Favorable outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children and adolescents with Diamond-Blackfan anemia.

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital pure red cell aplasia associated with congenital abnormalities and cancer predisposition. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can correct the hematological phenotype and is indicated in transfusion-dependent patients. In 70 children reported to the German DBA and French HSCT registries, HSCT was performed from 1985 to 2017. Median age at HSCT was 5.5 years (range, 0.9-17.3 years). Two-thirds of patients (64%) were transplanted from a matched sibling donor (MSD), and most procedures were performed after the year 1999 (73%). Primary engraftment was achieved in all patients. One patient developed secondary graft failure. Cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 24% for °II-IV (95% confidence interval [CI], 16% to 37%) and 7% for °III-IV (95% CI, 3% to 17%); cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 11% (95% CI, 5% to 22%). The probability of chronic GVHD-free survival (cGFS) was 87% (95% CI, 79% to 95%) and significantly improved over time (<2000: 68% [95% CI, 47% to 89%] vs ≥2000: 94% [95% CI, 87% to 100%], P < .01). cGFS was comparable following HSCT from a MSD and an unrelated donor (UD). Of note, no severe chronic GVHD or deaths were reported following MSD-HSCT after 1999. The difference of cGFS in children transplanted <10 years of age compared with older patients did not reach statistical significance (<10 years: 90% [95% CI, 81% to 99%] vs 10-18 years 78% [95% CI, 58% to 98%]). In summary, these data indicate that HSCT is efficient and safe in young DBA patients and should be considered if a MSD or matched UD is available. HSCT for transfusion dependency only must be critically discussed in older patients.

Severe plasma prekallikrein deficiency: Clinical characteristics, novel KLKB1 mutations, and estimated prevalence.

BACKGROUND: Severe plasma prekallikrein (PK) deficiency is an autosomal-recessive defect characterized by isolated activated partial thromboplastin time prolongation. To date, no comprehensive methodologically firm analysis has investigated the diagnostic, clinical, and genetic characteristics of PK deficiency, and its prevalence remains unknown. PATIENTS/METHODS: We described new families with PK deficiency, retrieved clinical and laboratory information of cases systematically searched in the (gray) literature, and collected blood of these cases for complementary analyses. The Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) and the population-based Gutenberg Health Study served to study the prevalence of mutations and relevant genetic variants. RESULTS: We assembled a cohort of 111 cases from 89 families and performed new genetic analyses in eight families (three unpublished). We identified new KLKB1 mutations, excluded the pathogenicity of some of the previously described ones, and estimated a prevalence of severe PK deficiency of 1/155 668 overall and 1/4725 among Africans. One individual reported with PK deficiency had, in fact, congenital kininogen deficiency associated with decreased PK activity. One quarter of individuals had factor XII clotting activity below the reference range. Four major bleeding events were described in 96 individuals, of which 3 were provoked, for a prevalence of 4% and an annualized rate of 0.1%. The prevalence of cardiovascular events was 15% (6% <40 years; 21% 40-65 years; 33% >65 years) for an annualized rate of 0.4%. CONCLUSIONS: We characterized the genetic background of severe PK deficiency, critically appraised mutations, and provided prevalence estimates. Our data on laboratory characteristics and clinical course of severe PK deficiency may have clinical implications.

Hereditary spherocytosis is associated with decreased pyruvate kinase activity due to impaired structural integrity of the red blood cell membrane.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is characterised by increased osmotic fragility and enhanced membrane loss of red blood cells (RBC) due to defective membrane protein complexes. In our diagnostic laboratory, we observed that pyruvate kinase (PK) activity in HS was merely slightly elevated with respect to the amount of reticulocytosis. In order to evaluate whether impaired PK activity is a feature of HS, we retrospectively analysed laboratory data sets from 172 unrelated patients with HS, hereditary elliptocytosis (HE), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) or PK deficiency, sickle cell or haemoglobin C disease, or ß-thalassaemia minor. Results from linear regression analysis provided proof that PK activity decreases with rising reticulocyte counts in HS (R2  = 0·15; slope = 9·09) and, less significantly, in HE (R2  = 0·021; slope = 8·92) when compared with other haemolytic disorders (R2  ≥ 0·65; slopes ≥ 78·6). Reticulocyte-adjusted erythrocyte PK activity levels were significantly lower in HS and even declined with increasing reticulocytes (R2  = 0·48; slope = -9·74). In this report, we describe a novel association between HS and decreased PK activity that is apparently caused by loss of membrane-bound PK due to impaired structural integrity of the RBC membrane and may aggravate severity of haemolysis in HS.

USP9X stabilizes XIAP to regulate mitotic cell death and chemoresistance in aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintains genome stability and marks an important target for antineoplastic therapies. However, it has remained unclear how cells execute cell fate decisions under conditions of SAC-induced mitotic arrest. Here, we identify USP9X as the mitotic deubiquitinase of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and demonstrate that deubiquitylation and stabilization of XIAP by USP9X lead to increased resistance toward mitotic spindle poisons. We find that primary human aggressive B-cell lymphoma samples exhibit high USP9X expression that correlate with XIAP overexpression. We show that high USP9X/XIAP expression is associated with shorter event-free survival in patients treated with spindle poison-containing chemotherapy. Accordingly, aggressive B-cell lymphoma lines with USP9X and associated XIAP overexpression exhibit increased chemoresistance, reversed by specific inhibition of either USP9X or XIAP. Moreover, knockdown of USP9X or XIAP significantly delays lymphoma development and increases sensitivity to spindle poisons in a murine Eµ-Myc lymphoma model. Together, we specify the USP9X-XIAP axis as a regulator of the mitotic cell fate decision and propose that USP9X and XIAP are potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in aggressive B-cell lymphoma.