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Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, and skeletal abnormalities. SDS is typically caused by a pathogenic mutation in the Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond Syndrome (SBDS) gene. Patients with SDS have an increased risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes. We identified germline biallelic SBDS mutations (p.K62X and p.I167M) in a 50-year-old AML patient who had never experienced the typical symptoms of SDS. The K62X mutation is one of the most common pathogenic mutations, whereas the significance of the I167M mutation was unclear. Based on cellular experiments, we concluded that the I167M mutation contributed to the development of AML, and chemotherapy including topoisomerase inhibitors, which induce DNA double-strand breaks, may have been toxic to this patient. Our experience indicates that some asymptomatic Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome mutations contribute to the development of leukemia, and that careful treatment selection may be warranted for patients harboring these mutations.

TAFRO syndrome and POEMS syndrome are lymphoproliferative disorders with elevated interleukin-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels; however, their underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Similarities have been reported in the pathological findings of the lymph nodes of TAFRO syndrome, Multicentric Castleman disease (MCD), and some cases of POEMS syndrome. However, there is no consensus on the relationship among them. We encountered a case of lymphoproliferative disorder that presented with manifestations of both TAFRO syndrome and POEMS syndrome. This case may be a subtype of idiopathic MCD and will be very important for establishing the disease concept of TAFRO syndrome and POEMS syndrome.

Methotrexate, hydrocortisone, vincristine, sobuzoxane, and etoposide (MTX-HOPE) chemotherapy was originally reported in 2007 as a salvage regimen for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. To clarify the safety and efficacy of this regimen, we retrospectively analyzed patients at our institute. We analyzed 18 patients, including 16 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), one with follicular lymphoma (FL), and one with T-cell lymphoma. The median age at MTX-HOPE therapy was 79 (range: 68-87). Ten patients received more than 3 previous chemotherapy regimens. The median period from the initial treatment to the first MTX-HOPE administration was 53 months. No patient had severe renal dysfunction. The overall response rate was 78%, with 39% achieving CR and 39% achieving PR. The median OS and PFS after the initiation of MTX-HOPE were 10 months (range: 0.5-86 months) and 7 months (range: 0.2-86 months), respectively. The one-year OS rate was 44% and the two-year OS rate was 22%. The median number of treatment cycles was 7 (range: 1-46), and 6 patients received more than 10 cycles. Among eight patients who were over 80 years of age, 7 responded to the therapy, and the median OS and PFS of this subgroup were 19 months and 11 months, respectively. All patients tolerated the treatment well, mostly on an outpatient basis, except for one who died from infection and one who developed intracranial hemorrhage. MTX-HOPE may be a promising treatment option for elderly patients with refractory or relapsed malignant lymphoma.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a systemic T- or NK-lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) caused by EBV. Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative therapy for CAEBV, but relapse sometimes occurs. Relapse is generally attributed to proliferation of recipient-derived CAEBV cells. We herein report a case of donor-derived CAEBV-like NK-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in a 41-year-old female after the first allogenic HSCT for CAEBV from an HLA-matched sibling donor. A second HSCT from an HLA-matched unrelated donor successfully controlled the disease, but EBV infection of cells derived from the second donor continued to be detected. Although the mechanisms underlying CAEBV and CAEBV-like NK-cell PTLD have not yet been elucidated in detail, the findings of the present case imply that host genetic factors, including familial factors, may be important in disease development.

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, and skeletal abnormalities. SDS is typically caused by a pathogenic mutation in the Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond Syndrome (SBDS) gene. Patients with SDS have an increased risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes. We identified germline biallelic SBDS mutations (p.K62X and p.I167M) in a 50-year-old AML patient who had never experienced the typical symptoms of SDS. The K62X mutation is one of the most common pathogenic mutations, whereas the significance of the I167M mutation was unclear. Based on cellular experiments, we concluded that the I167M mutation contributed to the development of AML, and chemotherapy including topoisomerase inhibitors, which induce DNA double-strand breaks, may have been toxic to this patient. Our experience indicates that some asymptomatic Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome mutations contribute to the development of leukemia, and that careful treatment selection may be warranted for patients harboring these mutations.

We report a case of acquired hypofibrinogenemia with multiple myeloma presenting λ-type IgG monoclonal protein. The patient had anemia and renal deficiency, and also developed bleeding tendency due to severe coagulopathy. Her fibrinogen level was under the detectable limits in a functional assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting analysis results were consistent with functional assay results, and deficiency patterns observed in cross-mixing tests for PT and aPTT confirmed the diagnosis of hypofibrinogenemia. To determine the cause of hypofibrinogenemia, we purified the patient’s immunoglobulin via protein A agarose, and confirmed that fibrinogen was included in the bound fraction, strongly indicating paraprotein interference with fibrinogen. As accelerated removal of fibrinogen was indicated, we incubated the patient’s plasma up to 48 h, but did not observe significant loss of fibrinogen. In sharp contrast, fibrinogen returned to below the detection level 12 h after infusion of fresh frozen plasma. These findings support leukocyte-mediated fibrinogen removal, rather than paraprotein-triggered fibrinogen instability. Surprisingly, the patient’s paraprotein was IgG2, but we speculate the amount of paraprotein (IgG 5346 mg/dL) compensated for lower affinity to Fcγ receptors.

In 2003, a 60-year-old man presenting with thrombocytosis was referred to our hospital. Laboratory tests revealed normal white blood cell count and hemoglobin level. Bone marrow examination showed an increased number of megakaryocytes with dysplasia. G-banded karyotype analysis revealed del (5q). Initially, the patient was diagnosed with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN), and it was treated with aspirin and hydroxyurea. During the treatment course, fluorescence in situ hybridization for CSF1R and EGR1 was performed to detect del (5q), which showed negative results. In 2017, the patient had increased platelet count despite receiving treatment. A comprehensive genomic profiling revealed that the deleted region in this case was present in 5q14-5q23, which was different from the common deleted region of 5q- syndrome (5q32-5q33, where CSF1R was present) and that of high-risk MDS or acute myeloid leukemia (5q31, where EGR1 was present). Moreover, a CALR mutation was also detected. This case met the diagnostic criteria of essential thrombocythemia. The platelet count decreased with the administration of anagrelide. In conclusion, comprehensive genetic profiling is very important, and it leads to accurate diagnosis and therapy.

Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is a rare neoplasm considered to derive from a dendritic cell. Recent studies have shown that B- or T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphomas can develop clonally related histiocytic/dendritic cell (H/DC) neoplasms, such as histiocytic sarcoma, Langerhans cell

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with fever and massive leukocytosis. A bone marrow smear revealed an increased density of myeloid cells in various stages of maturation as well as dysplasia in the neutrophils. There was no proliferation of blasts, eosinophils, or basophils. Genomic analysis of the bone marrow cells revealed no detectable abnormalities associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms, including BCR-ABL1. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML). Chromosomal analysis revealed the presence of 1-17 double minute chromosomes (dmin) in 20 of 20 tumor cells examined. Multiple MYC signals were detected via interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization, indicating MYC gene amplification in the dmins. Three months after the oral administration of hydroxyurea, leukocytosis reoccurred. Therefore, induction therapy followed with umbilical cord blood transplantation was performed. However, MYC signals remained detectable in the bone marrow sample obtained immediately after neutrophil engraftment, indicating the presence of residual tumor cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of aCML with dmin gene amplification, suggesting that the dmin MYC amplification exacerbated the patient's disease.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) associated with herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 infection (HSV-1-HLH) is uncommon and is potentially fatal without appropriate treatment. We herein report the case of an adult patient with HSV-1-HLH who was successfully treated with acyclovir. A 69-year-old man developed fever, pancytopenia and liver enzyme elevation after the resolution of pneumonia. These findings and the presence of hemophagocytosis in the patient's bone marrow were consistent with a diagnosis of HLH. The patient was diagnosed with HSV-1-HLH based on the results of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HSV-1. The early administration of acyclovir improved his clinical symptoms and laboratory results within two weeks. In the present case, the rapid and precise diagnosis facilitated the successful treatment of HSV-1-HLH.

Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy is an autonomic disorder that occurs as a symptom of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. To date, there have been no reports on multiple myeloma with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy. A 37-year-old Japanese woman suffered from orthostatic hypotension was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (IgG kappa type), and a serological examination revealed the presence of anti-ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (anti-gAChR) antibodies. She was treated for multiple myeloma, as a result, the autonomic disturbance improved and her anti-gAChR antibody titer decreased to undetectable levels, despite the fact that she only achieved a partial remission of multiple myeloma. Treatment for multiple myeloma may improve autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy.

Dasatinib treatment markedly increases the number of large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) in a proportion of Ph+ leukemia patients, which associates with a better prognosis. The lymphocytosis is predominantly observed in cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositive patients, yet detectable CMV reactivation exists only in a small fraction of patients. Thus, etiology of the lymphocytosis still remains unclear. Here, we identified NK cells as the dominant LGLs expanding in dasatinib-treated patients, and applied principal component analysis (PCA) to an extensive panel of NK cell markers to explore underlying factors in NK cell activation. PCA displayed phenotypic divergence of NK cells that reflects CMV-associated differentiation and genetic differences, and the divergence was markedly augmented in CMV-seropositive dasatinib-treated patients. Notably, the CMV-associated highly differentiated status of NK cells was already observed at leukemia diagnosis, and was further enhanced after starting dasatinib in virtually all CMV-seropositive patients. Thus, the extensive characterization of NK cells by PCA strongly suggests that CMV is an essential factor in the NK cell activation, which progresses stepwise during leukemia and subsequent dasatinib treatment most likely by subclinical CMV reactivation. This study provides a rationale for the exploitation of CMV-associated NK cell activation for treatment of leukemias.

The number of patients receiving chronic dialysis is increasing worldwide.[1] Patients receiving chronic dialysis have a higher risk of developing some kinds of malignant tumors, including hematolo...

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a common subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma with an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis after conventional chemotherapy, for which there is no current standard of care. We describe here an 87-year-old woman with AITL, whose clinical diagnosis was complicated by the presence of B immunoblasts positive for Epstein–Barr virus in the lymph nodes and monoclonal plasma cells in the bone marrow at initial presentation. Rebiopsy of the lymph node led to the correct diagnosis of AITL with concurrent smoldering plasma cell myeloma. She was treated with several courses of conventional chemotherapy, resulting in progressive disease, and then switched to the immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide, which used in Japan for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Lenalidomide was effective in controlling both AITL and plasma cell myeloma.

The prognosis for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT) is poor, partly because of limited treatment options. Here we present a case of a Hodgkin lymphoma patient who relapsed after allogeneic HSCT but remains in complete remission (CR) at 38 months from the start of extended brentuximab vedotin (BV) dosing. A 33-year-old man with refractory and relapsed nodular sclerosis classical Hodgkin lymphoma who underwent previous treatments, including adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) ; seven combination regimens; and autologous HSCT, prior to allogeneic HSCT achieved CR after three cycles of BV. BV was continued for 26 cycles and then discontinued because of a neurogenic bladder. The other adverse effects were mild paresthesia in the fingers, mild dysgeusia, and fatigue. The patient still remains in CR at 38 months from the start of BV. Thus, extended BV dosing may be a treatment option for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma after allogeneic HSCT.

Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCL) account for 10-15 % of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and are associated with poor prognosis. Although many prognostic factors for PTCL have been proposed, the heterogeneity of PTCL seems to be an obstacle in the establishment of clinically useful prognostic system, such as the International Prognostic Index (IPI) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma. PTCL with nodal manifestation include the HTLV-I-negative histologic subtypes of PTCL not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS), angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). As PTCL-NOS encompasses a group of similar tumors and mostly shares their clinical pictures, we retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 77 patients diagnosed with ALCL, AITL, and PTCL-NOS at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital from May 1994 to February 2012 to identify the prognostic factor for nodal PTCL. The median age of patients was 64 years, ranging from 23 to 83 years. With a median follow-up of 50 months, 5-year overall survival (OS) was 43 %. Multivariate analysis identified high-risk IPI (hazard ratio (HR), 4.04; P = 0.015), absolute monocyte count 0.8 × 10(9)/L (HR, 3.44; P = 0.001), and serum concentration of IgA 410 mg/dL (HR, 2.31; P = 0.013) as poor prognostic factors for OS. Thus, we have identified novel prognostic factors of monocyte count and serum IgA level for nodal PTCL. Although conventional prognostic models mainly reflect both tumor characteristics and host factors, the present model indicates the importance of host immune response as the unfavorable prognosis.

Lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS) is a serious disorder, and its early diagnosis and treatment with appropriate chemotherapy are very important. However, reliable markers for early diagnosis of LAHS have not been identified. We screened serum cytokines using a newly introduced assay system, cytometric bead array (CBA), and identified interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10)/CXCL10 and monokine induced by interferon gamma (MIG)/CXCL9 as useful markers. Serum concentrations of IP-10 and MIG at the time of LAHS diagnosis were greater than 500 and 5,000 pg/ml, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for LAHS diagnosis were 100 and 95 %, respectively, when we set the above values as the cut-off levels. Serum levels of these two chemokines were already elevated at the time of admission and significantly decreased after successful treatment, indicating their usefulness for both the diagnosis and therapeutic outcomes for LAHS. IP-10 and MIG were also useful in distinguishing severe from moderate/mild LAHS, and B-cell-type LAHS from T-cell/natural killer cell-type LAHS. Furthermore, IP-10 and MIG were of use to distinguish LAHS from sepsis in patients with hematologic malignancies. Rapid measurement of IP-10 and MIG by CBA appeared to be important for early diagnosis and treatment of LAHS.

We assessed the prognostic impact of occult bone marrow involvement, determined by flow cytometry and/or polymerase chain reaction, in a population of 117 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP). Twenty-four (20.5%) had morphologically diagnosed and 16 (13.7%) had occult marrow involvement, and 77 (65.8%) had no marrow involvement. Although the pretreatment characteristics of the negative or occult marrow involvement group were similar, severe hematological toxicity after R-CHOP was more frequent in the occult marrow involvement group. Progression-free survival (PFS; p = 0.015) and overall survival (OS; p = 0.035) for the occult marrow involvement group were significantly shorter than those for the negative group, and were comparable to those of the morphologic marrow involvement group, independent of the International Prognostic Index score for PFS. Occult bone marrow involvement predicts severe hematological toxicity and negatively impacts on the PFS and OS of R-CHOP therapy.

Rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP) is regarded as the first-line treatment for elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but it is often necessary to reduce the dose or prolong the intervals between doses. In our center, dose reduction is performed with elderly patients with DLBCL on an individual basis: for patients in their 70s and 80s, the initial CHOP dose is reduced to 70% and 50%, respectively, and the subsequent doses are adjusted so that the patients receive, at 21-day intervals, the highest dose they can tolerate (reduced-dose R-CHOP21). To verify this practice, a retrospective analysis was performed. Between January 2004 and January 2011, 109 ≥ 70-year-old patients with DLBCL received reduced-dose R-CHOP21 with curative intent. The 2-year overall survival rates of the 70-79- and ≥ 80-year-old patients were 75.2% and 64.6%, respectively. Of 35 deaths, 20 were due to disease progression and five were related to treatment toxicity. Multivariate analysis revealed that an age of 75-79 years and an age of 80 years or older were associated with shorter survival. Given that many patients had poor performance status and comorbidities, reduced-dose R-CHOP21 may provide a reasonable balance between efficacy and tolerability for elderly patients with DLBCL.

A 74-year-old woman with refractory IgG-κ multiple myeloma developed massive melena caused by hemorrhagic submucosal tumors in the duodenum and middle jejunum. A biopsy revealed the tumor to be marked AL amyloid deposition. Treatment with bortezomib did not improve the melena or the underlying disease. The patient also developed multiple amyloidomas in the bilateral femoral heads, which caused a fracture in the left femoral head. Treatment with lenalidomide, as the final therapeutic option, resolved the intractable melena and improved both the intestinal lesions and myeloma. This case shows that successful treatment of multiple myeloma leads to marked improvement of accompanying AL amyloidosis.

An 84-year-old Japanese man was admitted because of pancytopenia. The bone marrow was hypoplastic with a predominance of abnormal small lymphocytes and grape cells, which were positive for CD19 and CD20, and partially for the surface ĸ-light chain. Systemic CT scanning showed neither lymph node swelling nor hepatosplenomegaly. Serum immunoelectrophoresis and rocket immunoselection assays showed the presence of monoclonal IgG protein without a corresponding light chain and faint IgMĸ monoclonal protein. Histologic analysis of the clot preparation of the bone marrow aspirate facilitated a diagnosis of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL). PCR analysis of the marrow cells demonstrated a clonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene. From these results, we made a final diagnosis of γ-heavy-chain disease (γ-HCD) with underlying LPL localized in the bone marrow. We performed only a single course of immunochemotherapy (rituximab and fludarabine) in view of severely impaired hematopoiesis, which resulted in marked reduction of lymphoma cells and improvement of hematopoiesis. This report suggests the efficacy of rituximab plus fludarabine therapy for LPL-associated γ-HCD.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis. We encountered a unique case of BPDCN that was leukemic at presentation without skin lesion and expressed CD33 antigen. A 74-year-old man was admitted because of dyspnea. Physically, hepatosplenomegaly, but not skin lesions and superficial lymph node swelling, was noted. The white blood count was 33.6 × 10(9)/L with 19% giant abnormal cells. These cells were positive for CD4, CD86, CD123 (bright), BDCA-2, and HLA-DR, but negative for CD1a, CD3, CD11b, CD11c, CD13, CD14, CD19, CD64, and CD68. From these findings, a diagnosis of BPDCN was made. In terms of unusual expression, these tumor cells were positive for CD33 but negative for CD56. The karyotype was 47, XY, t(6;8) (p21;q24), + r. We performed combination chemotherapy (Ara-C + VP-16 + MIT), which resulted in a marked reduction of tumor cells and improvement of the dyspnea. On day 16, however, he died of sepsis due to Bacillus cereus. The clinical picture of this patient is unusual and may provide new information on the clinicopathology of BPDCN.

