[Multiple myeloma with t (8;14) and t (11;14) and extramedullary infiltration of multiple organs].

A 69-year-old man presented with lumbago and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (IgD-λ type, R-ISS stage II) with bone-destructive lesions in the lumbar spine and sacrum. Chromosome analysis showed t (8;14)(q24;q32) and t (11;14)(q13;q32). Treatment with daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone resulted in partial response, but the disease relapsed, with a copy number increase in t (11;14) and abnormal amplification of the 1q21 region. The patient was treated for CMV enteritis, and was admitted to the hospital due to sudden abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal perforation was diagnosed by CT scan showing free air and wall thickening in the small intestine. Emergency surgery was performed, and the tumors in the perforated area were positive for CCND1 but negative for MYC on immunostaining. The patient's general condition did not improve after the surgery and he died. Pathological autopsy revealed extramedullary infiltration of multiple organs in addition to the small intestine. Extramedullary infiltration is thought to be caused by clonal evolution, and further research is warranted to clarify its pathogenesis and establish effective therapeutic strategies in high-risk patients.

[Aortic Valve Replacement Using Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Procedure in a Patient with Multiple Myeloma:Report of a Case].

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a disease with a poor prognosis, and there are few reports of cardiac surgery complicated by this disease, which can lead to various perioperative complications such as bleeding tendency due to coagulation defects, changes in blood viscosity, immunocompromise, and bone marrow insufficiency when undergoing cardiac surgery. In recent years, with the spread of minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS), avoidance of sternotomy has become an option. We present a case of a 70-year-old man who underwent aortic valve replacement using MICS procedure for aortic regurgitation complicated with MM.

[Successful treatment of traumatic intramuscular hemorrhage with coagulation factor VIII replacement in a patient with congenital hemophilia A with decreased inhibitor activity by emicizumab therapy].

The patient is a 45-year-old man who was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A during childhood and received FVIII replacement therapy, which became ineffective due to inhibitor production (5-225 BU/ml). After initiating emicizumab therapy, bleeding symptoms markedly improved, but he developed an intramuscular hematoma at the right thigh due to a fall. He was hospitalized and maintained on bed rest; however, the size of the hematoma increased, and anemia developed. Since the inhibitor level was markedly decreased at 0.6 BU/ml, a recombinant FVIII preparation was administered, and the size of the hematoma decreased along with an increase in FVIII activity. Levels of the inhibitor increased to 54.2 BU/ml, but tended to decrease during continued emicizumab treatment. Emicizumab therapy seems useful in hemophilia A patients with inhibitor production.

[Clinical features of five cases of acquired factor V deficiency].

Acquired factor V deficiency is a rare disease that presents with various bleeding symptoms because of the acquired production of factor V inhibitors and decrease in factor V activity. We have experienced five cases of acquired factor V deficiency diagnosed on the basis of abnormalities in coagulation tests in the last 10 years. All five patients were older men, of whom one had no bleeding symptoms, and three had a history of renal failure and malignant tumors. In the cross-mixing test, two of three cases demonstrated an inhibitor pattern, but one case showed a deficient pattern. In all cases, steroid treatment improved factor V activity as well as prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. However, patients with intracranial hemorrhage had a poor prognosis. Although this disease is rare, careful management is necessary, especially in the absence of bleeding symptoms and where cross-mixing test does not show an inhibitor pattern.

[Azacitidine treatment for acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes during peritoneal dialysis].

Azacitidine (AZA) is useful for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome; however, there are a few case reports involving patients receiving hemodialysis and no case reports involving patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. We describe a patient with acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) receiving peritoneal dialysis who was treated with AZA. Peritoneal dialysis was initiated for an 85-year-old man with chronic renal failure in April 2014. In February 2015, peripheral blood analysis showed pancytopenia and bone marrow examination revealed excess of myeloblasts and dysplasia of trilineage cells. He was diagnosed with AML-MRC and treated with AZA because of being elderly and suffering from chronic renal failure. He achieved transfusion independence after 1 course and hematological remission after 3 courses of AZA treatment, without severe side effects. This case suggests that AZA is an effective therapeutic option for patients with AML-MRC receiving peritoneal dialysis.

Hematopoietic neoplasms accompanied by severe enterocolitis due to Aeromonas species.

Aeromonas species are known to be a cause of diarrhea and acute enterocolitis. However, only a few cases have been reported and the pathophysiology of Aeromonas infection has not as yet been clarified. We experienced 2 cases developing severe enterocolitis during the course of hematological malignancies, specifically multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Both patients presented with watery diarrhea that persisted for more than a week, followed by bloody diarrhea. Total colon endoscopy showed multiple ulcers on the mucosa from the sigmoid colon to the rectum, and biopsies from the ulcer revealed infiltration of neutrophils and eosinophils in the mucosa and submucosa. Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas sobria were isolated from stool cultures, respectively. Treatment with oral ciprofloxacin was effective in both patients and clinical symptoms showed significant improvement. These cases raise the possibility of Aeromonas infection as a cause of severe enterocolitis and the importance of making a correct differential diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment in immunocompromised patients including those with hematological malignancies.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma recurring with zosteriform cutaneous lesions.

