-2) which were not significantly different between any group. The retention was effected strongly with the increase in the length (approximately 100%) than with the increase in the diameter (approximately 60%). Concerning the posts tested in this study, it is concluded that some caution should be exercised in the choice of post with appropriate length rather than diameter for the tooth concerned.

Cementation↗

PubMed2002

Bond strengths of five tapered root posts regarding the post surface.

The advantage of tapered passive root posts is their homogenous force transmission without creating stress peaks on the root surface because of their anatomical root form. However, their expected retentive strengths are low compared with the other post systems. The objective of this in vitro study was to determine the retentive strengths of five tapered post systems from different manufacturers using tensile tests. For this purpose, all posts were cemented with zinc phosphate cement (Tenet) into the roots of 50 intact anterior teeth according to the manufacturer's instructions for each system. The contact surface area between the root canal wall and the post was taken into account in the calculations in order to obtain comparable results for different post configurations. The highest bond strength values were achieved for the Erlangen post system (10.8 N mm(-2)) and MP Pirec post system (10 N mm(-2)). These values were more than three times those of the Velva-Post (3.2 N mm(-2)) and the Cylindro-Conical system (3.5 N mm(-2)) and five times more than those of the Dr Mooser post system (1.7 N mm(-2)). The bond strength values of the Erlangen post system, Cylindro-Conical system and Dr Mooser post system showed statistically significant differences compared with the other groups. The results of this study indicated that the bond strengths of tapered posts were not only affected by the contact surface but also by the taper angle, shape of the post system, the width of the cement joint, surface roughness of the posts as well as the form of the canal wall. In clinical practice, in case of choosing tapered posts with similar shapes, retention may still vary because of other factors.

Dental Bonding↗

PubMed2002

Bilateral parotid-duct diversion using autologous vein grafts for the management of chronic drooling in cerebral palsy.

Chronic drooling is a major problem in patients with cerebral palsy and other neurological dysfunctions. Various treatments, ranging from speech therapy to radical surgery, have been used to overcome this distressing problem, with surgery the most consistently successful. In this study, we used a new surgical technique to manage severe drooling. This involved the dissection of both parotid-duct orifices, and their relocation, via a submucosal tunnel, into the tonsillar pillar using autologous vein grafts. Four patients were treated using this technique together with bilateral submandibular duct rerouting. The results were analysed by subjective judgements of drooling and retrograde sialography at 90 days postoperatively. In all cases, salivary flow was reduced and drooling was significantly improved. Retrograde sialography revealed no signs of obstruction or stricture formation in any of the cases. No postoperative complications occurred. These preliminary results suggest that the bilateral surgical transposition of Stensen's ducts into the tonsillar pillar using autologous vein grafts together with bilateral submandibular duct rerouting can provide effective control of chronic drooling.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The value of mediastinoscopy in preoperative evaluation of mediastinal involvement in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with clinical NO disease.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of mediastinal lymph node examination using cervical mediastinoscopy in operable non-small cell lung cancer patients without radiological nodal involvement on computerized tomography (CT) has been elusive. METHODS: The value of mediastinoscopy as a staging modality for assessing the mediastinal lymph node status was evaluated in 79 patients with presumed resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mediastinal nodes smaller than 1 cm (NO) form the CT scan. Sixty-one patients who did not have nodal involvement at mediastinoscopy and had complete medical records underwent complete resection. RESULTS: Negative predictive value (NPV) of the CT scan according to mediastinoscopy was 92.4 %. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen showed the NPV of mediastinoscopy to be 93.4 %. Only 4 patients (3 patients with N2, 1 patient with N3 disease) were not correctly staged using CT scanning and mediastinoscopy. According to the pathological examination, the NPV of CT was found to be lower (76.5 %) in patients with adenocarcinoma, but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.128) CONCLUSION: Although the likelihood of surgical-pathological N2 is slightly higher in patients with adenocarcinoma, radiological examination of patients with cNO NSCLC disease can be as accurate as mediastinoscopy in appropriately staging mediastinal lymph node involvement.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

