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Objectives: In this study, we aimed to compare the engraftment days, graft versus host disease (GVHD) development, relapse and overall survival (OS) rates in patients using variable intensity conditioning regimens with two different post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) doses for hematological malignancies., Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 162 patients who have had PTCy at a dose of 25 mg/kg × 2 and 50 mg/kg × 2 between 2018 and 2024. Patients were divided in 2 groups; PTCy dose with 25 mg/kg × 2 (Group 1, n = 45) and PTCy dose with 50 mg/kg × 2 (Group 2, n = 117). The engraftment days, GVHD, relapse and OS rates were compared across groups., Results: All patients had myeloablative conditioning regimens and peripheral stem cell collected transplantation. 61.1 % of patients (n = 99) were alive at the end of the study (60 % (n = 27) in Group1 and 61.5 % (n = 72) in Group 2). In Group 1 the median follow-up was 6.9 months and in Group 2 this was 7 months; the median OS was 15.5 months in Group 1 and 49.5 months in Group 2 but this is not statistically significant (Log rank = 0.796). In Group 1, the engraftment times for platelets was 13 days, for neutrophils 17 days; in Group 2, for platelet this was 18 days; and for neutrophils 17 days; this was statistically significant for platelets but not for neutrophil engraftment (p: < 0.001 and p:0.839, respectively). Eighteen patients (40 %) in Group 1 and twenty-seven (23 %) patients in group 2 had acute GVHD (aGVHD). In Group 1 aGVHD rates were higher than Group 2 (p = 0.031). Seven patients (15.5 %) in Group 1 and 6 (5.12 %) patients in group 2 had chronic GVHD (cGVHD). In Group 1 cGVHD rates were also higher than Group 2 (p = 0.048). Twenty-five patients (55.6 %) in Group 1 and 19 patients (16.2 %) in Group 2 had relapsed disease (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our study showed that there were no differences in survival across the groups. The platelet engraftment time was shorter for the PTCy 25 mg/kg × 2 doses compared to the post-transplantation 50 mg/kg × 2 doses. Both aGVHD and cGVHD rates were higher in 25 mg/kg × 2 dose treated patients. Relapses occurred more commonly with 25 mg/kg × 2 PTCy dose., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is common in adult patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Since vitamin D is an important regulatory factor for the immune system, vitamin D deficiency may have effects on antitumor activity, relapse rates, graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurrence and infection rates in allo-HSCT. We aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D levels on the outcome of allo-HSCT., Material and Methods: This study included 211 patients who underwent allo-HSCT at seven transplant centers in Türkiye. The impact of pretransplant vitamin D level on overall survival (OS), relapse rate, GVHD occurrence and engraftment times was analyzed retrospectively RESULTS: Pretransplant vitamin D levels were not related to the neutrophil engraftment day (p: 0.887), relapse rate (p: 0.433) and GVHD occurrence (p: 0.391). At a median follow-up of 14 months, OS was 84.8 % and median OS was not reached. Univariate Cox Regression analysis showed that higher levels of vitamin D (>12 ng/mL) affected the survival rates (p = 0.029) (HR: 0.392: 95 % CI: 10.170-0.907)., Conclusion: In our study, pretransplant vitamin D levels were not related to GVHD occurrence, relapse rate and engraftment times. However, we found that higher levels of pretransplant vitamin D levels (threshold is 12 ng/mL) were associated with increased survival. Further studies with a larger population are necessary to reveal the role of vitamin D in patients undergoing allo-HSCT., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest No conflict of interest was declared by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurs in 20-80 % of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Of these patients, 40 % will be resistant to steroids, which is the standard first-line approach. There is no standard second line treatment approach for patients with steroid refractory acute GVHD (SR-aGVHD). Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a protease inhibitor and has anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory properties. Here we report the outcomes and safety data of 17 patients treated with alpha-1 antitrypsin for SR-aGVHD., Material and Methods: Patients who received at least 2 lines of alpha-1 antitrypsin treatment for SR-aGVHD at five transplant centers in Türkiye were included in this retrospective study., Results: The median number of alpha-1 antitrypsin treatment line patients received was 4 (range, 2-5). The median time between alpha-1 antitrypsin administration and response was 65 days (range, 10-138 days). Overall response rate was 70.6 %. When the first- and second-month response rates were compared according to GVHD organ involvement, we found that the response rates were similar in skin, liver and gastrointestinal system involvement (p = 0.281 and p = 0.305, respectively). No grade 3-4 anemia, thrombocytopenia or neutropenia was observed after alpha-1 antitrypsin treatment. Two patients had cytomegalovirus infection and 1 patient had pneumonia. At a median follow-up of 7 months, overall survival was 70.6 % and median overall survival was not reached., Conclusion: In conclusion, alpha-1 antitrypsin is an effective and safe treatment option in patients with SR-aGVHD, with response rates of up to 70 % in patients with skin, liver and gastrointestinal system involvement. Larger studies are needed to establish a standard second and subsequent treatment approach in patients with SR-aGVHD., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a common and serious complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), significantly impacting transplant efficacy. In the treatment of GvHD, numerous therapeutic approaches have been explored, with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) emerging as a prominent immunomodulatory option. We aimed to evaluate efficacy and outcomes of using MSCs for steroid refractory acute GVHD (SR-aGvHD) management., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 36 patients' who received MSCs for treatment of SR-aGvHD following allo-HSCT between 2018 and 2024 from nine transplantation centers in Türkiye. The product consisted of umbilical cord-derived allogeneic MSCs, which were administered intravenously., Results: Our cohort was at the median age of 39 years (range: 19-61 years), with aGvHD diagnosed at a median of two months after allo-HSCT. More than half of the patients (58.3 %) classified as high-grade aGvHD according to the Minnesota risk scoring. Cord blood-derived MSCs were administered at a median dose of 3.45 (range: 0.8-5) million MSCs/kg, with a median of 3th (range: 2-5) line treatment. The rate of responses exceeding partial response (PR) was approximately 20 % at the first month, increasing to 24 % at the second month. The six-month survival rate was 33 %, with 46 % of mortality attributed to sepsis and 12.5 % related to GvHD. Multivariate analysis indicated that increasing age (≥35 years) and lower platelet counts (≤75 x10 9 /L) were associated with higher mortality (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: MSC therapy has shown promising potential in improving response rates in aGvHD treatment, with efficacy enhanced by younger age and higher platelet counts., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a well-established consolidation treatment for many hematologic cancers which delivers prolonged survival. A subset of patients' adequate stem cell harvest is not achievable with a solitary use of granulocyte colony-stimulating agents (G-CSF). Generally, chemomobilization is employed for patients failing G-CSF and its most feared complication febrile neutropenia (FN)., Materials and Methods: Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of the FN in chemomobilization on apheresis outcomes and engraftment. One hundred and eighty-three patients with the diagnosis of lymphoma or myeloma who underwent chemomobilization between 2015 and 2020 were included in the study., Results: Forty-three patients experienced FN. All patients received G-CSF. All myeloma patients were mobilized with 4 g/m 2 cyclophosphamide, but it was heterogeneous for lymphoma patients. The precollection blood counts, harvested CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)/kg, apheresis count, and engraftment durations were recorded. Preapheresis leukocyte and platelet were lower in the FN group ( P = 0,004 and P = 0,001). Peripheral CD34 HSCs and total harvested CD34 HSCs were similar among groups ( P = 0.25 and P = 0.9). More apheresis was needed in the FN group, but it was not significant ( P = 0.07). Undergoing ASCT was similar ( P = 0.7); however, platelet and neutrophil engraftment durations were slower in the FN group ( P = 0.05 and P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Harvesting sufficient CD34+ HSCs from patients with FN is still feasible; however, FN treatment should begin promptly, and further apheresis sessions may be required., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Asian Journal of Transfusion Science.)

