The effects of cryopreservation on testicular sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation and its relationship with assisted conception outcome following intracytoplasmic sperm injection

M.E.M. Thompson-Cree, Neil McClure, Eilish T. Donnelly, Kristine E. Steele and Sheena E.M. Lewis

The endogenous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor response following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is inpaired in patients with myeloma

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels were studied in 23 patients (10 myeloma, 13 relapsed Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or germ cell tumours), post autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). The two groups had similar previous chemotherapy and numbers of CD34+ cells transplanted. All patients received G-CSF by injection starting 8 d post transplantation. Twenty out of 23 patients showed raised endogenous levels of G-CSF before cytokine administration. Myeloma patients showed significantly lower levels of endogenous G-CSF than the other patients (0.767 versus 3.262 ng/ml, P <0.05). Further rises in G-CSF levels were seen following the administration of exogenous G-CSF which then fell, despite ongoing administration of G-CSF, as neutrophil recovery occurred.

Failure to Achieve PSA Level ≤I ng/ml Following Neo-Adjuvant LHRHa Therapy Predicts for a Lower Biochemical Control Rate and Overall Survival in Localized Prostate Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy

PURPOSE: To investigate whether failure to suppress the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level to /=2 months of neoadjuvant luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist therapy in patients scheduled to undergo external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate carcinoma is associated with reduced biochemical failure-free survival. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective case note review of consecutive patients with intermediate- or high-risk localized prostate cancer treated between January 2001 and December 2002 with neoadjuvant hormonal deprivation therapy, followed by concurrent hormonal therapy and radiotherapy was performed. Patient data were divided for analysis according to whether the PSA level in Week 1 of radiotherapy was 1 ng/mL in 52. At a median follow-up of 49 months, the 4-year actuarial biochemical failure-free survival rate was 84% vs. 60% (p = 0.0016) in favor of the patients with a PSA level after neoadjuvant hormonal deprivation therapy of 1 ng/mL at the beginning of external beam radiotherapy after >/=2 months of neoadjuvant luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist therapy have a significantly greater rate of biochemical failure and lower survival rate compared with those with a PSA level of