Prognostic factors and impact of CMV reactivation on acute myeloid leukemia patients after HLA-matched myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation in a high CMV prevalence country

ABSTRACT Introduction: Relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) leads to dismal outcomes. This study aimed to identify high-risk patients and explore the effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in a high CMV-seropositive population. Methods: The study involved a single-center retrospective cohort in Thailand, analyzing clinical risk factors and CMV-mediated immune responses, correlated with transplant outcomes in AML patients. Results: Eighty-five patients with AML in complete remission (CR) undergoing HLA-matched myeloablative allo-SCT between 2011 and February 2021 were enrolled. The relapse rate was 27.1% with the median time of 7 months after transplantation. The 3-year relapse-free-survival (RFS) and overall-survival (OS) were 72.2% and 80.8%, respectively. The disease status (>CR1) and absence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) were independently significant adverse prognostic factors of RFS and OS. Ninety-two percent of recipient-donor pairs were both CMV seropositive. The CMV reactivation occurred in 54.1% of the patients. The clinically significant CMV infection rate was 49.4%. No CMV syndrome/disease or CMV-related mortality occurred. One-year cumulative incidence of relapse among CMV-reactivation and non-reactivation groups were 14.3% and 25.6%, respectively, without a statistically significant difference. Transplantation-related mortality was 11.1%. Conclusions: The transplantation beyond CR1 and absence of cGVHD are powerful prognostic factors associated with inferior RFS and OS. In a high CMV prevalence country, there appears to be no impact of CMV reactivation on relapse in AML patients undergoing an allo-SCT.

Economic burden of acute myeloid leukemia on patients in a resource-limited tertiary hospital in the Philippines

ABSTRACT Introduction: The remission induction treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has remained unchanged in the resource-limited setting in the Philippines. AML treatment consists of induction chemotherapy followed by high dose consolidation chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In the Philippines, the Filipino household bears the burden of health care cost of hospitalization expenditure. Insights into the treatment costs becomes an essential requirement as these guides the allocation of resources to scheme health programs. Method: This study involved a retrospective cohort analysis of AML patients who underwent treatment for AML. Review of the statements of account per admission per patient during treatment for remission induction, consolidation, relapsed and refractory disease and best supportive care from 2017 to 2019. Of the 251 eligible patients, 190 patients were included. Result: The mean healthcare expenditure for remission induction chemotherapy (Phase 1) was US $2, 504.78 (Php 125,239.29). While 3 to 4 cycles of consolidation chemotherapy cost an average of US $3,222.72 (Php 162,103.20). For patients who had relapsed and refractory disease, an additional mean cost of US $3,163.32 (Php 159,115.28) and US $2, 914.72 (Php 146,610.55) were incurred, respectively. The average cost of palliative care was US $1,687.00 (Php 84,856.59). Conclusion: The cost of chemotherapy and other therapeutics bear most of the weight of the direct healthcare cost. The cost of AML treatment represents a significant economic burden for patients and the institution. The cost increases as patients proceed through subsequent lines of treatment for induction failure. Existing subsidy for health insurance benefits could still be improved for appropriate source allocation of resources.

Outcomes and survival predictors of Latin American older adults with acute myeloid leukemia: Data from a single center

ABSTRACT Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is most commonly presented in older adults; however, it appears 10 years earlier in Latin American countries. Clinical evolution in older adults from this populations has not been characterized. We analyzed outcomes and survival predictors. Methods: Patients ≥ 55 years old diagnosed with AML at a hematology referral center from 2005 to 2020 receiving intensive chemotherapy (IC), low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) and best supportive care (BSC) were included. Survival analysis included the Kaplan-Meier and Cox models and the cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). Results: Seventy-five adults were included and the overall survival (OS) was 4.87, 1.67 and 1.16 months, using IC, LDAC and BSC, respectively. The IC led to a higher OS (p < 0.001) and was a protective factor for early death, at a cost of more days spent hospitalized and more non-fatal treatment complications; non-significant differences were found between the LDAC and BSC. Eight (10.7%) patients underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation, with a higher OS (p = 0.013). Twenty (26.7%) patients achieved complete remission; 12 (60%) relapsed with a 6-month CIR of 57.9% in those < 70 years old vs. 86.5% in those ≥ 70 years old, p = 0.034. Multivariate analysis showed the white blood cell count (WBC) and IC had a significant impact on the patient survival, whereas chronological age and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) did not. Conclusion: AML in low-middle income countries demands a different approach; the IC improves survival, even with a high incidence of relapse, and should be offered as first-line treatment. Eligibility criteria should include WBC and a multidimensional evaluation. The age per se and the CCI should not be exclusion criteria to consider IC.

