UNLABELLED Currently, steroid-refractory severe gastrointestinal (GI) graft versus host disease (GVHD) is among the most important complications of allogeneic transplantation, and as yet there is no standard approach to its treatment. Herein we report two cases with steroid-refractory GI GVHD that received intramesenteric steroid treatment. In both cases the frequency and volume of diarrhea res...

Hematopoietic cell transplant is a potentially curative procedure for many benign and malignant conditions. The efficacy of allogeneic transplant relies in part on the cytotoxicity of the conditioning regimen and the graft versus tumor effect mediated by alloreactive donor T cells; the same cells are also implicated in the development of graft versus host disease (GVHD). Selective identificatio...

We recently demonstrated that expression of α-defensins, the major antimicrobial peptides produced by Paneth cells, was severely suppressed in mice with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In this study, we found that antibacterial lectin, regenerating islet-derived IIIγ (RegIIIγ) was upregulated in villous enterocytes, thus demonstrating the reciprocal control of enteric antimicrobial proteins i...

We describe a case of progressive bronchiectasis resulting in cystic bronchiectasis with regions of mucoid impaction as a manifestation of chronic graft versus host disease as a late complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Transfusion associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD) results from engraftment of viable donor T-lymphocytes in recipient that can not recognize or destroy them. It is seen in immunocompromised patients and pre-mature neonates. It can also occur in immunocompetent individuals receiving blood from first-degree relatives. It has emerged as single most common cause of death resulting from tra...

Naturally occurring thymus-arisen CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are considered to play a central role in self-tolerance. Precise signals that promote the development of Treg cells remain elusive, but considerable evidence suggests that costimulatory molecules, cytokines, the nature of the TCR and the niche or the context in which the T cell encounters antigen in the thymus play import...

Microalgal biomass grown in wastewater treatment raceway ponds may be valorised producing bioenergy through anaerobic digestion. However, pretreatment techniques seem to be necessary for enhancing microalgae methane yield. In this study, hydrothermal pretreatment was studied prior to batch and continuous reactors. The pretreatment increased organic matter solubilisation (8-13%), anaerobic diges...

The ability of parental to F(1) spleen grafts to regenerate was equal to that of parental to parental or to F(1) or F(1) spleen grafts. Cytotoxicity analysis of parental to F(1) spleen and thymic grafts indicated that these "regenerated grafts" were composed of F(1) lymphocytes. Regenerated parental to F(1) spleen grafts were incapable of producing runt disease in newborn F(1) animals.

C reactive protein concentration was measured serially in 19 patients with leukaemia after bone marrow transplantation. Six episodes of graft versus host disease occurred in the presence of fever but with no evidence of infection, and these were associated with C reactive protein concentrations as high as 200 mg/l. C reactive protein values were also increased in 12 febrile episodes associated ...