Belgian-waffle benefit for Mike Taylor to be held Thursday Oct 7, 2009
He also learned that his white blood cell count was about five times greater than normal. From my training as a paramedic, I knew immediately I had leukemia, Mike said in a letter he wrote. (Forest City Summit, IO)
Dental Plaque Buildup May Raise Heart Risk in Black Men Oct 6, 2009
White blood cell activity increases in these patients when oral hygiene is neglected, study finds ... Indiana University School of Dentistry researchers studied 128 black and white women and men and found that a buildup of dental plaque didn't cause a change in total white blood cell count, a known risk factor for heart problems ... However, dental plaque accumulation in black males was associated with a significant increase in the activity of white blood cells called neutrophils, an important... (MEDLINEplus)
Experimental Drug Lets B Cells Live And Lymphoma Cells Die Oct 5, 2009
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is the umbrella for more than 30 cancer types that develop in an important type of white blood cell, the lymphocyte. Lymphocytes include B cells, workhorses of the immune system that attach to invaders (e. (Science Daily)
Body's immune system response to dental plaque varies by gender and race Sep 26, 2009
However, in black males the researchers noted a significant increase in the activity of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell and an essential part of the immune system ... "We are talking about healthy people who simply neglect oral hygiene and if they were male and black, we found a response from their white blood cells, or neutrophils, that might be a cause for concern," said Dr. Kowolik ... "If you get a bacterial infection anywhere in the body, billions of neutrophils come... (EurekAlert!)
Byrd taken to hospital after fall Sep 23, 2009
Though the senator broke no bones during his fall, doctors found that his white blood cell count was elevated, possibly indicating an infection. "Therefore, his doctors have determined that Byrd should remain in the hospital for antibiotic treatment and observation," Byrd's office announced in a statement. (TheHill.com)
Scientists map how white blood cells repair wounds Sep 23, 2009
WASHINGTON: Based on more than 50 experiments with mice, scientists have mapped out the basic steps taken by a particular set of white blood cells in setting the pace for recovery after serious lung injury. The white blood cells are called regulatory T-cells, or Tregs for short, and their best known function is to keep the body's immune system from attacking its own healthy tissues ... Lymphocyte is the technical term for a type of white blood cell. (India Times, India)
St. Peter School reaches out to ill student Sep 22, 2009
When the doctors told him he couldn t be in school and couldn t be in sports, he was devastated, his mother, Terressa Walker, Somerset, said. It was his only meltdown. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Light the Night raises hope, funds for Leukemia research Sep 18, 2009
His white blood cell count is normal and he's made it his mission to bring those good news phone calls to as many people as possible. On Wednesday, Pomeroy took part in the fifth annual "Light the Night Walk" in Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse. (Daily Orange, NY)
NCAA president Myles Brand dies from cancer at 67 Sep 17, 2009
Preserve Your White Blood Cell Count Now. Shop Victoriously with eBay. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
DVRs dominate talk at confab Sep 17, 2009
Chemo Can Lower Your White Blood Cell Count. Talk to Your Dr Today. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Key gene 'controls disease fight' Sep 14, 2009
Properly functioning NK cells are a type of white blood cell central to the body's first line of defence, rapidly killing off tumour cells, viruses and bacterial infections. The latest work shows that the E4bp4 gene controls production of the cells from blood stem cells in the bone marrow. (BBC News -- UK)
Master gene that switches on disease-fighting cells identified by scientists Sep 14, 2009
Natural Killer cells a type of white blood cell - are a major component of the human body's innate, quick-response immune system. They provide a fast frontline defence against tumours, viruses and bacterial infections, by scanning the human body for cells that are cancerous or infected with a virus or a bacterial pathogen, and killing them. (EurekAlert!)
Infusions of life get easier Sep 10, 2009
Sometimes referred to as pre-leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome is a blood condition that leaves the patient with low red blood cells (anemia) and low white blood cell count. This is coupled with a tendency for increased infections and low platelet count with bleeding problems. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Using insects to test for drug safety Sep 8, 2009
Neutrophils, which are a type of white blood cell and part of the mammalian immune system, and haematocytes, which are cells that carry out a similar function in insects, react in the same way to infecting microbes. Both the insect and mammalian cells produce chemicals with a similar structure which move to the surface of the cells to kill the invading microbe. (EurekAlert!)
