Prognostic impact of trisomy 21 in follicular lymphoma.

The chromosomal abnormalities associated with follicular lymphoma (FL) prognosis are not fully elucidated. Here, we evaluated the pattern of chromosomal abnormalities in FL, and clarified the correlations between the cytogenetic features and clinical outcome. Cytogenetic analysis was performed using standard methods of Giemsa-banding at diagnosis for 201 FL patients admitted to our hospitals between 2001 and 2013. The identified chromosomal abnormalities were: t(14;18)(q32;q21) (59·2%), +X (17·9%), del(6)(q)/-6 (16·9%), +7 (14·4%), abnormality of 1q12-21/1q (12·9%), del(13)(q)/-13 (11·9%), abnormality of 3q27 (10·4%), abnormality of 10q22-24 (10·0%), +12/dup(12)(q) (10·0%), abnormality of 1p21-22/1p (9·0%), +18 (9·0%), del(17)(p)/-17 (5·0%), and a complex karyotype (54·7%). Patients with trisomy 21 had a significantly shorter progression-free survival (P = 0·00171) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0·001) than those without trisomy 21; additionally, patients with trisomy 21 in the rituximab-treated cohort also had a significantly shorter OS (P = 0·000428). Multivariate analysis identified trisomy 21 as an independent risk factor in our cohorts with or without t(14;18) (P = 0·015). In conclusion, the presence of trisomy 21 was an independent risk factor for in FL. Chromosomal analysis of FL patients at diagnosis can provide useful information about their expected survival.

A Rare Case of Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Infection Accompanied by the Infiltration of EBV-infected CD8+ T Cells into the Muscle.

We describe a rare case of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection, with infiltration of the skeletal muscle. A 19-year-old woman with swollen cervical lymph nodes and a fever was referred to our hospital. Swelling of the trapezium muscle and elevation of creatinine kinase level were observed. Biopsy results of the brachialis muscle revealed infiltration of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded RNA-positive CD8 T lymphocytes. The EBV virus load in the peripheral blood was high, and EBV monoclonality was determined by Southern blot analysis. Owing to the rarity of CAEBV with skeletal muscle infiltration, this case alerts physicians to the potential diagnostic pitfalls of CAEBV.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 is an inducible stress response gene associated with extramedullary spread and poor prognosis of multiple myeloma.

Extramedullary myeloma (EMM) occurs when myeloma develops outside the bone marrow; it often develops after chemotherapy and is associated with the acquisition of chemo-resistance and a fatal course. The mechanisms underlying extramedullary spread have not yet been fully elucidated. MALAT1 is a highly abundantly and ubiquitously expressed long non-coding RNA that plays important roles in cancer metastasis. The aims of this study were to clarify the association of MALAT1 with EMM and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of EMM formation under chemotherapeutic pressure. MALAT1 expression was significantly higher in multiple myeloma (MM) than in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Furthermore, MALAT1 expression was markedly higher in EMM compared with that in corresponding intramedullary myeloma cells. A higher MALAT1 level was associated with shorter overall and progression-free survival. MALAT1 expression level was positively correlated with expression of HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1 and HSP90B1 but not with TP53 expression. MALAT1 was significantly upregulated by bortezomib and doxorubicin. Considering the known functions of MALAT1, our results suggest that it acts as a stress response gene that is upregulated by chemotherapy, thereby linking chemotherapy to EMM formation. Elucidating the biological implication of long non-coding RNA contributes to deeper understanding concerning the pathogenesis and investigation of novel therapeutic targets for MM.

Incidence and clinical background of hepatitis B virus reactivation in multiple myeloma in novel agents' era.

There are some reports regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in patients with myeloma who are HBV carriers or who have had a resolved HBV infection, and there is no standard prophylaxis strategy for these patients. We performed a retrospective multicenter study to determine the incidence and characteristics of HBV reactivation in patients with multiple myeloma. We identified 641 patients with multiple myeloma who had been treated using novel agents and/or autologous stem cell transplantation with high-dose chemotherapy between January 2006 and June 2014 at nine Japanese hospitals. The patients' characteristics, laboratory data, and clinical courses were retrieved and statistically analyzed. During a median follow-up of 101 weeks, one of eight (12.5 %) HBV carriers developed hepatitis and 9 of 99 (9.1 %) patients with resolved HBV infection experienced HBV reactivation; the cumulative incidences of HBV reactivation at 2 years (104 weeks) and 5 years (260 weeks) were 8 and 14 %, respectively. The nine cases of reactivation after resolved HBV infection had received entecavir as preemptive therapy or were carefully observed by monitoring their HBV DNA levels, and none of these cases developed hepatitis. Among patients with multiple myeloma, HBV reactivation was not rare. Therefore, long-term monitoring of HBV DNA levels is needed to prevent hepatitis that is related to HBV reactivation in these patients.

