Event-free survival at 36 months is a suitable endpoint for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with immunochemotherapy: real-world evidence from the North Japan Hematology Study Group.

Information regarding follow-up duration after treatment for newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is important. However, a clear endpoint has yet to be established. We totally enrolled 2182 patients newly diagnosed with DLBCL between 2008 and 2018. The median age of the patients was 71 years. All patients were treated with rituximab- and anthracycline-based chemotherapies. Each overall survival (OS) was compared with the age- and sex-matched Japanese general population (GP) data. At a median follow-up of 3.4 years, 985 patients experienced an event and 657 patients died. Patients who achieved an event-free survival (EFS) at 36 months (EFS36) had an OS equivalent to that of the matched GP (standard mortality ratio [SMR], 1.17; P=0.1324), whereas those who achieved an EFS24 did not have an OS comparable to that of the matched GP (SMR, 1.26; P=0.0095). Subgroup analysis revealed that relatively old patients (>60 years), male patients, those with limited-stage disease, those with a good performance status, and those with low levels of soluble interleukin 2 receptor already had a comparable life expectancy to the matched GP at an EFS24. In contrast, relatively young patients had a shorter life expectancy than matched GP, even with an EFS36. In conclusion, an EFS36 was shown to be a more suitable endpoint for newly diagnosed DLBCL patients than an EFS24. Of note, younger patients require a longer EFS period than older patients in order to obtain an equivalent life expectancy to the matched GP.

Dominant-negative type of IKZF1 deletion showed a favorable prognosis in adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

IKZF1 deletion is a recurrent genomic alteration in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and is divided into dominant-negative (DN) and loss of function (LOF) deletions. The prognostic impact of each deletion has not been fully elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed 117 patients with adult B-ALL including 60 patients with BCR::ABL1-positive B-ALL and 57 patients with BCR::ABL1-negative B-ALL by the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method for IKZF1 deletion and multiplex PCR for the 4 most common IKZF1 deletions (∆4-7, ∆2-7, ∆2-8, and ∆4-8). Samples, in which IKZF1 deletion was detected by FISH but a specific type of deletion was not identified by the PCR, were categorized as "other." Patients were classified into a DN group that had at least 1 allele of ∆4-7 (n = 23), LOF and other group (n = 40), and wildtype group (n = 54). DN type IKZF1 deletions were found in 33.3% of BCR::ABL1-positive cases and 5.2% of BCR::ABL1-negative cases. LOF and other type IKZF1 deletions were found in 43.4% of BCR::ABL1-positive cases and 24.6% of BCR::ABL1-negative cases. Patients with the DN group showed significantly higher overall survival (OS) than that of the LOF and other and WT groups (P = 0.011). Multivariate analysis including age, WBC counts, complex karyotype, and DN type IKZF1 deletion showed that the DN type of IKZF1 deletion (HR = 0.22, P = 0.013) had a positive impact and age ≥ 65 (HR = 1.92, P = 0.029) had a negative impact on OS. The prognostic impact of IKZF1 deletion depends on the type of deletion and DN type of IKZF1 deletion showed better prognosis in adult B-ALL patients.Clinical trial registration This study was part of a prospective observational study (Hokkaido Leukemia Net, UMIN000048611). It was conducted in compliance with ethical principles based on the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the institutional review board of Hokkaido University Hospital (#015-0344).

Prognostic impact of FLT3-ITD, NPM1 mutation and CEBPA bZIP domain mutation in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia: a Hokkaido Leukemia Net study.

Mutation status of FLT3, NPM1, and CEBPA is used to classify the prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia, but its significance in patients with cytogenetically normal (CN) AML is unclear. We prospectively analyzed these genes in 295 patients with CN-AML and identified 76 (25.8%) FLT3-ITD, 113 (38.3%) NPM1 mutations, and 30 (10.2%) CEBPA biallelic mutations. We found that patients with FLT3-ITD had a poor prognosis at any age, while patients with CEBPA biallelic mutation were younger and had a better prognosis. FLT3-ITD and NPM1 mutations were correlated, and the favorable prognostic impact of being FLT3-ITD negative and NPM1 mutation positive was evident only in patients aged 65 years or more. For CEBPA, 86.7% of the patients with biallelic mutation and 9.1% of patients with the single allele mutation had in-frame mutations in the bZIP domain, which were strongly associated with a favorable prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that age < 65 years, FLT3-ITD and CEBPA bZIP in-frame mutation were independent prognostic factors. The results suggest that analyzing these gene mutations at diagnosis can inform selection of the optimal intensity of therapy for patients with CN-AML.