A 70-year-old male was admitted because of back pain due to peri-vertebral tumors. The histologic picture of a needle-biopsied tumor specimen showed pleomorphic large cell infiltration into the collagen fibers. On immunohistochemistry, these abnormal cells were positive for CD68, CD163 and lysozyme but negative for CD1a, 21, 30, and S100. Flow cytometric analysis also demonstrated that these cells were positive for CD13, 14, 38, 45, 56, and HLA-DR. A bone marrow aspirate showed the marked infiltration of abnormal large cells with the same surface antigens as described above. A diagnosis of HS was made. He showed monocytosis in the peripheral blood of more than 1.0 x 10(9)/L from presentation. The karyotype of bone marrow cells was 46,XY,+8. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis with a probe for chromosome no. 8 showed that all these monocytes carried +8, indicating that he had another disorder of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). FISH analysis with a probe for chromosome no. 12 demonstrated that the abnormal large cells in the bone marrow were all tetraploid, while analysis with the chromosome no. 8 probe showed more than 8 signals per cell, indicating that HS cells carried octasomy to decasomy of chromosome no. 8. These findings strongly suggest that HS in the present patient originated from underlying CMML.

A 32-year-old male with chronic hepatitis B was admitted to a hospital with cellulitis in the right leg in September 2006. Pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and systemic superficial lymph node swelling were noted, and he was referred to our hospital. He developed fever and liver dysfunction in June 2007 and underwent a splenectomy. His pancytopenia subsequently improved. A pathologic diagnosis of hepatosplenic alphabeta T cell lymphoma was made by examining spleen tissue and biopsy specimens of the liver and mesenteric lymph node. He had stage IVB disease because neoplastic T cells were noted in the bone marrow. The response of the lymphoma to conventional chemotherapy including the CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone) and DeVIC (dexamethasone, etoposide, ifoshamide, carboplatin) regimens was poor and transient. A partial remission was obtained with an ESHAP (etoposide, cisplatin, cytarabine, methylprednisolone) regimen. Therefore, we planned a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from an HLA-haploidentical sibling donor. He was moved to the Department of Hematology, Hyogo Medical College, to receive this BMT as part of a clinical trial. During the conditioning procedure for the transplantation, however, he died of septicemia. Since hepatosplenic alphabeta T cell lymphoma is very rare with only 23 reported cases to date, herein we report this case and discuss the therapeutic strategy.

A 55-year-old woman was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome; however, we could not perform high-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) because of rapidly progressive congestive heart failure. Thus, we treated the patient with thalidomide plus dexamethasone, which brought about a marked improvement of systolic dysfunction, POEMS syndrome-related symptoms and the serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor. Subsequently, we safely performed high-dose chemotherapy with auto-PBCST. This report strongly suggests that thalidomide is effective for POEMS syndrome, even if complicated by congestive heart failure which is considered to be related to POEMS syndrome.

A 30-year-old woman developed severe liver dysfunction 1 year after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from an HLA-identical sibling donor for B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) during the tapering of cyclosporin A. The histologic picture resembled autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), although neither autoantibody nor hypergammaglobulinemia was detected. She entered hepatic coma, and underwent living donor liver transplantation from the same donor on day 421 after BMT. She is well 18 months after the procedure, showing normal liver function and hematopoiesis. AIH-like hepatic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has not been documented. This patient is the second case of living donor liver transplantation for hepatic GVHD from the same donor.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS), which usually develops concurrently with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is an extramedullary tumor that consists of immature myeloid cells. Clinically, the incidence of MS in AML is 3–5% [1, 2], and the association of MS is linked to a poor prognosis [3]. De novo MS is characterized by leukemic tumor formation without the involvement of bone marrow and peripheral blood. Patients receiving radiotherapy or incorrect chemotherapy develop AML at a median time of 7 and 12 months, respectively, and show an extremely poor prognosis after leukemic transformation [4]. Thus, systemic chemotherapy effective against AML, which lowers the rate of leukemic transformation from 71 to 41%, is essential for the treatment of de novo MS [5]. A 17-year-old male was referred to our hospital in April 2007, because of small tumors in the left neck and supraclavicular fossa. A CT scan showed several separated tumors in the neck and mediastinum, one being 4 9 2 cm in the superior mediastinum and the others around 1.5 cm. The histologic picture of a biopsied left supraclavicular lymph node demonstrated that the normal architecture had been destroyed and completely replaced by middle-sized immature myeloid cells (Fig. 1), which expressed T-cell markers including CD2 and CD7 in addition to CD13, CD33, CD38, CD43, cytoplasmic myeloperoxidase, and HLA-DR on flow cytometry. Chromosomal analysis of the specimen revealed an abnormal karyotype of 46,XY,i(17)(q10) in 5 of 7 dividing cells. Blood and marrow cells did not contain abnormal cells as evaluated by flow cytometry and G-banding. A diagnosis of de novo MS was made. After 2 courses of intensive chemotherapy effective against AML, a complete remission (CR) of MS was achieved as evaluated by CT scan. Two months after the initial therapy, however, we detected a small population of myeloblasts (0.05% of all nucleated cells), which aberrantly expressed CD2 and CD7 in the bone marrow on flow cytometry, regardless of the disappearance of MS tumors. Thus, we regarded CD2/CD13 myeloblasts as MRD in the bone marrow. Subsequently, 3 courses of consolidation therapy including high-dose cytarabine were performed; however, MRD in the bone marrow persisted (0.05– 0.20%). Although we planned allogeneic HSCT, overt AML rapidly developed during the recovery phase after the third consolidation chemotherapy. The leukemia was highly refractory to any treatment including the regimens for acute lymphoblastic leukemia after December 2007. Chromosomal analysis of the bone marrow cells showed an abnormal karyotype of 46,XY,t(1;11)(p10;q10),add(4) (q21),i(17)(q10) in 8 of 20 dividing cells in addition to that D. Inoue (&) Y. Nagai T. Kimura S. Shimoji M. Mori K. Togami S. Tabata M. Kurata A. Matsushita K. Nagai T. Takahashi Department of Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 4-6 Minatojima nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan e-mail: daichi@kcgh.gr.jp

