[Fatal primary influenza virus pneumonia in a patient with secondary myelofibrosis during ruxolitinib therapy].

In recent years, fatal cases of primary influenza virus pneumonia have been rare. A 67-year-old woman with secondary myelofibrosis, who had been diagnosed with polycythemia vera 25 years prior, died of primary influenza virus pneumonia. She was immunocompromised due to the underlying disease and ruxolitinib therapy, but she was not vaccinated against influenza. She might have caught the flu from an infected family member. This case reminds us of the importance of infection control measures such as preventing familial infection during ruxolitinib therapy in severely immunocompromised patients.

[Allogeneic stem cell transplantation in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia].

Acute myeloid leukemia is a disease that mainly affects older populations, with a median age at diagnosis of 67 years, and outcomes for these patients are poor. Reduced-intensity regimen improves survival after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), but this has not been well studied. To reduce non-relapse mortality (NRM) among the elderly, geriatric assessment, HCT-Comorbidity index, and disease risk must be studied before HCT.

Efficacy of oral cytarabine ocfosfate and etoposide in the treatment of elderly patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes compared to that in elderly acute myeloid leukemia patients.

BACKGROUND: Elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have a much poorer prognosis than younger patients despite intensive chemotherapy. METHODS: Ten patients with higher-risk MDS and 12 patients with AML over 65 years of age were enrolled into this study and received oral induction therapy with cytarabine ocfosfate and etoposide. RESULTS: The therapy response rates were 60% in the MDS group and 41.7% in the AML group. The difference in overall survival among MDS and AML patients was not statistically significant. The difference in the median survival times of the responsive and nonresponsive groups, which included MDS and AML patients, was statistically significant (790 and 174 days, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on a comparison of the data of this therapy in elderly higher-risk MDS patients versus elderly AML patients, we conclude that this therapy is well tolerated and can be cost-effective and useful for higher-risk MDS in elderly patients.

Durable remission of Sézary syndrome after unrelated bone marrow transplantation by reduced-intensity conditioning.

A 22-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with Sézary syndrome with large cell transformation. His skin lesions persisted after treatment with 7 cycles of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone), psoralen and ultraviolet light A, and total skin electron beam irradiation. He subsequently underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation by reduced-intensity conditioning from a human leukocyte antigen-identical unrelated donor. He developed grade II of acute graft-versus-host disease and extensive-type chronic graft-versus-host disease. He has no signs of disease 36 months after the transplantation. The prognosis of patients with advanced stage of mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome is very poor. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, especially by reduced-intensity conditioning, is expected to become a curative treatment option, and graft-versus-tumor effect might play a critical role for sustained remission.

Supplemental utility of nested PCR for the pathological diagnosis of disseminated trichosporonosis.

Disseminated trichosporonosis is known to be a severe opportunistic mycosis and has a high mortality rate. In autopsy cases, it is often difficult to diagnose as trichosporonosis because the causative Trichosporon species are pathologically similar to other fungi, especially the Candida species. Immunohistochemical analysis is essential for the differential diagnosis, but an antibody to Trichosporon is not available commercially. In the present study, we investigated the supplemental utility of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the pathological diagnosis of trichosporonosis from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues. Total DNA was purified from 30 major organs in three autopsy cases, and Trichosporon DNA was specifically amplified by nested PCR using three sets of primers. Of 22 organs in which Grocott's stain was positive for fungal infection, 170- and 259-bp PCR products were detected in 20 (91%) and 12 (55%) organs, respectively. In short-term fixation (about 1 day), these bands were highly detected in ten (100%) and nine (90%) organs, whereas the detection efficiency tended to decrease after long-term fixation and decalcification. No PCR product of 412 bp was detected in any organs. These findings suggest that nested PCR from short-term-fixed tissues is useful for supportive pathological diagnosis of disseminated trichosporonosis.

Clinical effect of immunophenotyping on the prognosis of multiple myeloma patients treated with bortezomib.

In the present study, the effect of immunophenotyping on the prognoses of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with bortezomib plus dexamethasone was investigated. The study involved 46 patients with MM, and analyzed the prognostic significance of the expression of cluster of differentiation (CD)45, CD56 and mature plasma cell (MPC)-1, and other factors including the International Staging System (ISS) stage, age, gender, the immunoglobulin subtype and the treatment line number prior to bortezomib treatment. Although CD56 and MPC-1 expression did not appear to affect the time to next treatment (TNT) or overall survival rate (OS), the univariate analysis determined that CD45 positivity was an adverse prognostic factor for TNT and OS, and that being male was significantly associated with inferior TNT and OS. Multivariate analyses determined that CD45 expression was prognostically significant for TNT and OS. In conclusion, CD45 positivity is an adverse prognostic factor in MM patients treated with bortezomib. The data from the present study demonstrate the clinical importance of classifying MM cells immunophenotypically to determine the prognoses of patients.

