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Copyright of Transfusiology & Haematology Today / Transfuze a Hematologie Dnes is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Transfusiology & Haematology Today / Transfuze a Hematologie Dnes is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Czecho-Slovak Pediatrics / Česko-Slovenská Pediatrie is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Octanate® is a human, plasma‐derived, von Willebrand factor‐stabilized coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate with demonstrated haemostatic efficacy in previously treated patients with haemophilia A. Aim: This prospective, open‐label study aimed to assess the immunogenicity of octanate® in previously untreated patients (PUPs). Methods: The study monitored development of FVIII inhibitors in 51 PUPs. Tolerability, viral safety, FVIII recovery and efficacy of octanate® for the prevention and treatment of bleeds and in surgical procedures were also assessed. Results: Five (9.8%) of the 51 patients developed inhibitors during the study, 4 of which (7.8%) were high titre. Three inhibitor cases (5.9%) were considered clinically relevant; 2 were transient inhibitors that disappeared during regular octanate® treatment without a change in dose or treatment frequency. Amongst 45 patients with FVIII:C <1% at baseline and who received ≥20 exposure days (EDs) or had <20 EDs but developed an inhibitor, inhibitor incidence was 11.1% (6.7% clinically relevant). All clinically relevant inhibitors developed within 20 EDs of on‐demand treatment. No inhibitors developed in PUPs receiving prophylaxis. All patients who developed inhibitors had either intron 22 inversions or large deletions. Irrespective of the reason for administration, haemostatic efficacy was rated as “excellent” in 99.6% of all infusions (4700 of 4717 infusions), and no complications were reported in 23 surgical procedures. Mean incremental in vivo recovery was 2.0%/IU/kg (±0.7) and 1.9%/IU/kg (±0.5) for the first and second assessments, respectively. Tolerability was rated “very good” in 99.9% of infusions. Conclusion: In PUPs with severe haemophilia A, octanate® demonstrated haemostatic efficacy with a low rate of inhibitor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of study: The Czech National Haemophilia Programme is focusing not only on the health status and treatment of patients but also on the quality of their life. Examples of patients of our Comprehensive Care Center (CCC) demonstrate how the patients themselves evaluate their health status and quality of life. Methods and results: 183 questionnaires focusing on quality of life of 72 pediatric patients with haemophilia and 3 with Von Willebrand disease were collected. For small children the questionnaires were filled out by their parents, school children and older patients filled them out themselves. The highest percentage of questionnaires were filled out by children of age between 12-14 years (22.9%) roughly 15% were done by age groups of 5-7, 15-17 and above 18 years the rest of age groups were negligible. 80.4% of questionnaires were filled out by boys with Haemophilia A the rest by patients with Haemophilia B and VWD. 58.7% of questionnaires were filled out by patients with severe type of Haemophilia. 42.5% were filled out by boys on permanent prophylactic treatment, 49.7% of questionnaires by boys with moderate and mild type of Haemophilia and on demand treatment. 3.9% of questionnaires were filled out by patients with inhibitor. 14 questionnaires from patients with temporary prophylactic treatment were excluded from analysis as a group difficult to evaluate. Therefore the total number of questionnaires was 165. Responses were evaluated in 3 ways: percentage representation of respective responses, transformation of responses into numeric scale of 0-100 (the higher value the better health condition) and percentiles. Followed parameters of quality of life are rated in patients without inhibitor on numeric scale between 75-95 i.e. very positively. In a small group of patients with inhibitor the evaluation is significantly worse and oscillates between 30 (sense of physical health) and 95 (satisfaction with treatment). Conclusion: Presented data show that availability of good quality substitution treatment, long term prophylaxis, home treatment and complex care for pediatric patients with Haemophilia in specialized centers brings positive results which are reflected also in positive evaluation of quality of life by patients themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both relative and absolute incidence of inhibitors against FVIII in previously untreated patients (PUPs) receiving only rFVIII in the Czech Republic between 2003 and 2012 were evaluated based on the Czech National Haemophilia Programme (CNHP) registry data. These findings were correlated with the treatment regimens used and relevant relationships were investigated. Incidence of inhibitors against FVIII in PUPS treated with rFVIII and pdFVIII was compared as well. From 2003-2012, 41 PUPs were treated for 118 treatment years with rFVIII in the Czech Republic. None of the children with mild/moderate haemophilia A developed inhibitors. Relative incidence of inhibitors in PUPS was 5.2 per 100 treatment years (5,2%) in rFVIII treated and 4,7 per 