Vidarabine

An FDA approved anti-viral agent, known as Vidarabine or AraA, has features of inhibiting adenylyl cyclase type 5 (AC5) and protects against chronic coronary artery occlusion (CAO). The goal of this investigation was to determine if AraA protects against myocardial ischemia, even when delivered after coronary artery reperfusion (CAR). AraA, delivered after CAR in wild type mice, reduced infarct size by 55% compared to vehicle treated controls, whereas an equal dose of adenosine reduced infarct size only when administered before CAR. A 5 fold greater dose of adenosine was required to reduce infarct size, when delivered after CAR, which also reduced arterial pressure by 15%, whereas AraA did not affect pressure. The reduction in infarct size with AraA was prevented by a MEK/ERK blocker, a pathway also involved in the mechanism of protection of the AC5 knock out (KO) model. Infarct size was also reduced in cardiac specific AC5 KO mice similarly in the presence and absence of AraA, further suggesting that AraA protection involves the AC5 pathway.

The occurrence of secondary hypogammaglobulinemia (SH) after chemo-immunotherapy represents a potential side effect in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas (iNHL). Few data are available on SH occurring after chemotherapy and/or Rituximab (R). We retrospectively investigated the incidence and the risk factors for SH and infectious complications in patients with iNHL after chemo-immunotherapy. Two hundred and sixty six patients treated between 1993 and 2011 were studied. Patients with a basal hypogammaglobulinemia or a monoclonal component were excluded. The incidence of SH was 2.2×1000 person-years (95% CI 1.6-2.9). Exposure to Fludarabine-based schedules (Fbs)±R was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 18.1 (95% CI: 4.3-77.0). Conversely, exposure to CHOP±R or CVP±R was not a risk factor (HR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.8; HR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.08-1.4, respectively). The role of R was studied comparing cohorts differing only for R; no differences were found comparing R-CHOP/R-CVP versus CHOP/CVP (HR 1.

BACKGROUND: The standard busulfan-cyclophosphamide myeloablative conditioning regimen is associated with substantial non-relapse mortality in patients older than 40 years with acute myeloid leukaemia who are undergoing allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. Because the combination of busulfan plus fludarabine has been proposed to reduce non-relapse mortality, we aimed to compare this treatment with busulfan plus cyclophosphamide as a preparative regimen in these patients.

PURPOSE: Long-term survival rates for older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are extremely low. Previous observational studies suggest that allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) may improve overall survival (OS) because of lower rates of relapse. We sought to prospectively determine the value of HSCT for older patients with AML in first complete remission.