A cyclin D1-negative mantle cell lymphoma with an IGL-CCND2 translocation that relapsed with blastoid morphology and aggressive clinical behavior.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B cell neoplasm characterized by cyclin D1 overexpression; its prognosis is poor, especially when it exhibits a blastoid morphology. Cyclin D1-negative MCL is rare, and its pathogenesis and progression remain unclear. Herein, we describe a cyclin D1-negative, cyclin D2-positive MCL with a CCND2 and immunoglobulin lambda light chain (IGL) translocation. The patient was initially diagnosed with cyclin D1-negative MCL and achieved complete remission via combination chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. After relapsing, he was diagnosed with a blastoid variant of MCL that showed lymphoid cells with dispersed chromatin and more mitotic figures and higher p53 expression compared with the initial MCL. Despite salvage therapies, the disease became refractory, and the patient died 28 months after initiating chemotherapy. This case demonstrates that blastoid morphology in cyclin D1-negative MCL with IGL-CCND2 translocation indicates progression to a more aggressive neoplasm, similar to cyclin D1-positive MCL.

Clinical efficacy and safety of arbekacin for high-risk infections in patients with hematological malignancies.

We performed a clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of arbekacin (ABK), a unique aminoglycoside with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in patients with hematological malignancies complicated by high-risk infections. ABK was administered intravenously at a dose of approximately 5 mg/kg with various broad-spectrum ß-lactams, followed by therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). A total of 54 febrile or infectious episodes were registered, and TDM was performed in 44 (81%) cases. The absolute neutrophil count was below 500/µl in 49 (91%) cases, and cytotoxic chemotherapy was being administered in 47 (87%) cases. Before initiation of ABK, 52 (96%) patients had received fluoroquinolones (n = 37) and/or broad-spectrum ß-lactams (n = 34). There were 10 cases of documented infections including one of MRSA pneumonia, and 44 cases of febrile neutropenia. The efficacy at the end of treatment was 80% for all patients, and efficacy was significantly higher in patients attaining maximum concentrations ≥ 16 µg/ml or receiving TDM-guided dose-adjustment of ABK (n = 19, 95 vs. 71%, P = 0.039). Renal toxicity was observed in six cases (11%) but was generally acceptable. This study demonstrated that TDM-guided ABK administration may be applicable under limited conditions for patients with hematological malignancies.

Negative impact of concurrent overexpression of MYC and BCL2 in patients with advanced diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with dose-intensified immunochemotherapy.

Co-expression of MYC and BCL2 proteins in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), or 'double-expressor lymphoma' (DEL), results in poor patient prognosis, but the significance of DEL when aggressive treatments are applied remains uncertain. We performed a retrospective analysis of 40 patients with de novo DLBCL, who were categorized as being at high/high-intermediate risk according to the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index. Patients underwent an R-Double-CHOP regimen, a dose-intensified immunochemotherapy with or without consolidative high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. According to immunohistochemical analysis, 10 (25%) patients were categorized as having DEL, showing positivity for MYC (≥40%) and BCL2 (≥50%). The 3 year progression-free survival and overall survival of the DEL group were significantly worse compared with those of the non-DEL group (30% vs. 63%, p = 0.019 and 40% vs. 82%, p = 0.006, respectively). These results suggest that advanced DEL may need discrete treatment strategies.

Prognostic significance of Wilms tumor 1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood and bone marrow in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

BACKGROUND: This present study was designed to follow up 82 patients among 115 MDS patients registered in study ODK-0801 for 5 years, to analyze the relationship between the WT1 mRNA expression level and prognosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of WT1 mRNA expression levels. METHODS: After study ODK-0801, we investigated the conditions of the same patients once a year, including any clinical and laboratory findings supporting the diagnosis, and treatment among the living patients. RESULTS: When we assessed the survival time of 82 MDS patients by WT1 mRNA expression level, there were significant differences between the < 500 and ≥ 104 copies/µ g RNA groups and between the 500-104 and ≥ 104 copies/µ g RNA groups for BM levels (p < 0.01). Examination of the time of freedom from acute myeloid eukemia (AML) transformation indicated that a high WT1 mRNA expression level (> 104 copies/µ g RNA) was a strong prognostic factor for a short time to AML transformation. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the tumorigenesis of MDS is likely to originate at the stem cell level, suggesting that the WT1 mRNA level measurement in the BM is an effective prognostic marker in patients with MDS.

