Response to COVID-19 Vaccination Post-CAR T Therapy in Patients With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma.

COVID-19 adversely affects individuals with cancer. Several studies have found that seroconversion rates among patients with hematologic malignancies are suboptimal when compared to patients without cancer. Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are immunocompromised due to impaired humoral and cellular immunity in addition to prescribed immunosuppressive therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy is now widely used for NHL and MM, but little is known about seroconversion rates after COVID-19 vaccination among these populations. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 spike-binding IgG antibody levels following COVID-19 vaccination among NHL and MM CAR T therapy recipients. Out of 104 CAR T infusions, 19 patients developed known COVID-19 infection post-CAR T. We tested 17 patients that received CAR T for antibody spike titers post COVID-19 vaccination, only 29 % (n = 5) were able to mount a clinically relevant antibody response (>250 IU/mL).

Monoclonal Gammopathy-Related Kidney Diseases.

Monoclonal gammopathies occur secondary to a broad range of clonal B lymphocyte or plasma cell disorders, producing either whole or truncated monoclonal immunoglobulins. The kidneys are often affected by these monoclonal proteins, and, although not mutually exclusive, can involve the glomeruli, tubules, interstitium, and vasculature. The nephrotoxic potential of these monoclonal proteins is dependent on a variety of physicochemical characteristics that are responsible for the diverse clinicopathologic manifestations, including glomerular diseases with organized deposits, glomerular diseases with granular deposits, and other lesions, such as C3 glomerulopathy and thrombotic microangiopathy with unique pathophysiologic features. The diseases that involve primarily the tubulointerstitial and vascular compartments are light chain cast nephropathy, light chain proximal tubulopathy, crystal-storing histiocytosis, and crystalglobulin-induced nephropathy with distinct acute and chronic clinicopathologic features. The diagnosis of a monoclonal gammopathy-related kidney disease is established by identification of an underlying active or more commonly, low-grade hematologic malignancy, serologic evidence of a monoclonal gammopathy when detectable, and most importantly, monoclonal protein-induced pathologic lesions seen in a kidney biopsy, confirming the association with the monoclonal protein. Establishing a diagnosis may be challenging at times, particularly in the absence of an overt hematologic malignancy, with or without monoclonal gammopathy, such as proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits. Overall, the treatment is directed against the underlying hematologic disorder and the potential source of the monoclonal protein.

Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis and Monoclonal Gammopathy: Potential Diagnostic Challenges.

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare glomerular disease featured by the randomly arranged 12- to 24-nm fibrils under electron microscopy (EM). Up to 10% of FGN patients have monoclonal gammopathy. However, distinguishing between FGN as monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) and FGN from other causes with incidental monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) can be challenging, as the current way of demonstrating monoclonality is flawed due to (1) the suboptimal sensitivity of kappa staining by immunofluorescence in frozen tissue (IF-F) as compared to pronase-digested paraffin sections (IF-P), causing incorrect labeling of light chain restriction; (2) the unavailability of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subtyping in some centers; and (3) the unavailability of tests demonstrating the monoclonality of highly variable VH or VL domains in immunoglobulin structures in clinical use. The discovery of DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 9 (DNAJB9) allows diagnosis for FGN with less reliance on EM, and the summary of recent studies revealed that genuine MGRS is extremely rare among FGN. Further research integrating IF-P, IgG subtyping, VH or VL domain monoclonality confirmation, and DNAJB9 as diagnostic modalities, with corresponding clinical data including treatment response and prognosis, is required for a better understanding of this subject.

Necrotizing Cellulitis and Myositis in a Neutropenic Leukemic Patient.

In this article, we review a case of necrotizing cellulitis and myositis in a neutropenic leukemic patient. He underwent a series of investigations to reach the diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). The lesion improved dramatically after pertinent identification and initiation of appropriate treatment. The management of PG is exceedingly challenging due to a lack of proper clinical criteria for detection and guidelines for treatment. PG must be considered as a differential in patients with enlarging, sterile, necrotic lesions, unresponsive to prolonged broad-spectrum antibiotics. Prompt recognition can prevent deeper infections and the formation of a chronic open wound causing cosmetic disfigurement along with other catastrophic complications.