Can Bone Marrow Be Quickly Revived After Destruction By Leukemia Treatment? Faster Recovery From Life-threatening Blood Cell Shortages Sep 4, 2009
For instance, the marrow houses the hematopoietic system that turns stem cells into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets ... While the transplants have helped tens of thousands, they leave patients at risk for severe infections (too few white blood cells), anemia (too few red blood cells) and internal bleeding (too few platelets) for about six weeks as the marrow recovers ... Further experiments found that mice with PGE2 administered to their HSCs cells saw "superior" rebuilding of... (Science Daily)
Analysis: Obama keeps Bush nominees in top posts Sep 1, 2009
A Low White Blood Cell Count Could Increase Your Risk of Infection. Featured. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Tainted cocaine kills 3, sickens dozens Sep 1, 2009
At the same time, hospitals around the country began noticing more cocaine users coming in with agranulocytosis, an illness that suppresses white blood cells necessary to fight off infections ... LeGatt said doctors should consider levamisole exposure in cases where otherwise healthy adults or newborn babies come down with infections because of low white blood cell counts. (MSNBC -- Crime)
Healthy diet has Gonzalez in shape, ready to shine in Atlanta Aug 26, 2009
"I laugh about it now," he says, "but it was one of the scariest moments in my life when they told me, 'Your white blood cell count is way too low. Could be leukemia, but we don't want to startle you.' By then, you're like, 'What the hell are you talking about?' "That was the defining moment. You hear all the statistics out there about the mortaility rate for football players. (USA Today -- Sports)
Mesothelioma Aug 23, 2009
Lab tests may show a decrease in leukocytes, a type of white blood cell, and a decrease in red blood cells. Treatment. (Suite101.com)
Progesterone Leads To Inflammation, Scientists Find Aug 22, 2009
Inflammation is a process where white blood cells move into a tissue. One type of white blood cell which moves to the breast during inflammation is a macrophage. (Science Daily)
Self-reported pediatricians' management of the well-appearing young child with fever without a source: first survey in an European country in the anti-pneumococcal vaccine era Aug 19, 2009
In the hypothetical event that white blood cell count was 17,500/muL, a significantly lower proportion of physicians would ask for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0. 017), C reactive protein (P<0. (BioMed Central)
US FDA Approves Extavia(R) - the First in a New Portfolio of Planned MS Therapies from Novartis to Help Patients with this Devastating Disease Aug 17, 2009
Monitoring of complete blood and differential white blood cell counts, platelet counts and blood chemistries, including liver function tests, are recommended at regular intervals. The most commonly reported adverse reactions are lymphopenia, injection site reaction, asthenia, flu-like symptom complex, headache and pain. (PR Newswire)
Osteoporosis drugs may kill flu viruses Aug 15, 2009
They observed that the drugs triggered extra production of a type of white blood cell called yd-T cells, which went on to kill human cells that were infected with the flu viruses. Flu viruses can only replicate in living human or animal cells and killing infected cells would stop the viruses from replicating, the researchers said. (MSNBC -- Health)
Scientists Reverse Multiple Sclerosis in Mice Aug 14, 2009
They do this by converting B-cells -- a type of white blood cell normally involved in immune response -- into immune suppressive cells. "GIFT15 can take your normal, run-of-the-mill B-cells and convert them ... into these super-powerful B-regulatory cells," study team leader Dr. Jacques Galipeau, of the Jewish General Hospital Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and McGill University in Montreal, said in a university news release. (MEDLINEplus)
Multiple Types Of White Blood Cells Made Directly From Embryonic And Adult Stem Cells Aug 14, 2009
13, 2009) In an advance that could help transform embryonic stem cells into a multipurpose medical tool, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have transformed these versatile cells into progenitors of white blood cells and into six types of mature white blood and immune cells ... Other adult cells included dendritic and Langerhans cells, which direct other immune cells to attack infections, and neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell. (Science Daily)
