[Chronic lymphoid leukemia and renal complication: Report on 10 cases from Marseille over 16 years]. / Néphropathies au cours de la leucémie lymphoïde chronique : à propos d'une étude monocentrique de 10 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) is a hematological malignant disease, associated with a clonal B cell proliferation. The incidence is 4400 new cases per year in France. The prevalence increases with age with a median age at diagnostic of 65 years. Renal involvement is rare and estimated at 1.2% of patients with CLL. Renal pathological diagnoses associated with CLL are variable and are not always related to the hematological disease. We report here on cases of patients with CLL who underwent a renal biopsy over the past 16 years in Marseille. METHODS: All cases of renal biopsies performed in patients with CLL between2000 and 2016 in Marseille were included. Pathological analysis was performed by the same experimented pathologist. Data were collected at the time of biopsy and after treatment. RESULTS: Ten patients were included in this study. The reason for renal biopsy was acute kidney injury or the onset of nephrotic syndrome. We report on 4 cases of membranous nephropathy, 1 minimal change disease, 1 cryglobulinemia-related membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis, 1 light chain amyloidosis, 1 fibrillary glomerulonephritis, 1 interstitial monoclonal infiltration and one case of non-specific tubular lesions. Only one patient was treated before the biopsy, 7 patients received a specific hematological treatment of CLL because of its renal involvement. Renal and hematological responses were variable. CONCLUSION: Renal involvement of CLL is rare and is not mentioned in the Binet classification. Yet, it can be severe, with acute kidney injury or nephrotic syndrome, and can lead to the initiation of a specific treatment. The most frequent presentation this series was secondary MN, which differs from previous series.

Cisplatin combined with carboplatin: a new way of intensification of platinum dose in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Belgian Study Group for Ovarian Carcinoma.

We performed a phase I-II trial of escalating doses of cisplatin (CDDP: 50-100 mg/m2 per course) plus carboplatin (CBDCA: 300-400 mg/m2 per course) as a potential way in which to maximize platinum doses without causing excessive toxic effects in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Thirty-three patients with nonoptimally debulked disease of FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages IIc-IV [median age: 60 yr; median WHO (World Health Organization) performance status: 2; no prior chemotherapy] received a median of six courses of therapy. CBDCA was infused on day 1 and CDDP on day 2 with an aggressive 48-hour hydration regimen. Myelosuppression was dose-limiting: at the highest dose levels, WHO grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia led to dose reduction and/or treatment delay in 45% of the patients. Nonhematologic toxic effects included acute nausea and vomiting (97% of the patients), mild alopecia (45%), ototoxic effects (39%), neurotoxic effects (21%), and renal toxic effects (serum creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dL: 12.5%). The pathologic complete response rate was 22%. We conclude that CBDCA and CDDP can be given safely in combination at reasonably high doses (CBDCA at 300 mg/m2 per course and CDDP at 100 mg/m2 per course) over a 6-month period, provided a close hematologic follow-up is conducted. Randomized clinical trials are needed to define whether this regimen is any better than standard combination chemotherapy.

[Prevention of infections in adults and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus: Guidelines for the clinical practice based on the literature and expert opinion]. / Prévention des infections au cours du lupus systémique chez l'adulte et l'adolescent : élaboration de recommandations pour la pratique clinique, à partir d'une analyse de la littérature et de l'avis d'experts.

PURPOSE: To develop French recommendations about the management of vaccinations, the screening of cervical cancer and the prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Thirty-seven experts qualified in internal medicine, rheumatology, dermatology, nephrology and pediatrics have selected recommendations from a list of proposition based on available data from the literature. For each recommendation, the level of evidence and the level of agreement among the experts were specified. RESULTS: Inactivated vaccines do not cause significant harm in SLE patients. Experts recommend that lupus patient should receive vaccinations accordingly to the recommendations and the schedules for the general public. Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for all SLE patients. Influenza vaccination is recommended for immunosuppressed SLE patients. Live attenuated vaccines should be avoided in immunosuppressed patients. Yet, recent works suggest that they can be considered in mildly immunosuppressed patients. Experts have recommended a cervical cytology every year for immunosuppressed patients. No consensus was obtained for the prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia. CONCLUSION: These recommendations can be expected to improve clinical practice uniformity and, in the longer term, to optimize the management of SLE patients.

