View clinical trials related to Pancytopenia.
Filter by:The researchers hypothesize that it will be possible to perform unrelated bone marrow or cord blood transplants in a safer manner by using less intensive therapy yet still achieve an acceptable level of donor cell engraftment for non-malignant congenital bone marrow failure disorders.
This study will examine whether cytokine gene polymorphisms affect the progression or response to therapy of bone marrow failure disorders. Cytokine genes instruct cells to produce proteins called cytokines that influence immune system response. As with many genes, the cytokine genes differ slightly from person to person. These differences are called gene polymorphisms. Different patients with the same bone marrow failure disease often progress and respond to treatment differently. This study will look at the possible role of cytokine gene polymorphisms in these differences. Patients between 2 and 80 years old who have participated in an NHLBI Hematology Branch treatment protocol for acquired aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or pure red cell aplasia are recruited to participate in this study. Blood collected and stored at the time of screening for the treatment protocol will be tested for cytokine gene polymorphisms. No additional tests, procedures, or treatments are involved in this study.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. Inserting a specific gene into a person's peripheral stem cells may improve the body's ability to fight cancer or make the cancer more sensitive to chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus gene therapy in treating patients who have CNS tumors.
RATIONALE: Although used primarily to treat malignant disorders of the blood, allogeneic stem cell transplantation can also cure a variety of non-cancerous, inherited or acquired disorders of the blood. Unfortunately, the conventional approach to allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a risky procedure. For some non-cancerous conditions, the risks of this procedure outweigh the potential benefits. This protocol is designed to test a new approach to allogeneic stem cell transplantation. It is hoped that this approach will be better suited for patients with non-cancerous blood and bone marrow disorders.
RATIONALE: Antibiotic therapy may prevent the development of infection in patients with hematologic cancer and the persistent fever caused by a low white blood cell count. It is not yet known which regimen of antibiotics is most effective in preventing infection in these patients. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to study the effectiveness of piperacillin-tazobactam with or without vancomycin in reducing fever in patients who have leukemia, lymphoma, or Hodgkin's disease.
Fanconi's Anemia is an inherited disorder that can produce bone marrow failure. In addition, some patients with Fanconi's anemia have physical defects usually involving the skeleton and kidneys. The major problem for most patients is aplastic anemia, the blood counts for red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are low because the bone marrow fails to produce these cells. Some patients with Fanconi's anemia can develop leukemia or cancers of other organs. Many laboratory studies have suggested that Fanconi's anemia is caused by an inherited defect in the ability of cells to repair DNA. Recently, the gene for one of the four types of Fanconi's anemia, type C, has been identified. It is known that this gene is defective in patients with Fanconi's anemia type C. Researchers have conducted laboratory studies that suggest Fanconi's anemia type C may be treatable with gene therapy. Gene therapy works by placing a normal gene into the cells of patients with abnormal genes responsible for Fanconi's anemia type C. After the normal gene is in place, new normal cells can develop and grow. Drugs can be given to these patients kill the remaining abnormal cells. The new cells containing normal genes and will not be harmed by these drugs. The purpose of this study is to test whether researchers can safely place the normal Fanconi's anemia type C gene into cells of patients with the disease. The gene will be placed into special cells in the bone marrow called stem cells. These stem cells are responsible for producing new red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
This trial, sponsored by Amgen, Inc., which produces the recombinant methionyl human stem cell factor (r-metHuSCF), also involves two other institutions. The primary objective is determination of the safety of administering multiple doses of r-metHuSCF in the setting of acquired aplastic anemia and evaluation of the effect of r-metHuSCF on peripheral blood counts. Potential effects of r-metHuSCF on frequency of need for red cell or platelet transfusions and on bone marrow morphology/cellularity will also be evaluated.
Aplastic anemia is a condition in which the cells normally found in blood are greatly decreased. The normal levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are much lower in patients with aplastic anemia. Because of these low levels of blood cells, patients with aplastic anemia have a variety of immune system abnormalities. However, low levels of blood cells make it difficult to collect specialized white blood cells (mononuclear cells) for research studies. This study was designed to collect lymphocytes from patients with low levels of all blood cells (pancytopenia) for use in research. Patients participating in the study will undergo a special procedure known as lymphapheresis. During lymphapheresis blood is taken from the patient in a manner similar to blood donation. The white blood cells are selectively removed by spinning (centrifugation), and the remaining red blood cells and platelets are placed back (re-infused) into the donor s blood stream. Patients participating in this study will not benefit directly from it. However, cells collected in this study may increase scientific knowledge and improve understanding and treatment for diseases like aplastic anemia.
To determine the therapeutic effects of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) in patients with aplastic anemia and related bone marrow failure diseases.