Polatuzumab vedotin (Pola) with bendamustine and rituximab (BR) is a promising option for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We analyzed the data of 71 R/R DLBCL patients who had been treated with Pola-BR in the named patient program from March 2018 to April 2021 from 32 centers in Turkey. All patients received up to six cycles of Pola 1.8 mg/kg, rituximab 375 mg/m 2 on day 1, and bendamustine 90 mg/m 2 on days 1-2 of each cycle. Median age at Pola-BR initiation was 55 (19-84). The overall response rate was 47.9%, including 32.4% CR rate when a median of 3 cycles was applied. With a median follow-up of 5 months, the median OS was 5 months. Grade 3-4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were the most common hematological toxicities. The real-world data from our cohort showed the Pola-BR is an effective option with a manageable toxicity profile., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in premenopausal women. Clinical studies have shown that iron carboxymaltose (ICM) is an appropriate, effective, and well-tolerated treatment option for clinical situations associated with iron deficiency (ID)., Patients and Methods: This study took 78 out of 400 consecutive patients diagnosed with IDA due to HMB and intolerant or insufficient response of oral iron. All patients were administered the total calculated dose of ICM separately, based on the body weight and current hemoglobin (Hb) level. All the anemia parameters of the patients were compared before and after treatment., Results: All anemia parameters, including median Hb, ferritin, and transferrin saturation, significantly increased four weeks after treatment. Pre- and post-treatment mean Hb levels were 8.9 (± 1.7) g/dL and 12.3 (± 1.2) g/dL, respectively. The mean ferritin level of the patients before treatment was 3.93 (± 2.7) ng/mL. After treatment, the mean ferritin level was 244 (± 185) ng/mL. The mean transferrin saturation levels before and after treatment were 5.7% (± 5.0) and 43.1% (± 20.9), respectively. Although no serious side effects were observed in all patients, headache was detected in 2 patients (2.6%), urticaria in 3 patients (3.8%), and flushing in 2 patients (2.6%)., Conclusions: ICM is an effective and safe treatment option for patients with IDA due to HMB, in which oral iron therapy is insufficient or intolerant. In fact, without waiting for the failure or intolerance of oral iron therapy, moving ICM to the frontline could be cost-effective and more convenient to patients with HMB and health care providers.

The prognostic importance of the ABO blood group in non-Hodgkin lymphoma is largely unknown. We aim to investigate the prognostic significance of blood groups on the survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. 412 people (206 DLBCL patients and 206 healthy donors) were included. The blood group types of patients treated at our center from 2009 to 2019 were analyzed retrospectively and compared to the results from healthy thrombocyte donors. The distribution of the ABO blood groups was as follows: blood type A (45.2%), B (9.7%), O (38.8%), and AB (6.3%). We found no statistically significant difference between patients and the control group in terms of ABO and Rhesus blood group distribution (p = 0.27 and p = 0.45, respectively). The median follow-up time was 18 months (0-116). In the Cox regression analysis ABO blood groups, and Rh group were not significant predictors of survival in patients with DLBCL, whereas ECOG score, IPI score, Ann-Arbor stage, and LDH level were found significant. Receiving R-CHOP as the first-line treatment was associated with better survival in the multivariate analysis. No statistically significant difference was found between the control and DLBCL patient groups regarding the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a commonly observed oncological emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Rasburicase is a recombinant urate oxidase endorsed in TLS for the treatment of hyperuricemia. The effect of single-dose 7.5 mg rasburicase at longer follow-ups was not widely investigated., Patients and Methods: Eighty-two patients included in the study with clinical TLS and laboratory TLS. The primary endpoint was the normalization of uric acid (<6mg/dL) within 24 hours of rasburicase administration, which was described as treatment success. The secondary endpoint was defined as having sustained response at the first week. The third endpoint was defined as the reaching the baseline renal function before TLS., Results: We found that the use of a 7.5 mg dose of rasburicase controlled uric acid in 74 of 82 (90,2%) patients at the 24th hour. In the first week, uric acid remained at normal levels in 69 of 82 (84,1%) patients. At 24 hours, the TLS risk group was the only predictor for failing uric acid normalization; at the end of the first week, no predictive factor was identified for failing uric acid normalization., Conclusion: Rasburicase at 7.5 mg dose is an important agent for controlling laboratory and clinical TLS at 24 hours and extending its effect to the first week., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: This study was conducted to retrospectively investigate the pregnancy outcomes of patients who underwent stem cell transplantation (SCT). We also