Erbituxs marginal clinical benefit in lung cancer could prompt second look from regulators Aug 14, 2009
In addition to the problem of the chemotherapy combination, Novello noted that the percentage of patients on Erbitux in the FLEX trial who reported febrile neutropenia or an abnormally low white blood cell count is also a concern. You cant do a first-line therapy that [has such a high rate of] febrile neutropenia, when 50% of patients will request and undergo a second-line therapy, Novello said. (FT.com -- Markets)
Cure for multiple sclerosis now possible Aug 13, 2009
This effect converts B-cells - a common form of white blood cell normally involved in immune response - into powerful immune-suppressive cells, he added. The Canadian said naturally occurring immune suppressing B-cells are almost unknown in nature and the notion of using them to control immunity is very new. (India Times, India)
Is There a Place for Nuclear Waste? Aug 4, 2009
And unlike carbon dioxide, it does not disperse into the atmosphere to be counted in worrisome parts per million, an index of sickness akin to the white blood cell count of an infected patient. It does, however, accumulate and linger, in some cases longer than the reactor that produced it. (Scientific American)
Natural Born Killers: How The Body's Frontline Immune Cells Decide Which Cells To Destroy Aug 1, 2009
Natural Killer (NK) cells - a type of white blood cell - are a major component of the human body's innate immune system ... 6, 2006) Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have demonstrated how certain white blood cells literally eat virus-infected cells while fighting disease at the microscopic level. (Science Daily)
Spleen May Help Heart Recover from Disease Aug 1, 2009
In mice, scientists found, the spleen serves as a home for a type of white blood cell that scavenges dead tissue and helps produce inflammation, which contributes to healing. In particular, the researchers discovered that the spleen helps the heart recover from disease. (MEDLINEplus)
FDA Approves INVEGA(R) SUSTENNA(TM) for the Acute and Maintenance Treatment of Schizophrenia Aug 1, 2009
If you have a history of low white blood cell counts or have unexplained fever or infection, then please contact your doctor right away. INVEGA(R) SUSTENNA(TM) can make some people feel dizzy, sleepy, or less alert. (PR Newswire)
British Woman Celebrates a Year of Living Cancer-Free Jul 31, 2009
Ms. Scott had to return to the hospital for five weeks because her neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, were dangerously low -- a consequence, she thinks, of years of chemotherapy ... In patients with AML, abnormal white blood cells accumulate in the bone marrow and impede the production of normal blood cells. (PR Newswire)
Genetic Testing May Be Valuable In Treating Colorectal Cancer Jul 29, 2009
But for more than one in 10 of these patients, a variation in their DNA means that this treatment could result in a severe reduction in their white blood cell count, leading to a high risk of bacterial infection and possible subsequent death ... If the lower dose is as effective, the test could prevent many cases of severe neutropenia, an abnormally low count of an important type of white blood cells known as neutrophils. (Science Daily)
Placenta-derived stem cells may help sufferers of lung diseases Jul 28, 2009
While the severity of inflammation did not show an overall reduction, there was a marked reduction in neutrophil (white blood cell) infiltration after both xeno-and-allo-transplantation. "It is worth noting," says Dr. Parolini," that the presence of neutrophils is associated with poor prognosis for several lung diseases. However, the mechanism by which placenta-derived cells might affect infiltration by neutrophils is not known.". (EurekAlert!)
Common allergy drug reduces obesity and diabetes in mice Jul 27, 2009
In the second study, researchers found that a kind of white blood cell called a regulatory T cell, once thought to manage only other white blood cells, also acts as a liaison between the metabolic and immune systemsin this case, controlling inflammation in fat tissue ... For over a decade, Tregs have been known as guardians for the immune system, ensuring that when white blood cells attack a foreign pathogen they don't become overzealous and harm healthy host tissue in a kind of friendly fire. (EurekAlert!)
