Blood Weekly articles from February 2001

Blood Weekly archives from February 2001

Reducing Plasma Cholesterol Levels Improves Blood's Ability to Carry Oxygen.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Lowering plasma cholesterol levels can enhance the ability of blood to deliver oxygen to tissue by reducing the thickness of red blood cell membranes, according...

High-Biocompatible Filters Reduce Hepatitis C Transmission Risk.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An study from Italy has demonstrated the benefits of using high-biocompatibility, high-permeability filters for reducing the risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission to individuals who must undergo...

Genotype of Asymptomatic Patients Related to Disease Severity.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in New York have presented evidence that the genotype of asymptomatic patients suffering from hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC), a disorder in which excessive iron absorption can cause organ...

Carotid Artery Diameter Can Be Useful Prognostic Factor.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An enlarged carotid artery may portend high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disorders, at least in a Japanese population, cardiologists report. "Few studies have examined whether there is a...

Liver Function Tests Parallel Liver Appearance after Transplantation.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Although chronic hepatitis C can be a problem for kidney transplant patients, analysis performed by researchers in Instanbul, Turkey, shows that more often than not liver tissue appearance in kidney...

Apoptosis, Liver Injury More Common in Genotype Ib Hepatitis C Post-Transplant.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Viral recurrence of hepatitis C is a well-known problem faced by patients who receive liver transplants for chronic hepatitis C. Often those with hepatitis C genotype Ib suffer more liver damage than...

Gene Therapy Improves Graft Function.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have found a way to reduce oxygen radical production in fatty livers after transplantation. "Oxygen-derived free radicals play a central role in reperfusion injury after organ...

PAHO Grants Funds to Improve Transfusion Safety.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The safety of blood used for transfusion in the Americas is set to improve as a result of a three-year grant for $4.9 million by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will enable the Pan American...

Thousands Contract HIV in China After Selling Their Blood.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An article in the Washington Post newspaper reported that thousands of people in China, who sold their blood to dealers, acquired HIV because the dealers reused needles to collect blood, then mixed...

Kidney Model Ready for Use.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Before computer simulation, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the U.S. had no tool for estimating the effects of potential organ allocation changes. While UNOS will always rely upon...

FDA Proposes New Rules for "Good Tissue Practice".
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a new regulation on current good tissue practice (GTP), which includes the methods, facilities, and controls used for the manufacture of human...

Understanding Developmental Changes Necessary for Future Use.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from England, umbilical cord blood CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells go through developmental changes in adhesion molecule expression during different stages of...

Infestation by Parasitic Worms May Increase Susceptibility to HIV Infection.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients infected with parasitic worms, or helminths, can suffer from increased susceptibility to infection with the HIV virus, researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious...

Conventional Warfarin Response Markers Adequate.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Monitoring patient response to the anticoagulant warfarin by conventional methods provides the most consistent results, although alternative methods can be useful in some circumstances, researchers in...

High-Dose Epoetin Alfa Regimen Optimally Reduces Need Following Total Hip Arthroplasty.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A high-dose regimen of the hamster-derived glycoprotein epoetin alfa is the best way to prevent the need for allogeneic blood transfusion during hip joint repair surgery, researchers in Canada say. ...

Uninfected Monocytes Have Preventable Apoptotic Response to Infected "Bystander" Cells.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Exposure to HIV infected cells can cause uninfected blood cells to destroy themselves after ramping up production of substances related to cytokine signaling, immunologists in Italy report. ...

Bicyclic Lactam-Based Thrombin Inhibitors Show Promise for Treatment.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- A new class of thrombin inhibitors based on bicyclic lactams has great potential for the treatment of both venous and arterial thrombosis, researchers...

Transforming Growth Factor-(beta) 1 Role Examined.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Brazil have found that patients with some forms of leprosy show elevated levels of the cell-growth-inducing polypeptide transforming growth factor-(beta) 1 (TGF-(beta) 1), caused by...

Protein C Replacement Effective for Septicemia.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Protein C replacement therapy is a safe and effective treatment for severe meningococcal blood poisoning complicated by multiple organ failure and purpura fulminans, according to researchers writing in...

Antioxidants Aid Granulocytopenic Newborns.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pediatricians in Taiwan have presented evidence showing that antioxidants may be able to prevent the endotoxin-mediated granulocyte damage commonly seen in infants with blood poisoning. "Neonates...

Anti-Factor Xa Compound Can Be Effective Alternative to Heparin.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers writing in the journal Circulation report that a new synthetic compound, which blocks the coagulatory action of factor Xa, appears to be a safe and effective treatment for patients suffering...

Prostacyclin Therapy Improves Related Hematologic Factors.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Treatment with the vasodilator prostacyclin can improve the levels of coagulation-regulating substances in the blood of hypertensive patients, possibly negating the effects of endothelial trauma. ...

