We embarked on autologous dendric cells (DC) transplantation as an adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy in a pleomorphic lung carcinoma patient. DC were isolated from PBMC and primed with the autologous tumor lysate. No adverse event was noted in DC transplantation. DC administration also correlated with immunomodulation, as evidenced by an approximately 5-fold increase in serum interferon gamma after 2 months. The utility of autologous DC transplantation may offer a clinical benefit with virtually no adverse event.

Human ; Male ; Adult ; Interferon-gamma ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Immunomodulation ; Neoplasms ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Combined Modality Therapy

Introduction: Thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies are autosomal-recessive red blood cell disorders affecting hemoglobin (Hb) quantity and/or quality. Clinical manifestations vary from clinically asymptomatic to transfusion dependent individuals. These disorders are global in scope and is prevalent in Southeast Asia hence screening in the Philippines is very crucial for its prevention and control. Objective: Our retrospective study aimed to determine the frequency of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies in patients referred to the Molecular Genetics Unit, Institute of Human Genetics, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines, Manila for High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) screening. Methods: Blood samples from patients (n=622) sent by hematologists from different parts of the country from October 2008 to February 2015 were analyzed. Extracted whole blood samples from the subjects were anticoagulated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and were analyzed using BIORAD VARIANT™ HPLC Testing System and VARIANT™ Beta Thalassemia Short (BTS) Program kit for the detection of abnormalities in hemoglobin. Interpretation of results were based on the submitted mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) values, and Hb typing via HPLC of the patients. Results: Approximately twenty-nine percent (29.10%, n=181) of subjects were presumptively identified with thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies by HPLC. Beta-thalassemia trait, Hb E trait, and beta-thalassemia/Hb E disease were detected in 65 (10.45 %), 14 (2.25 %), and 3 (0.48 %) subjects, respectively. While suspected alpha-thalassemia, presumably Hb H disease, was found in 99 (15.92 %) patients. Interestingly, seventy-two percent (72.11%, n=318) of the patients with normal Hb typing via HPLC have low MCV and MCH values. Conclusion Results of this study provide the spectrum and frequency of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies in patients referred to our laboratory for HPLC analysis.
Thalassemia ; Hemoglobinopathies ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Erythrocyte Indices