Real-world status of treatment for lymphoid neoplasms developed during the course of myeloproliferative neoplasms in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are at higher risk of developing secondary malignancies. In this study, we focused on patients with MPNs that complicated lymphoid neoplasms. To analyze the real-world status of lymphoid neoplasm treatment in patients with pre-existing MPNs in Japan, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to collect the data on patients who were first diagnosed with either polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia or myelofibrosis and who later were complicated with lymphoid neoplasms defined as malignant lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small cell lymphoma. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with MPNs complicated by lymphoid neoplasms were enrolled (polycythemia vera, n = 8; essential thrombocythemia, n = 14; and primary myelofibrosis, n = 2). Among these, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most frequently observed (n = 13, 54.1%). Twelve (92.3%) of the patients with DLBCL received conventional chemotherapy. Among these 12 patients, regarding cytoreductive therapy for MPNs, 8 patients stopped treatment, one continued treatment, and two received a reduced dose. Consequently, most patients were able to receive conventional chemotherapy for DLBCL with a slightly higher dose of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support than usual without worse outcomes. All 3 patients with multiple myeloma received a standard dose of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that if aggressive lymphoid neoplasms develop during the course of treatment in patients with MPNs, it is acceptable to prioritize chemotherapy for lymphoma.

Analysis of Notch1 protein expression in methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders.

Methotrexate (MTX)-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD) is a lymphoproliferative disorder in patients treated with MTX. The mechanism of pathogenesis is still elusive, but it is thought to be a complex interplay of factors, such as underlying autoimmune disease activity, MTX use, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and aging. The NOTCH genes encode receptors for a signaling pathway that regulates various fundamental cellular processes, such as proliferation and differentiation during embryonic development. Mutations of NOTCH1 have been reported in B-cell tumors, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Recently, it has also been reported that NOTCH1 mutations are found in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders, and in CD20-positive cells in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, which might be associated with lymphomagenesis in immunodeficiency. In this study, to investigate the association of NOTCH1 in the pathogenesis of MTX-LPD, we evaluated protein expression of Notch1 in nuclei immunohistochemically in MTX-LPD cases [histologically DLBCL-type (n = 24) and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL)-type (n = 24)] and de novo lymphoma cases [DLBCL (n = 19) and CHL (n = 15)]. The results showed that among MTX-LPD cases, the expression of Notch1 protein was significantly higher in the DLBCL type than in the CHL type (P < 0.001). In addition, among DLBCL morphology cases, expression of Notch1 tended to be higher in MTX-LPD than in the de novo group; however this difference was not significant (P = 0.0605). The results showed that NOTCH1 may be involved in the proliferation and tumorigenesis of B cells under the use of MTX. Further research, including genetic studies, is necessary.

Clinicopathological significance of CD79a expression in classic Hodgkin lymphoma.

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) is a lymphoid neoplasia characterized by the presence of large tumor cells, referred to as Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells, originating from B-cells in an inflammatory background. As the clinical significance of B-cell markers has yet to be fully elucidated, this study aimed to clarify the clinicopathological significance of CD79a in 55 patients with CHL. They were immunohistochemically divided into two groups, comprising of 20 CD79a-positive and 35 CD79a-negative patients. There was no significant correlation between CD79a and CD20 expression (rs = 0.125, P = 0.362). CD79a-positive patients were significantly older at onset (P = 0.011). There was no significant correlation between CD79a-positivity and clinical stage (P = 0.203), mediastinal involvement (P = 0.399), extranodal involvement (P = 0.749), or laboratory findings, including serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (P = 1) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (P = 0.251). There were significant differences in overall survival (OS) (P = 0.005) and progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.007) between CD79a-positive and CD79a-negative patients (5-year OS: 64.6% and 90.5%; 5-year PFS: 44.0% and 76.6%, respectively). Five patients in whom the majority (> 80%) of HRS cells expressed CD79a consisted of 4 males and 1 female aged between 52 and 81 years; 4 of them were in a limited clinical stage. We concluded that CD79a-positive CHL may have unique clinicopathological features.

