[Clinical features and outcome analyses of newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma with extramedullary involvements].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features and prognostic factors of newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) with extramedullary (EM) involvements. METHODS: The clinical features, efficacies, survival rates and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed in 46 MM patients with EM (group A) from January 2000 to October 2011. And another 53 MM patients without EM (group B) were selected as the controls. RESULTS: The median age of Group A was 58 years. Compared with group B, the incidence of EM was associated with a higher level of ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG) and extensive bone disease. The most common location of EM was soft tissues. And the total effective rates of groups A and B were 58.5% (24/41) and 78.8% (41/52) respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.042). The median follow-up time was 28(2-88) months. The estimated overall survival (OS) of the patients with EM was significantly shorter than those without EM (42.6 vs 53.9 months, P = 0.009). Log-rank univariate analysis showed that the number of osteolytic lesions ≥ 3, ß2-MG ≥ 5.5 mg/L, hemoglobin ≤ 110 g/L and albumin ≤ 30 g/L were poor prognostic factors in MM patients with EM. Multivariate analysis with Cox model showed only the number of osteolytic lesions ≥ 3 (OR = 2.327, 95%CI: 1.282 - 4.224) and ß2-MG ≥ 5.5 mg/L (OR = 2.677, 95%CI: 1.092 - 6.566) were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple EM lesions may be involved in MM patients. For the patients with EM, the response to conventional chemotherapy is poor and the prognosis is unfavorable, especially for those with a high level of ß2-MG or the number of osteolytic lesions ≥ 3.

[Primary bone marrow CD8 cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma coexpressed CD20: a case report and literatures review].

OBJECTIVE: To report the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of a rare case of primary bone marrow CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma coexpressed CD20. METHODS: The clinical characteristics, therapeutic course and the outcome of this patient were reviewed. Meanwhile, a series of examinations including morphology, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology of bone marrow and skin samples were also performed. RESULTS: Bone marrow biopsy showed an extensive involvement by abnormal T lymphocytes. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry showed weakly positive CD20, CD8(+), CD2(+), CD3(+), CD5(+), TIA(+), PAX-5(-), CD4(-), CD56(-), CD57(-), CD30(-), ALK-1(-), P53(-), TdT(-), Ki-67≈5%. A final diagnosis of primary bone marrow CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma coexpressed CD20 was made. The patient initially presented a relatively indolent course was, but he was expired in the end 3 years later due to extensive involvements of skin and other organs though timely therapy was administrated. CONCLUSION: Primary bone marrow CD8 cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma coexpressed CD20 was encountered rarely in clinical practice, which might be a challenging in terms of diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Further investigation of pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of this rare disease was warranted.

[Histone deacetylase inhibitors for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome].

The effects of conventional treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are not remarkable to date, while only a minority of patients was eligible for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. As epigenetics plays a significant role during the occurrence and development of MDS, and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI), a class of gene expression modulating drugs, are currently being developed for therapy of several types of solid tumor, more attention is paying to HDACI as potential therapy of MDS. This review summarizes briefly the rationale for HDACI use in MDS, the common mechanism of HDACI, the present state of the clinical efficiency, and future development in this field.

[Progress of studies on microenvironment of lymphoma].

Many studies indicate that lymphoid neoplasms are related with chromosome translocations and the molecular alterations involving in the cell cycle and/or apoptotic pathways. However, survival of B and T tumor cells also depends on interactions of these cells with the accompanying cells comprising the lymphoma microenvironment. Immune cells, stromal cells and numerous molecular together make up the microenvironment and have functional interaction with tumor cells, promoting tumor growth and drug resistance. Different types of lymphoma have various clinical courses, therapy responses and prognoses, which show a close relationship with the microenvironment. This review summarizes several components of lymphoma microenvironment including macrophages, adhesion molecules and chemokines and the roles of microenvironment in classic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, suggesting that the microenvironment influence the prognosis of lymphoma, targeting microenvironment may be a potential method in lymphoma therapy.

[Correlation of stromal cell derived factor-1 with angiogenesis and cell apoptosis in myelodysplastic syndromes].

The study was aimed to investigate the expression of stromal cell derived factor (SDF-1) in bone marrow (BM) and its relation with apoptosis of BM CD34(+) cell and angiogenesis in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). 40 patients with MDS were divided into low-risk group and high-risk group according to IPSS score system. BM samples were collected. SDF-1 levels, the apoptosis of CD34(+) cells and microvessel density (MVD) of BM were detected by ELISA, flow cytometry and immunochemistry, respectively. The results showed that the SDF-1 level in MDS patients was significantly higher than that in normal controls(p < 0.05), and SDF-1 level in low-risk group was significantly higher than that in high-risk group. Apoptosis of CD34(+) cells significantly increased in low-risk group compared with other groups (p < 0.05). MVD in BM biopsy significantly increased in high-risk MDS group (p < 0.05), compared with low-risk MDS group which also had higher MVD than the control group (p < 0.05). Positive correlation was found between apoptosis of CD34(+) cells and SDF-1 levels in low-risk group, and SDF-1 level and MVD in high-risk group. It is concluded that the expression of SDF-1, apoptosis of BM CD34(+) cells and MVD were significantly abnormal in MDS patients, especially in different risk group, suggesting that SDF-1 level is related to cell apoptosis and angiogenesis.