Successful renal recovery from multiple myeloma-associated crystalline light chain cast nephropathy and accompanying acute kidney injury with early use of bortezomib-based therapy: a case report and literature review.

Crystalline light chain cast nephropathy is a rare distinct morphologic variant of light chain cast nephropathy which is the most common renal lesion associated with multiple myeloma. It is often related to high myeloma tumor burden, severe acute kidney injury, and an unfavorable prognosis. A 79-year-old Japanese man was referred to our medical center with anemia, proteinuria, and acute exacerbation of the serum creatinine accompanying anuria. A renal biopsy showed crystalline cast filling the tubular lumens, injured tubular cells, and inflammatory cells infiltration of interstitium. Serum and urine immunofixation detected a monoclonal protein (IgA-λ and Bence-Jones Protein-λ, respectively), and bone marrow examination observed 64% of plasma cells. IgA-λ type multiple myeloma-associated crystalline light chain cast nephropathy and accompanying acute kidney injury were confirmed. Hydration and emergency hemodialysis were immediately introduced, and the treatment with bortezomib and dexamethasone was initiated. The patient showed successful recovery in renal manifestations. We suggest that early use with bortezomib-based therapy should be considered for patients with acute kidney injury caused by multiple myeloma-associated crystalline light chain cast nephropathy.

Maize lateral rootless 1 encodes a homolog of the DCAF protein subunit of the CUL4-based E3 ubiquitin ligase complex.

In maize (Zea mays L.), lateral roots are formed in the differentiation zone of all root types in a multi-step process. The maize mutant lateral rootless 1 (lrt1) is defective in lateral root formation in primary and seminal roots but not in shoot-borne roots. We cloned the lrt1 gene by mapping in combination with BSA-seq and subsequent validation via CRISPR/Cas9. The lrt1 gene encodes a 209 kDa homolog of the DDB1-CUL4-ASSOCIATED FACTOR (DCAF) subunit of the CUL4-based E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) complex localized in the nucleus. DDB1-CUL4-ASSOCIATED FACTOR proteins are encoded by an evolutionary old gene family already present in nonseed plants. They are adaptors that bind substrate proteins and promote their ubiquitylation, thus typically marking them for subsequent degradation in the 26S proteasome. Gene expression studies demonstrated that lrt1 transcripts are expressed preferentially in the meristematic zone of all root types of maize. Downregulation of the rum1 gene in lrt1 mutants suggests that lrt1 acts upstream of the lateral root regulator rum1. Our results demonstrate that DCAF proteins play a key role in root-type-specific lateral root formation in maize. Together with its role in nitrogen acquisition in nitrogen-poor soil, lrt1 could be a promising target for maize improvement.

Clinical features of complex karyotype in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

Complex karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (CK-AML) has been classified as an adverse-risk subtype. Although a few reports have further classified CK-AML as typical (including monosomy of chromosomes 5, 7 and 17 or deletion of 5q, 7q and/or 17p) or atypical, the clinical features of these subtypes in Japanese patients remain unclear. We retrospectively analyzed a total of 115 patients with CK-AML, including 77 with typical CK-AML and 38 with atypical CK-AML. Median overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in patients with typical CK-AML than atypical CK-AML (143 days vs. 369 days, P = 0.009). Among patients with typical CK-AML, those with monosomy 17 or deletion of 17p had significantly shorter OS than patients without such abnormalities (105 days vs. 165 days, P = 0.033). TP53 mutations were more predominant in patients with typical CK-AML than in patients with atypical CK-AML (69.7% vs. 32.4%, P < 0.001). Patients with typical CK-AML had a poor prognosis regardless of TP53 mutation status. Among patients with atypical CK-AML, however, prognosis was worse for those with the TP53 mutation than those without the mutation. In conclusion, prognosis is extremely poor for both typical CK-AML and atypical CK-AML with TP53 mutation.