Enfermedad mínima residual en leucemia mieloide aguda no promielocítica: Resultados preliminares de un estudio colaborativo internacional / Minimal residual disease in non-myelocytic acute myeloid leukemia: preliminary results of an international collaborative study

A pesar de los avances en los protocolos de tratamiento y en las medidas de soporte en pacientes con Leucemia Mieloide Aguda (LMA), 27% presentan recaídas de la enfermedad. Esto se debe, entre otras causas, a la persistencia de pequeñas cantidades de células malignas (blastos) resistentes a la terapia. Estas pequeñas cantidades de blastos remanentes se denominan Enfermedad Mínima Residual (EMR). La determinación de EMR requiere de técnicas no solo muy sensibles, sino también específicas, y permite evaluar la respuesta individual a la terapia. La introducción de la EMR como parámetro de respuesta y estratificación está bien definida en Leucemia Linfoblástica Aguda (LLA). Por el contrario, aunque existen publicaciones sobre el impacto pronóstico de la EMR en LMA, aún no se encuentra incluida en forma sistemática en los protocolos nacionales actuales, entre otros motivos, por lo laborioso de la determinación y por la necesidad de validación de la misma. Debe tenerse en cuenta que el inmunofenotipo de los blastos mieloides suele ser más heterogéneo que el de los blastos en LLA, presentando, en muchos casos, subpoblaciones diferentes entre sí, lo cual dificulta su detección certera y no hay consenso definido en cuanto a la metodología más eficaz. En este trabajo describimos una nueva estrategia de marcación y análisis estandarizada en un estudio multicéntrico internacional para LMA y la utilidad de la EMR como parámetro de respuesta y de estratificación. Asimismo, detallamos los resultados preliminares de nuestra cohorte de pacientes (AU)

Despite the improvement in treatment and supportive care of patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), 27% of them relapse. This is due to the persistence of small amounts of malignant cells (blasts) resistant to therapy, among other causes. These small amounts of blasts are called Minimal Residual Disease (MRD). The determination of MRD requires not only techniques with high sensitivity but also with high specificity, and allows to evaluate the individual response to treatment. The introduction of MRD as a response parameter is well established in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), and it is used in current stratification protocols. On the other hand, even though there are some reports regarding the prognostic impact of MRD in AML, it is still not included in the current national protocols due to the lack of validation of the determination, among other causes. This is due to the fact that the immunophenotype of myeloid blasts is more heterogeneous than in ALL, presenting different subpopulations, which difficults their accurate detection. Thus, there is still no consensus regarding the most effective approach. In this article, we describe a new staining and analysis strategy standardized by an international multicentric study, and the utility of EMR as a response and stratification parameter. Additionally, we show the preliminary results of our patient cohort. (AU)

Treatment of grade four hemorrhoids in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia with severe thrombocytopenia by laser hemorrhoidopexy: A case report

Here, we present the case of a 66-year-old female patient with acute myeloid leukemia and severe thrombocytopenia who came with the complaints of painful per anal mass and bleeding per rectum for 1 year. The patient is a known case of hypertension, and diabetes mellitus and has received three cycles of chemotherapy with decitabine. On examination, she was found to have fourth-degree hemorrhoids at 3, 7, and 11 oclock positions with acute edematous changes. We successfully treated this patient with laser hemorrhoidopexy, whereby laser energy was delivered to each hemorrhoidal cushion. While lasers for the successful treatment of grade 2 and 3 hemorrhoids are well documented in the literature, we successfully treated this patient with prolapsing fourth-degree hemorrhoids with just laser energy delivery. With these results, we would also like to consider laser hemorrhoidopexy as an effective treatment option for four-degree hemorrhoids for which open Milligan–Morgan hemorrhoidectomy and stapler hemorrhoidectomy are currently considered treatment options