aimed at determining the reasons for avoiding pregnancy despite prolonged remission., Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of patients who became pregnant after autologous or allogeneic SCT at Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtarslan Oncology Hospital between 2009 and 2020 for hematologic diseases. Data from 83 patients who had undergone allogeneic or autologous SCT were available for analysis. A total of 18 pregnancies occurred in 14 of these patients. To compare pregnancy outcomes, pregnant patients who received care at Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Maternity Hospital were selected as the control group., Results: No pregnancy occurred in 69 of the patients whose data were analyzed. Of these 69 patients, 48 (69.6%) did not want to become pregnant. The most common reason for not wanting a pregnancy was due to the fact that the patient was not married [21 patients (30.4%)]. The pregnancy rate was higher in the HL group than in other hematologic malignancies [8 patients (57.1%)]. Twelve (85.7%) of the patients who became pregnant did so after autologous SCT and 2 (14.3%) after allogeneic SCT. The cumulative incidence of obstetric complications was higher in pregnancies after SCT than in the control group, and the prevalence of low birth weight was observed more frequently., Conclusions: Patients who became pregnant after SCT have a higher rate of pregnancy complications. However, these patients achieve similar live birth rates as the healthy population. Many patients have concerns about pregnancy and should be counseled appropriately.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of nivolumab bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and toxicity profile., Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of relapsed/refractory cases of HL, who were treated with nivolumab for disease control and subsequently underwent allo-SCT at our institution. The control group consisted of HL patients who relapsed or refractory after multiple lines of therapy and underwent allo-SCT without nivolumab before transplantation as bridging therapy., Results: The incidence of acute and chronic graft vs. host disease (GVHD) was similar in both groups. The 100-day mortality occurred in 1 patient (10%) in the nivolumab group and 4 patients (16.7%) in the control group (p = 0.54). During 30-month follow-up, PFS was achieved in 60% of patients in the nivolumab group and 45.8% in the control group (p = 0.69). OS during 30-month follow-up was 80% in the nivolumab group and 41.7% in the control group, OS was superior in patients in the nivolumab group than in the control group (p = 0.04)., Conclusions: Allo-SCT after bridging therapy with nivolumab provides a survival advantage over patients who underwent allo-SCT without the bridging. Therapy with nivolumab in combination with post-transplant cyclophosphamide does not appear to increase GVHD.

Background: Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) after induction treatment is the standard of care. Our understanding of myeloma genetics has been very limited and its effect to stem cell mobilization is not widely investigated. We aimed to investigate the effect of genetic abnormalities on stem cell mobilization in myeloma., Methods: The data of 150 MM patients who underwent stem cell mobilization at our center between 2009-2020 were included and analyzed retrospectively. Pre-treatment bone marrow cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization tests were performed for each patient., Results: Groups were divided into two as patients with normal cytogenetic and abnormal cytogenetic. No difference observed between groups regarding age, gender and ECOG (p = 0.4; p = 0.2; p = 0.3). Groups were similar concerning myeloma characteristics, received treatment and treatment response. Median CD34+ cells/kg harvested was 444(2-11.29) in normal cytogenetic group whereas it was 4,8(2.4-8.6) in abnormal cytogenetic group(p = 0.2). Optimal CD34+ cells level achievement was 73 (67 %) in normal cytogenetic group while it was 25(71.4 %) in abnormal cytogenetic group(p = 0.6). Neutrophil and platelet engraftment durations were similar among cytogenetic groups (p = 0.7; p = 0.9). R-ISS based groups were also did not differ regarding harvested CD34+ cells and achievement optimal CD34 level (p = 0.79, p = 0.74). Engraftment durations for neutrophil and platelet were comparable between R-ISS based groups (p = 0.59, p = 0.65) CONCLUSIONS: Here we were not able to find any impact of genetic abnormalities on stem cell mobilization in myeloma patients. Expanded studies can aid to identify the effect of particular genetic anomalies on the stem cell mobilization., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has an increasing incidence in elderly patients with poorer prognosis than in younger patients. Clinicians should clearly identify the characteristics and prognostic factors of elderly patients. We analyzed the outcome of elderly DLBCL patients, especially factors affecting survival in real-life clinical practice., Materials and Methods: The data of 330 DLBCL patients at our center were retrospectively evaluated by dividing three groups; younger than 65 years, between 65-79 years, and 80 years and older. We examined the factors affecting survival in DLBCL patients ≥ 65 years old., Results: The median age of the patients was 61 years (range 16-87). 