Quantification of microbial community assembly processes during degradation on diverse plastispheres based on physicochemical characters and phylogenetic bin-based null model analysis.

To understand the differences in degradation processes depending on the chemical properties of polymers, it is necessary to both quantify the microbiome composition and evaluate the process of microbial turnover (i.e., community assembly processes) in a variety of polymer materials. In this study, using a phylogenetic bin-based null model analysis (i.e., iCAMP), we evaluated community assembly processes from original estuary water to 37 types of polymers, which provide overwhelmingly diverse niches for microbes, in 14-day incubation experiments. First, we evaluated the polymer properties related to degradation rates. Polymers with higher adipic acid (AdA) monomer exhibited higher motility, hydrophilicity, and degradation rates, whereas those with higher aromatic monomer exhibited the opposite trends. Second, microbiome composition analysis was performed, and the microbiomes were significantly changed by the AdA or aromatic content. This was consistent with the polymer properties, suggesting that polymer motility and hydrophilicity attributable to the first-order structure modify the accessibility of the enzyme to the reaction site and hence the degradation rate, resulting in differences in microbiome community composition. Finally, we determined community assembly processes from estuary water to plastics using a phylogenetic bin-based null model analysis. The importance of heterogeneous selection was higher in mobile, hydrophilic, and fast-degrading polymers, while that of homogeneous selection was lower. This suggests that the environmental difference between before and after incubation becomes significant under rapid degradation, which select microbes adapted to biofilm environments. In addition, the more stochastic turnover prevailed, the more variation in the communities (i.e., ß-diversity) increased. This suggests that turnover processes not dictated by the environment lead to instability in community compositions.

Compression therapy using surgical gloves is ineffective for the prevention of vincristine-induced neuropathy in patients with malignant lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Vincristine (VCR) often induces peripheral neuropathy (PN) as an adverse event. Currently, there is no consensus on the prevention of vincristine-induced PN (VIPN). In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of compression therapy using surgical gloves for preventing VIPN. METHODS: Patients with malignant lymphoma (vincristine-naïve) who were receiving chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, VCR, and prednisolone, with or without rituximab, every 3 weeks for six cycles were eligible. For every VCR infusion, each patient wore two one-size-smaller gloves on one hand (study hand) for 90 min. The other hand was left bare (control hand). PN was assessed at each treatment using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events ver. 4.0. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients with malignant lymphoma were enrolled and 44 were evaluated. At 1 month after treatment, the occurrence rates of grade ≥ 2 sensory PN were 13.6 and 13.6% in the study and control hands, respectively (p = 1.0), and those of grade ≥ 2 motor PN were 15.9 and 15.9% in the study and control hands, respectively (p = 1.0). CONCLUSION: Compression therapy using surgical gloves showed no significant effect for the prevention of VIPN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: November 1, 2018, National University Hospital Council of Japan (UMIN 000034145).

Follicular lymphoma with secondary central nervous system relapse: a case report and literature review.

Secondary central nervous system (CNS) relapse by aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a well-known complication portending a very poor prognosis. Conversely, patients with indolent lymphoma-like follicular lymphoma (FL) rarely present with CNS involvement and, thus, limited information is currently available. We herein describe a patient with FL who developed CNS involvement during chemotherapy. Treatment including high-dose methotrexate and radiation therapy was ineffective and the patient died 5 months after CNS relapse. In a literature review, there were 8 case reports of the secondary CNS relapse of FL. The findings obtained suggest that bone marrow infiltration is a risk factor for CNS relapse. Moreover, 5 out of 9 patients died within 2.5 years, indicating a poorer prognosis than that of FL. Therefore, it is important to promptly perform detailed examinations as soon as neurological findings appear.

Cardiac Tamponade as a Recurrence of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma with the Detection of a p.Gly17Val RHOA Mutation in the Pericardial Effusion.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is an intractable type of T-cell lymphoma. We and others have identified that the p.Gly17Val RHOA mutation is specifically identified in AITL. We herein report a patient whose condition deteriorated, resulting from massive pericardial effusion one month after undergoing autologous transplantation for AITL. He was diagnosed with cardiac tamponade caused by AITL recurrence in the presence of the p.Gly17Val RHOA mutation as well as T-lineage cells with an aberrant immune-phenotype in the pericardial effusion. This case suggests that a precision medicine approach by detecting the presence of a p.Gly17Val RHOA mutation is useful for the management of AITL.

Triple-negative Thrombocythemia and Subsequent Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Additional Somatic Mutations.

Triple-negative essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a condition in which mutations in JAK2, CALR and MPL are all negative. Transformation to acute myeloid leukemia may occur during the course of ET, while B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia B-(ALL) is rare. We experienced a case diagnosed as B-ALL during the course of triple-negative ET. Notably, cytoreduction was required for the excessive increase in blood cells during the bone marrow recovery period after chemotherapies. Whole exome sequencing identified 17 somatic mutations: 9 were identified in both ET and B-ALL samples, while 8 were specific to B-ALL, suggesting that these 8 might have caused the transformation.

[Acute myeloid leukemia harboring NUP98::DDX10].

NUP98::DDX10 is a rare fusion gene associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), for which the prognosis and indication for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are unknown. A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed with AML harboring NUP98::DDX10. The results of quantitative RT-PCR of the fusion mRNA as a minimal residual disease (MRD) marker guided the treatment. In August 2019, the patient achieved hematological remission following standard remission induction therapy with idarubicin and cytarabine. After four cycles of consolidation therapies, MRD was detected, and she underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation in May 2020. As MRD persisted in June, the immunosuppressant was stopped and three cycles of azacitidine were administered. Despite this, a hematological relapse occurred in January 2021 that was resistant to high-dose cytarabine and an investigational agent. She died as a result of the disease's progression. Thus, a second thought should be given to the timing of transplantation, the bridging, and the intervention for relapse after transplantation. The cases must be accumulated.