{"title":"Recurrent psychotic episodes in a patient who received rituximab for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.","authors":"Masahiro Kami, Tamae Hamaki, Eiji Kusumi, Hiroshi Iwata, Jun-ichi Ueyama, Shin-ichi Morinaga, Shigesaburo Miyakoshi, Shuichi Taniguchi, Yoshitomo Muto","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200305","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 1","pages":"90"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24182337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Iron-chelation therapy: an update.","authors":"Massimo Franchini, Dino Veneri","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200407","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200407","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronically transfused patients develop iron overload that leads to organ damage and ultimately to death. The introduction of the iron-chelating agent, desferrioxamine mesylate, dramatically improved the life expectancy of these patients. However, the very demanding nature of this treatment (subcutaneous continuous infusion via a battery-operated portable pump) has been the motivation for attempts to develop alternative forms of treatment that would facilitate the patients' compliance. In this review, we describe the most important advances in iron-chelating therapy. In particular, we analyze a new method of administering desferrioxamine mesylate (twice daily subcutaneous bolus injections) and a novel, orally active iron chelator (ICL670A). We also present a meta-analysis of the largest trials on the oral iron chelator deferiprone and the results of combined therapy (deferiprone and desferrioxamine).</p>","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 4","pages":"287-92"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200407","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40893802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stefan Wöhrer, Jutta Ackermann, Catrin Baldia, Sonja Seidl, Markus Raderer, Ingrid Simonitsch, Johannes Drach
{"title":"Effective treatment of primary plasma cell leukemia with thalidomide and dexamethasone - a case report.","authors":"Stefan Wöhrer, Jutta Ackermann, Catrin Baldia, Sonja Seidl, Markus Raderer, Ingrid Simonitsch, Johannes Drach","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis and a median survival of only 2-6 months. Currently, no standard therapy is available, but intensive polychemotherapy appears to be more effective than the conventional melphalan plus prednisone. However, the efficacy of thalidomide in PCL has not yet been widely evaluated. Recently, treatment with thalidomide has been reported to yield promising results in refractory multiple myeloma. Here, we report on a patient with primary PCL in whom first-line treatment with thalidomide/dexamethasone resulted in a rapid response and achievement of a very good partial remission.</p>","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 4","pages":"361-3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200375","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40894518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Patrizia Falco, Alessandra Bertola, Sara Bringhen, Federica Cavallo, Mario Boccadoro, Antonio Palumbo
{"title":"Successful management of immune thrombocytopenic purpura with thalidomide in a patient with multiple myeloma.","authors":"Patrizia Falco, Alessandra Bertola, Sara Bringhen, Federica Cavallo, Mario Boccadoro, Antonio Palumbo","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200404","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 5","pages":"456-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200404","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24758025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multiple myeloma associated with CD4+ large granular lymphocytic leukemia: a possible causal relationship.","authors":"Michal Z Haran, Lucette Basous, Alain Berrebi","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200454","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 5","pages":"458-60"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24758026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gero Massenkeil, Marion Nagy, Philipp Le Coutre, Felicitas Heine, Oliver Rosen, Berud Dörken, Renate Arnold
{"title":"Nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation in patients with ALL and AML results in low nonrelapse mortality despite high rate of infections and GVHD.","authors":"Gero Massenkeil, Marion Nagy, Philipp Le Coutre, Felicitas Heine, Oliver Rosen, Berud Dörken, Renate Arnold","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>28 patients with high-risk acute lymphoblastic (ALL) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) underwent nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation (NST) from HLA-identical donors because of one or several contraindications against myeloablative conditioning. Out of 28 patients, nine (32%) had pulmonary or hepatosplenic infiltrates due to invasive fungal infections (IFI) before NST. Out of a total of 28 patients, 17 (61%) had uncontrolled leukemia before NST. Conditioning was performed with fludarabine 180 mg/m(2), busulfan 8 mg/kg and antithymocyte globulin 40 mg/kg. After NST, fever of unknown origin, sepsis or pneumonia developed in 18/28 patients (64%) overall. IFI reactivated in 3/9 patients after NST. Out of, 28 patients, 13 (46%) had late onset of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), which developed at a median of 83 days after NST. GvHD frequently developed after donor lymphocyte infusions. After a median follow-up of 8 months (2-46 months), 14/28 patients (50%) have died from relapse and 1/28 patients (4%) has died from sepsis. Among 28 patients, 13 (46%) are alive in complete remission (CR). Six of 17 patients (35%) with uncontrolled disease and 7/11 patients (63%) with CR before NST are alive in CR. Probability of overall survival at 2 years is 38%. In summary, NST offers a therapeutic alternative to patients with high-risk ALL or AML, who have contraindications against conventional high-dose conditioning. Low NRM was encountered despite high morbidity, but relapse rate was high. Therefore, controlled studies are necessary to elucidate the place of NST in the therapy of high-risk acute leukemias.</p>","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 5","pages":"395-402"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200543","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24759832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eiji Usui, Kazuhiro Nishii, Naoyuki Katayama, Felipe Lorenzo V, Fawen Chen, Fumihiko Monma, Takemi Otsuki, Hiroshi Shiku