A 75-year-old woman presented with edema of the left leg in December 2012. On examination, there was a palpable 5-cm tumor in the left lower abdomen, and PET/CT showed lymphadenopathy of the tracheal, para-aortic, left iliac and inguinal regions with increased FDG uptake. We performed histopathological examination of the iliac lymph node and diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), stage IIIA. The patient received 8 courses of R-CHOP chemotherapy and achieved a complete response. In April 2014, she noticed seven new painful erythematous vesicles <1 cm in size on the skin of the left lower abdominal region. Herpes zoster was suspected and valacyclovir was administered. However, this medication had no effect, and the vesicles enlarged and became nodular. Histopathological examination of one of the skin lesions revealed the infiltration of DLBCL and the diagnosis of zosteriform cutaneous recurrence of DLBCL was thus made. Skin lesions mimicking herpes zoster have been reported in certain types of hematological malignancies, and histopathological diagnosis should be performed in such cases.

[Rapidly progressive AL amyloidosis in a patient with relapsed multiple myeloma after achieving a complete response to tandem autologous PBSCT].

A 56-year-old male presented with pathological rib fracture and lumbago in 2006. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (IgG-lambda type, D&S stage IIIA, ISS 2). He was treated with VAD therapy and tandem auto-PBSCT, and achieved CR in 2007. He was followed without chemotherapy, but relapsed in 2009. He received lenalidomide plus dexamethasone and bortezomib plus dexamethasone and achieved PR which was sustained for 25 months. In 2012, he developed edema of the lower legs and pleural effusion, and was diagnosed as having nephrotic syndrome and heart failure due to AL amyloidosis. He died of renal failure and heart failure 3 months after this diagnosis. Autopsy findings showed amyloid deposition in many organs including the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, and intestines. Development of rapidly progressive AL amyloidosis is a rare complication of relapse after the achievement of CR, but careful monitoring is needed in patients with multiple myeloma.

Clinical relevance of high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities and the second revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS) in patients with multiple myeloma in clinical practice.

High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCAs) are the most critical factor affecting prognosis in multiple myeloma (MM). However, the clinical significance of HRCAs in routine practice has not been fully elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed clinical features and outcome in 60 newly diagnosed MM patients with or without HRCAs including t(4;14), t(14;16), del(17p), and 1q gain/amplification. The median age was 71 years (range, 35-90). Abnormalities with t(4;14), t(14;16), del(17p), and 1q gain/amplification were found in 10, 1, 6, and 21/14 patients, respectively, and 10 patients had ≥ 2 HRCAs. Patients with HRCAs exhibited progressive clinical features such as anemia, high ß2-microglobulin, and high LDH. Symptomatic relapse was more common in patients with HRCAs. The median progression-free survival (PFS) by number of HRCAs (0, 1, and ≥ 2) was 51.7, 21.4, and 26.1 months (p = 0.011), and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached, 60.7, and 46.8 months (p = 0.045), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that HRCAs were an independent factor for PFS. Accordingly, the second revision of International Staging System (R2-ISS), which incorporates HRCA scores, was more useful for prognostic stratification (p = 0.0023). These results suggest that presence of multiple HRCAs including 1q gain/amplification is associated with advanced stage and poor prognosis in clinical practice as well.

Systemic osteosclerosis associated with primary bone marrow B-cell lymphoma.

Systemic osteosclerosis is a rare complication of hematological malignancies. Primary myelofibrosis and acute megakaryocytic leukemia are known as underlying diseases; however, lymphoid tumors have rarely been reported. Here we describe a case of a 50-year-old man with severe systemic osteosclerosis associated with primary bone marrow B-cell lymphoma. Analysis of bone metabolic markers revealed a high turnover of bone metabolism and an increase in serum osteoprotegerin levels. These results suggest the involvement of osteoprotegerin in the pathogenesis of osteosclerosis associated with hematological malignancies.

Identification of a missense mutation (p.Leu1733Pro) in the A3 domain of von Willebrand factor in a family with type 2M von Willebrand disease.

The proband's von Willebrand factor (VWF) antigen and VWF collagen-binding capacity were 14% and 10%, respectively; his sister's were 16% and 9%, respectively; and his nephew's were 30% and 15%, respectively. No apparent loss of high-molecular weight VWF multimers was observed in the plasma of these patients. A single-nucleotide substitution of T to C was found at nucleotide position 113042 in their VWF gene, converting Leu1733 to Pro in the A3 domain. These results suggest that p.Leu1733Pro is responsible for type 2M von Willebrand disease in this family.

A single-chain Fv diabody against human leukocyte antigen-A molecules specifically induces myeloma cell death in the bone marrow environment.