In vivo use of all-trans retinoic acid prior to induction chemotherapy improves complete remission rate and increases rhodamine 123 uptake in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Because ATRA has effects (increase in apoptosis, suppression of bcl-2), it has also been used for the treatment of other French-American-British (FAB) subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). To find out the in vivo and in vitro effects of ATRA in AML, we analyzed 37 patients with de novo AML. Twenty-seven patients received ATRA before remission-induction (RI) treatment (ATRA group). Results were compared to a control group (10 patients) that received induction without ATRA during the same time period. Bone marrow or peripheral blood samples were collected from all patients on d 0 and 4. The immunphenotype, myeloperoxidase (MPO), reac tion and the efflux uptake of rhodamine 123 (Rh123) were analyzed on myeloblasts in these samples. In the myeloblasts from patients treated with ATRA, the uptake of Rh123 was increased significantly (p = 0.026) from d 0 to d 4, and all other parameters remained unaltered. ATRA administration increased the complete remission (CR) rate (88%, 22/25 vs 55%, 5/9) significantly (p = 0.042). Logistic regression analysis revealed that ATRA administration was the important factor in CR, among other potential factors including age, white blood count, bcl-2 expression, and the uptake and efflux of Rh123 (p = 0.05). Estimated disease-free survival and overall survival were similar between these two groups (43% vs 37.5% and 51.2% vs 37.5%, respectively). In conclusion, ATRA treatment prior to RI treatment may improve the CR rate in patients with de novo AML, which seems to be related to its beneficial effect on multidrug resistance.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2002

Ischemic spinal cord injury after aortocoronary bypass operation. A case report.

Although spinal ischemia is a very well recognized complication after operation on the thoraco-abdominal and abdominal aorta, it is very rare following coronary artery bypass surgery. A case of a 56-year-old man, who had juxtarenal aortic occlusion and became paraplegic after internal mammary artery grafting for ischemic heart disease is reported. The complete paraplegia was thought to be due to interruption of critical collateral blood supply to the spinal cord.

Humans↗

PubMed2001

Melatonin inhibits high voltage activated calcium currents in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion neurones.

The actions of melatonin on high-voltage activated calcium channels (HVACC) and intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration in cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones from neonatal rats were investigated using the whole-cell patch clamp and the fura-2 fluorescence ratio Ca(2+)-imaging techniques. HVACC were pharmacologically and biophysically isolated and the effects of melatonin were investigated. Extracellular application of melatonin inhibited HVACC in a dose dependent manner. In calcium imaging experiments, application of extracellular recording medium containing 30 mM KCl evoked increases in intracellular free Ca(2+) that were dependent upon external Ca(2+) ions. This increase was prevented by both low (10 microM) and high dose (100 microM) of melatonin pre-treatment. The results of this study indicate that the pineal hormone melatonin has inhibitory actions on voltage dependent calcium entry in cultured rat DRG neurones.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Essential oil composition of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum) form Turkey.

Constituents of essential oils of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) collected in different localities of Turkey in 1997 and 1998 have been identified by GC/MS. The effects of collection time and locality on the oil content and composition have been studied. The samples were classified into groups according to the main components: sabinene, gamma-terpiene, methyl thymol and terpinen-4-ol; gamma-terpinene, dill apiol and sabinene; gamma-terpiene, methyl thymol and limonene; p-cymene, methyl thymol and gamma-terpinen. (Z)-beta-ocimene and spathulenol were found with high percentage values in some samples. cis-p-Menth-4-en-1,2-diol was identified in only one oil. Early collected plants yielded oil rich in p-cymene. Effect of freezing plant did not have any important effect in oil composition.