High percentage of regulatory T cells before and after vitamin B12 treatment in patients with pernicious anemia.

INTRODUCTION: In some previous studies, vitamin B12 treatment showed immunomodulatory effects and restored the immunological abnormalities in patients with pernicious anemia (PA). In the present study, peripheral blood T cell subsets, including regulatory T cells (T(reg)s), were examined before and after vitamin B12 treatment in PA patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The percentages of CD4, CD8, Th1, Th2 and T(reg)s were examined in 23 PA patients before vitamin B12 treatment, in 23 other PA patients after vitamin B12 treatment and in 28 healthy controls. RESULTS: The mean percentage of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in the control group (23.0%; 95% CI, 20.4-25.6%) than in the pre- (16.0%; 95% CI, 12.1-20.0%) and posttreatment groups (15.2%; 95% CI, 11.8-18.6%; p < 0.05). The CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly lower in the control group (2.01; 95% CI, 1.66-2.34) than in the pre- (3.45; 95% CI, 2.55-7.80) and posttreatment groups (2.97; 95% CI, 2.22-3.72; p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean Th1/Th2 ratio among these groups. There were significant increases in the mean percentage of T(reg)s in the pre- (6.29%; 95% CI, 5.04-7.54%) and posttreatment groups (7.77%; 95% CI, 6.34-9.20%) compared with the control group (4.18%; 95% CI, 3.92-4.47%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of T(reg)s was significantly higher in PA patients than in normal subjects, and this high T(reg) percentage was not different before and after vitamin B12 treatment. Other immunological alterations also did not recover after vitamin B12 treatment, so that these immunological changes appear to be the cause of PA and are not induced by vitamin B12 deficiency.

Primary leptomeningeal B-cell lymphoma with normal pressure hydrocephalus at diagnosis.

An 80-year-old man, presenting with gait disturbance and memory loss, had findings of normal pressure hydrocephalus. Primary leptomeningeal lymphoma (PLML) was diagnosed based on cytology and flow cytometry of cerebrospinal fluid obtained by examination. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI showed enhancement of the brain and spinal cord but FDG-PET/CT revealed no lymph node swelling. With intrathecal chemotherapy, meningeal lesions disappeared and the gait disturbance and memory loss improved. However, the disease recurred three months later, manifesting as left facial nerve palsy, but the symptoms disappeared in response to intrathecal chemotherapy and systemic rituximab administration. Although a tumor lesion in the spinal canal was suggested by MRI examination, the patient has maintained a good clinical course for four years with intrathecal chemotherapy every three months. PLML is a very rare disease and its diagnosis is difficult. Repeated intrathecal chemotherapy appeared to be effective against PLML in this case.

[Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the testis relapsed 16 years after achieving complete response].

Testicular lymphoma is a rare disease, accounting for 1-2% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 5-9% of all testicular tumors, and has a high relapse rate with a poor prognosis. We report a patient with testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who relapsed after being in remission for 16 years. He had undergone orchiectomy of the right testis and was diagnosed as having DLBCL (stage IAE) at 49 years of age. After 3 cycles of CHOP, he achieved a complete remission. Orchiectomy was performed because of a left testicular tumor, and he was again diagnosed with DLBCL at the age of 65. VH3-21 was detected in lymphoma cells at the times of both the first diagnosis and the relapse based on analysis of the variable region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain. Accordingly, the lymphoma cells at relapse were confirmed to be the same clone as that which had been documented at the first diagnosis.

[Successful treatment with dasatinib for polycythemia vera patient emerging BCR-ABL positive clone during 13 years of treatment].

Herein, we report a patient with polycythemia vera (PV) who exhibited Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) positive CML-like clinical features after 13 years of hydroxycarbamide administration and successful treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). She was 64 years old when initially diagnosed with PV and was confirmed to be negative for BCR-ABL translocation. Thirteen years later, with increasing white blood cell and platelet counts, a BCR-ABL positive clone emerged and the JAK2V617F mutation disappeared. After TKI treatment, the BCR-ABL copy number decreased and the JAK2V617F mutation was again detected. Furthermore, MPN clinical features were observed. This case provides insights into the clonal divergence and growth advantage of the Ph positive clone over the MPN clone. Whether JAK2V617F is an MPN initiating event or a secondary mutation has been a point of discussion for the past several years. This issue is also considered in the present report.

[Emergence of donor-derived anti-HLA antibody and subsequent transfusion-refractory thrombocytopenia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an HLA-matched sibling donor in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia].

A 45-year-old woman with acute myelogenous leukemia developed platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) after the engraftment of an allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from her multiparous sister, which was attributed to HLA antibodies that could not be detected in the patient's serum before transplantation. She achieved neutrophil engraftment by day 18 and megakaryocytopoiesis and complete donor chimerism was confirmed in the bone marrow on day 21. IgG-class HLA antibodies were detected in her serum on day 24 after PBSCT; however, on day 15, no HLA antibodies were detected. The specificity of the antibodies that emerged in the patient closely resembled that of the antibodies found in the donor. The donor had probably been immunized during pregnancy by their partner's HLA-antigens expressed by the fetus. Consequently, transplanted donor-derived cells provoked HLA antibodies in the recipient early after PBSCT, and those HLA antibodies induced PTR. The presence of HLA antibodies should be examined at least in pregnant female donors whose recipients developed PTR attributable to HLA antibodies after SCT.

Circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells in patients with primary and Helicobacter pylori-associated immune thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVES: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the production of autoreactive antibodies against platelet antigens. Although dysfunction of multiple aspects of cellular immunity is considered to be important in the pathogenesis of ITP, it has not been clarified which cell types play a principal role. METHODS: We enrolled 46 untreated patients with chronic ITP and 47 healthy adult volunteers, and investigated by flow cytometry the percentage and absolute number of cells in their peripheral blood that participate in the regulation of cellular immunity. These included plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), natural killer (NK) cells, natural killer T (NKT) cells, regulatory T (Treg) cells, and Th17 cells. RESULTS: We found a significant reduction in the absolute number of pDCs, but not of mDCs, in patients with ITP when compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). Reduced numbers of circulating pDCs were observed in both Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-positive and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative patients with ITP. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the numbers of circulating Treg cells, Th17 cells, NK cells, or NKT cells. Interestingly, we observed increases in the number of pDCs after H. pylori eradication by antibiotics in responders but not in non-responders, while pDCs and mDCs decreased markedly after prednisolone therapy in both responders and non-responders. In patients without treatment, low pDC numbers persisted during the observational period. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the number of circulating pDCs is low in patients with primary and H. pylori-associated ITP and that it changes depending on treatment modality. Further investigation is warranted with regard to the role of pDCs in the immunopathogenesis of ITP.

Follicular lymphoma presenting with marked splenomegaly: report of three cases.

Marked splenomegaly as the main presenting sign in follicular lymphoma (FL) is rare. The clinical and morphologic findings of 3 FL patients with massive splenomegaly and slight or no lymphadenopathy are presented. All cases had massive splenomegaly, and 2 had minimal peripheral lymphadenopathy with bone marrow infiltration, which is the major involved site besides the spleen. Histologically, various sizes of micronodules, composed of medium-sized centrocytes, were present in the white pulp in 2 cases in whom splenectomy was performed. The other case was complicated by nephrotic syndrome and showed aggregates of packed small lymphocytes in the spleen and renal parenchyma. Tumor cells were positive for CD10, CD20, bcl-2, and bcl-6. Since these cases are clinically similar to splenic marginal zone lymphoma, recognition of this disease and selection of the appropriate therapy are needed.

[Retrospective survey on the clinical features of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in Gunma Prefecture, Japan].