Vitamin-E-Coated Membrane Can Reduce Oxidative Stress.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new high-flux dialysis filter coated with vitamin E reduces the destructive effect of free oxygen radicals in the blood, researchers reported in the journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. ...

Lentiviral Vectors Effective in Targeting Hematopoietic Stem Cells.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hematologists in Sweden have presented evidence showing that lentiviral gene vectors can be effectively used to target human blood-producing stem cells. N.B. Woods and colleagues at the University...

Post-Grafting Telomere Loss Not Significant.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Telomere shortening observed after stem cell transplantation is limited to a relatively brief period after the procedure and should have little if any...

Neutrophil Respiratory Burst Not Crucial for Migration.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Contrary to conventional wisdom, stem cells do not seem to require neutrophil signals to trigger their migration from bone marrow, according to...

Hormone Replacement Therapy Does Not Increase Risk.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progestin does not alter the risk of stroke in postmenopausal women with heart disease. Researchers with the Heart and Estrogen-progestin...

Scientists Suggest Therapy Targets Tissue Damage Prevention.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), La Jolla, California, along with their colleagues at Henry Ford Health Sciences Center, Detroit, Michigan, reported findings suggesting a...

Atrial Fibrillation Can Lead to Thromboembolic Morbidity.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Atrial fibrillation is relatively common in patients requiring hemodialysis and is associated with high risk of thromboembolisms, researchers in Spain...

Excessive Sympathetic Nervous System Activity Dangerous in Some Patients.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- The sympathetic nervous system can induce dangerous hemostatic dysfunction in patients predisposed to such conditions, researchers in the United States...

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Implicated in Blood Cell Apoptosis.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in Switzerland have presented evidence showing that dysfunctional mitochondria are at least partly responsible for the suicide of red...

No Unexpected Long-Term Consequences After Bone Marrow Transplantation.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Bone marrow transplantation does not carry a substantial risk of long-term adverse effects when employed in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia,...

Drug Decreases Blood Vessel Stiffness in Older Primates.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A drug that breaks down vascular collagen bonds in the body significantly decreased the stiffness of blood vessels in older non-human primates, according to a study conducted by U.S. National...

Keratinocytes Can Help Predict Graft-Versus-Host Disease.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in The Netherlands have shown that skin cells can be used to predict the risk of graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing bone...

Routine Graft-Versus-Host Disease Therapy May Be Unnecessary.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Prophylactic therapy to prevent graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplantation is often unnecessary and may impair graft efficacy,...

New Methods Identifies Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Response to HCV in Blood.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins researchers have announced that hepatitis C virus specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes can be identified in peripheral...

Shear Force Modulates Metalloproteinases and Hyperplasia within Veins.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Vascular research suggests that changes in blood flow can cause an overgrowth of cells on the internal surfaces of veins. Shear force, report research...

Poor, Minority Children Less Likely to be Screened.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Many young children - particularly those who are African American or Medicaid-eligible - have not received blood lead screenings and may be at risk for...

Autologous T Lymphocytes Specifically Recognize Leukemic B Cells.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- According to a study from Sweden, the spontaneous immunity found in some chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients could be harnessed in a vaccine....

Interferon-(alpha) Therapy Gets a Boost.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- The addition of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to interferon-(alpha) therapy may augment its effectiveness in some leukemia...

Vincristine Selectively Targets Malignant Cells for Apoptosis.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in Finland have shown that the antitubulin alkaloid vincristine selectively attacks malignant cells in patients with some forms of...

DNA Immunization Induces Protective Immunity Against Plasmodium falciparum.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- Can a DNA vaccine against malaria work? Researchers in France say yes. "DNA-based immunization of mice by Plasmodium falciparum liver-stage...

Bone Marrow Transplant Still Best Option.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Despite advances in immunosuppressive treatments, bone marrow transplantation is still the safest and most effective treatment modality for pediatric...

Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Mutants Shed Light on Fibrinolysis Regulators.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Using mutant forms of tissue-type plasminogen activator, hematologists in Scotland have elucidated some of the mechanisms by which the body controls...

Oral Formulations May Reduce Heart Attacks and Death.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Taking aspirin reduces the risk of heart attacks and death in patients suffering from unstable angina, a disease characterized by attacks of intense chest pain when blocked arteries keep the heart...

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte Precursor Frequency Can Help Predict Safe HLA-Mismatches.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursors can be used to determine low-risk human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches for patients requiring bone marrow...

Aprotinin is Still Okay to Prevent Blood Loss During Surgery.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Despite its reported association with kidney damage, the drug aprotinin remains an appropriate choice for preventing blood loss in patients undergoing...

Cell Membrane Plays Role in Releasing Nitric Oxide.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, reported that the membranes of red blood cells are actively involved in storing and releasing nitric oxide, which regulates...

Hemofiltration Can Reduce Primed Blood Risks for Newborns.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Researchers in Japan have found that filtering blood used for bypass surgery priming can help minimize the risk to newborns. "Primed blood might have...

