• Asian Oncology Nursing
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.132-138
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the performance status and quality of life (QOL) of patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) according to period of survival. Methods: Participants consists of 83 HSCT patients who were being treated regularly at out-patient clinic in two general hospitals in D city. Data were collected using questionnaires that were modified by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplabtation (FACT-BMT) scale and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Results: The unrelated HSCT group's survival period was significantly worse than related HSCT group and autologous HSCT group. Performance status of the group with more than 3 years survival was significantly higher than that of the group with less than a year survival. The mean score of total QOL of HSCT patients was 2.69 out of 4. Total QOL was not significantly different among period of survival less than 1 year, 1-3 years, and more than 3 years. But BMT QOL was shown that the group with more than 3 years survival was higher than the groups with less than a year survival. Conclusion: Performance status and BMT QOL of the group with less than 1 year survival was significantly lowered than the groups with more than 3 years survival.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.190-199
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Objectives of this study was to investigate the level of anxiety and depression according to the stages of autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). It would be provide the basis for effective psycho-emotional nursing intervention. Methods: We report on 52 patients, including 19 with autologous HSCT, and 33 with allogeneic HSCT from August 2002 to August 2003, at a university hospital. Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Jung's Depression Inventory were used to measure levels of anxiety and depression, respectively, at admission time, the day before HSCT, and discharge time. Data was analyzed using SAS program that included Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, repeated measures ANOVA and Stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results: In all stages of HSCT, the level of anxiety of patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT was significantly higher than that of autologous HSCT (P=0.047). The depression at the day before HSCT was significantly higher than that at admission. The major variable affecting anxiety in autologous HSCT was depression. Specially depression and gender were significant predictors to explain anxiety in allogeneic HSCT at admission time (61%). Experience of relapse and gender were significant predictors to explain anxiety in allogeneic HSCT at discharge time (36%). Conclusion: We recommend that the anxiety and depression be researched during the stages of allogeneic HSCT, specifically in the day before HSCT. It is necessary to develop an effective psycho-emotional nursing intervention according to the stages of HSCT.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.190-195
• /
• 2016

Purpose: Severe aplastic anemia (SAA), a fatal disease, requires multiple transfusion, immunosuppressive therapy, and finally, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as the definitive treatment. We hypothesized that iron overloading associated with multiple transfusions and HSCT-related complications may adversely affect cardiac function. Left ventricular (LV) function was assessed in children after HSCT for SAA. Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients with a median age of 9.8 years (range, 1.5-18 years), who received HSCT for SAA and who underwent comprehensive echocardiography before and after HSCT, were included in this study. The data of LV functional parameters obtained using conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) were collected from pre- and post-HSCT echocardiography. These data were compared to those of 40 age-matched normal controls. Results: In patients, the LV ejection fraction, shortening fraction, end-diastolic dimension, mitral early diastolic E velocity, TDI mitral septal E' velocity, and STE LV longitudinal systolic strain rate (SSR) decreased significantly after HSCT. Compared to normal controls, patients had significantly lower post-HSCT early diastolic E velocity and E/A ratio. On STE, patients had significantly decreased LV deformational parameters including LV longitudinal systolic strain (SS), SSR, and diastolic SR (DSR), and circumferential SS and DSR. Serum ferritin levels showed weak but significant correlations (P<0.05) with LV longitudinal SS and SSR and circumferential SS and DSR. Conclusion: Subclinical LV dysfunction is evident in patients after HSCT for SAA, and was associated with increased iron load. Serial monitoring of cardiac function is mandatory in this population.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.269-280
• /
• 2009

Purpose: To examine the effect of back massage on immune response, symptom distress, and mood state of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allogeneic HSCT). Methods: Subjects were thirty-seven patients undergoing sibling allogeneic HSCT (including 16 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group). Experimental subjects participated in an intervention group of back massage for 10 minutes, once a day and 5 times a week, from one week prior to the HSCT to the third week after the HSCT or a control group. A non-equivalent pretest-posttest design was used. t-test and Repeated measures ANOVA were used to examine group differences by using SAS. Results: No significant group differences were found in Immune response (CD4+, CD8+,CD19+, CD56+) and symptom distress. The experimental group had significantly less mood state (anxiety, confusion) than the control group. Conclusion: The back massage for the patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT may be effective in altering the anxiety and confusion during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, this study did not provide evidence in improving immune response and symptom distress.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.31-42
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand how patients experience everyday life in an isolation unit for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Method: The data were collected from 25 patients with HSCT at the isolation unit from January to March in 2008 in one general hospital in Korea. The data were collected by participant observations and ethnographic interviews and were analyzed using ethnographic method. Results: Four themes regarding environmental area emerged: 'barrier pulling up the drawbridge', 'very strange world', 'small and restricted space tied by IV and other treatment lines', and 'loud noise in a silent space.' Three themes regarding patients emerged: 'facing fear and anxiety', 'continuation of loneliness and lethargy', and 'compromising with a very long, dull, and boring time'. These themes describe how patients with HSCT suffer from continuous physical and psychosocial problems in a confined space, while endeavoring to control these problems and to search for hope for a new life. Conclusion: The results of the study provide an in-depth understanding of the experience and culture of patients in an isolation unit for HSCT. They would be used in developing practical programs to decrease patient's culture shock including fear and anxiety at isolation unit for HSCT.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.58 no.6
• /
• pp.199-205
• /
• 2015