The Clone Wars: Diagnosing and Treating Dysproteinemic Kidney Disease in the Modern Era.

Dysproteinemic kidney diseases are disorders that occur as the result of lymphoproliferative (B cell or plasma cell) disorders that cause kidney damage via production of nephrotoxic monoclonal immunoglobulins or their components. These monoclonal immunoglobulins have individual physiochemical characteristics that confer specific nephrotoxic properties. There has been increased recognition and revised characterization of these disorders in the last decade, and in some cases, there have been substantial advances in disease understanding and treatments, which has translated to improved patient outcomes. These disorders still present challenges to nephrologists and patients, since they are rare, and the field of hematology is rapidly changing with the introduction of novel testing and treatment strategies. In this review, we will discuss the clinical presentation, kidney biopsy features, hematologic characteristics and treatment of dysproteinemic kidney diseases.

Clinical, haematological and biochemical findings in tigers infected by Leishmania infantum.

BACKGROUND: A large number of animal species are susceptible to Leishmania infantum (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) in endemic areas, including domestic and wild felids such as tigers (Panthera tigris). Knowledge on the infection of this endangered species is still at its infancy, and therefore this study aims to identify clinical presentation and clinicopathological findings of tigers naturally infected by L. infantum. RESULTS: Tigers either L. infantum-positive (group A) or -negative (group B) were apparently healthy or presented visceral leishmaniasis unrelated conditions, except for one animal in which a large non-healing cutaneous lesion was observed. However, histological exam and immunohistochemistry carried out on the lesion excluded the presence of L. infantum amastigotes. Biochemical analysis showed that the average concentration of total proteins, globulins and haptoglobin were significantly higher (p < 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively), while the albumin/globulin ratio significantly lower (p = 0.05) in group A compared with group B. The biochemical alterations were partially confirmed by the serum protein electrophoresis results revealing a significant increase in the total protein value (p = 0.01) and hypergammaglobulinemia (p = 0.03) but an unmodified albumin/globulin ratio in group A. CONCLUSIONS: In this study tigers infected by L. infantum have shown to be mainly asymptomatic. The absence of clinical signs may lead veterinarians to overlook leishmaniasis in animals kept in captivity. Therefore, diagnostic and screening tests as serology should be part of routinely surveillance programs to be performed on tigers in zoological gardens located in endemic areas. Though only few protein-related laboratory abnormalities were recorded in infected animals, they could provide diagnostic clues for a first suspicion of L. infantum infection in tigers. Indeed, considering the high risk of zoonotic transmission in heavily frequented environment as zoos, a prompt diagnosis of L. infantum infection is of pivotal importance.

Renal crystal-storing histiocytosis involving glomeruli - A comprehensive clinicopathologic analysis.

Crystal-storing histiocytosis (CSH) is a rare manifestation of monoclonal gammopathy in which histiocytes containing monoclonal proteins in their cytoplasm are found in various organs of the body including the kidney. Within the kidney, these monoclonal crystal-laden histiocytes have been described to occur in the interstitium (most commonly) or in the glomerular mesangium. CSH within glomerular capillary loops has rarely been reported. We describe three cases of CSH primarily affecting the glomerular capillaries and review the literature of CSH in general. Twenty cases of CSH involving the kidney are present in the literature; three describe CSH in glomeruli, only one of which showed histiocytes predominantly in glomerular capillary loops, while 15 had predominantly or solely interstitial CSH. Most cases involve IgG kappa crystals with only one case involving lambda light chain. Patients with CSH predominantly involving the glomerular capillaries showed a trend toward lower serum creatinine and proteinuria at presentation, and several patients with CSH lacked a definitive diagnosis of a monoclonal gammopathy at the time of diagnosis, emphasizing the role that kidney biopsy and particularly electron microscopy play in diagnosis of this entity.

Dysproteinemia and the Kidney: Core Curriculum 2019.