[Acute leukemia recurring as extramedullary tumors of the ovary following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

The poor prognosis of extramedullary recurrence of acute leukemia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains a therapeutic challenge, and thus far no effective treatment method has been established. Here, we report two patients who presented with relapsed leukemia as extramedullary tumor in the ovary following allo-HSCT. Case 1: A 23-year-old female underwent unrelated allogeneic bone marrow transplantation during the second remission of acute myeloid leukemia. After 706 days post-transplant, bilateral ovarian tumors were detected during the pelvic ultrasound, and extramedullary recurrence in the bilateral ovaries was subsequently established on right salpingo-oophorectomy and biopsy of the left ovary. Following completed systemic chemotherapy and total body irradiation, the patient underwent unrelated cord blood transplantation (CBT) and remission was maintained without recurrence for 7 years after second transplantation. Case 2: A 49-year-old female underwent unrelated CBT during the second remission of acute lymphocytic leukemia. At 372 days post-transplant, a pelvic tumor was detected by FDG-PET/CT, and extramedullary recurrence in the right ovary was diagnosed on examination of the resected pelvic mass. Chemotherapy and radiation were performed, but the tumor recurred on day 1,027 and the patient died on day 1,603. Extramedullary recurrence of adult acute leukemia as a mass in the ovary following allo-HSCT has been rarely reported. Therefore, further accumulation of related case reports is desired.

[Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia complicated by concomitant Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Corynebacterium striatum bacteremia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

A 54-year-old woman with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an HLA-matched sibling. Subsequently, she suffered from chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) and received medical treatment. Fever developed on day 697 and resulted in a shock state at 10 h after the visit. Achromobacter xylosoxidans was detected in the initial blood culture on day 699. General conditions exacerbated even after the start of meropenem hydrate (MEPM, Meropen®) administration, with Corynebacterium striatum detected as an additional species in the initial blood culture on day 701. Although vancomycin hydrochloride (VCM, Vancomycin®) was administered, the conditions did not improve. She died on day 702. Between January 2012 and December 2016, A. xylosoxidans was detected only in nine cases in our hospital, which included five with hematological malignancies and only one (present) with sepsis. At the same time, Corynebacterium species were detected in blood cultures from 39 cases in our hospital, which included 31 with hematological malignancies. Some reports on drug-resistant A. xylosoxidans and C. striatum have been published. Infections with these species may become fatal when complicated by sepsis in immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancies. More cases should be accumulated for detailed investigation.

Successful haploidentical stem cell transplantation with prophylactic administration of liposomal amphotericin B after invasive pulmonary zygomycosis.

A 54-year-old woman with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) achieved complete remission by induction chemotherapy, but developed zygomycosis after consolidation therapy. As zygomycosis could not be cured by liposomal amphotericin B and micafungin, left lower lobectomy was performed. As AML relapsed 7 months after onset, she received haploidentical stem cell transplantation under administration of liposomal amphotericin B. Despite experiencing severe acute graft-versus-host disease, she remains alive with no relapse of either zygomycosis or AML.

Post-allogeneic stem cell transplant extramedullary relapse of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia initially detected by elevated WT1 mRNA levels in peripheral blood.

An 18-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for fever, and was diagnosed with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AML M7) based on the presence of CD42a and CD61 positive myeloblasts in peripheral blood (PB). Induction chemotherapy at our hospital resulted in complete remission (CR). Subsequently, he underwent unrelated HLA-DR one locus-mismatched allogeneic bone marrow (BM) transplantation. Although CR was maintained without development of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), the WT1 mRNA level in PB was elevated on post-transplant day 134. As BM aspiration performed 1 week later confirmed maintenance of CR, and because the WT1 mRNA level in BM was not high in comparison with PB, we suspected extramedullary relapse. PET-CT demonstrated a thymic tumor and a gastric tumor with abnormal accumulation of FDG, and biopsy confirmed both to be extramedullary relapse of AML M7. Induction chemotherapy following local radiation therapy achieved a second CR, following which he received HLA haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation on day 256 after the first transplant. The patient is currently surviving free from both relapse and GvHD. High WT1 mRNA levels in PB as compared with BM should raise suspicion of extramedullary relapse, and PET-CT is very useful for whole body evaluation in such cases.