192 (58.2 %) of our patients were younger than 65 years old, 112 (33.9 %) were between 65-79 years, and 26 (7.9 %) patients were 80 years old or older. The median follow-up was 15 (1-120) months. Median PFS was 38 months in the 65-79 years group, ten months in the ≥ 80 years group; meanwhile, median OS was 43 months in the 65-79 years group, 25 months in the ≥80 years group. The number of patients who relapsed within 12 months of the first-line treatment was 69 (35.9 %) in the <65 years group, it was 60 (53.6 %) in 65-79 years group, and 22 (84.6 %) in ≥80 years group (p < 0.001). The median OS was 9 (7.1-10.9) months in DLBCL patients older than 65 years old who relapsed within 12 months. Early relapse, failure to achieve CR after first-line chemotherapy, and high IPI score were associated with poor survival in patients ≥ 65 years old (p:0.001)., Conclusion: Advancing age was a poor prognostic factor for survival of DLBCL. Relapsing within the first year, or failure to achieve complete remission were associated with poorer survival of the elderly DLBCL patients. R-CHOP is the standard treatment in DLBCL, and the best responses are obtained regardless of age. Due to difficulty in receiving standard treatments, novel treatment modalities are needed for better outcomes in elderly patients with DLBCL., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Although the clinical features and treatment results of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in young adults are well known, it is thought that the disease may have different characteristics in elderly patients with HL, which constitutes almost 25% of the group. In this study, our aim is to evaluate the clinicopathological features, treatment outcomes, and survival of elderly classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) patients., Patients and Methods: Patients aged 60 and over who were treated with a diagnosis of CHL were included in our retrospective cohort study. Patients under the age of 60, those with a diagnosis of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) were excluded from the study., Results: The median age of 51 patients in the study was 66 (60-76). Forty (78.4%) patients had at least one comorbid disease. The most common histological subtype was mixed cellular HL (n = 23, 45%) and 23 (45%) patients had B-symptoms. Thirty-two (62.8%) patients were in the advanced stage. The most preferred regimen in first-line treatment was doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD) combination chemotherapy (n: 45; 88.2%). Forty-three (84.3%) patients were able to complete the initially planned treatment. Complete response was achieved in 34 (66.7%) patients. During the median follow-up period of 45.2 months, 23 (42.6%) patients had died. The 5-year OS was 57.4%., Conclusions: In conclusion, it was observed that the distribution of histological subtypes was different in elderly patients with CHL, B-symptoms were more common in elderly patients, and OS decreased with increasing age.

Introduction: Peripheric blood derived stem cells are used in 75 % of allogeneic stem cell transplantations. Iron, vitamin B12 and folate involve in hematopoiesis. Therefore serum levels of iron, vitamin B12 and folat may effect stem cell mobilization. We aimed to analyze the effects of iron status, vitamin B12 and folate levels on peripheric blood stem cell mobilization in healthy donors., Method: The mobilization results of 218 allogeneic donors were analyzed retrospectively., Results: In 64 donors, serum ferritin level was <15 μg / L and transferrin saturation was <20 %. When we compared the donors with iron deficiency to the donors without iron deficiency, the number of collected CD34 + cell was significantly higher in donors without iron deficiency. We did not find any impact of serum vitamin B12 and folate level on CD34+ cells collected., Conclusion: Our study shows that serum ferritin and transferrin saturation have a greater effect on the amount of CD34+ cells collected from donors than serum vitamin B12 and folate levels. Consequently, when compliance tests of allogeneic donors are performed, the evaluation of vitamin B12 and folate levels is not necessary; whereas iron deficiency must be assessed and -if possible- corrected before apheresis is performed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Induction treatment followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been accepted as the standard treatment for multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Granulocyte colony stimulating agent (G-CSF), chemotherapy or agents likes plerixafor are being used for the mobilization of stem cells from bone marrow. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the mobilization methods on the outcome of MM patients after ASCT., Method: The data of 205 MM patients who underwent ASCT at our center between December 2009 and January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups as good mobilizers (patients who were mobilized with G-CSF alone) and poor mobilizers (patients who were failed to mobilize with G-CSF alone and mobilized with G-CSF + cylophosphomide or G-CSF + plerixafor)., Results: The median progression free survival (PFS) was 18.27 ± 3.22 months in good mobilizers and 14.22 ± 3.7 months in poor mobilizers. In G-CSF + cyclophosphamide method median PFS was 15.4 ± 4.9 months wheras it was only 4 months in G-CSF + plerixafor method. We did not find a statistically significant difference between good and poor mobilizers regarding median PFS (p: 0.342). The median overall survival (OS) was found 34.48 ± 4.2 months in good mobilizers and 15.13 ± 5.78 months in poor mobilizers. In G-CSF + cyclophosphamide method median OS was 17 ± 14.01 months wheras it was 10.66 ± 7.68 months in G-CSF + plerixafor method. We found a statistically significant difference between good and poor mobilizers regarding median OS (p: 0.007*)., Conclusion: Our study shows that difficulty in stem cell mobilization is correlated with worse outcome., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the possible neutropenia-related effects of administering adriamycin [doxorubicin], bleomycin, vinblastin, dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy in Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with moderate or severe neutropenia without granulocyte-colony stimulating factor supplementation., Methods: This study evaluated neutropenia-related outcomes and the need for granulocyte-colony stimulating factor use during the periods between chemotherapy rounds. Forty-three rounds of ABVD chemotherapy were evaluated in the study. The outcomes that could be related to neutropenia were analyzed. In addition, rounds of ABVD chemotherapy given in the presence of severe neutropenia were compared with ABVD chemotherapy rounds given in the presence of moderate neutropenia in terms of neutropenia-related outcomes and the need for granulocyte-colony stimulating factor use. The study only included patients with classical Hodgkin's disease (lymphoma). Patients with a final neutrophil count of <1 × 10 3 cells/µL (<1000 cells/µL) prior to chemotherapy round and those receiving ABVD chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma were included in the study., Results: We observed that none of the patients with moderate neutropenia before the start of chemotherapy round needed granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and four patients with severe neutropenia prior to the start of chemotherapy round required granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between the severity of neutropenia (in terms of moderate and severe) before chemotherapy and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor requirement after chemotherapy (p> 0.05). Furthermore, none of the patients included in the study had bleomycin-related lung toxicity during the treatment periods included in the study., Conclusion: Administering ABVD chemotherapy to patients with moderate neutropenia seems to be safe.

Effects of mutations on AML (acute myeloid leukemia) patients have been an area of clinical interest. The aim of this study was to analyze pre-chemotherapy WBC (white blood cell), platelet, monocyte, hemoglobin, and mean platelet volume (MPV) levels in acute myeloid leukemia patients with Wilms tumor 1 (WT1), FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), or nucleophosmin (NPM) gene mutations, attempting to detect and compare possible differences in these values.The study included 71 patients with acute myeloid leukemia known to have WT1, FLT3, or NPM gene mutations. The patients were divided into 3 groups: FLT3-mutated AML patients without any accompanying known mutations other than WT1 at the time of diagnosis (Group 1), NPM-mutated AML patients without any accompanying known mutations other than WT1 at the time of diagnosis (Group 2), WT1-mutated AML patients with no other accompanying known mutations at the time of diagnosis (Group 3). We carried out intergroup comparisons of WBC, platelet (PLT), monocyte, hemoglobin, and MPV levels before chemotherapy.There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of WBC parameters (P = .001). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to hemoglobin, platelet, and monocyte levels.Higher white blood cell counts could be observed in patients with FLT3-mutated AML.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of high-dose cytosine arabinoside (HDAC)-containing treatments followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on the survival of patients with mantle cell lymphoma., Material and Methods: The data of 27 MCL patients who were followed-up between January 2009 and December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively., Results: The median age of the patients was 63 (range, 45-82) with 22 (81.4%) males and 5 (18.6%) females. Eight of 27 patients were treated with HDAC-containing regimens either as induction or salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). The patients who received HDAC-containing regimen followed by AHSCT were found to have better one-year survival compared to others ( p  = 0.03). Median follow-up of patient cohort was 27.6 months and median overall survival (OS) was not reached. The probability of one-year OS for all patients was 76.8%., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HDAC treatment followed by AHSCT seems to provide the best outcome for young-fit patients presenting with mantle cell lymphoma.