Dendritic cells (DCs) coordinate T cell responses by producing T cell-attracting chemokines and by inducing the expression of chemokine receptors on T cells. Scavenger receptor for phosphatidylserine and oxidized lipoprotein (SR-PSOX)/CXC chemokine ligand 16 (CXCL16) is a unique chemokine that also functions as an endocytic receptor and an adhesion molecule in its membrane-bound form. SR-PSOX/CXCL16 is the only known ligand of CXC chemokine receptor 6 (CXCR6) that is expressed on activated T cells and thus, may play an important role in enhancing effector functions of T cells. Here, we investigated the expression of SR-PSOX/CXCL16 on human DC subsets and that of CXCR6 on T cell subpopulations to elucidate the dynamics of CXCL16/CXCR6 interaction in DC/T cell responses. Membrane-bound SR-PSOX/CXCL16 was expressed on macrophages, monocyte-derived DCs, and blood myeloid DCs, and the expression increased after DC maturation. Myeloid antigen-presenting cells constitutively secreted SR-PSOX/CXCL16 for an extended period, suggesting the involvement of CXCL16 in peripheral and lymphoid tissues. Plasmacytoid DCs hardly expressed SR-PSOX/CXCL16 on their surfaces but secreted significant amounts of SR-PSOX/CXCL16. A subset of CD4+ effector memory T (TEM) cells constitutively expressed CXCR6, whereas central memory T cells (TCM) and naïve T cells did not. Upon stimulation with mature DCs, however, the expression of CXCR6 on TCM cells was markedly up-regulated, whereas the expression on naïve T cells was induced only weakly. These results suggest that the interaction between SR-PSOX/CXCL16 and CXCR6 plays an important role in enhancing TCM cell responses by mature DCs in lymphoid tissues and in augmenting TEM cell responses by macrophages in peripheral inflamed tissues.

Dear Editor,Human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) can be reactivated in recip-ients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT),resulting in a number of clinical manifestations [1].HHV6-associated myelitis is characterized by dysesthesiaof the lower extremities, dysuria, or dyschezia, without anysymptoms of encephalitis [2, 3]. All previously reportedcases of HHV6-associated myelitis occurred in cord bloodtransplantation (CBT) recipients [2, 3]. Here, we report acase of HHV6-associated myelitis developed in a bonemarrow transplantation (BMT) recipient.A 20-year-old Japanese male with Philadelphia-negativeacute lymphoblastic leukemia received myeloablativeallogeneic BMT from a human leukocyte antigen-DRallele single mismatched unrelated donor during a secondremission (Fig. 1). A total of 2.08×10

B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) is a rare, chemotherapy-resistant lymphoid neoplasm. Although allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) represents a potentially curative treatment for B-PLL, the number of B-PLL patients who have been treated with allo-HSCT is small and its efficacy has not been established. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman with B-PLL in partial remission, who was successfully treated with allo-HSCT following reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC). She was initially treated with four courses of combination chemotherapy consisting of rituximab, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and mitoxantrone, which resulted in partial remission with residual tumor cells comprising 7 % of bone marrow nucleated cells. Although the residual B-PLL cells appeared to be indolent, as the disease progressed slowly during partial remission, these cells lost CD20 expression, and the prognosis of the patient was considered to be poor with conventional chemotherapy. She was therefore given RIC, followed by allo-HSCT from an HLA-matched sibling donor. Her clinical course following allo-HSCT was uneventful, and she remained in complete remission at 32 months post-transplantation. Although the therapeutic strategy for B-PLL should be determined based on the severity of the disease, RIC with allo-HSCT may be a therapeutic option for indolent B-PLL when the long-term prognosis of patients is markedly poor.

A 79-year-old man with a 2-month history of fever and weight loss was admitted to our hospital because of an acute abdomen. Abdominal CT scans showed marked sectional thickening and edema of the small intestine. On laparotomy, a 16-cm section of the small intestine was ischemic and necrotic; therefore, segmentectomy of the intestine was performed. A thrombus was noted at the stump of the mesenteric artery branch. Histopathological analysis of the resected intestine revealed fibrin thrombi in both mesenteric arteries and veins. Furthermore, a cluster of large, abnormal lymphoid cells bordering the intima of most branches of the mesenteric veins and small vessels was observed. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that these abnormal cells were positive for CD20, leading to a diagnosis of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). The patient was successfully treated with standard R-CHOP chemotherapy; however, the lymphoma recurred in the central nervous system 18 months after the initial diagnosis, and the patient died. Simultaneous thrombosis of the mesenteric artery and vein is unusual as a clinical manifestation of IVLBCL. However, IVLBCL should be taken into consideration when ischemic disorders of unknown cause, accompanied by fever of unknown origin, are encountered.

Background: A recent report showed that the combination of the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and the absolute monocyte count (AMC) at diagnosis gave a prognostic score in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, this model requires validation in other patient cohorts. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the prognostic impact of the combination of the ALC and the AMC at diagnosis in a cohort of 299 DLBCL patients who were treated in the rituximab era at a single institution. Results: In univariate analyses, an ALC ≤1.0 × 109/l [4-year overall survival (OS) rate 47.0 vs. 79.4%; p < 0.001] and an AMC ≥0.63 × 109/l (4-year OS rate 52.4 vs. 75.6%; p < 0.001) were associated with inferior OS, respectively. In multivariate analyses, an ALC ≤1.0 × 109/l and an AMC ≥0.63 × 109/l were significantly associated with inferior OS independently of the International Prognostic Index. Furthermore, the combination of ALC and AMC could identify patients with the dismal prognosis; the 4-year OS rates for patients with ALC ≤1.0 × 109/l and AMC ≥0.63 × 109/l were 18.8%. Conclusions: The combination of ALC and AMC at diagnosis may be useful for the prognostic stratification of patients with DLBCL.