Clinical significance of co-expression of MYC and BCL2 protein in aggressive B-cell lymphomas treated with a second line immunochemotherapy.

The clinical significance of concurrent expression of MYC and BCL2 protein, known as "double-expressor lymphoma" (DEL), among patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas, remains unclear. A retrospective analysis was performed of 38 patients treated with a salvage treatment consisting of rituximab, ifosfamide, etoposide, cytarabine and dexamethasone followed by consolidative high-dose chemotherapies. A total of 17 cases (45%) were categorized as DEL using immunohistochemical assay with a cut-off value of positivity of 40% for MYC and 50% for BCL2, respectively. DEL was associated with a lower overall response rate (35% vs 71%, p = 0.0481), worse 2-year progression-free survival (9% vs 67%, p = 0.001) and overall survival (35% vs 71%, p = 0.037). This analysis suggests that DEL is common among patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas and that such patients require novel treatment strategies.

Progressive disappearance of anti-hepatitis B surface antigen antibody and reverse seroconversion after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with previous hepatitis B virus infection.

Reactivation of resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is known as reverse seroconversion (RS), has been reported as a rare complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We retrospectively studied HBV serologic markers in 14 recipients with pretransplant anti-hepatitis B surface antigen antibody (anti-HBs). Progressive decreases in anti-HBs titer were observed in all cases. In 12 cases, anti-HBs titer had decreased to under the protective value. RS occurred in seven cases after disappearance of anti-HBs. Although reseroconversion occurred in five cases, two cases remained in an HBV-carrier status after resolution of hepatitis. In the other five cases, RS did not occur even after disappearance of anti-HBs. The actual risks of anti-HBs disappearance and RS were estimated to be 75.0% and 39.8% at 2 years and 100.0% and 70.0% at 5 years, respectively. In conclusion, RS is a late-onset complication with high frequency that can be predicted by careful monitoring of progressive decrease in anti-HBs titer.

Evaluation of the inhibitory activities of the extracts of Indonesian traditional medicinal plants against Plasmodium falciparum and Babesia gibsoni.

Twenty-four kinds of water extracts derived from 22 plants that are traditionally used for the treatment of malaria on Java Island, Indonesia, were screened for their antibabesial and antimalarial activities. Among the extracts, 8 extracts displayed strong antimalarial activity, with an inhibition range from 89.6 to 100%, and 15 showed strong antibabesial activity, with an inhibition range from 84.2 to 98.1%. The extracts of Achillea millefolium, Baeckea frutenscens, Brucea javanica, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Strychnos lucida and Swietenia macrophylla showed both strong antibabesial and antimalarial activities. The antimalarial activities paralleled the antibabesial activities, but the converse was not true.

Higher Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Is an Adverse Prognostic Factor in Chronic-phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

The significance of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) was evaluated in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase (CP). Eighty-four patients with newly-diagnosed CML-CP treated with any tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: a low-RDW group (RDW values ≤15%, n=31) and a high-RDW group (RDW values >15%, n=53). The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and transformation-free survival (TFS) rates differed significantly between the low- and high-RDW groups (100% and 68%, respectively, in EFS, p=0.0071 and 100% and 81%, respectively, in TFS, p=0.039). The stratification by RDW had an impact on overall 5-year survival (100% in the low and 77% in the high RDW groups, p=0.047). We conclude that the RDW has a critical role in risk stratification of CML-CP patients for predicting treatment responses and outcomes.

