An integrated prognostic model for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with immunochemotherapy.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most frequent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma subtype, is characterized by strong biological, morphological, and clinical heterogeneity, but patients are treated with immunochemotherapy in a relatively homogeneous way. Here, we have used a customized NanoString platform to analyze a series of 197 homogeneously treated DLBCL cases. The platform includes the most relevant genes or signatures known to be useful for predicting response to R-CHOP (Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone) in DLBCL cases. We generated a risk score that combines the International Prognostic Index with cell of origin and double expression of MYC/BCL2, and stratified the series into three groups, yielding hazard ratios from 0.15 to 5.49 for overall survival, and from 0.17 to 5.04 for progression-free survival. Group differences were highly significant (p < 0.0001), and the scoring system was applicable to younger patients (<60 years of age) and patients with advanced or localized stages of the disease. Results were validated in an independent dataset from 166 DLBCL patients treated in two distinct clinical trials. This risk score combines clinical and biological data in a model that can be used to integrate biological variables into the prognostic models for DLBCL cases.

[Deposits of lanthanum in the gastric mucosa of a patient with chronic kidney disease]. / Depósito de lantano en la mucosa gástrica de paciente con enfermedad renal crónica.

Lanthanum carbonate is a non-calcium phosphorus chelator used in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia associated with chronic renal disease. Deposits of lanthanum in the gastrointestinal wall have been recently described but its clinical significance is uncertain. We present a case of a 62-year-old male with chronic renal disease treated with lanthanum carbonate for 3 years, with deposits in his gastric mucosa, found on biopsy for dyspepsia. The deposits were acellular and of irregular shape, surrounded by macrophages and foreign body giant cells. The presence of lanthanum in the deposits was confirmed by X-ray spectroscopy. Diagnosis is reached with knowledge of its microscopic appearance and a thorough clinical history.