Investigation of demographic features, performance, comorbidity status and mortality causes among multiple myeloma patients: real-life data.

BACKGROUND: The demographic characteristics, performance status, frequency of comorbidities and survival rate of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) show variability geographically and different risk scoring systems have been used to assess this population. Here, we present data from a Turkish cohort, focusing on identifying similarities and differences, relative to other reports in the literature. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 310 patients diagnosed with MM were enrolled. Their demographic characteristics were investigated retrospectively. For performance assessment; the ECOG-IMWG Myeloma Frailty Score, R-MCI and HCT-SCI scoring indexes were used. PFS and OS periods, as well as the causes of deaths, were determined. RESULTS: The mean age of all study participants was 65 ± 10 years. The mean PFS and OS periods were 24.14± 26.11 and 65.3 ± 4.4 months, respectively. The median R-MCI, CCI and HCT-CI scores were five, four and three points, respectively. Myeloma-related complications were the leading cause of death, with a frequency of 51%. CONCLUSION: Among the scoring systems utilised, R-MCI was more convenient to apply due to its ease of use and practicality. Our study supports the heterogeneous course of myeloma and highlights geographic differences including comorbidities, causes of death and overall survival.

Therapeutic plasma exchange for hypertriglyceridemia induced acut pancreatitis: the 33 cases experience from a tertiary reference center in Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis. In patients with severe HTG (TG level>1000 mg/dL), it may be beneficial to immediately lower the levels of triglyceride (TG) and chylomicrons. In this study, we present one of the largest case series on the use of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 33 patients who were admitted to our clinic for HTG-AP and underwent TPE between January 2007 and July 2017 were included in the study. Clinical data and outcomes and the reduction of triglyceride levels were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: The TG level decreased by 54.4%, and the total cholesterol level decreased by 52.1% after one TPE session. The TG decrease after the second TPE session was found to be 79.4%. There were 20 (60.6%) patients with mild acute pancreatitis, 10 (30.3%) patients with moderetaly severe acute pancreatitis, and 3 (9.1%) patients with severe acute pancreatitis based on the categorization according to the revised Atlanta criteria. Regarding local complications, the acute peripancreatic fluid collection was observed in 13 (39.4%) patients, acute necrotic collection was observed in 1 (3%) patient, walled-off necrosis was observed in 1 (3%) patient, and pancreatic pseudocyst was not observed in any patient. Mortality was not determined in patients with mild and moderately severe acute pancreatitis, and its rate was 33.3% in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. The overall mortality rate was 3%. No significant complications related to TPE were noted. CONCLUSION: TPE is a safe and helpful therapeutic treatment method for patients with HTG-AP and may be considered particularly in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Current practice of autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization in adult patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma: The results of a survey from Turkish hematology research and education group (ThREG).

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is an established treatment option for adult patients presenting with multiple myeloma (MM), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and various subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in upfront and/or relapsed/refractory disease settings. Although there are recently published consensus guidelines addressing critical issues regarding autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization (HPCM), mobilization strategies of transplant centers show high variability in terms of routine practice. In order to understand the current institutional policies regarding HPCM in Turkey and to obtain the required basic data for preparation of a national positional statement on this issue, Turkish Hematology Research and Education Group (ThREG) conducted a web-based HPCM survey. The survey was designed to include multiple-choice questions regarding institutional practice of HPCM in adults presenting MM, HL, and NHL. The representatives of 27 adult HCT centers participated to the study. Here we report the results of this survey shedding light on the real-world experience in Turkey in terms of autologous HPCM mobilization strategies in patients presenting with MM and lymphoma.

Macroglossia as a presenting feature of multiple myeloma.

Macroglossia has been very rarely reported as a first clinical sign of multiple myeloma.

Cholesterol Levels in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Low cholesterol levels may be accompanied by solid tumors or hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma. Decreased cholesterol levels have been reported in some experimental studies about chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It may be associated with tumoral cell metabolism. Herein, we examine blood lipid profiles of patients with newly diagnosed CLL (284 male, 276 female, mean age 64 ± 11 years) as defined by National Cancer Institute criteria. The control group consisted of 71 healthy subjects with mean age 55 ± 9 years (28 male, 43 females). 60% of patients with Binet A, while 25% were Binet C. Decreased levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were observed in patients with CLL than control group (p < 0,001). There was no statistical significance between CLL and control group for triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), also between HDL-C, VLDL, TG and grades. Cholesterol may metabolized by abnormal lymphocytes in CLL patients.

