Chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in extramedullary leukaemia of the skin in childhood AML: differential roles for CCR2, CCR5, CXCR4 and CXCR7.

Chemokine receptor/ligand interactions orchestrate the migration of cells to peripheral tissues such as the skin. We analysed chemokine receptor expression by acute myeloid leukaemic (AML) cells present in peripheral blood (n = 7), bone marrow (n = 6), or skin (n = 11) obtained from 15 paediatric AML patients with skin involvement and in 10 AML patients without skin involvement. High percentages of circulating CCR2(pos) AML cells were only detected in patients with extramedullary disease. Skin-residing AML cells displayed a different set of receptors in situ, namely: CCR5, CXCR4, CXCR7 and CX3CR1. These results suggest the involvement of different chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in homing and retention of AML blasts in the skin.

Real-world assay variability between laboratories in monitoring of recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein activity in plasma samples.

INTRODUCTION: Monitoring of factor IX (FIX) replacement therapy in haemophilia B relies on accurate coagulation assays. However, considerable interlaboratory variability has been reported for one-stage clotting (OSC) assays. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world, interlaboratory variability of routine FIX activity assays used in clinical haemostasis laboratories for the measurement of recombinant FIX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) activity. METHODS: Human FIX-depleted plasma was spiked with rFIXFc at 0.80, 0.20 or 0.05 IU/mL based on label potency. Participating laboratories tested samples using their own routine OSC or chromogenic substrate (CS) assay protocols, reagents and FIX plasma standards. Laboratories could perform more than one measurement and method, and were not fully blinded to nominal activity values. RESULTS: A total of 142 laboratories contributed OSC results from 175 sample kits using 11 different activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) reagents. The median recovered FIX activity for the 0.80, 0.20 and 0.05 IU/mL samples was 0.72 IU/mL, 0.21 IU/mL and 0.060 IU/mL, respectively. Across all OSC reagents, interlaboratory variability (% CV) per aPTT reagent ranged from 9.4% to 32.1%, 8.2% to 32.6% and 12.2% to 42.0% at the 0.80, 0.20 and 0.05 IU/mL levels, respectively. CS results showed excellent median recoveries at all nominal levels (87.5% to 115.0%; n = 11) with low interlaboratory variability (CV 3.6% to 15.4%). CONCLUSION: This large, real-world data set indicates that rFIXFc activity in plasma samples can be accurately measured with the majority of routine OSC and CS assay methods. Given the variation in FIX assay procedures between sites, it is important that individual laboratories qualify their in-house methods for monitoring of rFIXFc activity.

[Acute illness following chicken pox: spleen infarction as a complication of varicella zoster infection]. / Acuut ziek na waterpokken: miltinfarcten als complicatie van varicella-zosterinfectie.

BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection can cause temporary acquired protein S or C deficiency via cross reacting antibodies and consequently inducing a hypercoagulable state. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 6-year-old girl with a history of congenital cardiac disease was seen at an Emergency Department with acute chest pain, dyspnoea and fever, seven days after developing chicken pox. Diagnostic tests revealed massive infarction of the spleen, and a protein S and C deficiency. In addition, blood cultures revealed a Lancefield group A ß-haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS). The patient recovered fully after treatment with low molecular weight heparin and antibiotics. CONCLUSION: In this patient, septic emboli caused splenic infarction. Thromboembolic complications should be suspected in children with VZV who present with acute symptoms, in particular if bacterial superinfection is found.

The effect of graft-versus-host disease on skin endothelial and epithelial cell chimerism in stem-cell transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates that bone marrow-derived cells contribute to endothelial and epithelial cell renewal in recipients of an allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT). Controversy remains on the biological significance of these donor-derived cells. METHODS: This study investigated the occurrence of endothelial and epithelial cell chimerism in relation to the conditioning regimen, time interval after SCT, and development of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Fifty-five skin biopsy samples from 35 female patients transplanted with a male donor were screened for donor-derived endothelial and epithelial cells using in situ hybridization for Y chromosomes in combination with immunohistochemical cell-marking techniques. RESULTS: Endothelial cell chimerism was found in 25% of the biopsies and increased in time after SCT. Its appearance was increased in patients with acute GVHD more than 2 weeks before biopsy. Epithelial cell chimerism was found in 85% of the biopsies. Appearance of epithelial cell chimerism was not correlated with the time interval after SCT or with tissue damage caused by GVHD. CONCLUSION: From these results, we conclude that donor-derived endothelial cell chimerism results from repair of damaged endothelium and maintenance of vascular homeostasis. In contrast, epithelial cell chimerism follows a more uniform pattern of engraftment, not influenced by tissue damage.

Possible link between unique chemokine and homing receptor expression at diagnosis and relapse location in a patient with childhood T-ALL.

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is often associated with extramedullary infiltration by leukemic cells at diagnosis or at relapse. To understand the mechanisms behind the dissemination of T-cell ALL (T-ALL) cells this study investigated the homing receptor expression on the blast cells of 11 pediatric T-ALL patients at diagnosis. One patient revealed a unique profile with high expression of the chemokine receptor CCR9 and the integrin CD103 on the T-ALL cells. Both of these molecules are specifically associated with homing to the gut. This finding was clinically significant as the patient later suffered a relapse that was confined to the gut. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the leukemic cells in the gut still expressed CCR9 and colocalized with a high expression of the CCR9 ligand, CCL25. These findings suggest that the original expression of CCR9 and CD103 on the leukemic cells contributed to the relapse location in the gut of this patient.