100 treatment years (4,7%) in pdFVIII treated PUPs . All of these PUPS were children with severe haemophilia A. Relative incidence of inhibitors in PUPs thus did not differ significantly between the groups treated with rFVIII and with pdFVIII. Absolute incidence of inhibitors was 20% for rFVIIa and 26% for pdFVIII. This difference was not statistically significant either. We thus conclude that the incidence of inhibitors in Czech PUPs is low and introduction of rFVIII in 2003 has not led an increase in inhibitor development risk in our country to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: It has been shown that HIV-positive haemophilic children develop growth retardation. As not only the HIV infection but also other disease-related factors might compromise growth in these children, growth data were analysed in a longitudinal cross-sectional manner in 84 HIV-negative haemophilic patients from two university clinics. A total of 2-24 height and weight measurements (median 6) were recorded in each patient resulting in 683 single values collected between 1977-1995. Height SDS of all haemophilic boys was -0.31 +/- 2.13 (mean +/- SD, NS versus 0) and body mass index SDS was 0.21 +/- 3.49 (mean SD, NS versus 0) at first measurement and remained unchanged throughout the observation period. Neither height nor body mass index differed with respect to the severity of haemophilia (mild/moderate/severe) or the study centre (Vienna/Prague).Conclusion: Growth in HIV-negative patients with haemophilia is not affected in spite of the immunological abnormalities attributed to the substitution therapy or the bleeding episodes in the joints with the potential effect on the growth plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standard pharmacokinetic (PK) assessments are demanding for persons with hemophilia A, requiring a 72-hour washout and 5 to 11 timed blood samples. A no-washout, single-clinic visit, sparse sampling population PK (PPK) protocol is an attractive alternative. Here, we compared PK parameters obtained with a traditional washout, 6-sampling time point PPK protocol with a no-washout, single-clinic visit, reverse 2-sampling time point PPK protocol in persons with severe hemophilia A (SHA) receiving ADVATE. A total of 39 inhibitor-negative males with SHA (factor VIII activity [FVIII:C] < 2%) were enrolled in a prospective sequential design PK study. Participants completed a washout, 6-sampling time point PPK protocol as well as a no-washout, reverse 2-sampling time point protocol, with samples taken during a single 3-hour clinic visit 24 hours post home infusion of FVIII and then 3 hours post infusion in clinic. FVIII:C levels were analyzed by one-stage and chromogenic assays; blood group and von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) were determined; and PK parameters were analyzed using the ADVATE myPKFiT dosing tool. There was moderate to almost perfect agreement for the PK parameters obtained with the 2- and the 6- point PPK protocols using a one-stage FVIII:C assay and a substantial to almost perfect agreement using a chromogenic FVIII:C assay. Significant associations between specific PK parameters and blood group and VWF:Ag were observed. The no-washout, single-clinic visit, reverse 2-sampling time point PPK protocol can be used in the routine clinical setting since it demonstrates sufficient accuracy compared with the more demanding and less practical washout, 6-sampling time point PPK protocol in persons with SHA receiving ADVATE., Competing Interests: V.B. has received consultancy and speaker fees from Amgen, Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Shire/Takeda, and Spark Therapeutics. He is recipient of research grants from Bioverativ/Sanofi, Bayer, Novo Nordisk, and Shire, and serves as a member of Data Safety Monitoring Boards for Octapharma and Shire/Takeda. He is also the Chair of a nonprofit organization, the International Prophylaxis Study Group (IPSG). J.B. has received consultancy and/or speaker fees from Bayer, LFB, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Shire/Takeda, and Sobi. M.C. reports having received research support from Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, CSL Behring, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, and Shire/Takeda. He has also received honoraria for speaking/participating in advisory boards from Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, Biotest, CSL Behring, Grifols, LFB, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Roche, and Shire/Takeda. D.L. has received research support from Biomarin, Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, CSL Behring, and Octapharma. M.M. has acted as a paid consultant to Bayer, Baxter, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer for participation in advisory boards, and has received speaker fees for educational events organized by CSL Behring, Biotest, Bayer, Kedrion, Novo Nordisk, Sobi, and Octapharma. He has received research grant support from Pfizer. The other authors report no conflicts of interest to declare., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Treatment of haemophilia A with FVIII replacement has evolved over the past decades to adapt to the needs of patients. octanate®, a plasma-derived, double virus-inactivated, von Willebrand factor (VWF)-containing