H. pylori positivity and various pathological, endoscopic and clinical features correlated with each other.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between dyspepsia symptom scores and endoscopic appearances, and histopathological findings and helicobacter pylori positivity in patients having dyspepsia symptom. METHODS: The study was conducted at the gastroenterology outpatient clinic of Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey from April 2012 to July 2012 and comprised patients between 18-65 years of age who were admitted with dyspepsia. Glasgow dyspepsia severity scoring was done with questions posed orally to the patients. In histopathological evaluation of biopsy specimens according to Sydney criteria, chronic inflammation, activity, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia and helicobacter pylori parameters were used. Total number of eosinophils and number of mast cells were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 60 patients with dyspepsia, 38(63.3%) were female and 22(36.7%) were male. The degree of activation and severity of inflammation increased significantly with increasing helicobacter pylori positivity(r=0.459'p<0.0001; r=0.475'p<0.0001). A significant relationship was found between inflammation, activation and the number of mast cells (p<0.05).There was no relationship between helicobacter pylori intensity and the eosinophil count (r=0.171; p=0.093). There was also a statistically significant correlation between severity of inflammation and activation and the number of eosinophils (r=0.313;p=0.002;r=0.245;p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Mast cell density was seen to have a role in the inflammatory processes of helicobacter pylori infection.

The role of mean platelet volume in patients with non-specific abdominal pain in an emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Platelets play an important role in inflammation. Mean platelet volume (MPV) may be a useful parameter for inflammatory conditions, in differentiating between non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) and conditions requiring surgery, or early diagnosis of abdominal pain as a serious problem for emergency services. AIM: To investigate the role of MPV on NSAP admittance to the emergency department. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study consisted of 330 patients (186 female and 144 male, with mean age 49 ±20 years) with NSAP and 249 patients with abdominal pain (144 female and 105 male, with mean age 49 ±19 years) applied to our emergency service and enrolled to our study. Medical history, physical examination, complete blood count (CBC), and biochemical parameters were evaluated. Haematological parameters were measured by Beckman Coulter LH 780 instrument. Data were compared using Student's t test, and p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: The MPV were significantly lower in patients with NSAP than in others (p = 0.025). There was no significant difference between both sexes with regard to MPV (p > 0.05). Moreover, the other haematological parameters (haemoglobin, platelet, or WBC counts) were not statistically different between both groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The MPV may be a useful, simple, and inexpensive parameter to diagnose or differentiate between NSAP and other conditions.

Eltrombopag for the Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia: The Aegean Region of Turkey Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an immune-mediated disease characterized by transient or persistent decrease of the platelet count to less than 100x109/L. Although it is included in a benign disease group, bleeding complications may be mortal. With a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, thrombopoietin receptor agonists, which came into use in recent years, seem to be an effective option in the treatment of resistant cases. This study aimed to retrospectively assess the efficacy, long-term safety, and tolerability of eltrombopag in Turkish patients with chronic ITP in the Aegean region of Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective data of 40 patients with refractory ITP who were treated with eltrombopag in the Aegean region were examined and evaluated. RESULTS: The total rate of response was 87%, and the median duration of response defined as the number of the platelets being over 50x109/L was 19.5 (interquartile range: 5-60) days. In one patient, venous sinus thrombosis was observed with no other additional risk factors due to or related to thrombosis. Another patient with complete response and irregular follow-up for 12 months was lost due to sudden death as the result of probable acute myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Although the responses to eltrombopag were satisfactory, patients need to be monitored closely for overshooting platelet counts as well as thromboembolic events.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of CD20 expression in patients with multiple myeloma.