Rationale: Relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphomas are aggressive diseases. Pralatrexate is an antimetabolite. Hereby, we are reporting a pralatrexate induced durable response in a relapsed/refractory peripheral T-Cell lymphoma patient with a history of autologous stem cell transplantation., Patient Concerns: A male patient born in February 1947 was diagnosed with lymphoma based on his cervical lymph node excisional biopsy., Diagnoses: He was diagnosed with PTCL-NOS on February 19, 2013., Interventions: The patient received 6 cycles of CHOP (Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine, methylprednisolone) chemotherapy, which achieved a complete remission. The patient underwent autologous stem cell transplantation in December 2013. After relapse was detected in the third month of the transplantation, the patient was treated with 2 cycles of ViGePP (vinorelbine, gemcitabine, procarbazine, prednisone/ methylprednisolone) chemotherapy. The patient was considered refractory to treatment after the ViGePP chemotherapy, and he was given brentuximab vedotin. Once a full response to treatment was achieved after 2 cycles, the patient received 6 cycles of brentuximab vedotin treatment. After 6 cycles, a skin biopsy was performed and the patient was diagnosed with relapsed/refractory PTCL-NOS. Pralatrexate therapy was then started on February 1, 2016 at a dose of 30 mg/m once weekly for 6 weeks in 7-week cycles., Outcomes: The patient responded to pralatrexate treatment. And he has been under pralatrexate treatment over 3 years., Lessons: Pralatrexate should also be kept in mind as a treatment alternative in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma patients.

Objectives: Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is a precursor state of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with peripheral lymphocytosis below 5 × 10 9 /l. The diagnostic criteria exclude the presence of lymphadenopathy, organomegaly, infections, autoimmune diseases or any sign of a lymphoproliferative disorder. This prospective study was designed in order to evaluate the frequency of MBL in blood donors in Turkey., Methods: The diagnosis of MBL was identified by flow cytometry method based on the International Familial CLL Consortium Report. A total of 999 volunteers [median age 34 (18-78) years; male/female: 705/294] were included in the study., Results: Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis was demonstrated in 18 cases (1.8%). A total of 16 cases (1.6%) was evaluated as CLL-like MBL, while 2 (0.2%) had a non-CLL-like phenotype. The subjects were divided into three groups according to age, as <40 years, 40-60 years and >60 years. The prevalence of MBL was 1.1% below 40 years, 0.6% between 40 and 60 years and 0.1% in cases over 60 years, without statistical significance (p > 0.05)., Discussion: The sensitivity of the flow cytometry method is essential and may be responsible for the variations in the prevalence of MBL in different populations which can also be attributed to study design, higher detection rates in the elderly and families with genetic predisposition to CLL., Conclusion: Large population-based studies and standardized laboratory methods are needed to determine the potential risk factors of progression to CLL, including molecular markers and genetic profile.

Background: In an autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) setting, routine cytomegalovirus (CMV) surveillance is not indicated except in high-risk situations. On the other hand, some studies reported increased CMV reactivation in AHCT setting as a result of incorporation of novel agents into treatment algorithms, such as bortezomib and rituximab. We retrospectively analyzed CMV reactivation and infection rates in patients with no high-risk features, who were treated with AHCT., Methods: During January 2010 to November 2015, all consecutive, CMV-seropositive patients were included. The viral copy numbers were measured twice a week from the start of the conditioning regimen until engraftment, once a week for the remaining time period until day 30 after AHCT and once weekly only for patients who had been diagnosed with CMV reactivation before and who developed primary/secondary engraftment failure during 31 to 60 days after AHCT., Results: One hundred one (61.6%) men and 63 (38.4%) women were included in the study. The median age of study cohort was 51 years (range, 16-71 years). The indications for AHCT were Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma in 44 (26.8%), 41 (25%), and 79 (48.2%) patients, respectively. CMV reactivation occurred in 60 (37%) patients, and 13 patients (8%) received pre-emptive ganciclovir treatment., Conclusions: On the basis of our results, it might be stated that CMV surveillance may be recommended during 40 days after AHCT in countries with a high CMV prevalence, even in patients without high-risk features regarding reactivation. Additionally, the risky conditions necessitating CMV screening after AHCT must be re-defined in the era of novel agents., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)