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a life-threatening disorder for which allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the current available curative treatment. HSCT from matched sibling donors (MSDs) is the preferred therapy for children with acquired SAA. For patients who lack MSDs, immunosuppressive therapy (IST) is widely accepted as a first-line treatment before considering HCT from an unrelated donor (URD). Given the recent progress in HSCT using URDs for childhood SAA, well-matched URDs became a realistic alternative for pediatric patients who have no suitable related donors and who are refractory to IST. However, it is quite challenging to treat patients with refractory SAA who lack suitable related or URDs. Even though haploidentical HSCT from genetically mismatched family members seemed to be an attractive procedure with the amazing benefit of readily available donors for most patients, early attempts were disappointing because of refractory graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and excessively high transplant-related mortality. Recent advances with effective ex vivo depletion of T cells or unmanipulated in vivo regulation of T cells, better supportive care, and optimal conditioning regimens have significantly improved the outcome of haploidentical transplant. Besides considerable progress in the treatment of malignant diseases, recent emerging evidences for haploidentical HSCT in SAA has provided additional therapeutic options for patients with refractory diseases. Further improvements to decrease the rates of graft failure, GVHD, and infectious complications will facilitate the emergence of haploidentical HSCT as a front-line therapy for treating acquired SAA in children and adolescents who have no suitably matched donors.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.368-375
• /
• 2011

Background: Recent clinical observation reported that there was a significant correlation between change in circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and the occurrence of severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but the action mechanisms of VEGF in GVHD have not been demonstrated. Methods: This study investigated whether or not blockade of VEGF has an effect on acute GVHD in a lethally irradiated murine allo-HSCT model of $B6\;(H-2^b)\;{\rightarrow}B6D2F1\;(H-2^{b/d})$. Syngeneic or allogeneic recipient mice were injected subcutaneously with anti-VEGF peptides, dRK6 ($50{\mu}g/dose$) or control diluent every other day for 2 weeks (total 7 doses). Results: Administration of the dRK6 peptide after allo-HSCT significantly reduced survival with greaterclinical GVHD scores and body weight loss. Allogeneic recipients injected with the dRK6 peptide exhibited significantly increased circulating levels of VEGF and expansion of donor $CD3^+$ T cells on day +7 compared to control treated animals. The donor $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ T-cell subsets have differential expansion caused by the dRK6 injection. The circulating VEGF levels were reduced on day +14 regardless of blockade of VEGF. Conclusion: Together these findings demonstrate that the allo-reactive responses after allo-HSCT are exaggerated by the blockade of VEGF. VEGF seems to be consumed during the progression of acute GVHD in this murine allo-HSCT model.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.37-46
• /
• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on anxiety of patients who had received hemopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT). Method: A total of 81 patients who had undergone a HSCT at a university hospital were recruited from July of 2001 to June of 2002. They were asked to complete questionnaires about anxiety, self-esteem, family support, doctor's support and nurse's support. Result: The mean score of anxiety, self-esteem, family support, doctor's support and nurse's support was 41.9, 3.0, 4.6, 7.6 and 7.3, respectively. A significant negative correlation was found between anxiety and self-esteem. Self-esteem was positively correlated with family support, doctor's support and nurse's support. The major variable that influenced anxiety was the self-esteem, explaining 25.4% of the anxiety. Conclusion: On the basis of these results, it is necessary for HSCT patients to develop a nursing intervention for the enhancement of self esteem. Also, family support, doctor's support and nurse's support should be considered as a main support system in the nursing strategy for improving the quality of life of patients undergone HSCT.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.110-116
• /
• 2012

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the pre-and post-transplant nutritional assessment for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods: The subjects of this study were 25 patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. The data collection was performed from January 31st to March 31st, 2011. The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), anthropometrics and biochemical test were collected from the time they entered the isolation unit until they left. Results: Pre-transplant nutritional assessment status indicated moderate malnutrition which scored $7.32{\pm}1.68$ in PG-SGA. There were 22 patients (88.0%) with moderate malnutrition and 3 patients (12.0%) with severe malnutrition. Post-transplant nutritional assessment indicated severe malnutrition status which scored $11.92{\pm}3.26$ in PG-SGA. Pre-and post-transplant nutritional assessment displayed significant differences (p<.001) in PG-SGA score. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation led to a deterioration of patients' nutritional status. Pre-transplant patients were already in malnutrition status and patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT were at risk for malnutrition. Conclusion: Pre-and post-transplant patients were categorized as having undernutritional and malnutritional status. Pre-transplant nutrition status impacted on post-transplant nutritional status. Health care personnel should pay attention to patient's nutrition status when undergoing allogeneic HSCT with appropriate nutritional assessment tools.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.353-355
• /
• 2012

We report here a case of inguinal sparganosis, initially regarded as myeloid sarcoma, diagnosed in a patient undergone allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation (HSCT). A 56-year-old male patient having myelodysplastic syndrome was treated with allogeneic HSCT after myeloablative conditioning regimen. At day 5 post-HSCT, the patient complained of a painless palpable mass on the left scrotum and inguinal area. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed suspected myeloid sarcoma. Gun-biopsy was performed, and the result revealed eosinophilic infiltrations without malignancy. Subsequent serologic IgG antibody test was positive for sparganum. Excisional biopsy as a therapeutic diagnosis was done, and the diagnosis of sparganosis was confirmed eventually. This is the first report of sparganosis after allogeneic HSCT mimicking myeloid sarcoma, giving a lesson that the physicians have to consider the possibility of sparganosis in this clinical situation and perform adequate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.