Prognostic value of serum progranulin in de novo adult acute myeloid leukemia patients

Abstract Background Elevated serum progranulin (PGRN) levels have been associated with a wide range of different human malignancies. However, data available on the role of PGRN in hematological malignancies are limited. Methods Measurement of the PGRN level in serum of adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed. Results The mean serum PGRN level in AML patients was higher than that in controls (346.08 pg/ml ± 64.46 vs 155 pg/ml ± 63 respectively; p= 0.001). After a mean duration of follow-up equaling 140 days, patients with high serum PGRN (i.e., higher than 370.5 pg/ml) had inferior overall survival (OS) in comparison to patients with low serum PGRN (i.e., lower than 370.5 pg/ml) (OS = 25% vs 60.7%, mean survival = 107 days vs 256.5 days, p= 0.007). On the other hand, remitted patients on day 28 with high serum PGRN (i.e., higher than 307.5 pg/ml) did not differ from those with low serum PGRN (i.e., lower than 307.5 pg/ml) regarding disease-free survival (DFS) (DFS = 78.6% vs. 87.5%, mean survival = 301.3 days vs. 283.5 days, p= 0.789). Moreover, the serum PGRN level was associated with inferior OS (p= 0.024) on multivariate analysis. Conclusion Adult de novo AML patients have elevated serum PGRN levels and a high PGRN level is associated with an inferior OS.

Incidence and clinical significance of FLT3 and nucleophosmin mutation in childhood acute myeloid leukemia in Chile

Abstract Introduction Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease and approximately one-third of its carriers do not have evident genetic abnormalities. The mutation of specific molecular markers, such as fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FTL3) internal tandem duplication (ITD), FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) and nucleophosmin (NPM1), are associated with an adverse and favorable prognosis, respectively. Objective The objective was to determine the prevalence of FLT3/ITD and NPM1 in Chilean patients and their association with clinical data and prognosis. Method and Results Two hundred and thirty-two children were studied between 2011 and 2017, the median being 8.6 years (ranging from 1 to 18 months). Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was diagnosed in 29%. The FLT3/ITD-mutated in non-promyelocytic AML was at 10% (14/133) and the FLT3/TKD, at 3.7% (2/54). In APL, it was at 25.4% (16/63). In non-promyelocytic AML, the FLT3/ITD-mutated was associated with a high leucocyte count, the median being 28.5 x mm3 (n= 14) versus 19.4 x mm3 (n= 119), (p= 0.25), in non-mutated cases. In APL, the median was 33.6 x mm3 (n= 15) versus 2.8 x mm3 (n= 47), (p < 0.001). The five-year overall survival (OS) in non-promyelocytic AML with non-mutated and mutated FLT3/ITD were 62.7% and 21.4%, respectively, (p < 0.001); the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) were 79.5% and 50%, respectively, (p < 0.01). The five-year OS in APL with non-mutated and mutated FLT3/ITD was 84.7% and 62.5%, respectively, (p= 0.05); the 5-year EFS was 84.7% and 68.8%, respectively, (p= 0.122). The NPM1 mutation was observed in 3.2% (5/155), all non-promyelocytic AML with the normal karyotype. Conclusion The FLT3/ITD mutation was observed more frequently in APL and associated with a higher white cell count at diagnosis. However, the most important finding was that the FLT3/ITD mutation was associated with a shorter survival in non-promyelocytic AML.

Research progress of anti-acute marrow leukemia drugs by targeting FLT3 / 药学学报

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetic heterogeneous disease in which primordial and juvenile myeloid cells proliferate or accumulate abnormally in bone marrow, peripheral blood and other tissues, resulting in damage to normal hematopoietic function. Studies have shown that about 30% of AML patients have FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), FLT3 abnormal regulation is closely related to the occurrence and development of AML. At present, FLT3 has become an important target for developing small molecular targeted drugs. Currently, a variety of FLT3 inhibitors and FLT3 degraders have been developed targeting FLT3, and some compounds have exhibited good anti-AML activity. This article summarizes and sorts out the current mainstream drugs for AML therapeutic targeting FLT3, in order to provide a reference for the development and design of AML drugs.

