ABSTRACT Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a curative treatment for many patients with hematological disorders. Donor–recipient genetic disparity, especially involving the human leukocyte antigen system is a critical factor for transplant outcome. Objective: To evaluate retrospectively donor characteristics and correlations with the occurrence of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, disease-free survival and overall survival in a Brazilian population submitted to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between 1994 and 2012 in a single center. Results: Three hundred and forty-seven consecutive transplantations were included. Related transplants (81.2%) were significantly more common than unrelated transplants (18.7%); donor and recipient median ages were 34 (range: 1–61) and 33 (range: 3–65) years respectively with donor HLAs being matched for 333 (95.9%) patients. Donor gender, cytomegalovirus status and ABO incompatibility did not influence the five-year overall survival. In univariate analyses, overall survival was negatively influenced by the presence of acute graft-versus-host disease (33% vs. 47%, respectively; p-value = 0.04), unrelated transplant (41.5% vs. 50.9%, respectively; p-value = 0.045) and donors aged over 40 years (41% vs. 52%, respectively; p-value = 0.03). Older donors were associated with a higher rate of acute (52% vs. 65.8%; p-value = 0.03) and chronic graft-versus-host disease (60% vs. 43%, respectively; p-value = 0.015). In multivariate analyses, acute graft-versus-host disease [relative risk (RR): 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–29; p-value = 0.008] and older donors (RR: 1.6; 95% CI 1.11–2.24; p-value = 0.013) were associated with higher transplant-related mortality. Conclusions: In transplant patients, to have a donor older than 40 years of age seems to significantly increase the incidence of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease and transplant-related mortality with no impact on disease-free survival and overall survival. In spite of the rather small cohort of patients, these findings are similar to what is described in the literature suggesting that a younger donor should be chosen whenever possible.

A atual demanda da indústria por produtos lácteos com shelf life prolongado tem resultado em novos desafios para a manutenção da qualidade microbiológica do leite, pois o processamento da matéria-prima com altas contagens microbianas compromete a qualidade e o rendimento industrial de seus derivados. O estudo objetivou avaliar a contagem bacteriana total (CBT) e a contagem de células somáticas (CSS) de 768 amostras de leite cru refrigerado provenientes de 32 tanques comunitários. As amostras foram coletadas no primeiro trimestre dos anos de 2010, 2011, 2012 e 2013 e analisadas pelo Laboratório de Qualidade do Leite. Os resultados apontaram que 62,5%, 37,5%, 15,6% e 28,1% das médias para a CBT em 2010, 2011, 2012 e 2013, respectivamente, estavam acima dos valores preconizados pela legislação. Entretanto observou-se uma redução significativa nos níveis de contagem bacteriana total (CBT) nos períodos analisados. Para a contagem de células somáticas, 100% das médias apontaram valores abaixo de 600 mil células/mL, estando essa contagem de acordo com as legislações vigentes no Brasil. Portanto, os valores encontrados para a contagem de células somáticas sugerem a adoção de medidas efetivas de controle sanitário do rebanho. Porém, os resultados obtidos para a contagem bacteriana total devem ser considerados com cautela, uma vez que eles indicam a necessidade de melhoria da qualidade da matéria-prima, até que se atinjam resultados efetivamente confiáveis.

The current industry demand for dairy products with extended shelf life has resulted in new challenges for milk quality maintenance. The processing of milk with high bacterial counts compromises the quality and performance of industrial products. The study aimed to evaluate the total bacteria counts (TBC) and somatic cell count (SCC) in 768 samples of refrigerated raw milk, from 32 communal tanks. Samples were collected in the first quarter of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and analyzed by the Laboratory of Milk Quality - LQL. Results showed that 62.5%, 37.5%, 15.6% and 27.1% of the means for TBC in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, were above the values established by legislation. However, we observed a significant reduction in the levels of total bacterial count (TBC) in the studied periods. For somatic cell count, 100% of the means indicated values below 600.000 cells/mL, complying with the actual Brazilian legislation. The values found for the somatic cell count suggests the adoption of effective measures for the sanitary control of the herd. However, the results must be considered with caution as it highlights the need for quality improvements of the raw material until it achieves reliable results effectively.