Optimizing the process of fertility preservation in pediatric female cancer patients - a multidisciplinary program.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence indicates sub-optimal incidence of fertility preservation (FP) in eligible patients. We present herein our designated multidisciplinary program for FP in pediatric and adolescent population and present our data on FP in female patients. METHODS: Pediatric patients (age 0-18) who were candidate for highly gonadotoxic treatments were referred to FP program for a multidisciplinary discussion and gonadal risk-assessment followed by either oocyte cryopreservation or ovarian cryopreservation (OCP) for female patients, and sperm banking for male patients. The OCP protocol consists of aspiration of oocytes from small antral follicles and in-vitro maturation followed by cryopreservation, as well as ovarian tissue cryopreservation. RESULTS: The establishment of a designated FP program resulted in a significant increase in referral and subsequent FP procedures of all eligible patients. Sixty-two female patients were referred for FP discussion during a period of 36 months; 41 underwent OCP; 11 underwent oocyte cryopreservation and six were declined due to parental decision. The median age was 13.2y (range 18 months-18y). Thirty-two (51.6 %) were chemotherapy-naïve. Seventeen patients (27 %) had sarcoma, 16 patients (26 %) had acute leukemia. The mean number of mature oocytes that were eventually vitrified was significantly higher in chemotherapy-naïve patients compared with chemotherapy-exposed patients (mean 12 oocytes (1-42) versus 2 (0-7)). CONCLUSION: Multidisciplinary programs that encompass experts of all relevant fields, skilled laboratory resources and a facilitated path appear to maximize the yield. We observed a considerable higher referral rates following launching a designated program and earlier OCP in chemo-naïve patients that culminated in a better fertility preservation procedure.

Apparently unrelated clones shown by spectral karyotyping to represent clonal evolution of cryptic t(10;11)(p13;q23) in a patient with acute monoblastic leukemia.

The accurate genetic classification of acute leukemia is of the utmost clinical importance for treatment stratification. In the present study, we report on a young girl with aggressive acute monoblastic leukemia (AML) (M5b) with skin, lymph node, and bone marrow involvement, in whom cytogenetic analysis revealed three clones with different secondary chromosomal changes. Two clones had the secondary +8 and del(9q) aberrations, with the der(11)t(1;11) in the second one; the third clone was apparently unrelated to the others, and had add(7)(p?21),-13,+22. Using the spectral karyotyping (SKY) technique, we found that all three clones originated from a common clone that harbored the hidden primary t(10;11)(p13;q23) or its derivatives, suggesting clonal evolution. The first clone had the balanced t(10;11), the second had its derivative, der(10)t(10;11), and the third had the other derivative, der(11)t(10;11). On fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), MLL gene splitting, with translocation of its centromeric portion to 10p, and deletion of its telomeric portion, was demonstrated. In conclusion, the detection of the very poor prognostic t(10;11) aberration in AML, was possible by complementing the traditional cytogenetic analysis with SKY and FISH.

Near haploid childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia masked by hyperdiploid line: detection by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Near-haploid (<30 chromosomes) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare and unique subgroup of childhood common ALL associated with a very poor outcome. It may be underdiagnosed when masked by a co-existing hyperdiploid line, which has to be distinguished from the common good-prognostic hyperdiploid (>50 chromosomes) ALL. We present three children in whom, by conventional cytogenetics, near-haploid ALL was detected on relapse. Using interphase FISH probes of chromosomes X, Y, 4, 12, and 21, we were able, in two cases, to trace the hidden near-haploid lines of approximately 5% and 20% of the cells, masked by hyperdiploid cells of approximately 80% and 70%, respectively; at relapse, the proportion was reversed, with predominant near-haploid lines of over 80% and residual hyperdiploidy of less than 10%. The near-haploid lines consisted of 24 and 27 chromosomes, and always retained the second copy of chromosome 21 or its derivative, as detected in one of our patients by SKY. The hyperdiploid clones were the exact duplicates of the near-haploid ones and contained four and two copies of the chromosomes represented in two and one copies in the near-haploid stem line, respectively. Unlike the common hyperdiploid ALL, no trisomies were observed. The patients were all aged >10 years, with WBC 0.7-30 x 10(9)/L, and a common ALL phenotype. They were treated with the ALL-BFM-95 protocol, medium risk group, and responded well to 8 days of steroid therapy, but relapsed early, within 11 months, and died a few months later. Interphase FISH technique is recommended for the detection of cryptic near-haploid clones in the diagnostic survey of ALL. To assess the prognostic value of near-haploidy in the context of the ALL-BFM protocols, a larger cohort of patients is required.

Exserohilum: an emerging human pathogen.

Exserohilum is a dematiaceous fungus that may cause a spectrum of diseases in humans, including skin and corneal infection, invasive disease, and allergic fungal sinusitis. The aim of this work is to describe two new cases of Exserohilum infection and to review the literature. The review yielded 33 cases of Exserohilum infection, of which 23 were reported since 1993. Most occurred in regions with hot climates, such as India, Israel, and the southern USA. Impaired immunity was present in the majority of patients with invasive and skin infections, whereas local trauma and atopy were the predisposing factors in those with corneal infections and allergic fungal sinusitis, respectively. Surgical debridement was the principal mode of therapy for allergic fungal sinusitis. Amphotericin B was the initial single antifungal agent used in all cases of invasive disease; the response rate was low but improved with the addition of triazole agents. Outcome appeared to be better than for other mold infections and depended mainly on the underlying diseases.

Molecular variants of the ATM gene in Hodgkin's disease in children.

Ataxia telangiectasia is an autosomal recessive disease with a striking predisposition of lymphoid malignancies. ATM mutations have been reported in adult sporadic lymphoma and leukaemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of the ATM gene in the carcinogenesis of Hodgkin disease in children. Tumours were obtained from 23 patients and were subjected to mutation screening and loss of heterozygosity analysis. Eight base substitutions were identified in seven patients. Of them, Y54Y, a silent change, was observed in two patients and a known polymorphism, D1853N, in three patients. Of the other two patients, one harboured a combined genotype P604S/F1463C, identified previously in two patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, and the other a novel missense mutation, V595A. The alterations were present in the germ line, and both had a more aggressive disease. In all, 100 matched normal ethnic controls were screened for these mutations and P604S/F1463C was identified in one healthy control. Loss of heterozygosity was identified in four patients and in three of them it was located centromeric to the ATM gene, and, in one, it spanned a large region, indicating the involvement of other tumour-suppressor genes in this disease. Missense variants of the ATM gene are a rare event in childhood Hodgkin disease.