Dysproteinemic kidney diseases occur when B- or plasma cell clones produce pathogenic monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains that cause kidney damage. The clinical presentation of these disorders ranges from sub-nephrotic-range proteinuria or microscopic hematuria with preserved kidney function to severe nephrotic syndrome to severe acute kidney injury or rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. These monoclonal immunoglobulins can cause a variety of histologic patterns of injury, including cast nephropathy, glomerular and tubular deposition diseases, amyloidosis, and inflammatory glomerulonephritis. The underlying clonal disorder may meet criteria for overt multiple myeloma or systemic lymphoma. In recent years, there has been increased recognition and study of dysproteinemic kidney diseases that occur in the setting of smaller clonal plasma and B-cell populations, which are classified as monoclonal gammopathies of renal significance. Regardless of clonal cell burden, the goal of treatment is to achieve a hematologic response (ie, improvement or resolution of the monoclonal protein) by eradicating the underlying clone. Organ-specific responses are dependent on achieving hematologic response. Without appropriate treatment, many of these disorders are associated with high rates of progressive kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. In this installment of AJKD's Core Curriculum in Nephrology, we review the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of dysproteinemic kidney diseases.

Síndrome de Goldbloom: síndrome febril prolongado con disproteinemia. Caso clínico / Goldboom's syndrome: prolonged febrile syndrome with dysproteinemia. Case report

El síndrome de Goldbloom es una rara entidad clínica de etiología desconocida que ocurre casi exclusivamente en pediatría. Consiste en un síndrome febril prolongado con hiperostosis perióstica y disproteinemia, que, con frecuencia, simula una patología hematooncológica o linfoproliferativa. El diagnóstico se hace por exclusión de las diferentes causas de dolor de los huesos y se asocia a hipergammaglobulinemia, hipoalbuminemia, eritrosedimentación acelerada e imágenes radiológicas de periostitis. La sintomatología, la radiología y los parámetros de laboratorio remiten en un tiempo variable, que va, habitualmente, de los 3 a los 12 meses. Se presenta a un paciente de 6 años con dolores óseos difusos, hiperostosis perióstica, síndrome febril prolongado de 8 meses de evolución, pérdida de peso y reactantes de fase aguda elevados con disproteinemia (hipergammaglobulinemia e hipoalbuminemia). Debe considerarse el síndrome de Goldbloom en un paciente con las manifestaciones descritas luego de la exclusión de la patología infecciosa, hematooncológica e inflamatoria de otra causa.

Goldbloom syndrome is a rare clinical entity, of unknown etiology that happens almost exclusively in pediatric population. It is a prolonged febrile syndrome with periosteal hyperostosis and dysproteinemia, and often simulates an hematooncology or lymphoproliferative disease. The diagnosis is to rule out the different causes of bone pain associated with hypergammaglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and periostitis at the radiographies. Symptomatology, radiology and laboratory parameters refer in a variable time, usually from 3 to 12 months. We report the case of a six-year-old boy with diffuse bone pain, prolonged febrile syndrome (of 8 months of evolution), weight loss and elevated acute phase reactants with dysproteinemia (hypergammaglobulinemia and hypoalbuminemia). Goldbloom syndrome should be considered in patients with prolonged febrile syndrome and cortical hyperostosis after the exclusion of infectious, lymphoproliferative or inflammatory disease.

[Goldboom's syndrome: prolonged febrile syndrome with dysproteinemia. Case report]. / Síndrome de Goldbloom: síndrome febril prolongado con disproteinemia. Caso clínico.

Goldbloom syndrome is a rare clinical entity, of unknown etiology that happens almost exclusively in pediatric population. It is a prolonged febrile syndrome with periosteal hyperostosis and dysproteinemia, and often simulates an hematooncology or lymphoproliferative disease. The diagnosis is to rule out the different causes of bone pain associated with hypergammaglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and periostitis at the radiographies. Symptomatology, radiology and laboratory parameters refer in a variable time, usually from 3 to 12 months. We report the case of a six-year-old boy with diffuse bone pain, prolonged febrile syndrome (of 8 months of evolution), weight loss and elevated acute phase reactants with dysproteinemia (hypergammaglobulinemia and hypoalbuminemia). Goldbloom syndrome should be considered in patients with prolonged febrile syndrome and cortical hyperostosis after the exclusion of infectious, lymphoproliferative or inflammatory disease.

