Respuesta molecular profunda con ponatinib en leucemia mieloide crónica en fase crónica con resistencia a imatinib y dasatinib: Reporte de caso y revisión de la literatura / Profound molecular response with ponatinib in chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia with resistance to imatinib and dasatinib: Case report and review of the literature

RESUMEN Se reporta el caso de una mujer quien a la edad de 54 años fue diagnosticada de leucemia mieloide crónica en fase crónica; inició tratamiento con inhibidor de tirosina cinasa de primera generación, y evidenció falla por ausencia de respuesta hematológica y citogenética. A pesar del cambio de tratamiento a un inhibidor de tirosina cinasa de segunda generación (dasatinib), no fue posible alcanzar niveles óptimos de respuesta, documentándose la positividad para la mutación T315I en dominio ABL de la tirosina cinasa desregulada BCR/ABL, frente a la cual el único medicamento que muestra actividad es ponatinib. Luego de iniciar tratamiento con ponatinib, se evidenciaron niveles óptimos de respuesta citogenética y molecular, así como una adecuada calidad de vida de la paciente.

SUMMARY We report the case of a woman who at the age of 54 years was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase; she began treatment with a first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and evidenced failure due to the absence of a hematological and cytogenetic response. Despite changing treatment to a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (dasatinib), it was not possible to achieve optimal levels of response, documenting positivity for the T315I mutation in the ABL domain of the deregulated BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase, compared to ponatinib, the only drug that shows activity. After starting treatment with ponatinib, optimal levels of cytogenetic and molecular response were evidenced, as well as an adequate quality of life for the patient.

Analysis of the Curative Effect and Influencing Factors of Nilotinib Second-line and Dasatinib Third-line on Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Failed First-line and Second-line Treatment / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy of the second-line nilotinib and third-line dasatinib on chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with failed first- and second-line treatments, and analyze the influencing factors of the efficacy.@*METHODS@#Selected 83 patients in The Third People's Hospital of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province with CML who were treated with nilotinib as the second-line treatment after the failure of the first-line treatment with imatinib as the second-line treatment group (referred to as the second-line group) from January 2014 to December 2018, and 61 CML patients who were treated by dasatinib as the third-line treatment group (referred to as the third-line group) after the failure of the second-line treatment with nilotinib; the first-line treatment with imatinib failed, but due to various reasons, the patients were fully after being informed of the possible serious consequences of not changing the drug treatment, 37 CML patients who were still required to continue imatinib treatment served as the control group. The hematological, genetic and molecular responses of each group were compared for 3, 6, and 24 months of treatment. LogistiC regression was used to analyze the factors affecting the second and third line curative effects.@*RESULTS@#The three groups had statistically significant differences in the rates of achieving CHR, MCyR, and MMR at 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment (P<0.05). Compared the two groups, the CHR rates of the second-line group at 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment were 100.00%, 97.59%, and 95.18%, respectively; higher than the third-line group's 90.16%, 86.89%, 83.61% and the control group's 83.78%, 75.68% and 72.97%; the CHR rate of the third-line group was higher than that of the control group at 6 and 12 months of treatment. The rates of reaching MCyR at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in the second-line group were 87.95%, 93.98% and 93.98%, respectively, while those in the third-line group were 80.33%, 88.52% and 86.89%, which were higher than those of the control group of 67.57%, 64.86% and 48.65%. The rates of achieving MMR at 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment in the second-line group were 19.28%, 33.72% and 60.24%, respectively, and those in the third-line group were 11.48%, 26.23% and 49.18%, which were higher than those of the control group of 0.00%, 2.70% and 0.00%; The rate of reaching MMR within 12 months of treatment in the second-line group was higher than that of the third-line group, and the differences was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of reaching MCyR between the second-line group and the third-line group at 3, 6, and 12 months, and the rate of reaching MMR at 3 and 6 months (P>0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting among the three main non-hematological adverse reactions, and the incidence of grade 1~2 anemia among the hematological adverse reactions were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of rash, eyelid edema, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and neutropenia in the three groups (P>0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting and grade 1~2 anemia in the second-line group and the third-line group were higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in Sokal score, medication compliance, and hematological adverse reactions between the MMR group and the non-MMR group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that dose reduction or withdrawal during the treatment period, and grade 3~4 hematological adverse reactions were the main factors affecting the second and third line curative effects (OR=22.160, 2.715, 95% CI=2.795-93.027, 1.882-48.834).@*CONCLUSION@#The second-line nilotinib and the third-line dasatinib have a better effect on CML patients who have failed the first and second-line treatments. Grade 3~4 hematological adverse reactions, dose reduction or withdrawal are risk factors that affect the efficacy of second and third-line treatments.