Serum IL-1ß predicts de novo hepatitis B virus reactivation during direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C, not during anti-cancer/immunosuppressive therapy.

De novo hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation occurs during direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with resolved HBV infection. We evaluated the predictive factors, mechanical insight, and differences of cytokine levels during anti-cancer/immunosuppressive and DAA. Eleven, 35, and 19 HCV-infected patients with previous HBV infection with HBV reactivation during DAA treatment, previous HBV infection without HBV reactivation during DAA treatment, and without HBV infection resolution receiving DAA treatment, respectively, were enrolled. Clinical data and baseline cytokine levels were analyzed. Low baseline serum interleukin (IL)-1ß levels predicted de novo HBV reactivation during DAA treatment (odds ratio: 47.6, 95% confidence interval: 6.94-333.3). HCV-infected patients with the IL-1ß gene single nucleotide polymorphism rs16944 AA allele had significantly higher IL-1ß levels; no HCV-infected patient with the IL-1ß AA allele experienced HBV reactivation during DAA treatment. Compared to HCV-infected patients with HBV infection resolution, non-HCV infected patients with or without HBV reactivation during anti-cancer/immunosuppressive therapy or bone marrow transplantation had remarkably lower baseline IL-1ß levels. Low IL-1ß levels were not associated with HBV reactivation. IL-1ß levels before DAA for HCV-infected patients with resolved HBV infection could predict HBV reactivation during DAA treatment.

Diffuse large b-cell lymphoma of the ocular adnexa with flow cytometry analysis and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features and flow cytometry (FCM) of tumor tissues in ocular adnexal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter case study was designed to evaluate the clinical and immunohistochemical features of tumors. DLBCL was diagnosed based on histopathology, immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain gene rearrangement, and FCM in all surgically removed periocular tumor tissues. This study involved assessing percentages (%) of B-cell/T-cell markers, a natural killer cell marker, and cell-surface Ig kappa/lambda (κ/λ) expression measured by FCM analysis in tumor tissues. RESULTS: Eleven DLBCL patients (4 men and 7 women) with 11 tumors were enrolled in this study. The median age at the time of initial presentation was 73 years. The tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for cluster of differentiation (CD) 20, while CD5 was negative in all 8 cases tested. At the time of ophthalmic diagnosis, two cases already showed systemic dissemination of DLBCL throughout the body. FCM of tumor tissues detected a high percentage of B-cell markers including CD19 and CD20 in all 11 tumors. One case with high CD10 levels in FCM was histologic transformation from follicular lymphoma. One case with a relatively low CD20 population involved a history of systemic treatments including intravenous rituximab. CONCLUSION: Although caution should be exercised when interpreting the data, FCM is useful for not only supportive diagnosis complementary to immunohistochemistry, but also facilitates a better understanding of immunopathology including histologic transformation of follicular lymphoma to DLBCL in the ocular adnexa.

High CRP-albumin ratio predicts poor prognosis in transplant ineligible elderly patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients older than 65 years have a poor prognosis. Recently, CAR (C-reactive-protein/albumin ratio) has been actively reported as a prognostic index reflecting the nutritional and inflammatory status of elderly patients with solid tumors, but the usefulness of this index as a prognostic indicator in transplant-ineligible elderly AML patients has not been investigated. We studied genetic alterations and CARs in 188 newly diagnosed AML patients aged 65 years or older who were treated in a multicenter setting and had treated without HSCT. Both NCCN 2017 risk group, reflecting the genetic component of the tumor, and CAR, reflecting the inflammatory and nutritional status of the patient, successfully stratified the overall survival (OS) of the patients (2-year OS; CAR low vs high, 42.3% vs 17.8%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, NCCN 2017 poor group and high CAR were extracted as independent poor prognostic factors predicting 2-year OS in the current study. We found, for the first time, that CAR at diagnosis predicted the prognosis of elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML treated without HSCT.