Although about 10 to 15% of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) develop AL amyloidosis, liver-restricted fatal amyloidosis is rare. We encountered such an MM patient. A 73-year-old female without a history of carpal tunnel syndrome was diagnosed with IgG-κ MM (Stage I by DurieSalmon) in January, 2005. Because MM was exacerbated to Stage III in May, 2007, VAD (vincristine, adriamycin, dexamethasone) chemotherapy was performed with minor response, despite 3 courses of this regimen. Three courses of salvage chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide+melphalan; CM) were then performed with near partial response. In March, 2008, just before the 4th cycle of CM chemotherapy, she was slightly icteric with elevated biliary tract enzymes; therefore, treatment was switched to oral cyclophosphamide and prednisolone. At this time, she did not have macroglossia, skin eruption, gastrointestinal dysfunction, or bleeding. Echocardiography was also non-specific. One month later, she developed a marked bleeding tendency and leg edema. Laboratory tests showed a severe deterioration in liver function. In the middle of May, 2008, she progressed to hepatic coma and died of intracranial hemorrhage several days later. Autopsy showed that the liver was almost substituted by AL amyloid substance.

The standard therapy for anti-erythropoietin (EPO) antibody-mediated pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is cyclosporine (CyA) or prednisolone (PSL) 0.5–1.0 mg/kg. However, many patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic heart failure cannot tolerate such an immunosuppressive regimen. An 86-year-old man with anemia related to CKD and chronic heart failure, who had received recombinant human erythropoietin subcutaneously, developed anti-EPO antibody-mediated PRCA. The patient was treated with CyA followed by PSL (1.0 mg/kg); however, he was unable to tolerate this drug regimen. The PSL dose was reduced to 0.2 mg/kg. Surprisingly, his reticulocyte count increased 3 months later, and RBC transfusion was no longer required. Low-dose PSL is a treatment option for patients with anti-EPO antibody-mediated PRCA who cannot tolerate CyA and PSL (0.5–1.0 mg/kg).