Impacto econômico da interrupção do tratamento com inibidor de tirosina quinase em pacientes com leucemia mieloide crônica em um hospital federal referência em oncologia / Economic impact of discontinuing treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitor in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia at a federal hospital reference in oncology

Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto econômico da descontinuação do tratamento da leucemia mieloide crônica (LMC) com inibidores da tirosina quinase (ITQs) em primeira ou segunda linha. Métodos: O modelo incluiu pacientes com diagnóstico de LMC em tratamento com ITQs que iniciaram o tratamento até 2012, em condições elegíveis no ano de 2015. Foi considerado um horizonte temporal de cinco anos sob a perspectiva do sistema público de saúde. Custos associados ao tratamento, como medicamento, monitoramento e manejo de eventos adversos, foram analisados. A avaliação foi composta por dois cenários: o cenário referência, com uso contínuo do medicamento, e o cenário comparador, com a interrupção do tratamento medicamentoso. Ambos os cenários consideraram as tecnologias disponíveis no período de 2015 a 2019. A análise de sensibilidade propôs variações nos cenários com a finalidade de avaliar a robustez do modelo. Além disso, uma extrapolação para nível nacional foi realizada, utilizando dados epidemiológicos para a obtenção do número de pacientes. Resultados: Foram selecionados 268 pacientes que iniciaram o tratamento até 2012. Desses, 65 foram elegíveis à descontinuação. A análise econômica mostrou uma economia de R$ 670.558,10 no primeiro ano, uma economia acumulada em cinco anos de R$ 3.665.355,98 e de R$ 66.517.232,80 no contexto institucional e nacional, respectivamente. A análise de sensibilidade foi favorável em todos os cenários propostos. Conclusões: A descontinuidade do tratamento da LMC mostrou-se, economicamente, uma importante oportunidade sob a perspectiva do sistema de saúde em flexibilizar novos investimentos tecnológicos e/ou ampliação de cesso, além da melhoria na qualidade de vida do paciente.

Objective: To assess the economic impact of discontinuing treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with first or second line tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ITQs). Methods: The model included patients diagnosed with CML undergoing treatment with ITQs who started treatment until 2012, under eligible conditions in the year 2015. A 5-year time horizon was considered from the perspective of the public health system. Costs associated with treatment, such as medication, monitoring and handling adverse events were analyzed. The evaluation consisted of two scenarios, the reference scenario with continuous use of the drug and the comparator scenario with the interruption of drug treatment. Both scenarios considered the technologies available in the period from 2015 to 2019. The sensitivity analysis proposed variations in the scenarios in order to assess the robustness of the model. In addition, an extrapolation to the national level was performed, using epidemiological data to obtain the number of patients. Results: 268 patients who started treatment until 2012 were selected. Of these, 65 were eligible for discontinuation. The economic analysis showed savings of R$ 670,558.10 in the first year, accumulated savings in five years of R$ 3,665,355.98 and R$ 66,517,232.80 in the institutional and national context, respectively. The sensitivity analysis was favorable in all the proposed scenarios. Conclusions: The discontinuity of CML treatment proved to be, economically, an important opportunity from the perspective of the health system in making new technological investments and / or expanding access more flexible, in addition to improving the patient's quality of life

The effect of drug transporter gene polymorphisms on susceptibility to imatinib in chronic myelogenous leukemia / 中国肿瘤临床

As a first generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib is the gold standard drug for the clinical treatment of chronic myelog-enous leukemia. However, interindividual differences in resistance and response to imatinib have been widely observed. In vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed that ATP-binding cassette transporters, organic cation transporters, and organic anion transporting poly-peptides have a large effect on imatinib pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. In addition, the gene polymorphisms of drug trans-porters can directly or indirectly influence the intracellular concentration of imatinib, resulting in differences in treatment efficacy among chronic myelogenous leukemia patients. This review profiles the effect of drug transporter gene polymorphisms on susceptibili-ty to imatinib in chronic myelogenous leukemia so as to provide reference to further clinical researches.