We retrospectively investigated pathological types, clinical backgrounds, treatments and prognoses in 726 adult patients with newly diagnosed malignant lymphoma in Gunma Prefecture. They consisted of 679 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-cell type, 603; T- and NK-cell type, 76) of which 376 patients had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 47 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. When comparing the prognosis of DLBCL between patients receiving rituximab (R-CHOP group; n=212) and not using rituximab (CHOP group; n=126), both 3-year overall survival (73.5% vs 61.7%, p=0.010) and 3-year progression-free survival (65.1% vs 45.8%, p<0.001) were statistically better in the R-CHOP group compared to the CHOP group. Our results suggest that more than half of patients were DLBCL and the rituximab-containing regimen results in an improved prognosis for DLBCL patients.

Propensity-score matched analysis of the efficacy of maintenance/continuous therapy in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma: a multicenter retrospective collaborative study of the Japanese Society of Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Maintenance ± consolidation or continuous therapy is considered a standard of care for both transplant-eligible and -ineligible patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, long-term benefits of such therapy have not yet been clarified in the context of clinical practice. PURPOSE: To clarify the efficacy of maintenance/continuous approach, we retrospectively analyzed the cohort data of newly diagnosed MM patients by propensity-score matching based on age, gender, revised International Staging System (R-ISS) stage, and implementation of transplantation to reduce the bias due to confounding variables. FINDINGS: Among 720 patients, 161 were identified for each of the maintenance and no maintenance groups. Maintenance/continuous therapy employed immunomodulatory drugs (n = 83), proteasome inhibitors (n = 48), combination of both (n = 29), or dexamethasone alone (n = 1). Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly prolonged in the maintenance group compared with the no maintenance group (median 37.7 and 21.9 months, p = 0.0002, respectively). Prolongation of PFS was observed in both transplanted and non-transplanted patients (p = 0.017 and p = 0.0008, respectively), with standard risk (p < 0.00001), R-ISS stage I (p = 0.037) and stage II (p = 0.00094), and those without obtaining complete response (p = 0.0018). There was no significant benefit in overall survival (OS), but it tended to be better in the maintenance group in non-transplanted patients. Regarding the treatment pattern, the substitution or addition of drugs different from the induction therapy and the combination with immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors appeared to be more beneficial for PFS but not OS. CONCLUSION: These results support the benefit of current maintenance/continuous approach in routine clinical practice in the management of MM.

Interleukin-17F gene polymorphism in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia.

INTRODUCTION: IL-17F is a novel inflammatory cytokine and plays an important role in some autoimmune diseases. We investigated the association between chronic ITP and the frequency of the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs763780 (7488T/C), which causes a His-to-Arg substitution at amino acid 161. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined 102 patients (men/women, 40/62; median age, 42) diagnosed with chronic ITP and 188 healthy controls (men/women, 78/110; median age, 38). Genotyping was determined by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, patients with chronic ITP had a significantly lower frequency of the IL-17F 7488CC genotype (0% vs. 4.8%, P<0.05). The number of IL-17F 7488C alleles among the patients with chronic ITP was also significantly lower than in the control group (8.7% vs. 15.2% OR=0.48, 95%CI=0.27-0.84, P=0.016). Furthermore, patients with the IL-17F 7488TT genotype showed a severe thrombocytopenic state (platelet count<10×10(9) /L) at diagnosis than those with the IL-17F 7488TC genotype (20.9% vs. 0%, P=0.04). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the IL-17F 7488 T allele is significantly associated with the development of chronic ITP, suggesting a role for IL-17F in the pathogenesis of chronic ITP.

Successful treatment of autoimmune hemolytic anemia associated with multicentric Castleman disease by anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody (tocilizumab) therapy.

We describe herein the successful treatment of severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) in a patient with multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) by humanized anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antibody (tocilizumab) therapy. Inflammatory anemia is commonly reported; however, AIHA is a very rare complication of MCD. In 1996, a 45-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital because of generalized lymphadenopathy, anemia and skin eruptions. Lymph node biopsy demonstrated MCD. She was treated with prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day), which improved the anemia and skin eruptions. In 2009, she suddenly developed Coombs-positive hemolytic anemia. The blood count was as follows: hemoglobin 4.7 g/dl, platelets 490 × 10(9)/l and white blood cell count 9.8 × 10(9)/l. Both direct and indirect Coombs' tests were strongly positive. She was treated with 8 mg/kg tocilizumab every 2 weeks. One month later, her hemoglobin levels rose dramatically to 10.9 g/dl and her haptoglobin level, hypergammaglobulinemia and clinical symptoms had also markedly improved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the efficacy of tocilizumab in AIHA associated with MCD. The well-established role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of MCD may have been responsible for the improvement in the AIHA associated with MCD. Anti-IL-6 receptor antibody treatment could be an attractive therapeutic approach for AIHA associated with MCD.