Phase III trial comparing two dose levels of epirubicin combined with cyclophosphamide with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil in node-positive breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare a full-dose epirubicin-cyclophosphamide (HEC) regimen with classical cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) therapy and with a moderate-dose epirubicin-cyclophosphamide regimen (EC) in the adjuvant therapy of node-positive breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Node-positive breast cancer patients who were aged 70 years or younger were randomly allocated to one of the following treatments: CMF for six cycles (oral cyclophosphamide); EC for eight cycles (epirubicin 60 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2); day 1 every 3 weeks); and HEC for eight cycles (epirubicin 100 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 830 mg/m(2); day 1 every 3 weeks). RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-five, 267, and 255 eligible patients were treated with CMF, EC, and HEC, respectively. Patient characteristics were well balanced among the three arms. One and three cases of congestive heart failure were reported in the EC and HEC arms, respectively. Three cases of acute myeloid leukemia were reported in the HEC arm. After 4 years of median follow-up, no statistically significant differences were observed between HEC and CMF (event-free survival [EFS]: hazards ratio [HR] = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 1.31, P =.80; distant-EFS: HR = 0.97, 95% CI, 0.70 to 1.34, P =.87; overall survival [OS]: HR = 0.97, 95% CI, 0.65 to 1.44, P =.87). HEC is more effective than EC (EFS: HR = 0.73, 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.99, P =.04; distant-EFS: HR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.55 to 1.02, P =.06; OS HR = 0.69, 95% CI, 0.47 to 1.00, P =.05). CONCLUSION: This three-arm study does not show an advantage in favor of an adequately dosed epirubicin-based regimen over classical CMF in the adjuvant therapy of node-positive pre- and postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Moreover, this study confirms that there is a dose-response curve for epirubicin in breast cancer adjuvant therapy.

[Screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors in systemic lupus erythematosus: Recommendations for clinical practice based on the literature and expert opinion]. / Dépistage et prise en charge du risque cardiovasculaire au cours du lupus systémique : élaboration de recommandations pour la pratique clinique, à partir d'une analyse de la littérature et de l'avis d'experts.

PURPOSE: To develop French recommendations about screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Thirty-nine experts qualified in internal medicine, rheumatology and nephrology have selected recommendations from a list developed based on evidence from the literature. For each recommendation, the level of evidence and the level of agreement among the experts were specified. RESULTS: Experts recommended an annual screening of cardiovascular risk factors in SLE. Statins should be prescribed for primary prevention in SLE patients based on the level of LDL-cholesterol and the number of cardiovascular risk factors, considering SLE as an additional risk factor. For secondary prevention, experts have agreed on an LDL-cholesterol target of <0.7 g/L. Hypertension should be managed according to the 2013 European guidelines, using renin-angiotensin system blockers as first line agents in case of renal involvement. Aspirin can be prescribed in patients with high cardiovascular risk or with antiphospholipid antibodies. CONCLUSION: These recommendations about the screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors in SLE can be expected to improve clinical practice uniformity and, in the longer term, to optimize the management of SLE patients.

[Acute renal insufficiency and accelerated arterial hypertension of renovascular origin: treatment by endoluminal angioplasty. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Insuffisance rénale aiguë et hypertension artérielle accélérée d'origine réno-vasculaire: traitement par angioplastie endoluminale. A propos de deaux observations.

In 2 patients with malignant hypertension and acute renal failure due to renal artery stenosis in a solitary functioning kidney, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was used to dilate the stenotic renal artery. In both cases, hypertension resolved and renal function significantly improved. Follow-up angiographies revealed the continued patency of the dilated vascular segments.

[Surgical treatment of osteoid osteoma of the spine using intraoperative scintigraphy]. / Traitement chirurgical d'un ostéome ostéoïde du rachis avec controle scintigraphique per-opératoire.

The authors report a case of osteoid osteoma of the spine. The treatment, which consisted of surgical curettage of the lesion, was controlled by intra operative bone scanning. The authors present the advantages and difficulties of this technique. They also review the literature on the subject.

[Renal cholesterol embolism. Apropos of 13 cases]. / Embolies rénales de cholestérol. A propos de 13 observations.

Between January 1981 and April 1988, histologically proven renal cholesterol embolism was diagnosed in 13 men over 60 years of age with a previous history of hypertension and atherosclerosis. Six patients developed acute renal failure, usually induced by a triggering factor such as angiographic procedure or anticoagulation, and associated with peripheral and visceral cholesterol embolism, eosinophilia and a high sedimentation rate. In this group of patients, whose protean clinical manifestations and laboratory data mimicked necrotizing angiitis despite the absence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, skin lesion biopsy established the diagnosis and made renal biopsy unnecessary. Six patients had chronic renal failure and elevated sedimentation rate, and the last patient had isolated microhematuria. In these 7 patients, percutaneous renal biopsy was an adequate procedure for the diagnosis of cholesterol embolism. As medical management of cholesterol embolism is essentially preventive, these unusual presentations must be emphasized.

[Spontaneous posterior sphenoid sinus fistula]. / A propos d'un cas de brèche spontanée de la paroi postérieure du sinus sphénoïdal.

OBJECTIVE: Describe a rare localization of spontaneous cerebrospinal fistula. CASE REPORT: A 75-year-old women was admitted for bacterial meningitis arising from a sinus infection. She had not experienced facial or head trauma. The CT-scan revealed pneumocephaly and a defect in the posterior part of the sphenoid sinus. DISCUSSION: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fistula is uncommon. The exact etiology remains unknown.

Thrombotic microangiopathy in adult Still's disease.