Leucemia mieloide crónica: Monitoreo y factores predictivos de una respuesta favorable en el tratamiento con imatinib / Chronic myelogenous leukemia: monitoring and predictors of a favorable response to treatment with imatinib

La supervivencia a cinco años de los pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica en fase crónica tratados con inhibidores de tirosina quinasa es superior al 90%. Existen escasos datos a nivel local. Esta información puede ser de interés, ya que el imatinib genérico se encuentra disponible en la región. El objetivo del presente estudio es proporcionar información del monitoreo y los resultados a largo plazo del tratamiento con imatinib fuera de un ensayo clínico controlado, así como analizar el valor predictivo de respuestas tempranas para el logro de respuesta molecular 4.0 y la detección de variables que puedan condicionar falla al tratamiento. Se incluyeron 106 pacientes tratados con imatinib 400 mg diarios como inhibidor de primera línea durante una mediana de 8.9 años IQR (5.8-11.7) entre junio del 2000 y diciembre del 2015. La supervivencia global fue de 93%. En la última evaluación, 74% de los pacientes continuaba recibiendo el imatinib inicial. La obtención de respuesta en los objetivos temporales específicos (6, 12 meses) se asoció con mayor supervivencia libre de falla: 87% vs. 56%, p = 0.007; 90% vs. 69% p = 0.01 y mayor adquisición de respuesta molecular 4.0: OR 5.6 (IC 95% 1.6-19.0) p = 0.003; OR 5.3 (IC 95% 1.4-21.0) p = 0.006. Luego del prolongado seguimiento, el imatinib proporcionó altas tasas de respuesta y supervivencia. Se confirmó el valor pronóstico de la respuesta en momentos temporales específicos. Este estudio refuerza la importancia del monitoreo estandarizado en los puntos temporales conocidos, que debe continuar siendo un objetivo en Argentina.

The expected five-year survival of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is over 90%. Little data is available regarding the results in the Argentinian population. This information might be of interest as generic imatinib is now available in the region. The aim of this study is to provide information on monitoring and the long-term treatment with imatinib outside of a controlled clinical trial, as well as to analyze the predictive effect of early responses to achieve molecular remission 4.0 (RM 4.0) and the detection of variables that may condition treatment failure. We included 106 patients, who received imatinib 400 mg daily as first-line inhibitor for a median of 8.9 years (IQR 5.8-11.7) between June 2000 and December, 2015. Overall survival was 93%. At latest follow-up 74% of patients continues on initial imatinib. The achievement of response at targeted milestones (6, 12 months) was associated with increased failure-free survival: 87% vs. 56%, p = 0.007; 90% vs. 69% p = 0.01 and was independently associated to RM 4.0: OR 5.6 (95% CI: 1.6-19.0); OR 5.3 (95% CI: 1.4-21.0) p = 0.006. After long-term follow-up, imatinib provided high-rates of response and survival. The prognostic value of response at targeted milestones was confirmed. This study reinforces the importance of molecular monitoring under IS standardization at known timepoints and this must continue to be a target in Argentina.

Inhibitory effect of fenbendazole on proliferation of human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To investigate the effect of fenbendazole (FBZ) on the proliferation of human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell line K562.METHODS:The CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effect of FBZ on viability of the K562 cells and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).The cell growth was measured by the method of Trypan blue exclusion.The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry.The cell cycle-related proteins were detected by Western blot.RESULTS:The growth of K562 was significantly inhibited by FBZ.However, it elicited little cytotoxic effect on PBMC.Furthermore, FBZ induced G2/M phase arrest and mitotic catastrophe in the K562 cells based on the changes of nuclear morphology, DNA content, mitotic marker analysis and the number of polykaryocytes.CONCLUSION:Fenbendazole significantly inhibits the proliferation of K562 cells and induces cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase by the regulation of cell cycle-related proteins.