Short-Term, Substantial Yields Possible with New Technique.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Researchers writing in the Annals of Epidemiology described how their efforts to improve the yield of usable DNA from stored blood suggests that good...

Progenitor Cells Sensitive to Growth-Factor Induced Maturation.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Leukemic stem cells are markedly more sensitive than healthy progenitor cells to the effects of growth factor hormones, according to hematologists in...

Expansion Protocol is Evaluated.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in France have provided information that may help doctors and patients get the most benefit out of blood progenitor cells. L. Douay and...

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Circuit Can Reduce Platelet Loss.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Researchers in Belgium have developed a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, which can minimize interoperative platelet damage and transfusion requirements. ...

Strategy Can Minimize Blood Loss During Burn Surgery.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Blood transfusion requirements can be profoundly reduced for patients undergoing surgery for severe burn trauma, with no impact on outcome, researchers in...

Synthetic Gene Delivery Safely Targets Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- Synthetic peptide vectors may be a safe way to deliver therapeutic genes to help prevent allograft rejection. "Chronic rejection is now the major...

Low-Level Conditioning Regimens Increase Risk of Protein-Related Rejection.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Experimental forms of bone marrow transplantation that use minimal immunosuppressive conditioning regimens run a serious risk of Ly5-related complications,...

Melphalan/Purine Analog Regimen Can Increase Feasibility.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- A low-intensity myeloablative regimen involving melphalan and a purine analog can make stem cell transplantation possible for patients otherwise unable to...

Blood Thinner Helps Treat Clots in Legs and Lungs.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Giving patients a daily injection of the blood thinner enoxaparin sodium, a low-molecular weight heparin, appears to be just as safe and effective in treating blood clots as twice daily. ...

Stem Cell Transplantation Enables Move Towards a Cure.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers from Harvard University have developed a tool in the fight against diabetes. Currently, 16 million Americans are afflicted with diabetes; this number is expected surpass 22 million...

Researchers Produce Cell with Universal Myeloid Differentiation Capacity.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in the United States have developed a human blood cell line with a surprisingly mercurial nature: it is able to differentiate into...

HIV Patients Display Reduced Vascular Reactivity.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- In addition to other vascular morbidities, HIV infected patients are resistant to increased blood flow following physiological hyperemia triggers,...

Vascular Agent Analogs Inhibit Vascular Remodeling.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Two prostacyclin analogs, iloprost and cicaprost, may be the reason for limited vascular remodeling in the pulmonary artery of humans, researchers report...

(beta)-Chemokines Appear to Inhibit Bone Marrow Infection.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in Pennsylvania investigating how bone marrow cells fight HIV infection, have found that (beta)-chemokines appear to be pivotal in...

Phase I Data on Troxacitabine Indicate Therapeutic Activity.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioChem Pharma Inc. (BCHE; BCH), Laval, Quebec, Canada, announced the publication of a paper regarding Phase I leukemia data on Troxatyl (troxacitabine). Troxatyl is BioChem's investigational...

Immortomouse Hepatocytes Evaluated for Use as Test Model.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- Immortomouse hepatocytes aid liver gene therapy research, researchers in Australia report. "The use of hepatocytes for gene therapy is limited by...

Toxin Fusion Protein Can Be Effective for Stem Cell Purging.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- A protein derived from diphtheria toxin is able to effectively and selectively purge bone marrow of leukemic cells in some patients with acute myeloid...

Poor Prediction After Heart or Liver Transplantation.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The lack of identification of clear risk factors for osteoporotic fractures after organ transplantation suggests that future post-transplantation treatment should aim to prevent bone-thinning...

High-Dose Chemotherapy Can Impair Hematopoiesis.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Cancer patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy may have a reduced ability to replenish blood cells after stem cell transplantation, hematologists in...

Recovery Can Be Deceptive after Grafting from Mismatched Donors.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Hematologists in California warn that apparent recovery of the immune system after stem cell transplantation may be far less effective than it seems,...

Distinct Lines Remain Independent in Same Animal.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Distinct stem cell lines maintain their individuality even when co-existing in the same animal, according to hematologists in The Netherlands. ...

Guidelines Say Low Dose Aspirin at Least as Effective as High Dose.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Low doses of aspirin (80 to 325 mg) are at least as effective as higher doses (500 to 1,000 mg) in preventing stroke in patients with cerebrovascular disease, according to guidelines released by...

Parental Exposure, HIV, Keep Viral Persistence High in Italy.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- TT virus persistence continues to remain high in Italy, particularly in individuals with parental exposure and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)...

Long-Term Lamivudine Use After Liver Transplant Has Down Side.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Though chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients are sometimes given liver transplants to increase survival, following transplantation, the very treatment...

Testing Cornea Donors for HCV Recommended.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Corneas set aside for transplant harbor hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, research from Canada indicates. Potential corneal transplant donors should...