A novel nutritional index "simplified CONUT" and the disease risk index independently stratify prognosis of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Elderly patients aged 65 or older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have poor prognosis. The risk stratification based on genetic alteration has been proposed in national comprehensive cancer network (NCCN) guideline but its efficacy was not well verified especially in real world elderly patients. The nutritional status assessment using controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score is a prognostic biomarker in elderly patients with solid tumors but was not examined in elderly AML patients. We performed prospective analysis of genetic alterations of 174 patients aged 65 or older with newly diagnosed AML treated without hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and developed simplified CONUT (sCONUT) score by eliminating total lymphocyte count from the items to adapt AML patients. In this cohort, both the NCCN 2017 risk group and sCONUT score successfully stratified the overall survival (OS) of the elderly patients. A multivariable analysis demonstrated that adverse group in NCCN 2017 and high sCONUT score were independently associated with poor 2-year OS. Both risk stratification based on NCCN 2017 and sCONUT score predict prognosis in the elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML.

Association of Epstein-Barr virus with regression after withdrawal of immunosuppressive drugs and subsequent progression of iatrogenic immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders in patients with autoimmune diseases.

Patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs) may develop lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs) during treatment with immunosuppressive agents (IS) such as methotrexate (MTX), biological agents, or tacrolimus. Some LPDs in patients with AIDs (AID-LPDs) regress after withdrawal of IS, and a high incidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity in such patients has been reported. To identify characteristics and factors predictive of the response to treatment and disease progression, we retrospectively analyzed clinical and histopathological data for 81 patients with AID-LPDs. Almost all of them (96%) had been treated with MTX. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma was the most common LPD type (61%) and seven patients (9%) had classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). EBV was detected by in situ hybridization with an EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) probe in 43% of the examined cases. In 59 patients, IS was discontinued as the initial treatment, resulting in regression of LPDs in 69% of them, and multivariate analysis showed that EBER positivity was an independent factor predictive of such regression (p = 0.022). Two-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival for the patients overall were 63% and 83%, respectively. Poor PFS was associated with advanced stage (p = 0.024), worse performance status (PS, p = 0.031), CHL histology (p = 0.013), and reactivation of EBV-related antibodies (p = 0.029). In conclusion, EBV positivity demonstrated using an EBER probe is useful for prediction of successful regression after withdrawal of IS in patients with AID-LPDs. Patients with advanced stage disease, worse PS, CHL histology, or reactivation of EBV-related antibodies should be closely monitored after initial treatment.

Cas9/gRNA-mediated genome editing of yeast mitochondria and Chlamydomonas chloroplasts.

We present a new approach to edit both mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Organelles have been considered off-limits to CRISPR due to their impermeability to most RNA and DNA. This has prevented applications of Cas9/gRNA-mediated genome editing in organelles while the tool has been widely used for engineering of nuclear DNA in a number of organisms in the last several years. To overcome the hurdle, we designed a new approach to enable organelle genome editing. The plasmids, designated "Edit Plasmids," were constructed with two expression cassettes, one for the expression of Cas9, codon-optimized for each organelle, under promoters specific to each organelle, and the other cassette for the expression of guide RNAs under another set of promoters specific to each organelle. In addition, Edit Plasmids were designed to carry the donor DNA for integration between two double-strand break sites induced by Cas9/gRNAs. Each donor DNA was flanked by the regions homologous to both ends of the integration site that were short enough to minimize spontaneous recombination events. Furthermore, the donor DNA was so modified that it did not carry functional gRNA target sites, allowing the stability of the integrated DNA without being excised by further Cas9/gRNAs activity. Edit Plasmids were introduced into organelles through microprojectile transformation. We confirmed donor DNA insertion at the target sites facilitated by homologous recombination only in the presence of Cas9/gRNA activity in yeast mitochondria and Chlamydomonas chloroplasts. We also showed that Edit Plasmids persist and replicate in mitochondria autonomously for several dozens of generations in the presence of the wild-type genomes. Finally, we did not find insertions and/or deletions at one of the Cas9 cleavage sites in Chloroplasts, which are otherwise hallmarks of Cas9/gRNA-mediated non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair events in nuclear DNA. This is consistent with previous reports of the lack of NHEJ repair system in most bacteria, which are believed to be ancestors of organelles. This is the first demonstration of CRISPR-mediated genome editing in both mitochondria and chloroplasts in two distantly related organisms. The Edit Plasmid approach is expected to open the door to engineer organelle genomes of a wide range of organisms in a precise fashion.