El síndrome de Goldbloom es una rara entidad clínica de etiología desconocida que ocurre casi exclusivamente en pediatría. Consiste en un síndrome febril prolongado con hiperostosis perióstica y disproteinemia, que, con frecuencia, simula una patología hematooncológica o linfoproliferativa. El diagnóstico se hace por exclusión de las diferentes causas de dolor de los huesos y se asocia a hipergammaglobulinemia, hipoalbuminemia, eritrosedimentación acelerada e imágenes radiológicas de periostitis. La sintomatología, la radiología y los parámetros de laboratorio remiten en un tiempo variable, que va, habitualmente, de los 3 a los 12 meses. Se presenta a un paciente de 6 años con dolores óseos difusos, hiperostosis perióstica, síndrome febril prolongado de 8 meses de evolución, pérdida de peso y reactantes de fase aguda elevados con disproteinemia (hipergammaglobulinemia e hipoalbuminemia). Debe considerarse el síndrome de Goldbloom en un paciente con las manifestaciones descritas luego de la exclusión de la patología infecciosa, hematooncológica e inflamatoria de otra causa.

Dysproteinemias and Glomerular Disease.

Dysproteinemia is characterized by the overproduction of an Ig by clonal expansion of cells from the B cell lineage. The resultant monoclonal protein can be composed of the entire Ig or its components. Monoclonal proteins are increasingly recognized as a contributor to kidney disease. They can cause injury in all areas of the kidney, including the glomerular, tubular, and vascular compartments. In the glomerulus, the major mechanism of injury is deposition. Examples of this include Ig amyloidosis, monoclonal Ig deposition disease, immunotactoid glomerulopathy, and cryoglobulinemic GN specifically from types 1 and 2 cryoglobulins. Mechanisms that do not involve Ig deposition include the activation of the complement system, which causes complement deposition in C3 glomerulopathy, and cytokines/growth factors as seen in thrombotic microangiopathy and precipitation, which is involved with cryoglobulinemia. It is important to recognize that nephrotoxic monoclonal proteins can be produced by clones from any of the B cell lineages and that a malignant state is not required for the development of kidney disease. The nephrotoxic clones that do not meet requirement for a malignant condition are now called monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance. Whether it is a malignancy or monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance, preservation of renal function requires substantial reduction of the monoclonal protein. With better understanding of the pathogenesis, clone-directed strategies, such as rituximab against CD20 expressing B cell and bortezomib against plasma cell clones, have been used in the treatment of these diseases. These clone-directed therapies been found to be more effective than immunosuppressive regimens used in nonmonoclonal protein-related kidney diseases.

On malnutrition in childhood in the Philippines: IV. Malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia

Sixty-nine cases of malnutrition in 1956, admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the Philippine General Hospital, have been examined for iron-deficiency anemia. There is, however, no relation between the anemia, malnutrition, impairment of increase in weight and growth, and dysproteinemia in the observed cases. The frequency of iron deficiency anemia is due to the fact that diets poor in protein are, likewise, poor in iron. However, protein deficiency may also play an important role in the development or iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, the newest progress in the knowledge of protein malnutrition, the imbalance of amino acids in certain proteins and the importance of canning of food, especially milk, are discussed as factors contributing to iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency, if present in malnutrition, aggravates the prognosis of malnutrition considerably. (Summary and Conclusion)

A Case of Developed Tuberculous Lymphadenitis and Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Lymphadenitis / 감염

Lymphadenitis is a common pediatric disease associated with infection and inflammation. Acute lymphadenitis in children is usually accompanied by systemic viral illness, and subsides within a few days to two weeks. However, chronic lymphadenopathy or lymphadenitis is a rare disease, and is due to a reactive response to infections including tuberculosis, neoplasms, and noninflammatory lesions. The diagnostic evaluation of chronic lymphadenitis may be very complicated and it is important to consider chronic infectious diseases and rare malignancies as possible etiologies. We report a 13-year old boy who was eventually diagnosed with tuberculous lymphadenitis. The patient was initially admitted for enlarged cervical, axillary, and epitrochlear lymph nodes. Biopsy of a cervical lymph node showed the findings compatible with angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia (AILD) associated with EBV infection. During treatment with prednisolone, the enlarged lymph node decreased in size. However, the lymph node enlargement resumed and we performed a second biopsy. At this time the biopsy showed tuberculous lymphadenitis and a culture of gastric juice showed M. tuberculosis. With the initiation of antituberculous treatment, the patient improved clinically.

