WITHDRAWN: Antimicrobial Lock Therapy: Is it a Real Savior in Pediatric Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) Patients?

Objective: Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Antimicrobial lock treatment (ALT), when utilized alongside systemic antibiotics, may be lifesaving when catheter removal (CR) is not feasible.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical, laboratory, and microbiologic characteristics of CLABSI episodes of pediatric patients who underwent HSCT and applied ALT.

Donor impact on allogeneic transplant outcomes with PTCy for severe aplastic anemia: a study of the SAAWP EBMT.

The use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) remains understudied, particularly beyond haploidentical transplants. We analyzed outcomes of SAA patients who underwent stem cell transplantation (SCT) with PTCy from haploidentical donors (n = 209), HLA-matched sibling donors (MSD, n = 70), and unrelated donors (UD, n = 69) using EBMT data from 2010 to 2022. Median age was 22 years, and median time to transplantation was 8.

Evaluating the Antibiofilm Effects of Antibiotics on Species from Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Patients.

Biofilms are microbial communities and occur on different medical devices such as catheters. The formation of bacterial biofilms on medical devices leads to indwelling medical device-related infections. Since biofilm bacteria are more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic bacteria, using these antibiotics in indwelling medical device-related infections causes recurrence of infections, treatment failure, and death.

Effect of genetic mutations on outcomes of stem cell transplantation in children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (p-HLH) can be cured with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). It remains unclear whether HSCT outcomes are affected by the presence of different genetic mutations. We used data obtained from children who underwent allo-HSCT for HLH to examine the effects of genetic mutations on HSCT outcomes.

Navigating Hope and Complexity: Turkish Parents’ Experiences with Savior Siblings.

Objective: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing represents a significant advancement in treating inherited hematological disorders, particularly thalassemia major. This technology enables the birth of healthy children who can serve as compatible stem cell donors for their affected siblings. Türkiye is a world leader in both PGD+HLA typing technology and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from savior siblings born through PGD+HLA typing.

Outcomes of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Thalassemia Major: How Do Anti-HLA Antibodies Impact?: The Impact of Anti-HLA Antibodies on Transplantation Outcomes in Thalassemia Major.

Aim: To investigate the effects of anti-human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) antibody positivity on early hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) results in patients with thalassemia major (TM).

Methods: One hundred and twenty-four HLA-matched HSCTs were performed in patients with TM between 2015 and 2022. Ninety-one patients were screened for anti-HLA antibodies by testing panel reactive antigens (PRA).

COVID-19 disease in children and adolescents following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A report from the Turkish pediatric bone marrow transplantation study group.

Background: Data on the risk factors and outcomes for pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are limited.

Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the clinical signs, risk factors, and outcomes for ICU admission and mortality in a large pediatric cohort who underwent allogeneic HSCT prior to COVID-19 infection.

Method: In this nationwide study, we retrospectively reviewed the data of 184 pediatric HSCT recipients who had COVID-19 between March 2020 and August 2022.

The Inhibitory Effects of Amylase and Streptokinase on Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Antibiotics Used to Treat Gram Negative Bacteria Biofilm Infection on Indwelling Devices.

The study evaluated and compared the effect of adding streptokinase and amylase to antibiotics that are already used in clinical practice to treat Gram negative bacteria biofilm infection on indwelling devices on the antibiotics' minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). 24 h-old biofilms were developed on 96-well plate with eight clinical isolates. MIC of amikacin, cefepime, ceftazidime, colistin, meropenem, and piperacillin-tazobactam, on biofilms were measured before and after the addition of 25 U/ml streptokinase and 25 μg/ml amylase with microplate reader.

Neurologic Status of Patients with Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase Deficiency Before and After Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive combined immunodeficiency. The phenotype is profound T cell deficiency with variable B and NK cell functions and results in recurrent and persistent infections that typically begin in the first year of life. Neurologic findings occur in approximately two-thirds of patients.

The impact of Treosulfan-based conditioning for inborn errors of immunity: Is dose monitoring crucial?

Introduction: In children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) who will receive a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) treosulfan-based conditioning is currently preferred. The aim of this study was to investigate early and late outcomes in pediatric IEI patients receiving pre-HSCT treosulfan and to examine the effect of treosulfan dose monitoring on outcomes.

Methods: Seventy-three pediatric patients receiving this management between 2015 and 2022 were included.

The effect of biofilm inhibitor N-acetylcysteine on the minimum inhibitory concentration of antibiotics used in Gram-negative bacteria in the biofilm developed on catheters.

