Popular Views on Addictions and on Prospects for Recovery in Poland

Background: Popular views of addictive substances and behaviors constitute an important research topic because these views have an impact upon the functioning of treatment systems and societal responses to substance use disorders. Methods: The analysis is based on a random sample of N = 1000 telephone interviews collected in Poland in 2013. Questionnaire measures targeted such issues as the perceived risks of addictions and beliefs about potential recovery from various types of addictions. Results: First, a coherent view of the addiction potential of various addictive substances and/or behaviors emerges, distinguishing licit drugs and types of behavior from illicit drugs. Second, treatment optimism proves to be quite high independent of the type of addictive behavior, while chances of recovery without treatment are considered less likely. Third, chances for assisted change (change with treatment) and self-change are considered largely independent of perceived addiction-related risks and are not perceived as contradictory. Conclusions: The results point to the persistence of the disease model of addiction in Poland, placing responsibility for addiction on the individual and pairing it with the expectation of undergoing specialized treatment. This individualistic approach was applied as a framework for addiction problems in the 1950s to deflect from the shortcomings of the ‘‘new socialist society.’’ Neo-liberal market reform and socioeconomic changes have provided reinforcement for this individualistic framework.     

Refractoriness to random donor platelet transfusions in patients with aplastic anaemia: a multivariate analysis of data from 264 cases

Frequent platelet support is an essential part of the management of patients with severe aplastic anaemia and platelet transfusions from random donors are usually given as initial therapy. To evaluate those parameters that might correlate with the development of refractoriness to platelets from random donors, we performed a retrospective multivariate analysis in 264 patients with severe aplastic anaemia who presented for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Two hundred and ten (79.5%) of these patients had received multiple platelet and red cell transfusions, and 71 (34%) were refractory to random donor platelets. The strongest factor correlating with refractoriness was the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies, followed by the number of platelet units previously transfused. However, the latter variable attained significance only when the number of platelet units transfused exceeded 40. When given HLA-compatible platelet transfusions, only five (7%) of the refractory patients did not show a reasonable post-transfusion platelet increment. Measures which would delay or prevent platelet alloimmunization might include a policy of therapeutic rather than prophylactic platelet transfusions, and referring patients early in the course of their disease for marrow grafting if a suitable donor is available.     

Chemotherapy with High-Dose Cytosine Arabinoside and Mitoxantrone for Poor-Prognosis Myeloid Leukemias

Forty-seven patients with poor-prognosis myeloid leukemias received induction therapy with high-dose cytosine arabinoside (HDara-C), 1.5-3.0g/m² for 8-10 doses, and mitoxantrone (DHAD), 12-15 mglm² for 3 doses. Complete remissions were achieved in 21 [45%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 30.2-59.9%]of the patients, including 11 of 14 with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in first relapse (79%, 95% CI 49.2-95.3%), 4 of 8 with refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEBiT) (50%, 95% CI 15.4-84.6%), and 4 of 6 (67%, 95% CI 22.3-95.7%) previously untreated elderly AML patients. Patients with secondary AML and advanced chronic myelogenous leukemia had a very low response rate. The incidence of reversible toxicity was low and only 3 treatment-related deaths occurred. After reinduction, 8 of 9 AML patients ≤ 60 years of age were ultimately able to undergo intensive therapy and either autologous 4-hydroperoxycyclo-phosphamide-purged bone marrow (7 patients) or peripheral blood stem cell (1 patient) transplantation with satisfactory hematological recovery. We conclude that HDara-C and DHAD is an effective antileukemic regimen in selected AML and RAEBiT patients, and that its use may allow subsequent successful autologous BMT in appropriate patients.     

Use of the anti-idiotype breast cancer vaccine 11D10 in conjunction with autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with metastatic breast cancer

The results of cytotoxic therapy, including dose-intensive therapy requiring autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), have been disappointing in patients with metastatic breast cancer, as almost all patients eventually experience disease progression. There has been a renewed interest in immunotherapeutic strategies in this disease, including evaluation of several breast cancer vaccines. In the current study, we describe the results of a program in which the anti-idiotype breast cancer vaccine 11D10 (TriAb) was administered before and after ASCT in patients with metastatic breast cancer chemosensitive to previous conventional therapy. The toxicity of this approach was acceptable, and idiotype-specific humoral and T-cell proliferative responses were observed in the majority of patients within a few weeks post-ASCT. The actuarial 3-year overall survival rate was 48% (95% CI, 32%-64%), while the progression-free survival rate was 32% (95% CI, 19%-45%). Multivariate analysis identified achievement of a strong antibody and cellular immune response to the vaccine as the only significant prognostic factors for outcome. The ability to reliably produce robust immune responses after ASCT is encouraging. Further studies are required to determine if the immune response mediates an antitumor benefit in these patients.     

Addiction careers and careers in addiction.

Research into resocialization of criminals or into recovery from substance dependence has stressed the need to give up the deviant identity and lifestyle. However, addiction careers, crime, and other types of deviant behavior require a wide range of skills. Such competence may facilitate the alternative or simultaneous pursuit of "respectable" careers in treatment, prevention, research, or policy matters. Former alcoholics fill important positions in the service structures of Alcoholics Anonymous, current or former users are appreciated as partners in AIDS prevention programs, and drug addicts can become privileged-access interviewers and be recruited by research institutes. The paper discusses "market conditions" that favor or impede career shifts. How society and professionals perceive individuals with a history of stigma varies from complete rejection to admiration or recognition of usefulness. This assessment depends on such factors as degree of political and scientific interest in controlling, changing, and detecting hidden deviant populations, as well as public fascination with "authentic" deviants, combined with increasing scepticism about conventional expert knowledge.     

Phenotypical and functional studies on a subtype of suppressor cells (CD8+/CD11+) in patients after bone marrow transplantation

Dual labeling with the monoclonal antibodies anti-Leu 2 (fluorescein-conjugated) and anti-Leu 15 (phycoerythrin-conjugated) was used to phenotype and sort the lymphocytes from 12 short-term (100 days postgrafting) recipients, 8 long-term (6 months postgrafting) stable, and 11 long-term patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The proportion of Leu 2+ 15+ cells was increased in 11 of 12 short-term patients (mean + SEM: 31% +/- 3.6)-and in 6 of 11 patients with chronic GVHD (18% +/- 2.4) compared with normal controls (n = 8; 7.5% +/- 1.9). However, there was no correlation between proportions of Leu 2+ 15+ or Leu 2+ 15- cells and the presence of acute GVHD. Long-term patients with chronic GVHD tended to have a higher proportion of Leu 2+ 15- cells. To functionally characterize these two T cell subsets, Leu 2+ 15- and Leu 2+ 15+ subsets were sorted from purified T cells obtained from two recipients and one normal subject. Both Leu 2+ 15+ and Leu 2+ 15- cells from a short-term patient suppressed pokeweed mitogen--stimulated immunoglobulin production of normal B cells. Leu 2+ 15- cells from a long-term survivor with chronic GVHD and the normal control provided help, whereas the Leu 2+ 15+ cells also strongly suppressed immunoglobulin synthesis. The suppressor activity of the Leu 2+ 15+ subset in all three individuals was radiosensitive (12 Gy). These results illustrate the need for careful correlative phenotyping and functional studies. Furthermore, these studies clearly demonstrate that different functions may exist within a particular T cell phenotype after bone marrow transplantation.