Treatment-Related Mortality From Infectious Complications in an Acute Leukemia Clinic.

BACKGROUND: The main causes of mortality in patients with acute leukemia are the infectious complications. The author wanted to know the induction-related mortality and treatment-related mortality in the acute leukemia patients at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia (INCan), Mexico. Also the author is interested in finding out the micro-organism and the main site of infection to make some changes in the management of patients in these clinics. Primary objective was induction chemotherapy-related mortality and treatment-related mortality. Secondary objective was to determine the site of infection, micro-organism, type of chemotherapy related with more mortality and relapse mortality. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-series analysis of all patients who were admitted to the INCan Acute Leukemia Clinic between January 2012 and December 2015 with febrile neutropenic complications. We reviewed the case histories of all patients, including those with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), acute biphenotypic leukemia and acute promyelocytic leukemia, regardless of disease status (newly diagnosed or relapsed) at the time of clinic attendance. Patients who died as the result of an infectious complication during the analysis window were identified, and their demographics, disease characteristics, treatment history (chemotherapy within 45 days of date of death) and details of the infectious complication resulting in death were collected. RESULTS: Of the 313 patients studied during that time period, 84 (27%) died as a result of infectious complications. Lung infections were the most common, accounting for 67% of all deaths from infectious complications. Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases was the most frequently isolated infectious organism (12 patients; 14%). The majority of deaths occurred during either induction therapy (27 patients; 32%) or treatment for a first relapse (25 patients; 30%). Hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (hyper-CVAD) was the chemotherapy regimen most commonly received within 45 days prior to death (17 patients; 20%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a need for long-term management and supportive care to prevent infectious complication-associated fatalities during both initial chemotherapy and subsequent disease relapse in patients with acute leukemia. The use of prophylaxis will help patients to prevent complications.

Apparent neotelomere in a 46,X,del(X)(qter→p11.2:)/46,X,rea(X)(qter→p11.2::q21.2→qter) novel mosaicism: review of 34 females with a recombinant-like dup(Xq) chromosome.

A 26-year-old woman with secondary amenorrhea and turneroid stigmata was found to have a 46,X,rea(X)(qter→p11.2::q21.2→qter)/46,X,del(X)(qter→p11.2:) mosaicism in 101 G-banded metaphases (71 and 30, respectively). The mother's karyotype was normal (the father was already deceased). A fully skewed inactivation of both abnormal X-chromosomes was documented in RBG-banded metaphases and by means of the HUMARA assay. In addition, the latter revealed that the involved X-chromosome was the paternal one. The patient's secondary amenorrhea and turneroid stigmata can reliably be ascribed to her nearly complete Xp deletion present in all cells. Thus, this observation is consistent with the well-known gradation of ovarian function depending on the Xp deletion size. We assume that the first event was an intrachromosome recombination during paternal meiosis between paralogous sequences at Xp11.2 and Xq21.2, which resulted in a fertilizing rea(X) spermatozoid. Early in embryogenesis, the rea(X) dissociated at the Xp11.2 junction point to originate the del(X), which in turn was healed by the de novo addition of telomeric repeats (the acentric Xq21.2→qter segment was lost in the process). The reverse sequence appears unlikely because it implies that the del(X) chromosome was healed only after it undergone a postzygotic interchromatid recombination and apposite segregation required to obtain the rea(X) clone. The present observation further expands the cytogenetic heterogeneity in Turner syndrome and may represent another instance of a terminal deletion healed by the de novo addition of telomeric repeats.

MEIS1, PREP1, and PBX4 are differentially expressed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: association of MEIS1 expression with higher proliferation and chemotherapy resistance.