Apiaceae↗

PubMed2001

Effect of left atrial size and function on P-wave dispersion: a study in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), a common arrhythmia, is caused by the fractionated and nonhomogeneous propagation of sinus impulse. HYPOTHESIS: This study was undertaken to examine the effect of left atrial (LA) dimension and function on P-wave dispersion (deltaP) in unselected patients with PAF and health controls. METHOD: In this study, 62 consecutive patients with PAF (32 men, 30 women, mean age 55+/-11 years) and 62 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (33 men, 29 women, mean age 52+/-13 years) were studied to compare the effect of LA size, volume, and function on deltaP (difference between maximum and minimum P-wave duration on 12-lead electrocardiogram). RESULTS: P-wave dispersion in patients with PAF and normal LA diastolic diameter (LAD) was longer than that in controls with normal LA size (53+/-8 vs. 34+/-8 ms, p < 0.001). P-wave dispersion increased in patients with PAF (62+/-12 vs. 53+/-8 ms, p = 0.003) and controls (40+/-7 vs. 34+/-8 ms, p = 0.005) with increased LAD. Presence or absence of PAF did not interact with LAD for their effect on deltaP (2 x 2 analysis of variance test p = 0.20). In the PAF group, deltaP correlated with LAD (r = 0.43, p = 0.002), LA diastolic volume (r = 0.6, p < 0.001), and LA ejection fraction (AEF) (r = - 0.33, p = 0.05). The AEF was preserved when LAD increased in the patients without PAF (0.52+/-0.07 vs. 0.57+/-0.10, p = NS), however was significantly decreased in the PAF group (0.37+/-0.12 vs. 0.49+/-0.10, p = 0.01). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, only deltaP retained significance on development of PAF. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that deltaP increased in patients with PAF and normal LA size. In controls with increased LA size, deltaP increased but did not reach the levels attained in patients with PAF. The AEF was decreased in patients with PAF but was preserved in those without PAF. These findings can be explained by the changes in LA microarchitecture which concurrently decreased atrial myocardial contraction, increased deltaP, and predisposed to PAF.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

CD41+ and CD42+ hematopoietic progenitor cells may predict platelet engraftment after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

The objective of this study was to quantify subpopulations of CD34+ cells such as CD41+ and CD42+ cells that might represent megakaryocyte (MK) precursors in peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collections of normal, recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) primed donors and to determine whether there is a statistical association between the dose infused megakaryocytic precursors and the time course of the platelet recovery following an allogeneic PBSC transplantation. Twenty-six patients with various hematologic malignancies transplanted from their HLA identical siblings between July 1997 and December 1999 were used. All patients except one with severe aplastic anemia who had cyclophosphamide (CY) alone received busulfan-CY as preparative regimen and cyclosporine-methotrexate for GVHD prophylaxis. Normal healthy donors were given rhG-CSF 10 microg/kg/day subcutaneously twice daily and PBSCs were collected on days 5 and 6. The median number of infused CD34+, CD41+ and CD42+ cells were 6.61 x 10(6)/kg (range 1.47-21.41), 54.85 x 10(4)/kg (5.38-204.19), and 49.86 x 10(4)/kg (6.82-430.10), respectively. Median days of ANC 0.5 x 10(9)/L and platelet 20 x 10(9)/L were 11.5 (range 9-15) and 13 (8-33), respectively. In this study, the number of CD41+ and CD42+ cells infused much better correlated than the number of CD34+ cells infused with the time to platelet recovery of 20 x 10(9)/L in 26 patients receiving an allogeneic match sibling PBSC transplantation (r = -0.727 and P < 0.001 for CD41+ cells, r = -0.806 and P < 0.001 for CD42+ cells, r = -0.336 and P > 0.05 for CD34+ cells). There was an inverse correlation between the number of infused CD41+ and CD42+ cells and duration of platelet engraftment. Therefore, as the number of CD41+ and CD42+ cells increased, duration of platelet engraftment (time to reach platelet count of > or = 20 x 10(9)/L) shortened significantly. Based on this data we may conclude that flow cytometric measurement of CD41+ and CD42+ progenitor cells may provide an accurate indication of platelet reconstitutive capacity of the allogeneic PBSC transplant.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Surgical treatment of cardiac echinococcosis: report of eight cases.

Cardiac involvement of hydatid disease is uncommon, and establishing a diagnosis is difficult because the presenting symptoms are variable. Between 1985 and 1997, eight patients ranging in age from 8 to 56 years underwent surgical excision of cardiac hydatid cysts, located in the interventricular septum in two, the right atrium in one, and the intrapericardium in five. There was one hospital death due to septic shock, but the other seven patients recovered uneventfully.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Assessment of left atrial appendage function and its relationship to pulmonary venous flow pattern by transesophageal echocardiography.