FVIII concentrate, has been used in clinics worldwide for over 20 years. First licensed in 1998 in Germany, octanate® is approved in over 80 countries for the prevention and treatment of bleeding and for surgical prophylaxis in patients with haemophilia A, and in over 40 countries for immune tolerance induction (ITI). The manufacturing process for octanate® was developed to ensure high viral safety and effectively eliminates both enveloped and nonenveloped viruses. Over the past 20 years, the excellent safety and efficacy of octanate® have been demonstrated in pivotal clinical trials in adult and paediatric previously treated patients (PTPs) for on-demand treatment, prophylaxis and as surgical cover. Importantly, octanate® has displayed low immunogenicity in previously untreated patients (PUPs), with only 9.8% of PUPs developing FVIII inhibitors. octanate® has also shown to be highly effective in inhibitor elimination when used as ITI therapy. In a population of patients with high risk of ITI failure, success was achieved in 79.2% of patients (70.8% complete success), even when using exceptionally stringent success criteria. No relapses were observed. Here we present an overview of the clinical data with octanate® that support its use in a range of patient populations and clinical indications., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: A. Klukowska has received personal fees from CSL Behring, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Roche, Shire and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. V. Komrska has participated in studies sponsored by Baxalta, Octapharma AG, Shire and Takeda. V. Vdovin has participated in studies sponsored by Octapharma AG. A. Pavlova has participated in studies sponsored by Octapharma AG. N. Zozulya has received grants/research support from Octapharma, Baxalta, CSL Behring and Generium and has been a consultant for CSL Behring, Octapharma, Baxalta, Novo Nordisk, Generium and Hoffmann La-Roche. T. Lissitchkov has received grants or personal fees from Bayer, CSL Behring, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Roche, Sanofi, Shire and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. J. Oldenburg has received reimbursement for attending symposia/congresses or honoraria for speaking or honoraria for consulting, or funds for research from Bayer, Biogen Idec, Biotest, Chugai, CSL Behring, Grifols, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Roche, Shire and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. C. Escuriola Ettingshausen has received reimbursement for attending symposia/congresses or honoraria for speaking or honoraria for consulting, or funds for research: Alnylam, Baxalta/Shire/Takeda, Bayer, Biotest, Chugai, CSL Behring, Grifols, Kedrion, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Roche and SOBI., (© The Author(s), 2020.)

The Aim of the Study: To highlight the risks associated with pregnancy at women with von Willebrand´s disease or hemophilia. Introduce the rules of multidisciplinary prenatal and peripartal care to minimalize these risks. The article is accompanied by case report where maladministration led to fatal consequences for the newborn., Design: Review and case report.Seatings: Department Obstetric and Gynecology UJEP and Masaryk´s Hospital Ústí n/Labem, Institute Haematology and Blood Transfer Prague, Children´s Haemato-onkology Clinic University Hospital Prague Motol.Coclusions: The pregnancy in both above-mentioned diseases is risky. The close multidisciplinary collaboration is required.

Our objective was to assess the incidence of inhibitors development in Czech Republic since the introduction of recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) and to look for the factors potentially influencing this parameter. It is to be expected that inhibitors risk may be increased after the introduction of recombinant products. Data of Czech National Haemophilia Programme registry entered from 2003 till 2013 were analysed. Both annual and absolute incidences of newly developed inhibitors in previously untreated patients (PUPs) were calculated. Bleeding and treatment data were also extracted, and association to the treatment regimen and development of inhibitors were analysed. Within the given period, we commenced 45 PUPs with haemophilia A on rFVIII and treated them for 137 treatment-years. Twenty-two of the PUPs had severe haemophilia A, being treated for 88 treatment-years. Treatment strategy for them was prophylaxis. Other PUPs were treated on demand. Median annual bleeding rate was 5 for boys with severe haemophilia, 3 for moderate haemophilia and 1 for mild form of the disease. No inhibitors developed in PUPs with moderate/mild haemophilia A. Annual inhibitor incidence rate in PUPs with severe haemophilia A treated with rFVIII was 56.8 per 1000 treatment-years. Absolute incidence was 22.7% (5/22). All inhibitors appeared within the first 50 exposure days. Comparing rFVIII-treated group with the control group treated under same/similar conditions with plasma-derived FVIII during the same follow-up period, we were not able to find significant difference in inhibitor development between these two groups. Our results support the finding that use of rFVIII is not a proven risk factor for inhibitor development in patients with haemophilia A.