Introduction The International Prognostic Index (IPI) is used to predict survival in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The IPI includes five factors: age, stage, LDH, performance status, and extranodal sites. However, studies suggest that certain blood markers not included in the IPI, such as CRP, albumin, absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), and platelet count, predict survival. Recently, an enhanced IPI (NCCN-IPI) was proposed and showed excellent prognostic performance. It uses the same factors as the IPI, but refines the impact of age and LDH and the definition of extranodal disease. Few studies have assessed the prognostic impact of blood markers other than the five factors of the IPI in the context of the NCCN-IPI. Here, we analyzed the prognostic role of simple blood markers in the NCCN-IPI. Patients and Methods Data from consecutive DLBCL patients diagnosed between January 2004 and June 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients receiving rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy were included in the analysis. Values considered positive were CRP >1 mg/dl, albumin Results A total of 398 patients (median age, 69 years (range, 21-104)) were included. Of these, 124 (31.2%) had an ECOG performance status >1, 221 (55.5%) had advanced stage disease, and 223 (56.1%) had a high or high-intermediate NCCN-IPI score (>3). Pretreatment CRP, albumin, ALC, and platelet count values were positive in 215 (54%), 127 (31.9%), 144 (36.2%), and 31 (7.8%), respectively. The median follow-up was 34.8 months (range, 0.5-134) and the 5-year OS of the entire cohort was 68.8%. Univariate analysis identified CRP [hazard ratio (HR) 3.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.07-4.80, p3 (HR 5.05; 95% CI 3.00-8.51, p1 points) in the NCCN-IPI; thus, the ability of NCCN-IPI to differentiate risk groups might be diminished in the elderly. For low-intermediate (n=97), high-intermediate (n=118), and high (n=76) NCCN-IPI patients, the 5-year OS for the elderly according to the NCCN-IPI was 80.3%, 64.8% and 42.5%, respectively (p Conclusion Despite the improved performance of the NCCN-IPI, albumin and platelet count were independent prognostic factors and predicted survival even in the elderly. Considering albumin and platelets may improve the accuracy of recently established prognostic models. Prospective studies should evaluate the prognostic impact of albumin and platelets. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Hematogones are lymphoblast-like cells that increase transiently in the bone marrow and have a characteristic profile of normal B cell precursors co-expressing CD10 and CD19. A cluster of hematogones is often found in the region of low side scatter and dimmer CD45 expression (SSC low CD45 dim), which also includes lymphoid and myeloid precursors, basophils, and partial components of natural killer cells. However, in steady state healthy adult bone marrow, SSC low CD45 dim populations are hardly detectable. In the bone marrow of patients recovering from chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation, SSC low CD45 dim populations occasionally appear, with the majority of the population consisting of hematogones, especially in patients in complete remission (CR). Studies have shown that increased hematogones in patients with high-risk hematological malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improved survival. The specific detection of hematogones is difficult because multicolor flow cytometry is necessary to exclude myeloid/lymphoid blasts in active leukemia patients. However, after allogeneic HSCT in patients with leukemia and confirmed CR or malignant lymphoma without bone marrow invasion, hematogones can be easily detected as cells with SSC low CD45 dim populations. This retrospective case analysis included 88 patients treated with allogeneic HSCT at our hospitals from October 2010 to November 2014. The cases included acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in CR at the time of allogeneic HSCT, chemo-naïve or azacitidine-treated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and malignant lymphoma (ML) or adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) with marrow CR or without bone marrow invasion. We excluded 8 patients without engraftment. The remaining 80 patients underwent bone marrow aspiration around 28 days after HSCT and were confirmed to be in CR. Bone marrow cells were stained with APC-Cy7-conjugated CD45 and analyzed using FACSCanto. Patients were defined as being simply detected hematogones (SHG)-positive if 0.6%, which is the median proportion of SSC low CD45 dim cells in this study, or more of total nuclear cells were SSC low CD45 dim; the others were defined as SHG-negative. The median follow-up of survivors of our cohort was 773 (81-1593) days. Primary diagnoses were AML (n=36), ALL (n=21), MDS (n=8), and ML or ATL (n=15). They were treated with bone marrow transplantation (n=51), peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (n=6), and cord blood transplantation (n=23). Among them, 40 were SHG-positive and 40 were SHG-negative. Overall survivals (OS) at 2 years was 94.8% and 58.2% (p Thus, the presence of SHG at day 28 predicts improved OS and EFS, and a lower incidence of relapse and TRM. This population of cells is easily detectable, providing useful information for outcome predictions. Patients without SSC low CD45 dim populations should be carefully observed after allogeneic HSCT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction Bone marrow (BM) involvement is an important prognostic factor in DLBCL, which is incorporated into the new prognostic index of NCCN-IPI in rituximab era. Although BM involvement has been evaluated with bone marrow biopsy (BMB), the recent international criteria for staging of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma (Lugano criteria) proposed omission of BMB as pre-treatment evaluation in selected cases. However, validity of omission of BMB remains uncertain. Our institute previously reported that the detection of BM clonality using flow cytometry (FCM) or immunoglobulin heavy chain rearrangement (IgR) has prognostic value in DLBCL. Aim of this study is to inspect prognostic value of PET-defined BM involvement combined with clonality of BM. Patients and Methods We studied consecutive DLBCL patients who were diagnosed in our institute in 2007-2014, received rituximab combined with CHOP-like regimen and undertook pre-treatment staging by FDG-PET/CT, FCM and PCR using BM aspirates. We reviewed the medical records, the staging FDG-PET/CT reports, DICOM images (if available), FCM and IgR reports. BM uptake of FDG was classified as focal or diffuse pattern. Diffuse uptake pattern was not regarded as lymphoma involvement on staging unless lymphoma was proven histologically or cytogenetically. B-cell clonality of BM was defined as positive, either when PCR amplification detected clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (FR1, FR2, FR3) gene rearrangements with multiplex BIOMED-2 primer sets or when FCM detected κ/λ deviation among B-cell population. Results One-hundred thirty four patients were identified: median age 69.5 years old (range, 19 - 89), 76 male (57%), LDH above the upper limit in 60(45%), stage ≥ 3 in 69(51%), bulky mass in 10(7.5%), abnormal lymphocytes in BM detected microscopically in 13(9.7%), IPI score were distributed as 0-1 in 46(34%), 2 in 31(23%), 3 in 30(22%) and 4-5 in 27(20%). Thirty patients (22% of the whole cohort) were positive for BM FDG-PET uptakes; the uptake patterns were focal in 23(77%) and diffuse in 7(23%). Follow-up time was median 741 days (range, 31 - 1766). B-cell clonality of BM was found in 20 patients (15%) with FCM and in 27 patients (20%) with IgR. B-cell clonality was more frequently observed in the patients with BM FDG-PET uptake (FCM-based clonality: 37% for positive vs 10% for negative, p-value, 0.002; IgR-based clonality: 38% for positive vs 18% for negative, p-value, 0.034). In addition, IPI score was significantly worse in the BM FDG-PET uptake patients (IPI ≥2: 93% in positive BM FDG-PET uptake vs 58% in negative BM FDG-PET uptake, p-value, < 0.001). Abnormal lymphocytes by BM aspiration did not affect PFS in our cohort significantly (0.14). Patients with BM FDG-PET uptake had more extranodal lesions than patients without BM FDG-PET uptake (mean 0.66 vs 1.6, p-value, < 0.001). In entire cohort, 2-year PFS and 2-year OS were 70% and 83%, respectively. Pretreatment BM FDG-PET uptake had negative impacts on PFS (2-year PFS, 74% for negative vs 53% for positive, p-value, 0.017). Clonality in BM detected with IgR had negative effect on PFS (2-year PFS, 74% for negative vs 55% for positive, p-value, 0.017)(Figure). IPI were also a significant prognostic factor for PFS (2-year PFS, 92% for IPI Conclusion Some previous studies showed that BM examination, as well as FDG-PET, had merits for more precise survival prediction. In our study, B-cell clonality of BM is an adverse prognostic factor for PFS that is independent of IPI and the impact of BM FDG-PET status was limited. Although BM clonality was more frequent in the patients whose FDG-PET uptake of BM were focal, BM clonality should be examined combined with FDG-PET. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

A 30-year-old man was referred to our hospital with leukocytosis and fecal occult blood. His white blood cell count was 30.2 × 10(9)/L with 79% small- to medium-sized lymphocytes. Surface antigen analysis revealed that these lymphocytes were positive for CD19, CD20, CD10, and CD23, but negative for CD5. The lymphocytes infiltrated the bone marrow. On endoscopic examination of the duodenum and jejunum, many small polypoid lesions were observed. A histologic picture of a biopsied lesion showed diffuse infiltration of small- to medium-sized lymphocytes in the submucosal region. On immunohistochemistry, these lymphocytes were positive for CD20, BCL2, and CD10 (weakly). Polymerase chain reaction analysis of cells from peripheral blood, bone marrow, and intestinal lesion showed a fusion product of BCL2 and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) genes. The fused BCL2/IGH gene was also demonstrated by fluorescence in situ hybridization in the same cell sources. Computed tomography scanning showed marked wall thickening throughout the small intestine and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. A diagnosis of follicular lymphoma with massive intestinal involvement in a leukemic state was made. After 6 courses of rituximab-combined CHOP chemotherapy, complete remission was obtained.