We evaluated left atrial appendage function and its relationship to pulmonary venous flow in 53 patients divided into four groups. Group 1 consisted of 10 normal subjects. Group 2 included 15 patients with significant pure mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm. In group 3, there were 13 patients with pure significant mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation. Group 4 consisted of 15 patients with normal mitral valve and atrial fibrilltion. We found significant decrease in left atrial appendage ejection fraction and maximum emptying flow velocity, velocity time integral of systolic pulmonary venous flow in Groups 2, 3 and 4 in comparison with normal subjects. Systolic pulmonary venous flow velocity was significantly decreased in Groups 3 and 4. There was significant correlation between left atrial appendage ejection fraction and peak emptying flow velocity (r = 0.62, P < 0,001). Systolic peak pulmonary venous flow velocity was significantly correlated with left atrial appendage ejection fraction and maximum emptying flow velocity (r = 0.67, P = 0,01; r = 0.58, P < 0,001, respectively). There was also significant correlation between systolic pulmonary venous flow velocity time integral and left atrial appendage ejection fraction (r = 0.66, P = 0.001). When normals were excluded from analysis, all the correlations were still significant. We concluded that left atrial appendage is a contractile structure, and that systolic pulmonary venous flow velocity is influenced by left atrial appendage dysfunction. Therefore left atrial appendage function needs to be considered when interpreting Doppler transmitral and systolic pulmonary venous flow patterns.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The effect of G-CSF on lymphocyte subsets and CD34+ cells in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

The effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and CD34+ cell frequency in the apheresis product has been determined in 25 healthy stem cell donors. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were collected after five days of G-CSF 10 microg/kg/day s.c., which was well tolerated. The median number of leukocytes increased eight-fold over that of pretreatment levels. Collection of PBMNC lasted a median of two (range, 1-3) days. The mean mononuclear cell (MNC) count and total lymphocyte percentage were 6.69 x 10(8)/kg and 59.08%, respectively, and the frequency of CD34+ cell expression was 2.1% in the apheresis product. The frequency of CD3+, CD4+, CD25+, NK and CD122+ cell expressions in mobilized PBMNC and PBL showed no significant difference. However, the frequency of CD8+, CD8+28+, CD3+DR+, CD19+, CD20+ and CD22+ B cells expression in the apheresis product increased significantly compared to steady-state PBL. In contrast, the frequency of the CD11 a+ and CD8+38+ cell expressions in the apheresis product was decreased compared to the steady-state PBL. The mean yield of CD34+ and CD3+ cells were 13.6 x 10(6) and 2.69 x 10(8)/kg of recipient body weight (RBW), respectively. Following allograft all patients engrafted with >0.5 x 10(9)/l neutrophil and < or = 20 x 10(9)/l platelets on a median of day 13 and 12, respectively. Nine patients had grade II-IV acute GVHD and chronic GVHD occurred in eight patients. Four patients died due to transplant-related complications. There was one late engraftment failure which occurred on the fifth month. Thirteen patients are still alive. In conclusion, these results indicate that administration of G-CSF at 10 microg/kg/day in normal donors alters the lymphocyte subsets and there are significant differences in the lymphocyte contents of the recipients before apheresis and in apheresis product.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rh-G-CSF) may accelerate hematopoietic recovery after HLA-identical sibling allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

We studied the effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on hematopoietic recovery and clinical outcome in patients undergoing allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation. Fifty-six patients with hematological malignancies who underwent allogeneic PBSC transplantation between 1995 and 1998 were entered into this study. Twenty-eight patients who received daily G-CSF from day +1 after allogeneic PBSC transplantation until the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) reached >0.5 x 10(9)/l for 3 consecutive days were compared with 28 patients (control group) who did not receive G-CSF in a non-randomized manner. The study group and the control group were comparable with respect to baseline patient and transplantation characteristics. Median times to ANC of >0.5 x 10(9)/l and 1 x 10(9)/l with or without G-CSF were 12 days (range 8-21), 13 days (10-32) (P = 0.04) and 13 days (9-21), 15 days (11-44) (P = 0.02), respectively. Median times to reach a platelet count of >20 x 10(9)/l with and without G-CSF were 11 days (0-20) and 13 days (9-26), respectively (P = 0.03). The incidence of febrile episodes was significantly lower with G-CSF, 75% vs 100% (P = 0.008). Patients receiving G-CSF had less grade III-IV mucositis than those who did not receive G-CSF (P = 0.01). There was also no increase in the incidence and severity of acute GVHD in patients using G-CSF (P = 0.22). Although the number of relapsing patients was greater in the G-CSF group (seven vs three patients), this was not statistically significant (P = 0.24). Disease-free and overall survival rates did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.58 and 0.53, respectively). The administration of G-CSF after allogeneic PBSC transplantation provided faster neutrophil and platelet engraftment associated with less severe mucositis and less febrile episodes.

Adolescent↗