Claudia Caceres Astigarraga

High prevalence of anemia in children and adult women in an urban population in southern Brazil.

This population-based study was designed to detect the prevalence of anemia in a healthy population of children (18 months to 7 years) and women (14 to 30 years) tested in 2006–2007 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil as part of an effort to tackle this massive problem that still affects so many people in the XXI century. Anemia was defined according to the WHO. Capillary blood was measured and socioeconomic status was determined according to the Brazilian Association of Market Research Agencies. The median prevalence of anemia in 2198 children was 45.4% and in 1999 women 36.4%. Anemia decreased with age during childhood; although significantly more prevalent in lower classes individuals, it was also high in the upper classes. There are indirect evidences that the lack of iron supplementation and/or iron fortified food may play a role in it. Professionals and society wise measures of education have to be implemented in order to address possible biologic factors involved in childhood psychosocial development in southern Brazil.

Association of Busulfan and Cyclophosphamide Conditioning with Sleep Disorders after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

New indications and conditioning regimens for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have emerged in the last 10 years. Previous studies have shown the association of HSCT with late effects such as sleep disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with sleep disorders following HSCT in a population considering these new trends. Sixty-one individuals 1–10 years after allogeneic HSCT were surveyed using the DSM-IV-TR criteria for sleep disorders. Factors related to conditioning and graft-versus-host disease were collected from medical records. A prevalence of sleep disorders of 26.2% was found. Busulfan-cyclophosphamide conditioning was an independent risk factor in a multivariate analysis (relative risk, RR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.1–12.6; p = 0.03), which also included sex (RR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.0–5.7; p = 0.05) and age (RR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99–1.07; p = 0.11). Sleep disorders were frequent following HSCT. Patients who were treated with busulfan-cyclophosphamide had a higher risk of developing this complication. Female sex was also possibly a risk factor.

Talidomida e mieloma múltiplo: verificação dos efeitos terapêuticos através de parâmetros clínico e laboratoriais

Over the last two decades, we have seen a radical change in therapy and progression of multiple myeloma, a malignant hematologic disease that is still considered fatal. Recent investment and research on mechanisms that interfere in the physiopathogenesis and bone marrow microenvironment are turning control and regression of the malignant plasma cell clone into something achievable, which may change expectations related to this disease. The new idea of using an old drug, thalidomide, has shown to be effective in multiple myeloma. In 1997, using the known effects of immunomodulation and antiangiogenesis of this drug, clinical trials were started in patients with unresponsive disease. Other therapeutic interventions in the bone marrow microenvironment and plasma cells have been added and proved to be efficacious, not only as a therapy for refractory patients, but also for induction and/or remission maintenance therapy. Thirty-five patients with multiple myeloma were treated with low-dose thalidomide (100 mg) and followed up. Thirteen were on maintenance therapy after bone marrow transplantation, eleven started thalidomide after induction therapy, five after relapse, four were refractory to usual therapies and two had induction therapy with thalidomide. The study took place in the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation service of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, from March 2001 to December 2003. Hemoglobin levels, serum or urine immunoglobulin peaks and bone marrow plasma cell counts were evaluated. These parameters were assessed before starting with the drug and after 3.6 and 12 months of usage. The immunoglobulin level was considered the gold standard to evaluate the response. The results showed that 100 mg was the tolerable dose for 51% of the patients. Sixty-five percent of those who used thalidomide for induction therapy showed a 25 to 50% improvement in immunoglobulin serum levels and 90% of the patients on maintenance therapy (13 after bone marrow transplantation, 11 after induction), sustained the same immunoglobulin levels of the initial plateau. Rev. bras. hematol. hemoter. 2004;26(4):245-255.