A Case of Developed Tuberculous Lymphadenitis and Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Lymphadenitis / 감염

Lymphadenitis is a common pediatric disease associated with infection and inflammation. Acute lymphadenitis in children is usually accompanied by systemic viral illness, and subsides within a few days to two weeks. However, chronic lymphadenopathy or lymphadenitis is a rare disease, and is due to a reactive response to infections including tuberculosis, neoplasms, and noninflammatory lesions. The diagnostic evaluation of chronic lymphadenitis may be very complicated and it is important to consider chronic infectious diseases and rare malignancies as possible etiologies. We report a 13-year old boy who was eventually diagnosed with tuberculous lymphadenitis. The patient was initially admitted for enlarged cervical, axillary, and epitrochlear lymph nodes. Biopsy of a cervical lymph node showed the findings compatible with angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia (AILD) associated with EBV infection. During treatment with prednisolone, the enlarged lymph node decreased in size. However, the lymph node enlargement resumed and we performed a second biopsy. At this time the biopsy showed tuberculous lymphadenitis and a culture of gastric juice showed M. tuberculosis. With the initiation of antituberculous treatment, the patient improved clinically.

A Case of Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy with Dysproteinemia (AILD) Like Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

Angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia(AILD), first described at early seventies, is a clinico-pathologic syndrome which has common features of lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, fever, rash and dysproteinemia. It is a lymphoproliferative disease, differs from malignant lymphoma by the high frequency of constitutional symptoms and by the presence of generalized lymph node enlargement, hepatosplenomegaly, cutaneous menifestations and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia at the time of clinical onset. Peripheral T cell lymphomas(PTCL) are morphologically and immunologically heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders that are composed of postthymic lymphocytes. There are group of cases showing features similar to AILD, and these cases are classified as AILD like PTCL. We report a rare case of AILD like PTCL in an 8 year old boy, who visited Seoul National University Hospital with fever, hepatosplenomegaly and cervical lymphadenopathy, and diagnosed as AILD like PTCL by lymph node biopsy. He did not respond to conventional chemotherapy and died 1 year after clinical onset during chemotherapy, showing feature of multiple brain infarction of unknown etiology.

A Case of Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy with Dysproteinemia with Skin Nodules / 대한피부과학회지

We report here a case of angioimmunoblastic lyinphadenopathy with dysprote inemia(AILD) in a 65-year-old male associated with skin nodules on the face. Physical examina.tion showed generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, erythematous maculopapular eruptions on the trunk and extremities, and er the matous nodules on the face. Lahoratory findings showed hemolytic anernia, arid polyclonal gammopathy. Histopathological findings of lymph node revealed typical features of AILD. I-iistopathological findings of maculopapules revealed lymphohistiocytic infiltra tion and extravasated erythrocytes around the blocked vessels, whereas histological picture of nodules on the face mirrorred that of the lymph node. After taking systemic chemotherapy, his general condition and skin lesions were improved.

A Case of angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy with Dysproteinemia / 대한피부과학회지

We present a case of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia (AILD) in a 57-year-old male who had suffered from fever and general weakness of one month's duration. He showed generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly and purpuric maculopapules on the whole body surface. Lahoratory findings show anemia, polyclonal gammaglobulinemia and thrombocytopenia. The lymph node biopsy specimens show morphologic triad of AILD except lack of interstitial deposits of eosinophilic materials and the skin biopsy specimen shows lymphohistiocytic vasculitis. Bone marrow biopsy specimen shows similar findings in lymph node, suggesting bone marrow involvement. He have been treated with COPP chemotherapy.