Hepatic Campylobacter jejuni infection in patients with Castleman-Kojima disease (idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease with thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome).

Castleman-Kojima disease, also known as idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease with TAFRO syndrome (iMCD-TAFRO), is a recently recognized systemic inflammatory disorder with a characteristic series of clinical symptoms, including thrombocytopenia (T), anasarca (A), fever (F), reticulin fibrosis (R), and organomegaly (O). Patients with iMCD-TAFRO often develop severe abdominal pain, elevated alkaline phosphatase levels, and systemic inflammation, but the etiological factors are unknown. To investigate the potential role of bacterial infection in the pathogenesis of iMCD-TAFRO, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the bacterial 16S rRNA gene with DNA extracted from liver specimens of three patients with iMCD-TAFRO, four patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and seven patients with inflammatory conditions. Sequencing of the PCR product showed 99% DNA sequence identity with Campylobacter jejuni in all three patients with iMCD-TAFRO and in two patients with inflammatory conditions. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopy analyses could not identify C. jejuni in patients with iMCD-TAFRO. The findings indicated that C. jejuni infection is not the pathological cause of iMCD-TAFRO; however, this ubiquitous bacterium may play a role in uncontrolled systemic hypercytokinemia, possibly through the development of cross-reactive autoantibodies.

Control of meristem determinacy by trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatases is uncoupled from enzymatic activity.

Meristem fate is regulated by trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatases (TPPs), but their mechanism of action remains mysterious. Loss of the maize TPPs RAMOSA3 and TPP4 leads to reduced meristem determinacy and more inflorescence branching. However, analysis of an allelic series revealed no correlation between enzymatic activity and branching, and a catalytically inactive version of RA3 complements the ra3 mutant. Together with their nuclear localization, these findings suggest a moonlighting function for TPPs.

Wilms Tumor 1 Expression at Diagnosis Correlates With Genetic Abnormalities and Polymorphism But Is Not Independently Prognostic in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: A Hokkaido Leukemia Net Study.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic effect of Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) expression at the diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) has been controversial. The aim of the present study was to determine the correlations of WT1 expression at the diagnosis of AML with established prognostic alterations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed diagnostic bone marrow samples from 252 patients. WT1 expression, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the WT1 gene (rs16754), and Fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor-3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutation were analyzed for all patients. The nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) mutation and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (CEBPA) double mutation were analyzed for cytogenetically normal (CN)-AML. The KIT mutation was analyzed for core-binding factor AML. RESULTS: Within the cytogenetically favorable prognosis group, WT1 expression in AML with inv(16) or t(15;17) was significantly greater than that in AML with t(8;21). In cases with CN-AML, FLT3-ITD and NPM1 mutations both correlated with greater expression of WT1, and the CEBPA double mutation was related to lower WT1 expression. The existence of both FLT3-ITD and NPM1 mutations showed synergistically greater expression of WT1 in CN-AML. SNP in the WT1 gene (rs16754) was significantly associated with lower expression of WT1. The WT1 levels were not prognostic factors in the total cohort or any cytogenetic group or stratified by SNP status. CONCLUSION: Because WT1 expression has correlated with known prognostic factors, the prognostic effect of WT1 levels could be misunderstood depending on the distribution of the collaborative mutations in each cohort. We have concluded that the prognostic significance of WT1 at the diagnosis of AML is weak compared with the other established prognostic factors.

Severe adverse events by tyrosine kinase inhibitors decrease survival rates in patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: This multicenter cooperative study aimed to analyze the adverse events (AEs) associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) used as initial treatment for chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) and their impact on outcome. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 450 patients with CML-CP who received TKIs between 2004 and 2014. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 95.1% and 89.0%, respectively. Patients with comorbidities (46.4%) and aged ≥60 years (50.4%) at diagnosis had significantly inferior OS to those without comorbidities and aged <60. Patients achieved higher rates of major molecular response (MMR) at 6 and 12 months after initial treatment with dasatinib or nilotinib compared to imatinib, but final MMR rates were almost the same. Sixty-six percent of patients required treatment modifications from first-line TKI therapy; the main reasons were AEs (48.4%) and failure (18%). Grade III-IV AEs in first-line TKI therapy were significantly correlated to inferior OS/EFS compared to grade 0-II AEs. CONCLUSION: Although long-term outcomes were similar in CML-CP patients treated with each TKI regardless of first-line TKI selection, severe AEs in first-line TKI therapy decreased their survival rates. Early change in TKIs is recommended, when faced with severe AEs of specific TKIs.

A Multicenter Retrospective Study of Mogamulizumab Efficacy in Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Mogamulizumab, a defucosylated humanized monoclonal antibody targeting C-C chemokine receptor 4, recently became available for the treatment of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of the efficacy of mogamulizumab in ATL treatment in patients on Hokkaido Island, Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 125 patients with ATL treated from January 2010 to December 2014 in 20 hospitals affiliated with the Hokkaido Hematology Study Group were enrolled in the present retrospective study. RESULTS: Of the 125 ATL patients, 62 (46.6%) presented with the acute type, 51 (38.3%) with the lymphoma type, and 12 (9.0%) with the chronic type; the latter group included 7 unfavorable chronic cases. The median age at diagnosis was 68 years (range, 35-86 years). The median survival for those with acute, lymphoma, and unfavorable chronic types was 302, 279, and 921 days, respectively. Advanced age, high lactate dehydrogenase level, poor performance status (3-4), and the existence of B symptoms were unfavorable prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Survival rate calculated from the day of diagnosis was significantly higher in patients treated with mogamulizumab. The OS of individuals receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was superior to that of the non-HSCT group. The median interval between the last mogamulizumab dose and allogeneic HSCT was 38 days (range, 21-53 days). Of the 22 HSCT recipients who were not treated with mogamulizumab, overall acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and grade III-IV aGVHD occurred in 12 (54.5%) and 3 (13.6%) patients, respectively. However, overall aGVHD and grade III-IV aGVHD developed in 8 (88.9%) and 3 (33.3%) of the 9 HSCT recipients treated with mogamulizumab, respectively. CONCLUSION: Mogamulizumab improves OS in patients with ATL, although its use in HSCT patients might trigger severe GVHD. Determining the optimal pre-HSCT mogamulizumab treatment regimen is thus a priority.

Signaling from maize organ primordia via FASCIATED EAR3 regulates stem cell proliferation and yield traits.

Shoot apical meristems are stem cell niches that balance proliferation with the incorporation of daughter cells into organ primordia. This balance is maintained by CLAVATA-WUSCHEL feedback signaling between the stem cells at the tip of the meristem and the underlying organizing center. Signals that provide feedback from organ primordia to control the stem cell niche in plants have also been hypothesized, but their identities are unknown. Here we report FASCIATED EAR3 (FEA3), a leucine-rich-repeat receptor that functions in stem cell control and responds to a CLAVATA3/ESR-related (CLE) peptide expressed in organ primordia. We modeled our results to propose a regulatory system that transmits signals from differentiating cells in organ primordia back to the stem cell niche and that appears to function broadly in the plant kingdom. Furthermore, we demonstrate an application of this new signaling feedback, by showing that weak alleles of fea3 enhance hybrid maize yield traits.

TAFRO syndrome showing cholangitis on liver biopsy.

TAFRO syndrome is a systemic inflammatory disorder. TAFRO is an acronym that stands for thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, renal dysfunction, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. There are no reports of TAFRO syndrome describing cholangitis on liver biopsy. Herein, we report the first case of TAFRO syndrome with cholangitis. The patient was a 56-year-old man who presented with sudden onset abdominal pain and fever. His symptoms progressed to generalized edema, thrombocytopenia, hepatomegaly, and acute renal failure. Biopsies taken from the mediastinal lymph nodes and bone marrow showed the mixed type of multicentric Castleman's disease and mild reticulin fibrosis, respectively, compatible with TAFRO syndrome. His symptoms were temporarily relieved by steroid pulse therapy and tocilizumab. Fever and anasarca relapsed in a few weeks, however. He was then administered rituximab which resolved his symptoms almost completely.