OBJECTIVE: CD20 expression was reported at different rates in patients with multiple myeloma. The importance of this B-cell antigen for plasma cells is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate CD20 expression of myeloma cells in bone marrow, and any relationship between the stage of disease, isotype and clinical features. METHODS: Sixty-one patients who were admitted to the hematology clinic of the Adnan Menderes Medical School with the diagnosis of multiple myeloma according to the criteria of the "International Myeloma Working Group" were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, Durie-Salmon stage, history of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the distribution pattern and positivity of CD20 expression on multiple myeloma cells in bone marrow were evaluated. The Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis with a p-value<0.05 being accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Thirty patients (48.9%) had positive scores for CD20 with the distribution pattern being most likely interstitial in 55.6% of the cases. There was no statistically significant difference between immunohistochemical positivity for CD20 expression on multiple myeloma cells, immunoglobulin type, and the stage of disease. CONCLUSION: The combination of immunohistochemical studies with flow cytometry may reveal the importance of CD20 positivity in patients with multiple myeloma more clearly.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of CD20 expression in patients with multiple myeloma

Objective: CD20 expression was reported at different rates in patients with multiple myeloma. The importance of this B-cell antigen for plasma cells is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate CD20 expression of myeloma cells in bone marrow, and any relationship between the stage of disease, isotype and clinical features. Methods: Sixty-one patients who were admitted to the hematology clinic of the Adnan Menderes Medical School with the diagnosis of multiple myeloma according to the criteria of the "International Myeloma Working Group" were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, Durie-Salmon stage, history of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the distribution pattern and positivity of CD20 expression on multiple myeloma cells in bone marrow were evaluated. The Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis with a p-value < 0.05 being accepted as statistically significant. Results: Thirty patients (48.9%) had positive scores for CD20 with the distribution pattern being most likely interstitial in 55.6% of the cases. There was no statistically significant difference between immunohistochemical positivity for CD20 expression on multiple myeloma cells, immunoglobulin type, and the stage of disease. Conclusion: The combination of immunohistochemical studies with flow cytometry may reveal the importance of CD20 positivity in patients with multiple myeloma more clearly. .

Relationship between glycemic control and histochemical myeloperoxidase activity in neutrophils in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a lysosomal hemoprotein found in the azurophilic granules in neutrophils. Myeloperoxidase plays an important role in oxygen-dependent killing of bacteria, fungi, virus and malignant cells. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is listed among conditions that may lead to secondary MPO deficiency in neutrophils but inconsistent results concerning MPO activity in diabetic patients have been reported in the literature. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between glycemic control in patients with type 2 DM and MPO activity in neutrophils from a histochemical perspective. METHODS: The study included 40 patients with type 2 DM with poor glycemic control, 30 patients with type 2 DM with good glycemic control and 31 healthy controls. Peripheral blood smears were analyzed for each patient included in the study. Myeloperoxidase dye was used for staining. Myeloperoxidase ratios in neutrophil were evaluated for proportions of staining with MPO in 100 neutrophils in each smear. SPSS 16.0 version was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Myeloperoxidase ratios in neutrophils were 70 (58.5-80) in type 2 DM patients with poor glycemic control compared to 80 (73.75-90) in those with good glycemic control and 88 (78-92) in healthy controls. The DM group with poor glycemic control was statistically significantly different from the other groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Poor glycemic control in diabetic patients results in decreased MPO activity in neutrophils histochemically.

Serum Bcl-2 Levels in Patients with ß-Thalassemia Minor: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL may play a role in the survival of erythroid progenitor cells. Information about these proteins in patients with ß-thalassemia minor is limited. We aimed to determine the levels of serum Bcl-2 in patients with ß-thalassemia minor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven patients (60 females and 37 males with mean age of 29±21 years) with ß-thalassemia minor were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of ß-thalassemia minor was based on whole blood counts, family history, and HbA2 levels estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The control group comprised 23 healthy adults (17 females and 6 males with mean age of 58±9 years) without anemia. The levels of serum Bcl-2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney U tests were used in statistical evaluation and p<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Although there was no statistically significant difference between patients with ß-thalassemia minor and the control group for the level of serum Bcl-2 (p>0.05), these levels were higher in ß-thalassemia minor patients than controls. CONCLUSION: There are damaged beta chains in ß-thalassemia minor. Therefore, it is expected that premature death of red blood cells may occur due to apoptosis. The mean age of the control group was higher than that of the ß-thalassemia minor group; this may be why Bcl-2 levels were higher in the ß-thalassemia minor group. It is known that older age constitutes a risk for increased apoptosis. Other proteins (Bad, Bax, etc.) and pathways [CD95 (Fas) ligand] associated with apoptosis should be evaluated in future studies including more patients.