A novel mesenchymal stem cell-based regimen for acute myeloid leukemia differentiation therapy

Currently the main treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is chemotherapy combining hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, the unbearable side effect of chemotherapy and the high risk of life-threatening infections and disease relapse following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation restrict its application in clinical practice. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop alternative therapeutic tactics with significant efficacy and attenuated adverse effects. Here, we revealed that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) efficiently induced AML cell differentiation by shuttling the neutrophil elastase (NE)-packaged extracellular vesicles (EVs) into AML cells. Interestingly, the generation and release of NE-packaged EVs could be dramatically increased by vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation in UC-MSC. Chemical activation of VDR by using its agonist 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 efficiently enhanced the pro-differentiation capacity of UC-MSC and then alleviated malignant burden in AML mouse model. Based on these discoveries, to evade the risk of hypercalcemia, we synthetized and identified sw-22, a novel non-steroidal VDR agonist, which exerted a synergistic pro-differentiation function with UC-MSC on mitigating the progress of AML. Collectively, our findings provided a non-gene editing MSC-based therapeutic regimen to overcome the differentiation blockade in AML.

Research Progress of FLT3 Mutation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia --Review / 中国实验血液学杂志

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematopoietic tumor originated from hematopoietic stem cells. FLT3 is an important receptor tyrosine kinase in cell signal transduction pathway and one of the common mutated genes in AML. AML patients with FLT3-ITD mutation have a poor prognosis and tendency to relapse. Therefore, early identification of FLT3 gene mutation and selection of appropriate treatment are particularly important. Currently, the small moleculetargeted drugs have been new treatment methods for AML patients with FLT3-ITD mutation, but accompanied drug resistance need to be solved. This paper reviews the mechanism of FLT3 mutation, the clinical significance of FLT3 mutation in AML, FLT3 inhibitors and drug resistance mechanism.

Research Progress of m6A Demethylase FTO and Its Inhibitors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia --Review / 中国实验血液学杂志

Obesity-associated protein (FTO) is an important m6A demethylase that regulates RNA methylation modification and can promote the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia(AML) cells. FTO regulates the methylation level of AML through multiple cellular signaling pathways such as FTO/RARA/ASB2, FTO/m6A/CEBPA, and PDGFRB/ERK, and participates in the occurrence, development, treatment and prognosis of AML. At present, studies have found that a variety of inhibitors targeting FTO have shown good anti-leukemia effects, and the study of FTO will provide new ideas for the treatment of AML. This review focus on the mechanism of action of FTO in AML and the research progress of FTO inhibitors in AML.

A Retrospective Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Idarubicin Combined with High-Dose Cytarabine Consolidation in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia over 60 Years of Age in First Remission / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of idarubicin combined with high-dose cytarabine as a post-remission therapy for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#From November 2017 to June 2021, 24 AML patients aged ≥60 years who were in complete remission for the first time were enrolled in consolidation chemotherapy with idarubicin (10 mg/m2 intravenously once for day 1) combined with high-dose cytarabine (1.5 g/m2 intravenously over 3 hours every 12 hours for day 1-3), and the efficacy and safety were observed.@*RESULTS@#Among the 24 patients, there were 12 males and 12 females, the median age was 65 (60-78) years old, and the median follow-up time was 23.3 (2-42.7) months. By the end of the follow-up, 15 patients relapsed and 11 patients died. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 9 months and there were 3 cases of 2-year DFS. The median overall survival (OS) was 16.2 months, and there were 4 cases of 2-year OS. In terms of safety, 6 patients had grade 1-2 non-hematological adverse reactions, 12 patients had grade 3-4 hematological adverse reactions, and a total of 6 patients developed infection after consolidation chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed that two induction cycles and high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities were the adverse factors of DFS and OS in elderly patients with AML in this study.@*CONCLUSION@#For AML patients ≥60 years old in first complete remission, idarubicin combined with high-dose cytarabine as post-remission therapy has a better safety, but compared with other regimens does not improve the prognosis of elderly patients, which needs further exploration.