Adult Still's disease (ASD) is a rare systemic disorder characterized by fever, arthralgia, cutaneous rash, and lymphadenopathy, with high polymorphonuclear leucocytosis and low glycosylated ferritinaemia. Kidney involvement has been reported rarely. We present a patient with ASD who developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). The 42-year-old patient was admitted for unexplained fever related to ASD according to Yamaguchi's classification criteria. As Still's disease was resistant to prednisone, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IV Ig) were administered. During the follow-up the patient developed acute renal failure and non-immune haemolytic anaemia with high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies (IgG anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-beta2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies). Renal biopsy disclosed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) with arteriolar and glomerular involvement. Treatment with steroids and intravenous IV Ig was reinitiated but renal function worsened towards end-stage renal failure. In this case, we suggest that antiphospholipid antibodies could have promoted arteriolar and glomerular TMA. HUS may be the cause of acute renal failure in Still's disease.

[Rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis with mesangial IgA deposits in sarcoidosis]. / Glomérulonéphrite rapidement progressive à dépôts mésangiaux d'IgA au cours d'une sarcoïdose.

This report concerns a patient with sarcoidosis who developed acute renal failure due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Renal biopsy revealed severe endo and extracapillary proliferation with diffuse mesangial deposits of IgA, C3 and beta 1-H on immunofluorescence. The possibility of a common immunopathogenic pathway between sarcoidosis and IgA nephritis is briefly discussed.

Value, sensitivity and specificity of stroke volume ratio in routine equilibrium gated scintigraphy.

The stroke volume ratio (SVR) is a new, non invasive method to quantify ventricular volume overload (VVO). We have analyzed its value, sensitivity and specificity in routine clinical practice. The results of 238 consecutive patients (pts) were analysed prospectively within a 3 months period. The SVR was expressed as the ratio of left ventricular (LV) stroke counts over the right ventricular (RV) stroke counts measured on the time-activity curves. One region of interest was drawn per ventricle on the phase and amplitude images. Values above 1.6 were considered as LVVO and below 0.9 as RVVO. Fifty-one patients had VVO due to valvular regurgitation or left-to-right shunt; 187 patients had no evidence of VVO. Mean value obtained for 23 normal subjects with adequate positioning was 1.27 +/- 0.14 (MV +/- SD), ranging from 0.9 to 1.47. Among patients with adequate positioning, no difference was observed in subgroups with dilated cardiopathy (DC) or anteroseptal aneurysm (AA) despite a low EF. MV for patients with LV or RV hypertrophy (H) were statistically different. Sensitivity was 82% for the 51 patients with VVO. False negatives were due to biventricular overload or mild VVO. Specificity evaluated in the 187 patients without VVO was 76%. The 45 false positives were due to poor separation of the right cardiac chambers and/or of the 2 ventricles. They were observed in 4 patients with AA, 3 patients with DC, 7 patients with LVH, 4 patients with RVH and 24 patients with inadequate positioning. No explanation was found in 3 patients. We conclude that cardiac equilibrium blood pool scintigraphy has an adequate sensitivity and specificity to evaluate patients with VVO.

HER-2 and topo-isomerase IIalpha as predictive markers in a population of node-positive breast cancer patients randomly treated with adjuvant CMF or epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide.

BACKGROUND: The predictive role of HER-2 in node-positive breast cancer patients receiving CMF or an anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy remains unclear. In addition, topo-isomerase II alpha (topo IIalpha), as the cellular target of anthracyclines, might have value as a predictive marker. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four hundred eighty-one archival primary tumor samples were collected among 777 patients entered into a multicenter phase III trial comparing classical CMF with epirubicin cyclophosphamide (HEC) as adjuvant therapy of node-positive breast cancer. HER-2 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using different antibodies (Abs). Topo IIalpha was evaluated by IHC using the Ab KiS 1. In each subgroup of patients identified by HER-2 and topo IIalpha, adjusted hazard ratios for event-free survival (EFS) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals have been calculated for the different study comparisons. An interaction test has been performed to investigate the role of HER-2 and topo IIalpha as predictive markers. RESULTS: When HER-2 was evaluated by CB-11 and 4D5 mAbs, the EFS adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for the main study comparison HEC vs. CMF were: HER-2 positive: 0.33 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.09 1.27, P = 0.08), HER-2 negative: 1.16 (95%, CI: 0.71-1.90, P = 0.56); the P-value for the interaction test was 0.10. When HER-2 was evaluated by TAB-250 + pAbl Abs, the adjusted HR for the same comparison were: HER-2 positive: 1.06 (95% CI: 0.45-2.52, P = 0.90), HER-2 negative: 0.99 (95% CI: 0.58-1.68, P = 0.97); the P-value for the interaction test was 0.84. With regard to topo IIalpha, the adjusted HR for the EFS comparison HEC vs. CMF were: topo IIalpha positive: 0.66 (95% CI: 0.32-1.36, P = 0.25), topo IIalpha negative: 1.26 (95% CI: 0.63-2.50, P = 0.51); the P-value for the interaction test was 0.13. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that in node-positive breast cancer patients randomly treated with CMF or an epirubicin-based regimen, the predictive value of HER-2 may vary according to the Abs used in the immunohistochemistry assay. In addition, the study supports the concept that topo IIalpha might be involved in the determination of tumor responsiveness to an anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy.