Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Multiple Myeloma patients: A sizeable diagnosis in the era of novel anti-myeloma therapies.

BACKGROUND: Advances in treatment for multiple myeloma (MM) patients entail a high risk for opportunistic infections such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to describe the patient's profile, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and outcome of MM patients with IPA, in our large haemato-oncology centre. PATIENTS/METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients with MM who underwent Broncho alveolar lavage for pneumonia at Rambam Hospital during a 13-year period from July 2005 to February 2018. We focused on those with Aspergillus pneumonia. RESULTS: Of the 669 patients with multiple myeloma, mean age 62.6 (±7.6) years, forty-two patients (6.2%) were diagnosed with IPA. Among them, 60% had a probable diagnosis and 40% possible. Clinical presentation was similar for IPA and other pulmonary infections. Compared to those with other pulmonary infections, IPA was more commonly diagnosed in patients with long-standing disease (p = .00012) and among patients receiving 3 or more lines of myeloma therapies (p = .04). Thirty-day mortality rates following diagnostic bronchoscopy did not differ between IPA and non-IPA patients. (p = .85). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple myeloma patients had an increased risk for IPA, most notably in patients with 3 or more lines of anti-myeloma treatment and more advanced disease. This clearly emphasises the vigilance needed for IPA in these patients.

Homozygosity for CHEK2 p.Gly167Arg leads to a unique cancer syndrome with multiple complex chromosomal translocations in peripheral blood karyotype.

BACKGROUND: Chromosomal instability, as reflected by structural or copy-number changes, is a known cancer characteristic but are rarely observed in healthy tissue. Mutations in DNA repair genes disrupt the maintenance of DNA integrity and predispose to hereditary cancer syndromes. OBJECTIVE: To clinically characterise and genetically diagnose two reportedly unrelated patients with unique cancer syndromes, including multiorgan tumourogenesis (patient 1) and early-onset acute myeloid leukaemia (patient 2), both displaying unique peripheral blood karyotypes. METHODS: Genetic analysis in patient 1 included TruSight One panel and whole-exome sequencing, while patient 2 was diagnosed by FoundationOne Heme genomic analysis; Sanger sequencing was used for mutation confirmation in both patients. Karyotype analysis was performed on peripheral blood, bone marrow and other available tissues. RESULTS: Both patients were found homozygous for CHEK2 c.499G>A; p.Gly167Arg and exhibited multiple different chromosomal translocations in 30%-60% peripheral blood lymphocytes. This karyotype phenotype was not observed in other tested tissues or in an ovarian cancer patient with a different homozygous missense mutation in CHEK2 (c.1283C>T; p.Ser428Phe). CONCLUSIONS: The multiple chromosomal translocations in patient lymphocytes highlight the role of CHK2 in DNA repair. We suggest that homozygosity for p.Gly167Arg increases patients' susceptibility to non-accurate correction of DNA breaks and possibly explains their increased susceptibility to either multiple primary tumours during their lifetime or early-onset tumourigenesis.

[ACQUIRED HEMOPHILIA A AND THE TIMING OF IMMUNOMODULATORY THERAPY].

INTRODUCTION: Acquired hemophilia A is an autoimmune disease affecting men and women equally and is idiopathic in 50% of the cases. As the mortality rate reaches 50%, prompt diagnosis and treatment are needed. Diagnosis is made in a patient with a bleeding manifestation and prolonged PTT (partial thromboplastin time) that is not corrected in a mixing study with normal plasma. The level of antibodies in the plasma is measured by Bethesda units and a level above 5 units is considered high. Patients with a high titer of antibodies are treated with factor VIII, prothrombin complex, recombinant factor VIIa and tranexamic acid, in combination with immunomodulatory therapy, including steroids, cyclophosphamide, rituximab and immunoglobulins. The timing of rituximab therapy remains debatable. To date, it has not been established whether to use it as a first-line or second-line therapy. According to the currently available literature that relies on a database, the use of rituximab as a first-line modality increased survival without increasing the rate of infections, compared to steroids alone or steroids combined with cyclophosphamide. The current article describes a 79-year old woman who presented with diffuse hematomas in the limbs. A rapid diagnosis and treatment, including factor VIII, tranexamic acid, steroids, cyclophosphamide and rituximab as a first-line therapy, facilitated her complete recovery at a one-year follow-up.