The clinical, haematological, molecular and treatment data of eight paediatric patients with polycythemia vera (PV) were collected prospectively. One patient developed PV after treatment for large-cell anaplastic lymphoma. Budd-Chiari syndrome was diagnosed in two patients, necessitating orthotopic liver transplantation in one and transjugular portosystemic shunting in the other. The remaining patients presented with non-specific symptoms. Endogenous erythroid colonies were detected in all cases examined. The JAK2(V617F) mutation was found in six patients; two patients displayed JAK2 exon 12 mutations, including one novel mutation (JAK2(H538-K539delinsI)). CD177 (PRV-1) mRNA expression was increased in three of five patients tested.

Stem cell transplants into spinal cord lesions may help to improve regeneration and spinal cord function. Clinical studies are necessary for transferring preclinical findings from animal experiments to humans. We investigated the transplantation of unmanipulated autologous bone marrow in patients with transversal spinal cord injury (SCI) with respect to safety, therapeutic time window, implantation strategy, method of administration, and functional improvement. We report data from 20 patients with complete SCI who received transplants 10 to 467 days postinjury. The follow-up examinations were done at 3, 6, and 12 months after implantation by two independent neurologists using standard neurological classification of SCI, including the ASIA protocol, the Frankel score, the recording of motor and somatosensory evoked potentials, and MRI evaluation of lesion size. We compared intra-arterial (via catheterization of a. vertebralis) versus intravenous administration of all mononuclear cells in groups of acute (10-30 days post-SCI, n=7) and chronic patients (2-17 months postinjury, n=13). Improvement in motor and/or sensory functions was observed within 3 months in 5 of 6 patients with intra-arterial application, in 5 of 7 acute, and in 1 of 13 chronic patients. Our case study shows that the implantation of autologous bone marrow cells appears to be safe, as there have been no complications following implantation to date (11 patients followed up for more than 2 years), but longer follow-ups are required to determine that implantation is definitively safe. Also, we cannot yet confirm that the observed beneficial effects were due to the cell therapy. However, the outcomes following transplantation in acute patients, and in one chronic patient who was in stable condition for several months prior to cell implantation, are promising. It is evident that transplantation within a therapeutic window of 3-4 weeks following injury will play an important role in any type of stem cell SCI treatment. Trials involving a larger population of patients and different cell types are needed before further conclusions can be drawn.

Background: We determined fetal sex in pregnancies referred for invasive prenatal diagnosis procedures by analysis of DNA in maternal plasma., Methods: Twelve pregnancies at risk of X-linked haemophilia and 32 pregnancies at risk of chromosomal aneuploidies at a gestational age ranging from 10 to 18 weeks recruited before chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis were involved in the study. Male fetal DNA in maternal plasma was detected by using real-time polymerase chain reaction with the SRY gene as a marker., Results: The specificity of the system reached 100% (no Y signal was detected in 17 women pregnant with a female fetus) and the sensitivity reached 100% (SRY amplification in 27 examined samples)., Conclusions: Amplification of free fetal DNA in maternal plasma is a valid and rapid technique for predicting fetal sex in first- and second-trimester pregnancies and could allow the restriction of invasive sampling procedures to male fetuses at risk of X-linked disorders., (Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Most children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and increasing number of children with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are currently cured with conventional chemotherapy. Despite of this success there is a subset of patients with high-risk features at diagnosis who are predisposed to a very high risk of relapse. Relapse of AML and early bone marrow relapse of ALL can not be cured by conventional chemotherapy. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is therapeutic option in these children with very high-risk acute leukemia., Methods and Results: Between XI/1989-XII/1996 33 children with acute leukemia (ALL: 22, AML: 11) underwent an allogeneic HSCT from HLA identical related donors (HLA-identical sibling: 30, twin: 1, other HLA-identical relative: 2) at the 2nd Dept. of Pediatrics, University Hospital Motol. Median age of our group was 9 years (1.5-19 y.), boys (n = 23) clearly dominated over the girls (n = 10). The resource of stem cells was bone marrow in 31 children, bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) and PBPC in one child respectively. Myeloablative conditioning regimen varied, consisting of total body irradiation and chemotherapy in 21 children and chemotherapy in 12 children. HSCT was performed in first complete remission of acute leukemia in 9 children (AML: 7, ALL: 2), in second remission in 14 children (AML: 2, ALL: 12), in third remission in 4 children (ALL: 4). Six children underwent HSCT in first partial remission (n = 1) and in second (n = 4) or third (n = 1) chemoresistant relapse. Seven (21%) children died due to post-transplant complications. Nine (28%) children suffered from clinically significant acute graft-versus-host reaction (GVH) and 15% (4/27) children who survived 100 days post-transplant suffered from chronic GVH disease. Relapse of leukemia was diagnosed in 39% (12/31) children. Fourteen (42%) children are alive and well in continuous remission with median follow-up 42 months., Conclusions: Allogeneic HSCT can cure children with very high-risk acute leukemia in the situations where conventional chemotherapy fails. Relapse of leukemia and GVH reaction are most important causes of post-transplant morbidity and mortality.

Background: Bone marrow transplantation has become the therapeutic method in some forms of malignant haemotopoietic diseases, malignant tumours, inborn errors of metabolism and immunodeficiency states. The objective of the presented work is the analysis of 40 allogenic bone marrow transplantations in children made in 1989-1994., Methods and Results: Bone marrow transplantation was made in 40 children (26 boys and 14 girls), mean age 10.5 years (range 1.5-17.5 years). Indications were acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 11, acute myeloid leukaemia in 10, chronic myeloid leukaemia in 6, myelodysplastic syndrome in 2, aplastic anaemia and Fanconi's anaemia in 7, non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2 and inborn errors in 2 children. The donor was in 33 patients in HLA identical sibling and in seven instances a monozygotic twin, HLA non-identical sibling or relative or unrelated matched donor. Bone marrow engraftment was achieved in 35 (87.5%) patients, in one instance the bone marrow was rejected (2.5%) and in four patients (10%) early death occurred before the bone marrow engraftment. On Aug. 15, 1995 20 patients (50%) survived, a relapse developed in 7 (17.5%) and 13 patients died in conjunction with the transplantation (32.5%). The most frequent cause of death were infectious complications (9 children) either in conjunction with the development of graft versus host reaction (6x) or without signs of this reaction (3x). As a prophylaxis of graft versus host disease 24x Cyclosporine A with corticosteroids was used, 16x with methotrexate. A chronic graft versus host disease developed in 6 of 28 children surviving 100 days after transplantation. The greatest problem are infectious (bacterial and mycotic) complications in the phase of bone marrow aplasia before engraftment of the transplanted bone marrow or in conjunction with a graft versus host reaction which cannot be completely avoided by preventive measures., Conclusions: Bone marrow transplantation is also in children an effective therapeutic method of some forms of malignant haematopoietic diseases, malignant tumours and immunodeficiency states. The correct indication, suitable donor, preventive measures against the graft versus host reaction and protection against infectious complications are essential for the success of this pretentious treatment.

The authors analyzed a group of 64 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) treated according to three protocols of different intensity. The best therapeutic results were obtained in children treated according to the most intensive protocol of the West German Multicentre Investigation BFM 83 which is graded as to its intensity with regard to the degree of risk of an adverse course. Successful remission in the entire group of patients was 93%, one third of the children developed during the investigation period a relapse of the basic disease. 12% of the children died during remission from complications of treatment. The surprising agreement of therapeutic results of different protocols after three years' complete remission is apparent from the fact that early relapses during the first two years of treatment, implying resistance to administered therapy, are at present the greatest problem of effective treatment which is not resolved even by the ever increasing intensity of treatment. In the conclusion the authors define the group of patients with a high risk of early relapse for whom new therapeutic procedures must be sought.