Expression Pattern and Prognostic Significance of the Long Non-Coding RNA Metastasis-Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Dysregulated expression of the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of a variety of cancers, including hematological malignancies, but it has been poorly investigated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this study, the expression of MALAT1 was measured using a quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 114 unselected, newly diagnosed CLL patients in order to analyze its association with clinical, laboratory, and molecular patients' characteristics at diagnosis, as well as its prognostic relevance. MALAT1 was found to be upregulated in CLL patients in comparison to healthy controls, and expression levels were not related to age, leukocyte, lymphocyte and platelet count, serum ß2-microglobulin, and IGHV somatic hypermutational status. On the other hand, high MALAT1 expression was associated with several favorable prognostic markers (high hemoglobin, low serum lactate dehydrogenase, earlier clinical stages, CD38-negative status), but also with unfavorable cytogenetics. Furthermore, an association between high MALAT1 levels and longer time to first treatment and overall survival in IGHV-unmutated CLL subtype was observed. In summary, our results imply that high MALAT1 expression at diagnosis may be a predictor of better prognosis and point to MALAT1 expression profiling as a candidate biomarker potentially useful in clinical practice.

Unique presentation of T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B cell lymphoma complicated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Case report and review of the literature.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, lifethreatening hyperinflammatory disorder characterized by dysfunction of NK cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes. We present a rare case of a patient diagnosed with HLH who presented with persistent fever during treatment for refractory T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (TCHRLBCL), highlighting the challenges of managing HLH in the context of refractory lymphoma. According to our review of the literature, this is the first case of HLH that developed several months into treatment for refractory TCHRLBCL and not in close temporal relation to lymphoma diagnosis.