The activity of atorvastatin and rosiglitazone on CD38, ZAP70 and apoptosis in lymphocytes of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia in vitro.

There are a number of studies about the effects of statins and thiazolidinediones on lymphocytes. However, there is no study about possible effects of atorvastatin and rosiglitazone on lymphocytes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We aimed to investigate the effects of atorvastatin and rosiglitazone on CD38, ZAP-70, Annexin V and bcl-2 in lymphocytes of CLL in vitro. Seven (4 males and 3 females) patients with CLL with average age of 56 ± 8 years were enrolled to the study. The mean values of laboratory tests were as follows: hemoglobin: 12 ± 1.8 g/dl; hematocrit: %35 ± 6; platelet count: 156,000 ± 68,000/mm(3); leukocyte count: 50,500 ± 38,700/mm(3); and lymphocyte count: 45,700 ± 38,100/mm(3). The study was performed in three cell cultures groups. Mononuclear cells of blood samples from peripheral veins were separated by Ficoll method. On culture plate with 24 wells, it was suspended with 2 ml RPMI 1640. Then, the plates were incubated in %5 CO2 at 37 °C for 24 h. 5 µM atorvastatin-calcium was given to first group, 2 µM rosiglitazone maleate was given to second group, and the third group was included in the study as control group. After 24 h, the expressions of CD5, CD38, ZAP-70 and Annexin V by using flow cytometry with EPICS XL-MCL and the levels of bcl-2 by using ELISA method were re-evaluated. Two-paired Student's t test was used for comparison of the results, and p < 0.05 was accepted as a significance level. While atorvastatin and rosiglitazone did not affect the expression of CD38 and the level of bcl-2, these drugs significantly increased the level of Annexin V when compared with control group (p < 0.001). Both drugs significantly decreased the expressions of CD5 (p = 0.03) and ZAP-70 (p < 0.05) compared with control group. Atorvastatin and rosiglitazone increased apoptosis in lymphocytes of CLL in vitro. Moreover, these drugs decreased the expressions of CD5 and ZAP-70. These drugs must be studied in more detail in the pathogenesis and treatment for CLL.

Lung Clear "Sugar" Cell Tumor and JAK V617F Positive Essential Thrombocythemia: a Simple Coincidence?

The primary clear cell tumor of the lung is an extremely rare benign tumor. This tumor is called "sugar tumor" since clear cell tumor of the lung contains abundant glycogen. We here present a case of lung clear cell tumor of the lung associated to essential thrombocythemia. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report about this association. A 44-Year-Old Woman admitted to our clinic with a 2-month history of fatigue. On physical examination, the spleen was 3 cm palpable below the left costal margin on the mid axillary line. The laboratory tests revealed an elevated platelet counts (1,014,000/mm(3)). A pulmonary nodule (3,5 cm) was detected in the upper right lobe on the chest X-ray. Then, thoracic computed tomography (CT) was planned. The nodule looked like benign pattern on CT scan and total excision was performed for curative and diagnostic treatment. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of nests of rounded or oval cells with distinct cell borders, optically clear cytoplasm and small nucleus. By immunohistochemistry, tumor cells were positive for HMB-45, NSE and focal S100 antigen. And, it was diagnosed as clear "sugar" cell tumor. After tumor excision the lasting thrombocytosis induced us to perform bone marrow biopsy and JAK2 mutation research. Diagnosis of Essential Thrombocythemia was made. In conclusion, it is important to make an evaluation for myeloproliferative diseases in clear "sugar" cell tumor in adults if thrombocytosis was lasting after treatment.

Cutaneous metastasis of gallbladder adenocarcinoma in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a case report and review of the literature.

Skin metastasis of primary gallbladder tumors is extremely rare with a reported incidence of 0.7~9% and it usually involves the thorax, abdomen, the extremities, neck, head region, and scalp. Cutaneous metastasis may occur synchronously or metatochronously. In the present case, the patient had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which was being treated with an alkylating agent (chlorambucil) when the patient developed skin metastasis from gallbladder adenocarcinoma during post- cholecystectomy follow-up. Given the fact that secondary malignancies occur in chronic lymphocytic leukemia; this clinical setting warrants attention. We aimed to discuss secondary malignancy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients and gallbladder adenocarcinoma with skin metastasis, based on a review of the literature and the presented case.