Seminars in hematology
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Seminars in hematology · Jul 2009
ReviewAdvances in antibacterial therapy against emerging bacterial pathogens.
During the last decade, both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to most or all available antibacterial classes have become increasingly prevalent nosocomial pathogens, particularly among immunocompromised patients and those hospitalized in intensive care units. Among gram-positive bacteria, increasing concerns are posed for health care- and community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), S aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). A spectrum of newer antibacterial agents has been developed for the treatment of multi-resistant gram-positive bacteria, such as linezolid, tigecycline, daptomycin, and novel glycopeptides. ⋯ Currently, non-fermenting bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii are commonly resistant to all available antibiotics, including the newer agents. Colistin retains activity against most P aeruginosa and A baumannii, but its clinical use remains questionable, while newer carbapenems and tigecycline have limited additional advantages. Rational use of newer antibacterial agents coupled with enhanced infection control measures may be able to sufficiently control MDR organisms as to allow hematological patients to recover from serious infectious complications.
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Seminars in hematology · Jul 2009
ReviewManagement of infections complicating allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
The use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, as well as some benign hematologic disorders, has continued to grow over the last 10 years. The availability of this procedure to an increasing number of patients has been facilitated by the use of newer techniques, including reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens, peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) and cord blood as donor sources, graft manipulation such as selective T-cell depletion, and other in vitro and in vivo attempts to reduce the risk and severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after transplantation without losing the potential benefits of a graft-versus-tumor effect for patients with hematologic malignancies. The underlying theme of many of these newer techniques has been to minimize the severity and duration of transplant-related immune suppression, thus reducing the risk of morbidity and mortality from infectious complications. This article reviews immune suppression and recovery that occur after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, with changes in the epidemiology, and some of the recent advances that have been made in management of infectious complications.
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Seminars in hematology · Jul 2009
Advances and challenges in infectious diseases supportive care of patients with hematologic malignancies, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and severe aplastic anemia.
Infectious diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancies, severe aplastic anemia (SAA), and myelodysplasia. Major advances in infectious diseases supportive care have been critical to improving the outcome of patients suffering from these life-threatening diseases. Advances in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of life-threatening infections have reduced morbidity and mortality, improved quality of life, and enabled the use of potentially curative chemotherapy, radiation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and immunosuppressive therapy to patients battling these devastating diseases. Despite these advances, the continued development of antimicrobial resistance, emergence of new pathogens, and the evolution of host factors present evolving challenges to the successful management of infectious complications in this expanding patient population.
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Seminars in hematology · Apr 2008
ReviewNovel and engineered anti-B-cell monoclonal antibodies for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Over the past decade, the safety and efficacy of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab has resulted in its use in virtually all patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Unfortunately, many patients who initially benefit from rituximab develop resistance while others may never respond. ⋯ Each of these strategies has shown varying degrees of preclinical and clinical success. In this review we discuss the rationale for various strategies and report results from clinical trials employing these agents.
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Seminars in hematology · Apr 2008
ReviewAntibody and immunomodulatory agents in the treatment of indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Immunomodulatory agents, including cytokines, CpG oligonucleotides, and anti-idiotype vaccines have properties that suggest they have the ability to augment rituximab in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Although several clinical trials have shown promising results, no randomized trials of reasonable size have been reported to date, limiting the ability to discern whether combinations of immunomodulatory agents with rituximab impact clinical outcome. Until such trials are mature, we do not recommend using these agents in combination outside of the research setting.