{"title":"Upregulated production of IL-6, but not IL-10, by interferon-alpha induces SOCS3 expression and attenuates STAT1 phosphorylation in myeloma cells.","authors":"Eiji Usui, Kazuhiro Nishii, Naoyuki Katayama, Felipe Lorenzo V, Fawen Chen, Fumihiko Monma, Takemi Otsuki, Hiroshi Shiku","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200565","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200565","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is used as a treatment for multiple myeloma, although its clinical effects remain controversial. Here, we investigated whether IFN-alpha altered the autocrine production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) or IL-10, both identified as key cytokines regulating myeloma cell growth/survival, and found that IL-6, but not IL-10, induced by IFN-alpha attenuated IFN-alpha-mediated signaling in myeloma cells via an upregulated SOCS3. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, expression of the IL-6 gene (IL-6) and IL-10 was detected in two and three of eight myeloma cell lines, respectively. When myeloma cells were cultured with IFN-alpha, an increase of IL-6 and IL-10 production was detected in IL-6-expressing and in IL-10-expressing cells, respectively. IFN-alpha inhibited the cell growth of these myeloma lines. Addition of an IL-6-neutralizing antibody prolonged the phosphorylation of STAT1 induced by IFN-alpha and significantly enhanced the cell growth suppression of IFN-alpha on IL-6-expressing cells. However, a similar blocking of IL-10 in the presence of IFN-alpha did not affect the growth/survival of IL-10-expressing cells. Interestingly, exogenous IL-6, but not IL-10, induced high levels of SOCS3 expression. Although upregulation of SOCS3 was also observed in the presence of IFN-alpha alone in IL-6-expressing cells, this expression was completely abrogated by the IL-6-neutralizing antibody. The L929 cell line transfected with SOCS3 showed the protection from the growth suppression of IFN-alpha. These results suggest that IL-6 induced by IFN-alpha plays an important role in the growth/survival of myeloma cells via an autocrine loop, and upregulated SOCS3 by IL-6 may be at least partially responsible for the IL-6-mediated inhibition of IFN-alpha signaling in myeloma cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 6","pages":"505-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200565","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24836684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Acute tumour lysis syndrome after oral fludarabine in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.","authors":"Akila Ramachandran, Gautam Majumdar","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200409","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200409","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute tumour lysis syndrome (TLS) is a very rare complication of cytotoxic therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We report a patient with CLL who developed tumour lysis syndrome twice after oral fludarabine therapy. Both times TLS developed more than 2 weeks after the initiation of therapy. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of TLS in CLL precipitated by oral fludarabine.</p>","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 6","pages":"528-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200409","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24836688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ingo Tamm, Stephan Richter, Frank Scholz, Karin Schmelz, Doreen Oltersdorf, Leonid Karawajew, Claudia Schoch, Torsten Haferlach, Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, Christian Wuchter
{"title":"XIAP expression correlates with monocytic differentiation in adult de novo AML: impact on prognosis.","authors":"Ingo Tamm, Stephan Richter, Frank Scholz, Karin Schmelz, Doreen Oltersdorf, Leonid Karawajew, Claudia Schoch, Torsten Haferlach, Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, Christian Wuchter","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200549","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200549","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antiapoptotic proteins like the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are molecular markers potentially useful for the characterization of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We screened 92 adults with de novo AML for the protein expression of various IAPs, Bcl-2 family members and the proform of Caspase-3 using quantitative immunoblot and flow cytometry. XIAP expression correlated with myelomonocytic French-American-British (FAB) subtypes M4/M5 (P < 0.05) and expression of monocytic markers (CD 14, CD 36; P < 0.05; CD 4, HLA-DR; P < 0.01) in AML blasts. In addition, XIAP was overexpressed in normal monocytes but undetectable in granulocytes. In AML, XIAP expression was significantly lower in patients with favorable than intermediate or poor cytogenetics (n = 74; P < 0.05). In total, 62 of the examined patients were treated according to the German AML Cooperative Group (AMLCG) 92 protocol. These patients were analyzed for prognostic significance of apoptosis-related proteins. Patients expressing low levels of XIAP enjoyed better overall survival than patients expressing high amounts of XIAP (mean, 9 (n = 41) versus 19 months (n = 21); P < 0.05). Other IAPs, most importantly Survivin, were of no prognostic value. We conclude that XIAP but not other IAP family members is associated with monocytic differentiation in normal and malignant myelopoiesis, and may be of prognostic significance for overall survival in adult de novo AML.</p>","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 6","pages":"489-95"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200549","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24837243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecular pathology of thalassemia intermedia.","authors":"Photis Beris, Samuel Deutsch, Régis Darbellay","doi":"10.1038/sj.thj.6200453","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.thj.6200453","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22486,"journal":{"name":"The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association","volume":"5 Suppl 3 ","pages":"S199-204"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.thj.6200453","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24560373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}