Long-term follow-up of EBV-positive lymphoproliferative disorders in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We report a woman in her early thirties with a long-term history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and prednisolone administration, who progressed to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD). Treatment for SLE consisted of 1 mg/kg/ day prednisolone followed by 5 mg/day of maintenance therapy. Lymph node biopsies were performed when the patient was in her early thirties, mid-forties, and late fifties. Histologically, the initial lymph node lesion was characterized by numerous enlarged, coalescing lymphoid follicles. The second biopsy showed effacement of the follicles and expansion of the paracortical area. A polymorphous population of small- to medium-sized lymphocytes, plasma cells, and immunoblasts had diffusely infiltrated the paracortical area. In the third lymph node biopsy, fibrous collagen bands divided the epithelioid cell granulomas into nodules. There were numerous Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells in the epithelioid cell granuloma. In situ hybridization demonstrated there were no EBV-infected lymphocytes in the first biopsy; however, EBER(+) cells were detected in the second and third biopsy specimens. The current findings illustrate the natural progression in a patient with a long-term history of EBV(+) B-cell LPD in which the immunodeficiency was caused by SLE and probably her aging, which together resulted in histological change.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia accompanied by megaloblastic anemia showing atypical clinical features.

Leukocytosis, splenomegaly, and an increased vitamin B(12) level are characteristic findings of chronic myelogenous leukemia in the chronic phase (CML-CP). Here, we report a patient with CML-CP accompanied by megaloblastic anemia. A 61-year-old man consulted our hospital because of anemia and thrombocytopenia. On physical examination, there were no remarkable findings; there was no hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory findings were: hemoglobin 6.0 g/dl; MCV 113.6 fl; platelet count 100×10(9)/l; white cell count 8.66×10(9)/l; and LDH 1,236 IU/l. Peripheral blood smear demonstrated hypersegmented neutrophils and megalocytes with emergence of myeloblasts, giant metamyelocytes, and nucleated red cells. Vitamin B(12) and folic acid levels were low. Bone marrow examination showed megaloblastic change in the erythroblasts and myeloid hyperplasia. Following vitamin B(12) and folic acid administration, anemia and thrombocytopenia rapidly improved; thereafter, marked leukocytosis became evident. Based on the presence of t(9;22)(q34;q11) on cytogenetic study and a positive result for Major bcr/abl fusion gene, a diagnosis of CML-CP was established. This case illustrates that ineffective erythropoiesis results in anemia and thrombocytopenia in CML with vitamin B12 and/or folic acid deficiency.

[Glossitis by mixed infection of cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus during therapy for pure red cell aplasia complicated with Good syndrome].

A 64-year-old man with a 10-year history of Good syndrome had been treated with periodic replacement of γ-globulin. He also had a 6-year history of lichen planus of the tongue. In 2009, the patient was diagnosed as having pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) based on bone marrow aspiration. Thymectomy was not effective. Then, immunosuppressive therapy with PSL and cyclosporine was initiated. Twenty days after treatment painful ulcer appeared on the left side of the tongue. Biopsy specimen of the ulcer demonstrated cells infected with cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. Cytomegalovirus antigenemia was also positive. The tongue ulcer promptly improved after gancyclovir administration for a few weeks. Viral glossitis should be considered as part of the differential diagnoses of oral lesions not only in patients with HIV infection but also in those under immunosuppressive therapy.

IgG4-related Disease with a Cardiac Mass.

A 69-year-old man with palpitations and decreased blood pressure was referred. Echocardiography showed a mass in the right atrium and cardiac septum. The serum IgG4 level was 1,450 mg/dL. A biopsy of the cardiac mass showed fibrosis with inflammatory cells and increased IgG4-positive plasma cells and lymphocytes. Flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction of the immunoglobulin heavy chain did not demonstrate monoclonality. He was diagnosed with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). IgG4-RD with a cardiac mass is rare and it is difficult to distinguish it from malignant lymphoma by a pathological examination alone. We therefore performed a biopsy and analyzed the clonality in order to make an accurate diagnosis of IgG4-RD.