Efficacy and Safety of Decitabine Combined with Modified CAG Regimen in Patients Aged ≥ 70 Years with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of decitabine combined with modified CAG regimen (D-CAG regimen) in patients aged ≥70 years with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 59 AML patients (≥70 years old) who were newly diagnosed and treated in the Hematology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2010 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Among the 59 AML patients, 28 were males and 31 were females, with a median age of 74 (70-86) years. The complete remission (CR) rate was 69.4% (34/49), and the median duration of CR was 10.7 (0.6-125.4) months after 2 courses of D-CAG treatment. According to the British Medical Research Council (MRC) classification, there was only one patient in the favorable-risk group, and the CR rate was 71.8% (28/39) in the intermediate-risk group, and 55.6% (5/9) in the adverse-risk group, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the CR rate between the intermediate-risk and adverse-risk group. Referring to ELN 2017 genetic risk classification, CR rate was 88.2% (15/17) in the favorable-risk group, 45.5% (5/11) in the intermediate-risk group, and 66.7% (14/21) in the adverse-risk group. There was no significant difference in CR rate between the favorable-risk and adverse-risk categories, but both were significantly higher than that in the intermediate-risk group (P <0.05). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis showed that 11 gene mutations with a frequency of more than 10%, including TET2 mutation (35.6%), ASXL1 mutation (30.5%), NPM1 mutation (28.8%), FLT3-ITD mutation (27.1%), DNMT3A mutation (22.0%), IDH1 mutation (15.3%), CEBPA single mutation (13.6%), TP53 mutation (13.6%), IDH2 mutation (11.9%), RUNX1 mutation (11.9%), and NRAS mutation (10.2%). There were no statistical differences in mutation frequency of these 11 genes between CR group and non-CR group. Compared with normal karyotypes, patients with complex karyotypes were more likely to develop TP53 mutations (P <0.001), while FLT3-ITD and DNMT3A mutations were more likely to occur in patients with normal karyotypes (P =0.04, P =0.047). The median follow-up, overall survival (OS), and event-free survival (EFS) of all the patients was 11.7 (1.5-128.2) months, 12.3 (1.5-128.2) months, and 8.5 (1.5-128.2) months, respectively. The median OS and EFS of CR patients were 19.8 and 13.3 months, respectively, which were significantly longer than 6.4 and 5.7 months in patients experiencing treatment failure (P < 0.001, P =0.009). In regard to genes with mutation frequency >10%, there were no statistical differences in CR rate, median OS, and median EFS between mutated and wild-type patients by Chi-square test and survival analysis. Univariate analysis showed that age, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, cytogenetics and CR were factors affecting prognosis, while multivariate analysis showed that only CR failure was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. The major adverse reactions to D-CAG regimen were grade 3-4 myelosuppression, pulmonary infection, and fever (infection focus was not identified).@*CONCLUSION@#D-CAG regimen is safe and effective in the treatment of AML patients ≥70 years old, and can partially improve the prognosis of elderly and high-risk patients.

Impact of CSF3R Mutation on Treatment Response and Survival of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression of CSF3R mutation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and analyze its clinical characteristics and prognosis.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study was conducted in 212 patients with AML who were newly diagnosed in the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 1th 2018 to June 30th 2021, including 22 patients with CSF3R mutations as mutation group and 190 patients with CSF3R wild type ［66 cases of them were screened by propensity score matching (PSM), as control group］. The early efficacy and survival between the two groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#The median age of patients in the mutation group was 50(17-73) years old, and the ratio of male to female was 1.2:1 The main types were AML with maturation (11 cases) and acute myelomonocytic leukemia (9 cases). Prognostic stratification was carried out according to the risk stratification system of the European leukemia network in 2017, with 16 cases (72.73%) in the middle and high-risk group. At the initial diagnosis, the median count of white blood cell (WBC) was 44.75(1.30-368.71)×109/L, among which 15 cases (68.18%) were >10×109/L, and the median count of platelet (PLT) was 24(4-55)×109/L. CSF3R T618I (68.18%) was a common mutation site, which had concomitant gene mutations, in which CEBPA mutation was the most common (10 cases, 45.45%), but only existed in CSF3R T618I mutation. The CR/CRi rate was 68.18% and 71.21% in the mutant group and the control group (P >0.05), the median over all survival time was 15 months and 9 months (P >0.05), and the median disease-free survival time was 8 months and 4 months (P >0.05), respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Most AML patients with CSF3R mutation are middle-aged patients, the main types are AML with maturation and acute myelomonocytic leukemia, and most of them have middle and high-risk prognosis. CSF3R mutation may not be an independent prognostic marker for newly diagnosed AML patients.