The study determined the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the susceptibility of various antibiotics used to treat Gram-negative catheter-related infection in isolates obtained from pediatric patients admitted to the hematology and oncology department of Medical Park Bahçelievler hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Biofilms were created in vitro utilizing clinical isolates of . 24 h old biofilms were developed on 96-well plate with strains and the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of six antibiotics were measured before and after the addition of 75 mg/ml N-acetylcysteine with microplate reader at 450 nm after crystal violet assay.

Evaluation of the risk factors for BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis in pediatric bone marrow transplantation patients: Does post-transplantation cyclophosphamide increase the frequency?

Background: BKV-HC is one of the most significant complications of HSCT. This retrospective study aimed to determine the frequency of BKV-HC in pediatric patients undergoing HSCT, detect the associated risk factors for the development of BKV-HC, and explore the effects of post-transplantation Cy use.

Methods: Three hundred twenty-seven patients (girls: 121, boys: 206) were analyzed according to sex, conditioning regimen, transplantation type, donor relatedness, stem cell source, the presence and grade of aGVHD, CMV co-existence, and Cy use.

Thalassemia-free and graft-versus-host-free survival: outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia major, Turkish experience.

We report the national data on the outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for thalassemia major (TM) patients in Turkey on behalf of the Turkish Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Group. We retrospectively enrolled 1469 patients with TM who underwent their first HSCT between 1988 and 2020 in 25 pediatric centers in Turkey. The median follow-up duration and transplant ages were 62 months and 7 years, respectively; 113 patients had chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and the cGVHD rate was 8.

Different Kinetics and Risk Factors for Isolated Extramedullary Relapse after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children with Acute Leukemia.

Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains the most frequent cause of post-transplantation mortality. Isolated extramedullary (EM) relapse (iEMR) after HSCT is relatively rare and not well characterized, particularly in pediatric patients. We retrospectively analyzed 1527 consecutive pediatric patients with acute leukemia after allo-HSCT to study the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of iEMR compared with systemic relapse.

Primary immunodeficiencies: HSCT experiences of a single center in Turkey.

Background: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) are characterized by the occurrence of frequent infections and are caused by many genetic defects. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment option for the majority of PID. As a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology-Immunology Transplantation Unit, we wanted to present our HSCT experience regarding treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases.

Cross-sectional study: long term follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors in a developing country, Turkey: current status, challenges, and future perspectives.

Aim: The main purpose of this study is to determine the current status of long-term follow-up (LTFU) for childhood cancer survivors and the challenges of LTFU for pediatric cancer survivors at pediatric oncology institutions in Turkey.

Material And Methods: A questionnaire was e-mailed to the directors of 33 pediatric oncology centers (POCs) registered in the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG). Of these 33 active TPOG institutions, 21 participated in the study and returned their completed questionnaires.

Lymphoma Predisposing Gene in an Extended Family: CD70 Signaling Defect.

Genome-wide sequencing studies in pediatric cancer cohorts indicate that about 10% of patients have germline mutations within cancer predisposition genes. Within this group, primary immune deficiencies take the priority regarding the vulnerability of the patients to infectious agents and the difficulties of cancer management. On the other hand, early recognition of these diseases may offer specific targeted therapies and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as an option.

A targeted salvage therapy with Brentuximab vedotin in heavily treated refractory or relapsed pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma patients before and after stem cell transplantation.

Taçyıldız N, Tanyıldız HG, Ünal E, Dinçaslan H, Asarcıklı F, Adaklı Aksoy B, Vatansever G, Yavuz G. A targeted salvage therapy with Brentuximab vedotin in heavily treated refractory or relapsed pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma patients before and after stem cell transplantation. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 671-676.

Invasive Saprochaete capitata Infection in a Patient with Autosomal Recessive CARD9 Deficiency and a Review of the Literature.

Purpose: Autosomal recessive (AR) CARD9 deficiency is an inherited immune disorder which results in impaired innate immunity against various fungi. Superficial and invasive fungal infections, mainly caused by Candida or Trichophyton species, are the hallmark of CARD9 deficiency. Together with the increasing number of CARD9-deficient patients reported, different pathogenic fungal species have been described such as Phialophora, Exophiala, Corynespora, Aureobasidium, and Ochroconis.

The Use of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Childhood Steroid-Resistant Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease: A Retrospective Study of a Single-Center Experience.

Objective: Steroid-resistant acute graft-versus-host disease (srAGVHD) is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. There are several treatment methods available, including mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) application. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of MSC therapy performed in children with srAGVHD.