BACKGROUND: The Three-amino acid-loop-extension (TALE) superfamily of homeodomain-containing transcription factors have been implicated in normal hematopoiesis and in leukemogenesis and are important survival, differentiation, and apoptosis pathway modulators. In this work, we determined the expression levels of TALE genes in leukemic-derived cell lines, in blood samples of patients with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and in the blood samples of healthy donors. RESULTS: Here we show increased expression of MEIS1, MEIS2, and PREP1 genes in leukemia-derived cell lines compared with blood normal cells. High levels of MEIS1 and PREP1, and low levels of PBX4 expression were also founded in samples of patients with ALL. Importantly, silencing of MEIS1 decreases the proliferation of leukemia-derived cells but increases their survival after etoposide treatment. Etoposide-induced apoptosis induces down-regulation of MEIS1 expression or PREP1 up-regulation in chemotherapy-resistant cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that up-regulation of MEIS1 is important for sustaining proliferation of leukemic cells and that down-regulation of MEIS1 or up-regulation of PREP1 and PBX genes could be implicated in the modulation of the cellular response to chemotherapeutic-induced apoptosis.

Hidranencefalia congénita: reporte de un adolescente en el norte de México / Congenital hydranencephaly: report of an adolescent in the north of Mexico

Fundamento: la hidranencefalia es la ausencia total o casi total de los hemisferios cerebrales con persistencia de líquido cefalorraquídeo, que afecta a individuos de todo el mundo sin importar su género u origen étnico. No existe un tratamiento eficaz y curativo y la gran mayoría de los pacientes mueren antes de alcanzar el tercer año de vida, aunque en algunas excepciones pueden llegar a la mayoría de edad, donde se requiere siempre del apoyo multidisciplinario. Objetivo: presentar el caso de un varón adolescente con hidranencefalia congénita. Caso clínico: paciente masculino de 11 años de edad ingresado en el centro a los cinco años referido como holoprosencefalia. Fue obtenido por cesárea a las 38 semanas de gestación por ruptura de membranas con somatometría normal y Apgar de cinco, requirió maniobras de reanimación neonatal avanzada. A los 30 días su perímetro cefálico aumentó a 39 cm, siguió en aumento hasta alcanzar los 54 cm a los 6 meses de edad. No presentó control cefálico ni control del tronco, tampoco fue capaz de realizar bipedestación, ni desarrolló lenguaje ni emisión de sonidos. Una tomografía cerebral realizada a su ingreso al centro reveló islotes de parénquima cerebral con meninges y línea media, lo que correspondió a una hidranencefalia. Se presentó el caso por la baja frecuencia que, los pacientes con hidranencefalia alcanzan la adolescencia. Conclusiones: la hidranencefalia es una enfermedad que suele ser letal, y los casos que logran sobrevivir tienen secuelas neurológicas graves y discapacitantes. Aunque se conocen algunos síndromes genéticos asociados a hidranencefalia, la mayoría de los casos son esporádicos y sin manifestaciones externas al sistema nervioso central. Si bien, la esperanza de que el caso presentado muestre mayores avances en su desarrollo neurológico no es alentadora, las terapias física, ocupacional y pulmonar pueden permitir una mejor calidad de vida.

Background: hydranencephaly is the total or almost total absence of the cerebral hemispheres with persistent cerebrospinal fluid, which affects individuals around the world regardless of gender or ethnicity. There is no effective and curative treatment, and most patients die before reaching the third year of life, although some exceptions can come of age, always requiring multidisciplinary support. Objective: to present the case of an adolescent male with congenital hydranencephaly. Clinical case: a 11-year-old male from 11 who was admitted at the age of 5 referred to as holoprosencephaly. He was born by caesarean section at 38 weeks of gestation due to rupture of membranes with normal somatometry and Apgar 5, requiring advanced neonatal resuscitation maneuvers. At 30 days head circumference increased to 39 cm and was increasing, reaching 54 cm at 6 months of age. The patient has no control head and trunk, and he was not capable of bipedalism, or developed language or sound emission. A brain scan performed on admission revealed brain parenchyma islets and meninges, corresponding to hydranencephaly. The case is presented by the infrequency with which patients reach adolescence. Conclusions: hydranencephaly is a disease that is usually fatal, and cases that survive have severe and disabling neurological sequeles. Although some genetic syndromes associated with hydranencephaly are known, most cases are usually sporadic with no other manifestations. Though the hope that the case presented shows greater progress in their neurological development is not encouraging, physical, occupational and pulmonary therapy may allow better quality of life.