The Relationship between Occurrence of aGVHD in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Immune Cell Components in Graft / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the relationship between occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and various immune cell composition in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 104 patients with AML undergoing allo-HSCT in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the hematopoietic reconstitution and occurrence of GVHD were analyzed. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of various types of immune cells in the grafts, the number of graft composition in patients with different degrees of aGVHD was calculated and compared, and to analyze the correlation between the severity of aGVHD in AML patients after allo-HSCT and the immune cell components in the graft.@*RESULTS@#There was no significant difference in the time of hematopoietic reconstitution between the high number group of total number of nucleated cells (TNC) and the low number group, while the time of neutrophil and platelet reconstruction in the high number of CD34 group was significantly faster than that in the low number of CD34 group (P＜0.05), and the total hospital stay also tends to be shorten. Compared with patients in 0-Ι aGVHD group, both HLA-matched and HLA-haploidentical transplantation, the infusion amounts of CD3+ cells, CD3+CD4+ cells, CD3+CD8+ cells, NK cells and CD14+ monocytes were higher in patients of Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group， but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); In addition, in patients with HLA-haploidentical transplantation, the number of CD4+CD25+ cells in Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group was significantly lower than that in 0-Ι aGVHD group (P<0.05), and the same trend was also observed in HLA-matched transplanted patients, but the difference was not significant (P=0.078).@*CONCLUSION@#High number of CD34+ cells in the graft is beneficial to hematopoietic reconstitution in AML patients. To a certain degree, high number of CD3+ cells, CD3+CD4+ cells, CD3+CD8+ cells, NK cells and CD14+ cells tend to increase the occurrence of aGVHD, but high number of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells is beneficial to reduce the incidence of aGVHD in AML patients.