Uninsured 23-year-old battles leukemia, bills Jul 25, 2009
At the hospital, a blood test with startling results: a dramatically elevated white blood cell count. He had , at 23. (CNN)
Joel Weisman, 66; physician who detected AIDS epidemic Jul 24, 2009
Dr. Weisman s sense of foreboding deepened with the arrival of two patients who had a panoply of confounding problems: persistent diarrhea, eczema, fungal infections, low white blood cell counts. On top of these two cases, journalist Randy Shilts wrote in his definitive AIDS chronicle And the Band Played On (1987), another 20 men had appeared at Dr. Weisman s office that year with strange abnormalities of their lymph nodes, the very condition that had triggered the spiral of ailments besetting... (Boston Globe)
ASK DR. H: Sweet syndrome may signal serious illness Jul 23, 2009
Unlike other skin rashes, this one is often seen in the setting of a recent fever, and the affected person often has an elevated white blood cell count. The diagnosis of Sweet syndrome is made definitively by a skin biopsy. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Genetic Variation Associated With Survival Advantage In African-Americans With HIV Jul 22, 2009
Recent studies have begun to unravel the cause of this phenomenon, and new research suggests that African Americans with the disease have a unique survival advantage if they have both a low white blood cell count (known as leukopenia) and a genetic variation that is found mainly in persons of African ancestry ... Previous studies showed that the same DARC variant conferred protection for persons of African ancestry against a particular form of malaria, and that persons of African descent have,... (Science Daily)
Gene Linked To Increasingly Common Type Of Blood Cancer Jul 21, 2009
In NHL, tumors develop in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Follicular lymphoma arises from B-cells, a specific type of white blood cell. (Science Daily)
Small Bowel Obstruction: Diagnosis Jul 12, 2009
They may have a fever, an elevated white blood cell count, tachycardia (heart rate over 100), and hyperactive, high-pitched bowel sounds. These bowel sounds are caused by the intestines trying to push intestinal contents past the obstruction. (Suite101.com)
Boy fulfills dream of being a soldier Jul 9, 2009
The leukemia had left the boy bedridden in a childrens hospital, barely holding on with a dangerously low white blood cell count. For days, blood transfusions could not reverse the trend. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
Knee Replacements: Pinpointing The Cause Of Infection Jun 30, 2009
The most common technique used to determine infection is the white blood cell count; however, the test is only about 50 percent accurate in determining infections, is at least two times more costly than PET imaging and takes longer to provide results. In the study, 80 patients who were experiencing painful knee symptoms underwent FDG-PET imaging after clinical evaluation and laboratory data were inconclusive for infection. (Science Daily)
Gullickson: A walking miracle Jun 28, 2009
Her white blood cell count was so high that it was toxic, and she developed pneumonia. Gullickson also suffered from anoxia, a lack of oxygen to the brain. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Differentiation of Regulatory T Lym... Jun 22, 2009
A lymphocyte is a type of small white blood cell that carries out the important function of the immune system. The immune system is the mammalian system that assumes the body defense against invading microbes. (Suite101.com)
Cancer patients can't quit, neither will he Jun 16, 2009
This keeps things like white blood cell counts higher than normal during treatment. Spencer said friends and family in Morton have helped them since day one. (Carthage (Hancock County) Journal Pilot, IL)
Hydrogen Peroxide Marshals Immune System Jun 4, 2009
Teams of rescue-working white blood cells respond to this chemical herald, crawl to the site of damage, and get to work. "We've known for quite some time that when the body is wounded, white blood cells show up, and it's really a spectacular piece of biology because these cells detect the wound at some distance," says Mitchison ... "But we haven't known what they're responding to. We do know something about what summons white blood cells to areas that are chronically inflamed, but in the case of... (Science Daily)
Bone marrow drive planned for third sick sibling Jun 3, 2009
It causes abnormal and severely decreased red and white blood cell production. Bone marrow transplant has been found to be the most effective treatment. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Study Showed Lilly's GEMZAR(R) (gemcitabine HCl for injection) Improved Progression-Free Survival in Cervical Cancer Patients Jun 1, 2009
Most side effects were hematologic, including anemia (low red blood cell count), neutropenia (low white blood cell count) and thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count) ... The most common side effects are low blood cell counts (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets); fever; infection; hair loss; tiredness; nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea; rash; shortness of breath; muscle aches; and numbness or tingling in your toes or fingers. (PR Newswire)
Video: Phase III Study Data With Vandetanib (Zactima(TM)) in Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology May 31, 2009
The observed safety profile in both studies was consistent with previous studies with vandetanib in NSCLC. The most common adverse events associated with vandetanib included rash, diarrhea and hypertension (ZEAL); rash, diarrhea and neutropenia (low white blood cell count) (ZODIAC). Incidence of protocol-defined QTc prolongation was <2. (PR Newswire)
New survey highlights growing concern about risk of infection in cancer patients May 29, 2009
Neutropenia, a low white blood cell count, is a common and potentially dangerous side effect in patients receiving strong chemotherapy. It can lead to a heightened risk of infection that can require hospitalization and be life-threatening. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Less-toxic Drug Prolongs Survival In Metastatic Breast Cancer May 28, 2009