Cross-linked human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules have been shown to mediate cell death in neoplastic lymphoid cells. However, clinical application of an anti-HLA class I antibody is limited by possible side effects due to widespread expression of HLA class I molecules in normal tissues. To reduce the unwanted Fc-mediated functions of the therapeutic antibody, we have developed a recombinant single-chain Fv diabody (2D7-DB) specific to the alpha2 domain of HLA-A. Here, we show that 2D7-DB specifically induces multiple myeloma cell death in the bone marrow environment. Both multiple myeloma cell lines and primary multiple myeloma cells expressed HLA-A at higher levels than normal myeloid cells, lymphocytes, or hematopoietic stem cells. 2D7-DB rapidly induced Rho activation and robust actin aggregation that led to caspase-independent death in multiple myeloma cells. This cell death was completely blocked by Rho GTPase inhibitors, suggesting that Rho-induced actin aggregation is crucial for mediating multiple myeloma cell death. Conversely, 2D7-DB neither triggered Rho-mediated actin aggregation nor induced cell death in normal bone marrow cells despite the expression of HLA-A. Treatment with IFNs, melphalan, or bortezomib enhanced multiple myeloma cell death induced by 2D7-DB. Furthermore, administration of 2D7-DB resulted in significant tumor regression in a xenograft model of human multiple myeloma. These results indicate that 2D7-DB acts on multiple myeloma cells differently from other bone marrow cells and thus provide the basis for a novel HLA class I-targeting therapy against multiple myeloma.

Polyclonal Immunoglobulin Recovery after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Survival Outcome in Patients with Multiple Myeloma.

We retrospectively analyzed multiple myeloma (MM) patients who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) without maintenance therapy to assess the impact of recovery of normal immunoglobulin (Ig) on clinical outcomes. The recovery of polyclonal Ig was defined as normalization of all values of serum IgG, IgA, and IgM 1 year after ASCT. Among 50 patients, 26 patients showed polyclonal Ig recovery; 14 patients were in ≥complete response (CR) and 12 remained in non-CR after ASCT. The patients with Ig recovery exhibited a significantly better progression-free survival (PFS, median, 46.8 vs 26.7 months, p = 0.0071) and overall survival (OS, median, not reached vs 65.3 months, p < 0.00001) compared with those without Ig recovery. The survival benefits of Ig recovery were similarly observed in ≥CR patients (median OS, not reached vs 80.5 months, p = 0.061) and non-CR patients (median OS, not reached vs 53.2 months, p = 0.00016). Multivariate analysis revealed that non-CR and not all Ig recovery were independent prognostic factors for PFS (HR, 4.284, 95%CI (1.868-9.826), p = 0.00059; and HR, 2.804, 95%CI (1.334-5.896), p = 0.0065, respectively) and also for OS (HR, 8.245, 95%CI (1.528-44.47), p = 0.014; and HR, 36.55, 95%CI (3.942-338.8), p = 0.0015, respectively). Therefore, in addition to the depth of response, the recovery of polyclonal Ig after ASCT is a useful indicator especially for long-term outcome and might be considered to prevent overtreatment with maintenance therapy in transplanted patients with MM.

Malignant B-lymphoid cells with bone lesions express receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand and vascular endothelial growth factor to enhance osteoclastogenesis.

PURPOSE: Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is a key mediator of osteoclastogenesis. Because certain types of tumor cells aberrantly express RANKL, and because bone destruction also develops in B-cell lymphomas of bone origin, we investigated RANKL expression and the mechanisms of osteoclastogenesis in B-lymphoid neoplasms. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry of bone specimens resected from patients with primary B-cell lymphoma of bone with bone destruction revealed that lymphoma cells express RANKL as well as vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). The tumor cells isolated from the bone specimens enhanced osteoclastogenesis in vitro. In contrast, B-cell lymphoma infiltrating to the bone marrow without bone destruction did not express RANKL. Both RANKL and VEGF were expressed by a portion of B-lymphoid cell lines, including Daudi and IM-9. These RANKL-expressing tumor cells enhanced osteoclastogenesis from RAW264.7 cells and human monocyte-derived preosteoclasts in the absence of stromal cells/osteoblasts in a RANKL-dependent manner. Furthermore, conditioned media from Daudi cells enhanced transmigration of preosteoclasts that was inhibited by anti-VEGF antibody, suggesting that tumor cell-derived VEGF mediates recruitment of osteoclast precursors. Moreover, cocultures of B-lymphoid cell lines with osteoclasts enhanced the growth of B-lymphoid cells. CONCLUSIONS: Some malignant B cells aberrantly express functional RANKL as well as VEGF to enhance osteoclastogenesis. The coexpression of RANKL and VEGF may also contribute to the close cellular interactions with osteoclastic cells, thereby forming a vicious cycle between osteoclastic bone destruction and tumor expansion in bone.