The Effects and Regulatory Mechanism of Targeting CXC Chemokine Receptor 1/2 Combined with Ara-C on the Malignant Biological Behaviors of U937 Cells of Acute Myeloid Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate and analyze the effect of CXC chemokine receptor 1/2 (CXCR1/2) targeting inhibitor Reparixin combined with cytarabine (Ara-C) on the malignant biological behaviors of acute myeloid leukemia cells and its effect on the expression of the CXCR family, while exploring the accompanying molecular mechanism, providing scientific basis and reference for new molecular markers and targeted therapy for AML.@*METHODS@#Acute myeloid leukemia U937 cells were treated with different concentrations of Reparixin, Ara-C alone or in combination, and the cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope; Wright-Giemsa staining was used to detect cell morphological changes; CCK-8 method was used to detect cell proliferation; the ability of cell invasion was detected by Transwell chamber method; the ability of colony formation was detected by colony formation assay; cell apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 fluorescent staining and Annexin V/PI double-staining flow cytometry; monodansylcadaverine(MDC) staining was used to detect cell autophagy; the expression of apoptosis, autophagy and related signaling pathway proteins was detected by Western blot and the expression changes of CXCR family were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).@*RESULTS@#Reparixin could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, migration and clone formation ability of U937 cells. Compared with the single drug group, when U937 cells were intervened by Reparixin combined with Ara-C, the malignant biological behaviors such as proliferation, invasion and colony formation were significantly decreased, and the levels of apoptosis and autophagy were significantly increased (P<0.01). After Reparixin combined with Ara-C intervenes in U937 cells, it can up-regulate the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and significantly down-regulate the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and also hydrolyze and activate Caspase-3, thereby inducing cell apoptosis. Reparixin combined with Ara-C could up-regulate the expressions of LC3Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins in U937 cells, and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ in cells was significantly up-regulated compared with single drug or control group (P<0.01). MDC result showed that the green granules of vesicles increased significantly, and a large number of broken cells were seen (P<0.01). Reparixin combined with Ara-C can significantly inhibit the phosphorylation level of PI3K, AKT and NF-κB signaling molecule, inhibit the malignant biological behavior of cells by inhibiting the activation of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, and induce programmed cell death. Ara-C intervention in U937 cells had no effect on the expression of CXCR family (P>0.05). The expression of CXCR1, CXCR2, and CXCR4 mRNA could be down-regulated by Reparixin single-agent intervention in U937 cells (P<0.05), and the expression of CXCR2 was more significantly down-regulated than the control group and other CXCRs (P<0.01). When Reparixin and Ara-C intervened in combination, the down-regulated levels of CXCR1 and CXCR2 were more significant than those in the single-drug group (P<0.01), while the relative expressions of CXCR4 and CXCR7 mRNA had no significant difference compared with the single-drug group (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Reparixin combined with Ara-C can synergistically inhibit the malignant biological behaviors of U937 cells such as proliferation, invasion, migration and clone formation, and induce autophagy and apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to affecting the proteins expression of Bcl-2 family and down-regulating the proteins expression of CXCR family, while inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Effect of Scutellarin on Proliferation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells and Its Related Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of scutellarin (SCU) on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and its related molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#Human AML HL-60 cells were cultured in vitro. The cells were treated with SCU at the concentration of 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 μmol/L, and the inhibition rate of cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method. Then HL-60 cells were treated with SCU at the concentration of 4, 8, 16 μmol/L, and the negative control group (NC group) was set. The cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry, and the expression of cell cycle, apoptosis and JAK2/STAT3 pathway related proteins were detected by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#SCU significantly inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner(r =0.958,r =0.971). Compared with NC group, the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase and apoptosis rate of HL-60 cells in 4, 8, 16 μmol/L SCU group were significantly increased, and the proportion of cells in S phase was significantly decreased (P <0.05). The relative protein expression levels of p21, p53, caspase-3 and Bax were significantly increased, while the relative protein expression levels of CDK2, cyclin E and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased (P <0.05). The ratio of p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly decreased (P <0.05). The changes of above-mentioned indexes were concentration dependent.@*CONCLUSION@#SCU can inhibit the proliferation of AML cells, induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Efficacy and Safety of Decitabine Combined with Modified EIAG Regimen in the Treatment of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia and High-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the efficacy, prognosis and safety of decitabine combined with modified EIAG regimen in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 44 patients with relapsed/refractory AML and high-risk MDS admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were equally divided into D-EIAG group (decitabine combined with EIAG regimen) and D-CAG group (decitabine combined with CAG regimen) according to clinical treatment regimen. The complete response (CR), CR with incomplete hematologic recover (CRi), morphologic leukemia-free state (MLFS), partial response (PR), overall response rate (ORR), modified composite complete response (mCRc), overall survival (OS) time, 1-year OS rate, myelosuppression and adverse reactions between the two groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#In D-EIAG group, 16 patients (72.7%) achieved mCRc (CR+CRi+MLFS), 3 patients (13.6%) achieved PR, and ORR (mCRc+PR) was 86.4%. In D-CAG group, 9 patients (40.9%) achieved mCRc, 6 patients (27.3%) achieved PR, and ORR was 68.2%. Difference was observed in mCRc rate between the two groups (P=0.035), but not in ORR (P>0.05). The median OS time of D-EIAG group and D-CAG group was 20 (2-38) months and 16 (3-32) months, and 1-year OS rate was 72.7% and 59.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference in 1-year OS rate between the two groups (P>0.05). After induction chemotherapy, the median time for absolute neutrophil count recovery to 0.5×109/L in D-EIAG group and D-CAG group was 14 (10-27) d and 12 (10-26) d, for platelet count recovery to 20×109/L was 15 (11-28) d and 14 (11-24)d, the median red blood cell suspension transfusion volume was 8 (6-12) U and 6 (6-12) U, and the median apheresis platelet transfusion volume was 4 (2-8) U and 3 (2-6) U, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in comparison of the above indicators between the two groups (P>0.05). The hematological adverse reactions of patients were mainly myelosuppression. Grade III-IV hematological adverse events occurred in both groups (100%), with no increase in the incidence of non-hematological toxicities such as gastrointestinal reactions or liver function damage.@*CONCLUSION@#Decitabine combined with EIAG regimen in the treatment of relapsed/refractory AML and high-risk MDS can improve remission rate, provide an opportunity for subsequent therapies, and have no increase in adverse reactions compared with D-CAG regimen.