Bilineage T‑lymphoblastic/myeloid extramedullary blast crisis in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

The blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) can be hematological or extramedullary. About 25% of these cases fulfill the criteria for mixed phenotype acute leukemia. We here report a case of a second blast crisis of CML which was extramedullary and was immunophenotypically bilineage T/myeloid.

Leucemia mieloide crónica en niño de 2 años. Reporte de caso / Chronic myelogenous leukemia in a 2 year-old boy. Case report

La leucemia mieloide crónica (LMC) representa el 3% de las leucemias pediátricas diagnosticadas y su incidencia es de 0,7 millones por año, extremadamente rara entre las edades de 1 a 14 años y debido a esta inusual presentación existen pocos casos descritos. La patogénesis molecular de la LMC implica la fusión quimérica de la proteína BCR-ABL, cuyo aumento constitutivo de la actividad tirosina quinasa, contribuido por el componente ABL, parece ser el causante de la alteración molecular en la LMC. La identificación de esta proteína quimérica resultó en el desarrollo exitoso del mesilato de imatinib, fármaco que ha revolucionado el tratamiento de esta enfermedad. El tratamiento con imatinib en niños ha logrado alcanzar un 90% de remisión completa a los 5 años, sustituyendo de esta manera al trasplante alogénico como primera línea de terapia. A continuación reportamos el caso de un niño de 2 años cuyo hemograma reportó: anemia microcítica moderada (hemoglobina de 11,7 g%), hiperleucocitosis (leucocitos 80,8 x10(9)/L), y trombocitosis (721x10(9)/L). Los estudios de citogenética, FISH y RT-PCR para BCR-ABL1 dieron positivos, confirmando el diagnóstico de LMC en fase crónica. Se inició inmediatamente el tratamiento con imatinib y a 3 años del diagnóstico el paciente se encuentra en remisión completa a nivel molecular, con ausencia del clon neoplásico y sin haber presentado efectos colaterales adversos de importancia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) accounts for 3% of all diagnosed pediatric leukemias. It has an incidence of 0.7 million per year, rarely diagnosed between the ages of 1 to 14 years, so few cases have been reported. The CML molecular pathogenesis involves a chimeric fusion of the BCR-ABL protein which increased constitutive tyrosine kinase activity contributed by ABL component seems to be the cause of the molecular alteration in CML. The identification of this chimeric protein resulted in the successful development of imatinib mesylate, a drug that has revolutionized the treatment of this disease. The use of imatinib in children has reached 90% of complete remission at 5 years, replacing in this way the allogeneic transplant as first-line therapy. This report presents the case of a 2 year old child whose CBC reported: moderate microcytic anemia (hemoglobin 11.7 g%), hyperleukocytosis (leukocytes 80.8 x10(9)/L) and thrombocytosis (721x10(9)/ L). Cytogenetic, FISH and RT-PCR Studies for BCR-ABL1 were positive, confirming the diagnosis of CML in chronic phase. Treatment with imatinib was initiated immediately and 3 years after diagnosis the patient is in complete molecular remission with the absence of neoplastic clone and without having presented significant side effects.

Targets in anticancer research—A review.

Cancer is a complex disease characterized by a loss in the normal cell regulatory mechanisms that govern cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Current chemotherapeutics, as anticancer agents, are developing resistance to single drug and also to treatment therapies involving multiple drugs. Cross resistance associated with the specificity and selectivity of existing drugs has restricted the application of chemotherapy. Alternatively, these limitations have given better insight in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of various stages in cancer. In the light of this, continuous efforts are being made in order to identify and validate newer anticancer targets. This review presents some of the important targets that have been already reported, such as aromatase, farnesyl transferase, histone deacetylase, tyrosine kinase and cyclin-dependent kinase. A few molecules designed against these targets have successfully reached clinical trials. However, only limited marketed drugs are available from these classes. Besides, the review also highlights some of the other important targets and strategies that have also drawn considerable attention in the area of anticancer drug development such as, cancer stem cells and monoclonal antibodies. Further, the integration of the tools in molecular biology with the results from preclinical and clinical trials would strengthen the effectiveness of treatment regimens in cancer patients. There lies a much scope for designing promising lead compounds and treatment therapies against these established targets.

Trends in mortality of adult patients diagnosed with myeloid leukemia from 1994 to 2011 in southeastern Brazil

Objective: To evaluate trends in mortality among adults with myeloid leukemia in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo. Methods: Data from the Brazilian National Health Service database DATASUS provided the number of deaths caused by myeloid leukemia and the number of inhabitants per year in the Regional Health Division XVII from 1994 to 2011. Registries were categorized according to gender into four age ranges (over 20 years, 20-49, 50-69 and over 70 years) for an estimation of the annual percent change for age-adjusted mortality rates. The percent changes were calculated using the Joinpoint regression analysis model. Results: Overall, a significant decline per year was demonstrated for the entire sample (over 20 years) across the 18-year period studied (annual percent change: −5.59%; 95% CI: −8.5 to −2.5% for males; p-value < 0.05 and −7.02%; 95% CI −11.2 to −2.8% for females; p-value < 0.05) with no significant difference between genders. In an analysis using two Joinpoints, significant drops were observed from 1994 to 2001 (annual percent change: −21.22%; 95% confidence interval: −27.9 to −13.9%; p-value < 0.05) and from 1994 to 2003 (annual percent change: −12.86%; 95% confidence interval −22.2 to −2.5%; p-value < 0.05) for men and women, respectively. The declining trends were greatest for patients aged over 70 years with the age-adjusted mortality rates in younger groups declining non-significantly except for males aged 50-69 years old. Conclusion: Our data suggest a significant decline per year in age-adjusted mortality rates of adult patients diagnosed with myeloid leukemia from 1994 to 2011 in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo. .

Isolation, purification and activity identification of ABL tyrosine kinase and ABLT315I mutant / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective To establish a simple , stableand effective method for the isolation and purification of ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant ABLT315I.Methods pET-28a vector was inserted in abl gene or its site directed mutagenesis.Then Escherichia coli BL21 competent cells were co-transformed with pGEX6P-1-ptp-1b and pET28a-abl/pET28a-ablc944t .The transformed BL21 cells were incubated, and then were stimulated with Isopropyl-β-D-thiogala-ctopyranoside ( IPTG ) to express ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant .The ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant was purified by affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography .SDS-PAGE was used to detect the purity and relative molecular weight of ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant.BCA method was used to determine the concentration of ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant .Finally, kinase activity of target protein was examined by ATP /NADH coupling method .ResuIts SDS-PAGE showed the high purity of ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant.The concentration of ABL and ABLT 315I protein was reached 28mg/L of LB and 20mg/L of LB, respectively.Both of the target protein was measured to have good tyrosine kinase activity in vitro .ConcIusion A simple, stable and effective method for the isolation and purification of ABL tyrosine kinase and its mutant was found successfully in the study , which laying good foundation for High Throughput Drug Screening and structure analysis of protein subsequently .

A Novel Four-Way Translocation t(5;9;22;18)(q31;q34;q11.2;q21) in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome, which is generated by a reciprocal t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation. Variant Philadelphia chromosomes, found in 5-10% of CML cases, are a result of translocations involving other chromosomes, in addition to 9 and 22. These four-way Philadelphia chromosome translocations are very rare; only about 60 patients with such chromosomes have been described. Here, we report a CML case with a novel four-way variant Philadelphia chromosome. A conventional chromosome analysis of bone marrow cells revealed a 46,XY,t(5;9;22;18)(q31;q34;q11.2;q21) karyotype, which was confirmed by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization. The major BCR-ABL1 fusion gene was detected by reverse transcription-nested PCR. The patient was treated with imatinib. Twelve months after treatment, he demonstrated a complete hematologic response and chromosome analysis showed that he had a normal karyotype.

A Novel Four-Way Translocation t(5;9;22;18)(q31;q34;q11.2;q21) in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome, which is generated by a reciprocal t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation. Variant Philadelphia chromosomes, found in 5-10% of CML cases, are a result of translocations involving other chromosomes, in addition to 9 and 22. These four-way Philadelphia chromosome translocations are very rare; only about 60 patients with such chromosomes have been described. Here, we report a CML case with a novel four-way variant Philadelphia chromosome. A conventional chromosome analysis of bone marrow cells revealed a 46,XY,t(5;9;22;18)(q31;q34;q11.2;q21) karyotype, which was confirmed by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization. The major BCR-ABL1 fusion gene was detected by reverse transcription-nested PCR. The patient was treated with imatinib. Twelve months after treatment, he demonstrated a complete hematologic response and chromosome analysis showed that he had a normal karyotype.

Influence of Gleevec on expression of miR-146a,miR-29b and DNMT in K562 cells / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the changes of microRNA (miR)-146a ,miR-29b expression levels and the 3 kinds of meth-ylase DNMT1 ,DNMT3a and DNMT3b levels in K562 cell lines after BCR/ABL inhibitor Gleevec treatment .Methods The half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50 ) of Gleevec on K562 cells was detected by the MTT method .The stem loop primers method and the fluorogenic quantitative PCR were adopted to detect miRNAs and the methylase gene level .Results IC50 of Gleevec acting on K562 cells was 40 .85μmol/L .After Gleevec action ,miR-29b showed the increasing trend ,but 3 kinds of methylase expression level were decreased to some extent .Gleevec could significantly increase the miR-146a level in K562 cells(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Gleevec can influence the expression of miR-146a ,miR-29b and DNMTs levels in K562 cells .

Characteristics of hematologic malignancies with coexisting t(9;22) and inv(16) chromosomal abnormalities

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) and inv(16)(p13q22) chromosomal abnormalities is extremely uncommon, and only a small number of such cases have been reported. Here, we characterized 7 cases of hematologic malignancy exhibiting t(9;22) and inv(16) coexistence. METHODS: We reviewed the cytogenetic data for hematologic malignancies treated at the Catholic Blood and Marrow Transplantation Center between January 2004 and June 2013. We identified 7 cases exhibiting t(9;22) and inv(16) coexistence. In addition, we analyzed mutations in the IKZF1, NPM1, FLT3, N-RAS, K-RAS, c-KIT, and TP53 genes. RESULTS: Four cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML; 1 chronic phase, 2 accelerated phase, and 1 blast phase) and 3 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 1 de novo and 2 therapy-related) were identified. The percentages of circulating blasts and bone marrow eosinophils were higher in AML cases than in CML cases (53% vs. 5% and 30% vs. 5.5%, respectively). The proportions of each chromosomal abnormality were used along with follow-up karyotyping results to identify secondary changes. In BCR/ABL, a p210 fusion transcript was associated with CML, whereas a p190 fusion transcript was associated with AML. One patient with AML harbored 2 mutations: c-KIT D816V and TP53 E11Q. All patients except 1 with CML blast phase sustained clinical remission after treatment, which included an imatinib mesylate regimen. CONCLUSION: This study shows that observations of bone marrow morphology, initial and follow-up cytogenetic studies, and karyotyping of BCR/ABL1 and CBFB/MYH11 provide valuable information for characterizing hematologic malignancies exhibiting t(9;22) and inv(16) coexistence.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia developing in a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia - accelerated phase: A rare case with review of the literature.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are two different and common hematological neoplasms. Their coexistence is rare, especially CLL developing in a patient of CML. Till date, only a few cases are reported and all had chronic myeloid leukemia - chronic phase earlier. We report the first case of CLL developing in a patient initially diagnosed in an accelerated phase of chronic myeloid leukemia. The clonality of both CML and CLL was proven by cytogenetic, molecular and flow cytometric studies.

Management of patients with hematological malignancies undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

The number of patients with a previously diagnosed malignancy who need cardiac surgery is increasing. Patients with hematological malignancies represent only 0.38% of all patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The literature in this subset of patients is limited to only a few retrospective case series, with limited number of patients undergoing emergency cardiac surgery. We describe three cases with hematological malignancies namely chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute promyelocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia presenting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Two patients were taken up for emergency CABG in view of ongoing ischemia, one of them was on preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump support. No mortality was observed. Two patients needed transfusion of blood products which was guided by thromboelastography. One patient developed superficial sternal wound infection requiring antibiotic therapy.

Efficacy of imatinib mesylate-based front-line therapy in pediatric chronic myelogenous leukemia / 소아과

PURPOSE: Despite the established role of imatinib (IM) in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in adults, there are few reports on its efficacy in children. In this study, we compared the outcomes of children with CML before and after the advent of IM-based treatment. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 52 patients treated for CML at the Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea from January 1995 to October 2010. Patients were divided and analyzed according to the preImatinib group (pre-IMG) and imatinib group (IMG). RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis for the overall cohort (pre-IMG, n=27; IMG, n=25) was 9 years, with a median follow-up duration of survivors of 84 months. Except for 5 patients in the IMG, all were diagnosed in chronic phase (CP). The overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed in CP was 45.7% and 89.7% for pre-IMG and IMG, respectively (P=0.025). The OS of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients in the 2 groups was similar, but the OS of patients diagnosed in CP who did not receive HSCT was superior in IMG (91.7% vs. 16.7%, P=0.014). Of the 12 patients in IMG who remained on IM without HSCT, 2 showed disease progression, compared to 11 of 12 in pre-IMG. No difference was observed in the progression free survival (PFS) of matched donor HSCT recipients and IM-based treatment recipients. CONCLUSION: Similar PFS of patients treated with IM and those who received matched donor HSCT underscore the potential of IM as effective first-line treatment in childhood CML.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization patterns of BCR/ABL1 fusion in chronic myelogenous leukemia at diagnosis.

Background : Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterised by the t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) which results in the formation of the BCR/ABL1 fusion gene. Occasionally, the t(9;22) may be associated with submicroscopic deletions of chromosomes 9 and/or 22 which appear to be associated with a worse prognosis. Three or four-way variant t(9;22) may also occur. All these changes as well as gain of the Philadelphia chromosome which represents disease progression can be detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. FISH analysis at presentation is used to determine the number of cells with BCR/ABL1 fusion and establish whether the patterns are typical or atypical. Response to therapy can then be monitored by serial testing. Patients and Methods : The study group consisted of all patients diagnosed or suspected to have CML who had interphase FISH analysis at presentation on peripheral blood/bone marrow using a commercially available BCR/ABL1 dual colour, dual fusion probe. The study was performed at a tertiary hospital in India between 2004 and 2010. Results: There were 1076 diagnostic samples which were positive for BCR/ABL1 fusion. Typical dual fusion signals (two fusions, one red and one green, 2F1R1G) were seen in 801 cases (74 %). Atypical signal patterns were seen in 275 cases (26%). These were: 1F1R2G (4%), 1F2R1G (2.5%) and 1F1R1G (11%) representing deletions of the derivative 9 involving chromosome 9 sequences, chromosome 22 sequences, or both respectively; 3F1R1G (6.5%) usually representing gain of an additional Philadelphia chromosome and 1F2R2G (1%) representing a three- or four-way variant translocation. More than one signal pattern was seen in 1%. Conclusions: Our findings were similar to the literature with respect to the distribution of signal patterns except that we had a lower number of patients with variant translocations. While each signal pattern is typically associated with a particular abnormality, there can be more than one explanation for each pattern. Hence, metaphase FISH analysis is the "gold standard" for the interpretation of signal patterns.

Imatinib Mesylate is Effective for Patients Not Only with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, but Also Rheumatoid Arthritis / 대한내과학회지

Synovial tissue proliferation and inflammation are regarded as possible causes of rheumatoid arthritis. Activation of tyrosine kinase by numerous cytokines and BCR-ABL translocation contribute to synovial tissue inflammation and the development of rheumatoid arthritis, respectively. Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase-blocking agent that is widely used for treating chronic myeloid leukemia. We found several interesting case reports of patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis who entered remission after initiating imatinib therapy. However, only one case report on treating rheumatoid arthritis with imatinib was found in Korea. Here, we describe the case of a 50-year-old man who showed clinical remission of rheumatoid arthritis and chronic myeloid leukemia after receiving 3 months of imatinib therapy.