Gradishar said solvents are responsible for many of the side effects of chemotherapy including a drop in the white blood cell count and numbness or tingling in the fingertips. In the study, the Abraxane was administered on a weekly schedule compared to injections every three weeks of Taxotere. (Science Daily)
Do we accept a child’s ‘parental-assisted suicide’? May 27, 2009
Damage to bone marrow leads to lower white blood cell counts and lower resistance to infection. It also leads to lower red blood cell counts that can result in fatigue and easy bleeding and bruising. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Beached whale on Maui deemed too ill to live May 25, 2009
Scientists took a blood sample of the whale and found that it had a low white blood cell count, usually an indication that the animal had been sick for a long time, Goo added ... Scientists took a blood sample of the whale and found that it had a low white blood cell count, usually an indication that the animal had been sick for a long time, Goo added. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Secrets of a cell May 25, 2009
The digital images projected onto the wall show T-cells - a type of white blood cell that performs SWAT duty for the immune system - hunting tainted cells that may carry disease. The action unfurls in a lymph node. (Boston Globe)
Struggling pygmy killer whale rescued on Maui, taken to marine sanctuary May 24, 2009
Goo said a blood sample taken from the whale showed a low white blood cell count. "It indicates that whale has been sick for a long time," she said Friday afternoon. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Sister of man found at landfill questions his death May 23, 2009
A type of white blood cell, T cells produce a number of substances that regulate immune response and attack virus-infected cells, foreign cells and cancer cells. Despite his failing health, Sampson questions the medical examiner's conclusion. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
FDA grants approval for use of RISPERDAL CONSTA as both a monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder May 19, 2009
Patients with a pre-existing low white blood cell count (WBC) or a history of leukopenia/neutropenia should have frequent complete blood cell counts during the first few months of therapy. At the first sign of a decline in WBC and in the absence of other causative factors, discontinuation of Risperdal Consta should be considered. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Study links formaldehyde to more common cancers May 13, 2009
Workers with the highest peak exposures were 37% more likely to die from any blood or lymphatic cancer, and 78% more likely to die from myeloid leukemia a cancer of the white blood cells compared to those with lowest levels, according to the study, published online today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute ... Authors do note, though, that people exposed to formaldehyde have higher rates of chromosome abnormalities in their lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights... (USA Today -- News)
Study reveals current multi-component vaccines may need reworking May 8, 2009
One workhorse of the adaptive system is the helper T cell, a white blood cell that partners with dendritic cells to make careful decisions about which disease-causing peptides attract attention. Upon encountering an invader, a dendritic cell will "swallow it," cut it up, and carry the pieces to the nearest lymph node. (EurekAlert!)
Oral Delivery System For RNAi Therapeutics May 6, 2009
In this paper, Czech and colleagues chose to target a particular type of cell in the immune system called a "macrophage," a type of white blood cell that engulfs and digests cellular debris and responds to invading organisms by stimulating the immune response. Because macrophages control the inflammatory response in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis (a precursor to heart disease), they represent an attractive target for drug delivery. (Science Daily)
Examining TLR4 influences of B cell response May 6, 2009
It stands out because it plays a key role in systemic inflammation by stimulating a type of white blood cells produced in bone marrow ... The study highlights two fundamentally different responses by TLR4-expressing cells from periodontal disease patients: activation of monocytes, a type of white blood cell that ingests bacteria and tissue debris, versus inactivation of B cells. (EurekAlert!)
White Blood Cells Can Sprout 'Legs' And Move Like Millipedes May 5, 2009
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2009) How do white blood cells immune system soldiers get to the site of infection or injury ... Ronen Alon and his research student Ziv Shulman of the Weizmann Institute s Immunology Department show how white blood cells advance along the length of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels ... Current opinion maintains that immune cells advance like inchworms, but Alon s new findings show that the rapid movement of the white blood cells is more like that of millipedes.... (Science Daily)
HIV May Be Increasing in Virulence Apr 17, 2009
Similar trends were also noted for the CD4+ cell count percentage and the total count of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell involved in the immune response. In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Maria Dorrucci, from Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, and Dr. Andrew Phillips, from University College Medical School, London, comment that while some studies, such as the current one, have suggested that HIV virulence is increasing, others have found that it is either stable or decreasing. (MEDLINEplus)
Key Gene That Protects Against Leukemia Identified Apr 15, 2009
In every case in which engraftment of the HSCs occurred in the mice, the scientists noted a progressive expansion of the myeloidlineage, which constitutes a type of mature white blood cell that fights infection. This expansion led by 6 to 12 months post-transplantation to the development of a myeloproliferative disease, which can evolve to leukemia. (Science Daily)