A 74-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of persistent fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. CT scanning showed extensive wall thickening of the colon. He was transferred to our hospital because he further developed ascites and paraaortic lymph node swelling. On presentation, he was extremely emaciated with superficial lymph node swelling, ascitic signs, and leg edema. Histological image of a biopsied mesenteric lymph node demonstrated diffuse infiltration of large abnormal T cells. Surface antigen analysis of abnormal cells in the ascites revealed positivity for CD3, CD8, CD56, and weak positivity for CD103. Polymerase chain reaction analysis showed monoclonal rearrangement of the T cell receptor (TCR) gene. The subtype of TCR was αβ. A diagnosis of enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma (EATL) type II was made. The lymphoma involved the bone marrow. The patient also had severe hemolytic anemia with a positive Coomb's test result. An additional diagnosis for autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) was made, which was resistant to methylprednisolone therapy. We first treated him with only vincristine in addition to the steroid to avoid acute tumor lysis syndrome ; however, he died of septic shock that occurred soon after vincristine administration. To the best of our knowledge, this may be the first reported case of EATL complicated by AIHA.

A 73-year-old woman with Sjögren's syndrome and autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) associated with large granular lymphocytosis of the polyclonal T cell type, demonstrated autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AIT) at diagnosis of sigmoid colon cancer. Ten months later, both AIN and AIT had exacerbated to agranulocytosis and severe thrombocytopenia below 10×10(9)/L, respectively. There were no dysplastic features of bone marrow hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, an in vitro assay of hematopoietic progenitors showed normal granuloid and erythroid colony formation. Although we serially treated her with prednisolone (oral), filgrastim, intravenous high-dose immunoglobulin infusion, cyclophosphamide (oral), danazol, cyclosporine A (oral), and rituximab, number of neutrophils and platelets elevated only temporarily. During the course of agranulocytosis and severe thrombocytopenia, the patient also developed autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). She died of pneumonia 5 months after the onset of agranulocytosis. This case is very unique and novel in terms of autoimmune phenomena simultaneously directed to granulocytes, platelets, and red blood cells under the background of Sjögren's syndrome.

A 19-year-old girl with T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) was referred to our hospital because of refractory disease. After complete remission was achieved by the JALSG ALL-97 protocol, she received a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from an unrelated, HLA-matched donor with myeloablative conditioning. Four months after BMT, T-LBL relapsed and donor lymphocyte infusion was ineffective. After partial remission was achieved with l-asparaginase therapy, she received 2 antigen-mismatched cord blood transplantation with non-myeloablative conditioning; however, sustained engraftment of cord blood stem cells has failed. This was associated with the reappearance of the blood cells from the first donor and the disappearance of leukemic cells from both the peripheral blood and bone marrow. Computed tomography showed no enlarged lymph nodes. The patient and the cord blood donor shared two minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAgs), while these mHAgs were not detected in the blood cells of the first donor. TCR analysis disclosed expanded oligoclonal Vbeta2T cells in the peripheral blood at relapse, and these cells secreted IFN-gamma in response to stimulation by the patient's leukemic cells. Moreover, these cells exhibited cytotoxicity against both leukemic cells and cord blood mononuclear cells. These results strongly suggest that Vbeta2T cells, derived from the first donor, may have been cytotoxic lymphocytes against both leukemic cells and cord blood stem cells.

The prognosis of angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) is poor because of chemotherapy-resistance and the short duration of remission. In recent years, cyclosporin A (CyA) has been employed as a alternative treatment for AITL in some patients with the rationale that CyA inhibits the activity and proliferation of neoplastic T cells. We herein report 4 chemotherapy-resistant AITL patients who were treated with oral CyA. The dosage of CyA was individually determined in each patient in order to achieve a blood CyA concentration of around 200 ng/ml at the trough level. A patient in whom AITL had relapsed 3 months after high dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) achieved a sustained complete remission (CR) with CyA and underwent allogeneic HSCT. In 2 patients who had failed to respond to conventional chemotherapies, the circulating lymphoma cells rapidly disappeared after the initiation of CyA, and one of these patients demonstrated a durable CR. The other patient showed a good response to CyA, but the agent was discontinued because of infection. The remaining one patient with advanced AITL did not respond to CyA and died of disease progression. To our knowledge, the efficacy of CyA for chemotherapy-resistant AITL, even in a leukemic state, has not previously been reported.

Bacillus cereus is a growing concern as a cause of life-threatening infections in patients with hematologic malignancies. However, the risk factors for patients with unfavorable outcomes have not been fully elucidated. At our institution, we observed the growth of B. cereus in blood culture in 68 patients with (23) or without (45) hematologic malignancies treated from September 2002 to November 2009. We defined a case as having sepsis when more than two blood culture sets were positive for B. cereus or only a single set was positive in the absence of other microorganisms in patients who had definite infectious lesions. We determined 12 of 23 patients with hematologic malignancies as having sepsis, as well as 10 of 45 patients without hematologic malignancies (p = 0.012). Of the 12 patients with hematologic malignancies, four patients with acute leukemia died of B. cereus sepsis within a few days. In our cohort, risk factor analysis demonstrated that a neutrophil count of 0/mm(3), central venous (CV) catheter insertion, and the presence of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms were significantly associated with a fatal prognosis (p = 0.010, 0.010, and 0.010, respectively). Analysis of data from our cohort in conjunction with those from 46 previously reported patients with B. cereus sepsis identified similar risk factors, that is, acute leukemia, extremely low neutrophil count, and CNS symptoms (p = 0.044, 0.004, and 0.002, respectively). These results indicate that appropriate prophylaxis and early therapeutic intervention against possible B. cereus sepsis are crucially important in the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

A 21-year-old man who was diagnosed with Diamond-Blackfan anemia at 2 years of age came to our hospital with the hope of undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). He had been red cell transfusion-dependent for about 8 years; at presentation he had transfusion-induced hemochromatosis, a subsequent low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 43%, and diabetes mellitus requiring insulin therapy. He received unrelated BMT with reduced intensity conditioning and sufficient GVHD prophylaxis. Regardless of the cardiac dysfunction, he had an uneventful course during pre- and post-grafting periods, and is currently doing well with an improved LVEF (55%), although he is still insulin dependent.