Dose-intensified CHOP with rituximab (R-Double-CHOP) followed by consolidation high-dose chemotherapies for patients with advanced diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Even after the advent of rituximab, clinical outcomes of conventional immuno-chemotherapy for high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remain unsatisfactory. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of R-Double-CHOP (R-D-CHOP), consisting of rituximab (375 mg/m(2), day -2), cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m(2), day 1, 2), doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2), day 1, 2), vincristine [1.4 mg/m(2) (maximum 2.0 mg/body), day 1], and prednisolone (50 mg/m(2), day 1-5), followed by consolidation high-dose chemotherapy. This treatment was given to 51 de novo DLBCL patients with a median age of 54 (range 19-65), who were categorized as high/high-intermediate risk by the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index. Treatment was given every 3 weeks up to three courses. The overall response and the complete response rate for R-D-CHOP were 94 and 78 %, respectively. A total of 30 responders proceeded to high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT), whereas 16 received high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) alternatively. The 3-year overall survival and the event-free survival for all patients were 78 and 61 %, respectively. Major adverse events included hematological toxicities, but there were no treatment-related deaths during the observation period. We conclude that the R-D-CHOP regimen followed by HDC/ASCT or HD-MTX is a promising treatment option for younger patients with highly advanced DLBCL.

[Imatinib mesylate plus G-CSF therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia in the blastic crisis].

Imatinib mesylate (imatinib) has shown significant effects in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. However, hematological toxicity often occurs and requires dosage reduction or discontinuation of imatinib treatment. A patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in the blastic crisis received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) simultaneously with imatinib. The patient was continuously treated with imatinib and G-CSF and achieved remission without any severe infection or neutropenia. There are a few reports on the efficacy of combined therapy with G-CSF and imatinib; however, the results in our case are rare suggesting that the use of G-CSF is effective for preventing severe infection. G-CSF enables continuous treatment with high-dose imatinib.

[Prognostic efficacy for measurement of real-time quantitative PCR-based major bcr/abl mRNA in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia].

Evaluation of minimal residual disease (MRD) provides prognostic information on various hematological malignancies. We describe here the prognostic efficacy of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR)-based analysis of major bcr/abl mRNA in cases of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia (Ph-leukemia). Twenty-one patients with Ph-leukemia were enrolled as subjects to determine the usefulness of RQ-PCR-based measurement of bcr-abl/abl ratios. Imatinib mesylate (imatinib) was administered to seven of the 21 patients before allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Hematological relapse or failure of treatment with SCT was observed in 2 of those patients who showed bcr-abl/abl ratios of more than 0.002%, and 5 of the 7 patients showed both RQ-PCR and RT-PCR negativity immediately after SCT. All of the 5 patients who did not receive imatinib before allogeneic SCT showed RQ-PCR negativity immediately after SCT, but the results of RT-PCR were positive in 3 patients at the same time points, and those became negative after donor lymphocyte infusion or the appearance of graft-versus-host disease. Administration of imatinib before SCT was thought to induce an early remission. On the other hand, 8 patients who received imatinib without SCT showed a remarkable decrease in bcr-abl/abl ratios. The ratio gradually rose in one patient with Ph+ALL, enabling prediction of the hematological relapse preceding detection by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Standardization of RQ-PCR analysis of bcr-abl mRNA will help to predict early hematological relapse in patients with MRD. In conclusion, it is thought that measurement of RQ-PCR-based major bcr/abl mRNA in patients who were given imatinib and were treated with SCT is useful for the evaluation of MRD and in deciding additional treatment.

[Current status of treatment for patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in the Hokkaido area (evaluation of Helicobacter pylori eradication)].

Treatment guidelines for patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) have been changed recently due to the clinical application of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication but there has been no detailed multi-center analysis of the hematological effects of H. pylori eradication. The Clinical Hematology Forum consists of 11 large hematological departments and divisions in the Hokkaido area. We sent questionnaires to these 11 hematological departments and divisions in March 2003 to obtain information on current treatment strategies for patients with ITP and hematological results after the eradication of H. pylori. Questionnaires were returned by 9 (81.8%) of the 11 departments. Doctors in all hospitals had experience in diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori infection. Diagnostic examinations for H. pylori infection were performed in 54.3% of the registered cases. H. pylori infection was detected in 68.1% of the examined cases, and eradication treatment was performed in 87.7% of H. pylori-positive patients. H. pylori was eradicated in 52 (83.9%) of the 62 patients in whom the results of treatment could be evaluated. Among the patients whose platelet counts were less than 10.0 x 10(4)/microl, platelet recovery was observed in 48.8% of cases with successful eradication, a percentage similar to previously reported percentages in Japan. There was no prognostic factor to predict good responders before eradication treatment. Since the side effects of eradication treatment, including gastrointestinal symptoms and skin eruptions, were not serious, this method might become a front-line treatment for patients with ITP. Patient selection for eradication as an up-front treatment, analysis of the pathophysiology of platelet recovery after eradication and long-term effects should be investigated to make new treatment guidelines for newly diagnosed patients with ITP.