Clinical Observation of Venetoclax Combined with Demethylating Agents on the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the efficacy and safety of venetoclax (VEN) combined with demethylating agents (HMA) in the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 26 adult R/R AML patients who received the combination of VEN with azacitidine (AZA) or decitabine (DAC) in Huai'an Second People's Hospital from February 2019 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The treatment response, adverse events as well as survival were observed, and the factors of influencing the efficacy and survival were explored.@*RESULTS@#The overall response rate (ORR) of 26 patients was 57.7% (15 cases), including 13 cases of complete response (CR) and CR with incomplete count recovery (CRi) and 2 cases of partial response (PR). Among the 13 patients who got CR/CRi, 7 cases achieved CRm (minimal residual disease negative CR) and 6 cases did not, with statistically significant differences in overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) between the two groups (P=0.044, 0.036). The median OS of all the patients was 6.6 (0.5-15.6) months, and median EFS was 3.4 (0.5-9.9) months. There were 13 patients in the relapse group and refractory group, respectively, with response rate of 84.6% and 30.8% (P=0.015). The survival analysis showed that the relapse group had a better OS than the refractory group (P=0.026), but there was no significant difference in EFS (P=0.069). Sixteen patients who treated for 1-2 cycles and 10 patients who treated for more than 3 cycles achieved response rates of 37.5% and 90.0%, respectively (P=0.014), and patients treated for more cycles had superior OS and EFS (both P<0.01). Adverse effects were mainly bone marrow suppression, complicated by various degrees of infection, bleeding, and gastrointestinal discomfort was common, but these could be all tolerated by patients.@*CONCLUSION@#VEN combined with HMA is an effective salvage therapy for patients with R/R AML and is well tolerated by patients. Achieving minimal residual disease negativity is able to improve long-term survival of patients.

Inhibitory Effect of Kaempferol on Proliferation of KG1a Cells and Its Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of kaempferol on proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) KG1a cells and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#Human AML KG1a cells in logarithmic growth stage were taken and set at 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/ml kaempferol group, another normal control group (complete medium without drug) and solvent control group (add dimethyl sulfoxide) were also set. After 24 and 48 hours of intervention, the cell proliferation rate was detected by CCK-8 assay. In addition, interleukin-6 (IL-6) combined with kaempferol group (Plus 20 μg/l IL-6 and 75 μg/ml kaempferol) was set up, 48 hours after culture, the cell cycle and apoptosis of KG1a cells were detected by flow cytometry, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of KG1a cells was detected by MMP detection kit (JC-1 method), and the expression of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway related proteins in KG1a cells were detected by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#The cell proliferation rate of 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/ml kaempferol group decreased significantly (P<0.05), and with the increase of kaempferol dose (r24 h=-0.990, r48 h= -0.999), the cell proliferation rate decreased gradually (P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of 75 μg/ml kaempferol on cell proliferation reached half of effective dose after 48 hours of intervention. Compared with normal control group, the G0/G1 phase cell proportion and apoptosis rate of cells in 25, 50 and 75 μg/ml kaempferol group increased, while the S phase cell proportion, MMP, phosphorylated JAK2 (p-JAK2)/JAK2 and phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3)/STAT3 protein expression decreased in a dose-dependent manner (r=0.998, 0.994, -0.996, -0.981, -0.997, -0.930). Compared with 75 μg/ml kaempferol group, the G0/G1 phase cell proportion and apoptosis rate of cells in IL-6 combined with kaempferol group decreased, while the S phase cell proportion, MMP, p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 protein expression increased significantly (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Kaempferol can inhibit KG1a cell proliferation and induce KG1a cell apoptosis, its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway.