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Non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises a heterogeneous group of haematological malignancies, classified according to their clinic, anatomic-pathological features and, lately, to their molecular biomarkers. Despite the therapeutic advances, nearly half of the patients will die because of this disease. The new diagnostic tools have been the cornerstone to design recent therapy targets, which must be included in the current treatment guidelines of this sort of neoplasms by means of clinical trials and evidence-based medicine. In the face of poor diagnoses devices in most of the Mexican hospitals, we recommend the present diagnose stratification, and treatment guidelines for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, based on evidence. They include the latest and most innovative therapeutic approaches, as well as specific recommendations for hospitals with limited framework and therapy resources.

The impact of undernutrition in the outcome of treatment of children with ALL has been analyzed by several authors who have highlighted undernutrition as another relevant prognostic factor in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). There are, however, some papers which have not confirmed the prognostic value of malnutrition at diagnosis in children with ALL. Overall, data from 1,123 children with ALL worldwide support the concept of malnutrition at diagnosis being useful as a prognostic factor, whereas data from 1,271 children fail to support this concept. We here critically analyze the information of these publications referring to a total of 2,394 children with ALL. Detailed information was available only from 500 of the 2,394 patients, stemming from six publications; of these individuals, at diagnosis, 376 were well nourished and 124 were malnourished. In this subset of patients, the analysis of the data shows that the 5-year (or longer) overall survival of undernourished children (UNC) was 26%, whereas that of well-nourished children (WNC) was 59% (p < 0.001); along the same line the relative risk of dying during this period was 1.8 times higher for UNC than WNC (p < 0.01; Interval of Confidence [IC] 95%: 1.72-1.88). On the other hand, the censoring time of these 500 children is different: 293 were censored at 5 years after diagnosis, whereas 207 where censored at 8-10 years: The overall survival for each of these periods was also different: 36% versus 2% for UNC (p < 0.001), and 56% versus 63% (p > 0.10) for WNC, data which support the concept that the differences in survival are more apparent in UNC if the period of observation is extended. These data suggest that undernutrition at diagnosis by itself and without interacting with other variables, may be a significant prognostic factor in the long-term outcome of treatment of pediatric patients with ALL. After identifying these variables as important, imaginative approaches to the treatment of cancer in childhood in the years ahead may lead into the improvement of the results of these treatments.

An overview of the key concepts about detection of thrombophilic states, establishment of risk factors for thrombosis, the current strategies on diagnosis of thrombophilia, as well as an analysis of the current experience with the use of fractionated and unfractionated heparins, is presented. It is well known that thrombotic disease is multifactorial and that its treatment must be interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in order to perform an opportune diagnosis and to establish an adequate prophylaxis and anti-thrombotic therapy. Even though several advantages are observed when low molecular weight heparins are used, unfractionated heparins still have some specific indications. Furthermore, under specific conditions, they can work synergistically to achieve a maximal effect on the thromboembolic states. We propose that every medical unit should establish its own criteria and diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms that allow to detect, to diagnose, and to treat the thrombotic events in the best way thus diminishing the morbidity and mortality associated with these thrombotic events.

A group of 26 patients (18 males and 8 females) infected with HIV (42% through sexual route and 58% through blood/blood products transfusion) was prospectively studied to assess the efficacy of low doses (300 mg/day) of AZT combined (n = 15) or not (n = 11) with ACV (600 mg/day). According to CDC stages, 12% were in stage II, 73% in stage III and 15% in stage IV. Patients were followed for a maximum of 156 weeks. An objective response was observed in all patients who improved significantly in: performance status (Karnofsky 74.5 versus 97.6%, p less than 0.01), weight 58.9 versus 68.6 kg, p less than 0.01), and absolute CD4 T cell count (329/microL versus 480/microL, p less than 0.01). The levels of hemoglobin dropped after treatment (12.8 versus 11.5, p less than 0.01). Median survival was 114 weeks for all the group. With the exception of granulocytopenia in 42% of patients treated with AZT + ACV versus only in 22% of those treated solely with AZT (p = 0.02), similar effects were recorded in both treatments: 114-week survival was 60% for those treated solely with AZT, whereas 156-week survival was 93% for those treated with AZT + ACV (p NS), but the response was better for the combination of antivirals in the group of patients with more than 200 CD4 cells/microL at diagnosis as compared with those with less than 200 cells (110-week survival of 100% versus 50% respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Up to now, the best treatment for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the induction of bone marrow hypoplasia by ablative combined chemotherapy; the prototype of these schedules is the so-called 7 + 3 (seven days of continuous infusion of cytarabine and three days of one-hour infusion of any anthracycline); these schedules require the support of both platelet transfusions and antibiotics. Other non-ablative schedules have also been tried in the treatment of such patients. Here we analyze the results of the treatment of 76 adult patients with AML; 43 were treated with the classical 7 + 3 schedule, whereas 33 were treated with a combination of chemotherapy used in non-ablative doses (TADOP: thioguanine, arabinosyl-citosine, doxorrubicin, vincristine and prednisone). The results were as follows, respectively, for 7 + 3 and TADOP: complete remission (CR) was achieved in 60 and 48% of patients (p NS); the number of cycles to achieve CR had a median of 1 and 5 months (p less than 0.001); the median duration of the CR was 21 and 10 months (p less than 0.05); fatal myelotoxicity was 30 and 42% (p NS), one-year disease free survival (DFS) was 45 and 46% (p NS) and three-year survival was 22% and 15% (p NS). Additionally, patients treated with 7 + 3 were divided into two groups according to the type of platelet transfusion support; those supported with apheresis equipment and those with centrifugation-derived platelets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The case of a 9-year old girl with end-stage refractory pre-B CD10/CALLA positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is described. The patient was treated with high doses of cytarabine followed by intravenous anti-CD10 monoclonal antibody (J5) in an effort to prevent the recovery of the leukemic CD10 positive clone following the bone marrow hypoplasia resulting from the chemotherapy. The number of CD10 positive cells dissapeared both in the peripheral blood as well as in the bone marrow, but when granulocytic recovery ensued, the patient died from respiratory infection. No evidence of antigenic modulation of the CD10 antigen was observed in the blast cells.

Primary bone marrow lymphomata are infrequent; most of them are of B-cell origin, and those of a T-cell lineage produce mainly both hypercalcemia and osteolytic lesions apparently due to abnormal production of osteoclast-activating factor. We report a 15-year old patient with a primary bone marrow lymphoma: 85% of his infiltrating malignant lymphocytes displayed cytoplasmic mu-chains compatible with a pre-B phenotype. The cells failed to display the CALLA/CD 10 antigen. Serum calcium was 7.5 mEq/L (range 4-5 mEq/L); the bone biopsy of an osteolytic lesion disclosed a large-cell, diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. No malignant cells were found in the peripheral blood and there were no enlarged lymph nodes. The patient was treated with 6 courses of chemotherapy: hydroxyldaunorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (HOP). Complete remission was achieved and the patient was placed on continuation chemotherapy with daily six-mercaptopurine and weekly methotrexate, together with HOP pulses every three months. The hypercalcemia disappeared together with the fever and the bone pain: the patient has been followed 6 months. Data on this case are discussed together with those previously published in regard to the low prevalence of bone lesions in primary B-cell lymphomas of the bone marrow, and to the similarity of this B-cell malignancy to others that produce both hypercalcemia and bone lesions, i.e. multiple myeloma.

In previous papers we have shown that malnutrition is an adverse prognostic factor in the outcome of treatment in patients with standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The reason why undernourished children do poorly as compared with well nourished children is that malnourishment leads to a diminished bone marrow reserve thus making necessary to delivery of suboptimal doses of maintenance chemotherapy (less than that calculated according to body surface). Undernourished children receive less 6-MP and MTX and relapse more frequently in the bone marrow, finally reflecting a 5 yr disease-free survival of 26% as compared with 83% in well-nourished children (p less than 0.001). In this paper we have analyzed the impact of the variable delivery of sub-optimal doses of maintenance chemotherapy in a group of 43 pediatric patient with standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The 5 year disease free survival of children receiving suboptimal maintenance chemotherapy was 7% as compared with 65% for those receiving full doses of both 6-MP and MTX (p less than 0.001), and more frequent relapse involving the bone marrow in children receiving low doses (71% versus 3%, p = 0.000005). The impact of the variable suboptimal doses of chemotherapy was present in children with both normal and deficient nourishment status. It is concluded that the delivery of suboptimal doses of maintenance chemotherapy, due to bone marrow toxicity related to an abnormal myelopoietic reserve, is an adverse prognostic factor in the outcome to treatment of patients with lymphoblastic leukemia.

Ten patients with CDC stage III of infection by HIV were treated with AZT at doses of 300 mg/day (100 mg tid). There were 5 males and 5 females, the median age being 40.5 yr' (range 26-46). Seventy percent of them had transfusion-associated HIV infection and the rest had been infected by the sexual route. A positive clinical response was observed in 100% of the group after 16-24 weeks of treatment: the Karnofsky performance status increased from 64% to 94% (p less than 0.01), the white blood cell count raised from 3.7 to 6.0 K/microL (p less than 0.01), the number of helper lymphocytes (CD4+) also raised significantly from 248.2 to 470.7/uL (p less than .01). Only two patients required red blood cells transfusions. The life expectancy at 82 weeks was 90%. Toxicity was both moderate and transitory. It is concluded that low doses of AZT (300 mg/day) produce similar clinical results as doses of 1200-1500 mg/day. A larger study is needed to support our preliminary findings.

In this review paper, the salient features of the anticoagulant/fibrinolytic mechanism depending on coagulation protein C, protein S and thrombomodulin are reviewed. Coagulation protein C, activated at the endothelial cell surface in the presence of the complex thrombin/thrombomodulin exerts two anti-thrombotic effects: one anticoagulant dependent on the free protein S and the other pro-fibrinolytic, independent of protein S. Both inherited and acquired deficiencies of protein C and/or protein S lead to a thrombosis-prone state that has to be identified promptly to avoid vaso-occlusive episodes. The experience in Mexico with both the identification and treatment of these deficiencies is reviewed; it is interesting that we have found that patients with autoimmune disorders, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus and primary anti-phospholipid syndrome, have acquired deficiencies of this anticoagulant mechanism that may be related to the thrombogenesis observed in these patients.

The risk groups for AIDS have been defined and include homosexuals, bisexuals, polytransfused patients, drug addicts, sexual partners of any of the above groups and sons of infected fathers. We have previously proposed that paid donors should be considered also as high risk individuals. We report here a family in which six of its eight members had HIV infection without other risk factor than being paid blood donors.

The case of an 8-month-old male with heterozygous coagulation protein C deficiency is presented. Sepsis due to Salmonella typhi aggravated the protein C deficiency and resulted in arterial thrombosis of the distal third of the lower right limb. The patient was treated with both heparin and danazol, the levels of functional protein C increasing and the necrotic phenomenon resolving, thus making unnecessary amputation of the limb. The observation is discussed with the evidences of danazol being useful in the treatment of patients with protein C deficiency.

The salient clinical and epidemiological features of the first cases of AIDS diagnosed in the city of Puebla, Mexico, are reviewed. Puebla has 2 million inhabitants and 37 cases of AIDS have been diagnosed since 1984. Thirty-two percent of patients acquired AIDS by blood transfusion, 20% were paid blood donors and 48% acquired the HIV infection by the sexual route, thus making a 52% prevalence of transfusion-related HIV infection. These data are substantially different from those reported in other countries and in other cities within Mexico, where the prevalence of transfusion-associated HIV infection is about 11.5%. The high prevalence of transfusion-related AIDS seems to be due to existence of "blood centers" where paid donors are bled using non-disposable material, and they are poorly selected. HIV infection is thus transmitted to paid-blood donors which in turn become transmitters of the disease. The new regulations on blood donation adopted in Mexico abolish paid blood-donation and the selection of blood donors is more stringent. This should result in reducing the serious problem of transfusion-associated HIV infection in the city of Puebla, Mexico.

40 patients with DMPS were studied and diagnosed at the INNSZ during 1980-1985. Eighteen were males and twenty two females; age average of 55.7 years (17-82), with 72.5% over 50 years old. Their distribution according to the FAB classification was: 55% type I, 10% type II, 27.5% type III, 2.5% type IV and 5% type V. All of them had an anemic syndrome and 47.5% had bled, 52.5% had pancytopenia; there was anemia and thrombocytopenia in 32.5%, anemia and leukopenia in 7.5%, and anemia only in 7.5%. The bone marrow was normocellular in 42.5%, hypercellular in 40% and hypocellular in 17.5%, 45% of the patients survived; 22% achieved a complete remission (CR) and 9 patients (22.5%) died of causes related to DMPS. The rest was lost to follow up.

Ten patients either in relapse (n = 7) or refractory (n = 3) acute leukemia were treated with high-dose Ara-C (3000 mg/m2) every 12 hours to a total of eight 2 doses (24,000 mg/m2). Myeloblastic (n = 5), lymphoblastic (n = 4) and hybrid (n = 1) acute leukemias were included. In the total group, complete remission was achieved in 6 of 10 cases (60%); the remission rate was higher in the relapsed than in the refractory acute leukemia group (71 versus 33%;) the duration of the complete remission ranged between 1 and 13 months, with a median of 2 months; the remission duration was also higher in the relapsed than in the refractory acute leukemia group (4 versus 1 month). Refractoriness to the high-doses of Ara-C was observed in two cases, and fatal iatrogenic myelosuppression was produced in two patients. The rate of complete remission was 80% in myelogenous leukemia and 50% in lymphoblastic leukemia. It is concluded that high-dose Ara-C is another therapeutic choice in the treatment of relapsed and perhaps refractory acute leukemia.