A case of recurrence of a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas effectively treated with proton beam radiotherapy.

We report a case of a male in his 50 s who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas at 30 years. He developed a liver abscess 15 years after the surgery, and CT scan revealed a swollen retroperitoneum lymph node and a tumor in the liver. Symptoms, including abdominal distension, appetite loss, and epigastric pain, appeared due to lymph node metastasis. Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration against the lymph node revealed SPN recurrence. The tumor had invaded the common hepatic artery, and surgery was not indicated. Chemotherapy of Gemcitabine/nab-Paclitaxel biweekly was performed 8 times; however, no reduction in tumor size was observed, and the patient's symptoms worsened. Proton beam therapy (67.5 GyE in 25 fractions) was subsequently performed for lymph node metastasis, and led to a gradual reduction in lymph node metastasis, and an improvement in symptoms. No re-expansion of lymph node metastasis has been observed 3 years after proton beam therapy. Since SPN is low malignancy and most cases can be expected to be cured by surgery, there is currently no standard treatment of unresectable SPN. This case is the first report of proton beam therapy for SPN, and was considered to be effective.

Preparation of an ochre suppressor tRNA recognizing exclusively UAA codon by using the molecular surgery technique.

In order to create an ochre suppressor tRNA which exclusively recognizes UAA codon, we replaced the G34 at the first position of yeast tRNA(Tyr)[GPsiA] anticodon with pseudouridine34 (Psi34) by using the molecular surgery technique. This tRNA(Tyr)[PsiPsiA] recognized only the UAA codon as expectedly, but tRNA(Tyr)[UPsiA] made as a control also behaved similarly. This result may suggest that U34 must be somehow modified to facilitate the wobble-pairing to G at the third position of codon.

[Prevention of phlebitis caused by vinorelbine chemotherapy in outpatients with breast cancer].

We studied the prevention of phlebitis in 10 patients who had developed the symptoms after receiving vinorelbine to treat breast cancer at our outpatient chemotherapy clinic from July 2005 to August 2006. Veins proximal to the injection site were warmed using hot compresses during the vinorelbine injection and physiological saline was increased to wash out the drug after the injection from 250 mL to 500 mL in combination to investigate whether the treatment was effective in preventing phlebitis. The severity of phlebitis was significantly decreased after the combined treatment compared with the pre-treatment level (p=0.039). The combination was effective to relieve vascular pain during the injection in all 10 patients, and the number of event occurrences was significantly decreased (p<0.0005). It was also effective to decrease the frequency of vascular pain after patients returned home (p=0.001). The combination of hot compresses and increase of physiological saline for washing out was an effective treatment to prevent phlebitis caused by vinorelbine. The comparison of patient characteristics to find other contributing factors to phlebitis than vinorelbine revealed no association with the number of doses, diameter of the vein to be punctured, or pretreatment.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: It remains unknown whether primary ocular adnexal extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is a homogeneous entity, as there are few reports of the results of cytogenetic or molecular analyses of these tumors. METHODS: We performed interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis to detect translocations and aneuploidy in 34 cases of primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma, and reviewed the histopathological findings. Correlations between the results of FISH analysis, the histopathological features and the clinical data were also analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 34 cases, FISH analysis revealed t(14;18)(q32;q21) in one case, trisomy 3 in 21 cases (62%), and trisomy 18 in 16 cases (47%). The cases with trisomy 18 had significantly more prominent lymphoepithelial lesions (LELs) and less nodularity in the tumors. In regard to the clinical correlations, tumors with trisomy 18 were observed predominantly in females and younger patients; also, in the majority of the cases, the tumor was of conjunctival origin. All the cases with recurrence showed trisomy 18 in the tumor. CONCLUSION: Primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma is a significantly heterogeneous entity. Cases with trisomy 18 may have unique clinicopathological features.

The application of molecular analyses for primary granulocytic sarcoma with a specific chromosomal translocation.

Primary granulocytic sarcoma (GS) is a rare disease defined by the absence of antecedent or concomitant leukemic cells in the bone marrow and the peripheral blood. Immunohistochemical staining for myeloperoxidase is necessary for a definite diagnosis. Otherwise, primary GS is often misdiagnosed as a malignant lymphoma or other malignancies. Primary GS is well known to frequently develop into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we describe a 28-year-old woman with primary GS manifesting as an epidural tumor in the sacral region accompanied by meningeal dissemination. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis detected the AML1/MTG8 fusion gene in neoplastic cells obtained from her cerebrospinal fluid specimen and the epidural mass. The AML1/MTG8 fusion gene transcript was also detected by a nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of mononuclear cells from the bone marrow, although leukemic cells were not recognized in a microscopical examination of the patient's bone marrow. Systemic chemotherapy with high-dose cytarabine followed by local radiotherapy was performed, and the patient clinically achieved a complete response. These molecular analyses provide a precise method of diagnosis, especially with respect to the French-American-British AML classification, according to the characteristic karyotypic alterations, and a patient consequently can quickly be given appropriate systemic chemotherapy as induction therapy.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with extra Bcl-2 gene signals detected by FISH analysis is associated with a "non-germinal center phenotype".

Amplification and translocation of the Bcl-2 gene has been detected in a certain subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). The correlations among Bcl-2 protein expression, gene translocation or amplification, and the molecular signature determined by cDNA array are poorly understood. This study examined 25 cases with de novo nodal DLBCL. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed to evaluate the Bcl-2 gene using IGH/BCL2 and CEP18 centromere probes (Vysis). When extra Bcl-2 gene signals were observed in each tumor cell and when these signals were in proportion to the extra CEP18 probe signals, we regarded the findings as indicating the presence of an additional chromosome 18; when extra Bcl-2 signals were observed but additional CEP18 signals were not, we regarded the findings as indicating the presence of gene amplification. A panel of 3 antigens (CD10, Bcl-6, and MUM-1) was applied to categorize each case as either a "germinal center B-cell (GCB) phenotype" or a "non-GCB phenotype." Of the 25 cases examined, 8 cases (32%) were classified as "GCB phenotype" and 17 cases (68%) were classified as "non-GCB phenotype." A FISH analysis revealed that t(14;18) was detected in 2 of the 8 cases (25%) with the "GCB phenotype" but in none of the 17 "non-GCB phenotype" cases. Extra Bcl-2 gene signals were detected in 7 of the 25 (28%) cases examined: n = 5 for an additional chromosome 18, n = 1 for gene amplification, and n = 1 for additional chromosome 18 + gene amplification. Extra Bcl-2 gene signals were exclusively detected in DLBCL with the "non-GCB phenotype"; these cases, with the exception of one, stained strongly positive for Bcl-2. The DLBCLs with Bcl-2 protein overexpression were classified into at least two heterogeneous molecular groups, based on the results of the FISH analysis.

Follicular lymphoma subgrouping by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis.

The frequency of t(14;18) in follicular lymphoma (FL) in Japan has been reported to be low compared to North America and other European countries. Recently, it has also been reported that FL lacks t(14;18), mainly among histological grade 3b, and occasionally has a rearranged Bcl-6 gene. It is not known whether a difference in histology or immunostaining pattern exists between FL with and without t(14;18). We performed interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis to detect Bcl-2/IgH, Bcl-6 gene rearrangement, Bcl-2 gene amplification, and the cyclinD1/IgH gene in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded specimens from our FL archives. The correlation between morphological features, histological grades, immunohistochemical findings, and cytogenetical aberrations was studied. In total, we found that 28 of 47 cases (59.6%) had t(14;18). Bcl-6 gene rearrangement and extra Bcl-2 gene signals were found in five and two cases, respectively. Only one had cyclinD1/IgH fusion. Ten of 12 grade 1, nine of 17 grade 2, and 0 of two grade 3 cases had fusion signals, respectively. None of the above abnormalities were detected in 12 of 47 cases (25.5%). Our data confirmed a high frequency of t(14;18) in FL in grade 1, but a lower incidence among grade 2, that could be attributed to the lower incidence of the translocation in FL in Japan. Immunostaining of both Bcl-2 and CD10 was highly predictable for the presence of t(14;18); the positive predictive value was 75%, suggesting the usefulness of the staining.

T(11;18)-bearing pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma responding to cladribine.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a low-grade B-cell lymphoma and is usually slow to disseminate. The t(11;18)(q21;q21) translocation has been identified in a subset of MALT lymphoma cases, and AP12 and MLT1/MALT1 genes have been implicated in this translocation. However, the clinicopathologic features of t(11;18)-bearing MALT lymphoma have not been fully elucidated, and the optimal therapy for patients with disseminating disease is unknown. We report an outstanding case of MALT lymphoma that showed massive pulmonary infiltration and leukemic transformation during a prolonged course of more than 16 years. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses confirmed the existence of the AP12/MLT1 fusion gene in the lymphoma cells. Peripheral blood lymphoma cells disappeared after glucocorticoid therapy. Although the pulmonary lymphoma was slowly progressive and caused severe hypoxemia despite the continuation of glucocorticoid therapy, treatment with cladribine induced a marked reduction of pulmonary lymphomatous lesions and an improvement of the hypoxemia. These findings show the unique clinical features of this particular indolent B-cell lymphoma with t(11;18) translocation and suggest the potential therapeutic usefulness of glucocorticoid and cladribine.

EBV-positive Burkitt lymphoma as a late-onset posttransplantion lymphoproliferative disorder after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is one of the well-recognized complications after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). It generally occurs early after SCT, and only a few reports of late-onset cases are available. We report a 58-year-old male patient who developed lymphoma 4 years after allogeneic SCT for chronic myeloid leukemia. The presence of c-myc translocation and Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA in the lymphoma cells, without rearrangement of the 3'-bcr region, confirmed the histopathologic diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma. DNA chimerism analysis revealed that the lymphoma cells were of donor origin. The patient achieved complete response with intensive chemotherapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Burkitt lymphoma as a PTLD occurring after allogeneic SCT.