Venous thromboembolism in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in China: a report from the Chinese Children's Cancer Group-ALL-2015 / 医学前沿

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a complication in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The Chinese Children's Cancer Group-ALL-2015 protocol was carried out in China, and epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk factors associated with VTE were analyzed. We collected data on VTE in a multi-institutional clinical study of 7640 patients with ALL diagnosed in 20 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2019. First, VTE occurred in 159 (2.08%) patients, including 90 (56.6%) during induction therapy and 108 (67.92%) in the upper extremities. T-ALL had a 1.74-fold increased risk of VTE (95% CI 1.08-2.8, P = 0.022). Septicemia, as an adverse event of ALL treatment, can significantly promote the occurrence of VTE (P < 0.001). Catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) accounted for 75.47% (n = 120); and, symptomatic VTE, 58.49% (n = 93), which was more common in patients aged 12-18 years (P = 0.023), non-CRT patients (P < 0.001), or patients with cerebral thrombosis (P < 0.001). Of the patients with VTE treated with anticoagulation therapy (n = 147), 4.08% (n = 6) had bleeding. The VTE recurrence rate was 5.03% (n = 8). Patients with VTE treated by non-ultrasound-guided venous cannulation (P = 0.02), with residual thrombus (P = 0.006), or with short anticoagulation period (P = 0.026) had high recurrence rates. Thus, preventing repeated venous puncture and appropriately prolonged anticoagulation time can reduce the risk of VTE recurrence.

A long-term follow-up study of 82 children with acute myeloid leukemia / 中华儿科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the efficacy and the prognostic factors of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences 2005 (CAMS-2005) regimen in the treatment of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*Methods@#Eighty-eight cases of newly-diagnosed AML patients, who were treated with the CAMS-2005 regimen from April 2005 to July 2009, were enrolled in this case observational study. Clinical characteristics, long-term prognosis and prognostic factors were analyzed retrospectively. Overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Rates of survival between the groups were compared by the Log-rank test. Prognostic factors were evaluated by COX regression analysis.@*Results@#A total of 82 cases were enrolled in this study, including 34 core binding factor(CBF)-AML patients and 48 non-CBF-AML patients. There were 45 males and 37 females. The median age at diagnosis was 8.0 (0.7-16.0) years. During the induction therapy, 3 patients (4%) developed treatment-related early-death, while 63 patients (77%) achieved complete remission (CR) and 53 patients (65%) achieved CR after 1 course. Twenty-one patients (33%) had relapsed disease. The CR rates of CBF-AML patients and non-CBF-AML patients were 91% (31/34) and 67% (32/48) (χ2=5.410, P=0.020) , while the relapse rates were 29% (9/31) and 38% (12/32) (χ2=0.508, P=0.476) . The 8-year OS and EFS rates of all 82 patients were 59%(48/82) and 51%(42/82). The 8-year OS rates of CBF-AML patients and non-CBF-AML patients were 74% (25/34) and 48%(23/48) (χ2=5.812, P=0.016), while the 8-year EFS rates of CBF-AML patients and non-CBF-AML patients were 71%(24/34) and 38%(18/48) (χ2=8.682, P=0.003). There were statistically significant differences between groups. The 8-year OS rates of patients who achieved CR after 1 course and other patients were 68% (36/53) and 46% (12/26) (χ2=9.606, P=0.002), while the 8-year EFS rates were 66% (35/53) and 27% (7/26) (χ2=19.471, P=0.000), the differences were all statistically significant. COX multivariate analysis showed that CBF-AML or non-CBF-AML and whether achieved CR after 1 course were independent prognostic factors of OS rates (relative risk: 2.538, 2.561) and EFS rates (relative risk: 3.050, 3.686) (P <0.05).@*Conclusions@#The efficacy of the CAMS-2005 regimen in the treatment of AML patients was well. CBF-AML or non-CBF-AML and whether achieved CR after 1 course were independent prognostic factors for pediatric AML patients.

Pediatric myeloid neoplasms associated with eosinophilia and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta gene rearrangement: a case report and literature review / 中华儿科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical features and therapeutic strategies of childhood myeloid neoplasms associated with eosinophilia and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRB) gene rearrangement.@*Methods@#Clinical data of myeloid neoplasms associated with eosinophilia and t (1;5) (q21;q33) chromosomal translocation of PDGFRB gene rearrangement in a child hospitalized in Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences on May 2015 was collected and analyzed. Using'eosinophilia child’and'PDGFRB’as keywords, the relevant reports in literature were searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and Biomedical Literature Database (PubMed) until April 2017.@*Results@#The patient was a boy, 19 months old, who began to get sick at six months after birth, with the main clinical manifestations of high fever, diarrhea, epistaxis and hepatosplenomegaly. Peripheral blood smear showed a significant elevation in white blood cells (127×109/L) and eosinophils(20.32×109/L). Bone marrow examination showed hyperplastic marrow, increased proportion of granulocytes, apparent visible eosinophils and decreased megakaryocytes. Chromosome karyotype detection revealed t (1; 5) (q21; q33) translocation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) examination uncovered that PDGFRB gene rearrangement was positive. The final diagnosis was myeloid neoplasms with eosinophilia and PDGFRB gene rearrangement. After treatment with oral imatinib 100 mg, once a day for 2 months, complete hematologic remission, complete cytogenetic and molecular remission were all achieved. The relevant literature was reviewed, no Chinese cases had been reported, 6 reports in English literature have complete clinical data. Four cases had t (1; 5) translocation. Four pediatric patients treated with imatinib achieved complete remission.@*Conclusion@#Myeloid neoplasms associated with eosinophilia and PDGFRB gene rearrangement is extremely rare in children. Imatinib treatment can make these patients quickly achieve complete hematologic remission, complete cytogenetic and molecular remission. Imatinib should be recommended as the first line treatment of these patients.

Heterogeneity and clonal evolution in pediatric ETV6-RUNX1+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia by quantitative multigene fluorescence in situ hybridization / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To evaluate heterogeneity and clonal evolution in pediatric ETV6-RUNX1+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in China.@*Methods@#Totally 48 children (<14 years) with newly diagnosed ETV6-RUNX1+ ALL in Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, from February 2006 to June 2011 were included. The copy number variations were analyzed by quantitative multigene fluorescence in situ hybridization (QM-FISH) in 48 patients. Non-normal distribution of measurement data were shown with Median (range) , count data were shown with percent (%) . Overall survival and event-free survival were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.@*Results@#Forty-eight patients were tested by QM-FISH. Of 48 patients, 70.8% harbored one clone, 18.8% two subclones, and 10.4% three or more subclones. The clone heterogeneity was detected by two different models: the linear succession model and the branching evolution model. ETV6-RUNX1+ ALL relapse evolved from an ancestral clone or a new clone. The patients relapsed from a new clone got the worse outcome.@*Conclusion@#The clone evolution was detected in pediatric ETV6-RUNX1+ ALL in China. QM-FISH might be helpful to evaluate the outcome of relapsed patients. A new clone was associated with a poorer outcome.

Copy number variations in pediatric ETV6/RUNX1 positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the copy number variations (CNVs) in pediatric ETV6/RUNX1 gene positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL) and its correlation with clinical features and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Totally 141 children (<14 years of age) with newly diagnosed ETV6/RUNX1 positive ALL in Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, were included from January 2006 to November 2012. The CNVs were analyzed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). The survival rate between the patients with CNVs were explored. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Among the 141 cases, 55.3% (n=78) were boys and 44.7% (n=63) were girls and the median age was 4 (1-13) years. The estimated 5-year DFS rate for the patients was (84±4)%. The estimated 5-year OS rate for the patients was (85±4)%. Ninety-five patients were tested MLPA. CNVs were detected in 73 cases (76.8%). CNVs of genes EBF1(15.8%), CDKN2A/2B(18.9%), PAX5(21.1%), ETV6(54.8%), BTG1(10.5%) were detected in more than 10% of the patients. Among the 95 patients, EBF1 deletions were found in 9 patients and EBF1 amplifications were found in 6 patients; 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was statistically significant among 3 groups (χ(2)=9.809, P=0.007) . PAX5 deletions were found in 13 patients and PAX5 amplifications were found in 7 patients; the difference in 5-year RFS was statistically significant between 3 groups(χ(2)=7.622, P=0.022). ETV6 deletions were found in 39 patients and ETV6 amplifications were found in 13 patients; the difference in 5-year RFS was statistically significant among the 3 groups (χ(2)=11.045, P=0.004).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The CNVs had prognostic relevance in ETV6/RUNX1 positive ALL.</p>

Significance of ikaros family zinc finger 1 deletion in pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia without reproducible cytogenetic abnormalities / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify ikaros family zinc finger1 (IKZF1) deletion in patients with pediatric B cells-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) without reproducible chromosomal abnomalities and further investigate its value in this part of patients' pathogenesis and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The study was approved by the institutional review board of the authors' hospital and informed consent was obtained from the patients and/or their legal guardians. Data of 96 children with B-ALL patients without reproducible cytogenetic abnormalities whose bone marrows specimens were enough for DNA extraction for the detection were retrospectively selected. All the patients were diagnosed and systematically treated according to CCLG-ALL2008 in our hospital from April 2008 to April 2013. The 96 patients were divided into two groups according to the result of IKZF1's detection by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA): The cases that with any of eight exons of IKZF1 deleted were entered into"Group with IKZF1 deletion"otherwise entered"Group without IKZF1 deletion". Disease free survival (DFS), event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Nineteen out of 96 B-ALL patients without reproducible cytogenetic abnormalities had IKZF1 deletion (20%). Three of 19 patients with IKZF1 deletions of the whole gene; ten of 19 patients with IKZF1 deletions of exon 1; 4 of 19 patients with IKZF1 deletions of exons 4-7; one of 19 patients with IKZF1 deletions of exons 2-7 and one of 19 patients with IKZF1 deletions of exons 1-6. Whose white blood cell (WBC) ≥ 50 × 10(9)/L inIKZF1 diletion group was more than whthout IKZF1 deletion group(42% vs. 13%, P=0.004). Patients with IKZF1 deletions had a lower 3-year DFS (0.67 ± 0.13 vs. 0.93 ± 0.04, P=0.001); EFS (0.67 ± 0.13 vs. 0.90 ± 0.04, P = 0.012) and OS(0.79 ± 0.09 vs. 0.96 ± 0.02, P=0.010) compared to those without IKZF1 deletions. Excluding the influence of sex, age, WBC count at diagnosis, cerebrospinal fluid state and prednisone response IKZF1 deletion still affected the patients' DFS, EFS and OS ( P<0.05 for all comparisons).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Some of pediatric B-cell precursor ALL without reproducible cytogenetic abnormalities had been detected to have IKZF1 deletion; IKZF1 deletion is an independent poor prognostic factor in these patients.</p>

Treatment outcome of childhood standard-risk and median-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia with CCLG-2008 protocol / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To estimate the significance of the adjustment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk group by monitoring minimal residual disease(MRD).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Totally 285 children ALL patients who were diagnosed and systematically treated according to CCLG-2008 in Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, from April 2008 to August 2011 were prospectively selected. Among these cases, 62.8% (n = 179) were boys and 37.2% (n = 106) were girls and the median age was 5.3(0.5-14.0). The patients who were at high-risk group initially were excluded. The grouping of cases: the patients were divided into two groups according to the dates of initial diagnosis. Group I had 126 patients who were initially diagnosed between April 2008 and December 2009 in whom therapeutic regimen was not adjusted by reassignment of risk group by MRD. Group II had 159 patients who were initially diagnosed between January 2010 and August 2011 whose therapeutic regimen was adjusted by reassignment of risk group by MRD at specific time (33rd day of induction chemotherapy and 12 weeks after the beginning of chemotherapy). MP-FCM Coulter FC-500 was used in the detection of MRD.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Among these 285 patients, 94.0% (n = 268) were diagnosed as B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 6.0% (n = 17) were T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In group I, 61.9% (n = 78) patients belonged to low-risk group, 38.1% (n = 48) median-risk; in group II, before the adjustment, the rates of the low-risk group and median-risk group were 68.6% (n = 109) and 31.4% (n = 50) , respectively, while after the adjustment they were altered to 53.5% (n = 85) and 39.6% (n = 63) , furthermore 6.9% (n = 11) patients went into the high-risk group. Both groups were followed up for 2.5 years after their diagnoses, the disease of 7.4% (n = 21) patients relapsed, and the rates of two groups were 12.7% (n = 16) and 3.1% (n = 5) respectively, P = 0.009. The rate of serious infection (such as sepsis, pulmonary infection) of all these patients was 32.3% (92/285) , there was no significant difference between the two groups [28.6% (36/126) vs.35.2% (56/159) , P = 0.392]. The mortality of all these patients was 6.7% (19/285) , and that of group I was higher than that of group II [10.3% (13/126) vs. 3.8% (6/159) , P = 0.044]. The 2.5 years overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of group I were all lower than those of group II in Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis (all P < 0.05). The two groups were followed up for 2.5 years after their diagnoses, after elimination of the confounding influence of sex, age, FAB subtype, WBC count, ratio of blast cells in bone marrow at diagnosed, chromosome karyotype and fusion gene, reassignment of risk group by MRD was used to calculate the OS, EFS and DFS of ALL patients (all P < 0.05). After the adjustment the risk group was more significant in the assessment of prognosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The reassignment of risk group in low and median risk groups children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia by MRD did not increase the rate of serious infection but could reduce the relapse rate and mortality, and was beneficial to increase the patients' OS, EFS and DFS.</p>

Immunosuppressive therapy using antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporin A with or without human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in children with acquired severe aplastic anemia / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy and safety of four different regimens for pediatric severe aplastic anemia (SAA) with immuno-suppressive therapy (IST) with or without combined human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The authors retrospectively analyzed 105 children with SAA treated with IST with or without G-CSF in the hospital from February 2000 to September 2010. Regimen A, without G-CSF in the whole treatment, was used to treat Group A patients, n = 27; Regimen B, G-CSF, was initiated in Group B, n = 24, before the IST until hematologic recovery; Regimen C, G-CSF, was used together with the IST for Group C patients, n = 24, until hematologic recovery; Regimen D,G-CSF was used for Group D, n = 30, after the end of IST until hematologic recovery. The response rate, relapse rate, mortality, infection rate, infection-related death rate, risk of evolving into MDS/AML, survival rate, factors affecting the time of event-free survival and so on.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>(1) The response (CR+PR) rates 4, 6, 12 and 24 months after IST of the whole series of 105 SAA children were 50.5% (7.6%+42.9%) , 60.0% (21.9%+38.1%) , 67.6% (38.1%+29.5%) and 69.5% (40.0%+29.5%) respectively. The 2-year survival rate was 90.5%; the follow-up of the patients for 13 years showed that the whole survival rate was 87.6%. (2) The differences of the response rates 4, 6, 12 and 24 months after IST of the 4 groups were not significant (P > 0.05). (3) No significant differences were found in the mortalities 4, 6, 12 and 24 months among the 4 groups (P > 0.05). (4) Of the 105 patients, 4 children had relapsed disease in the period of time from 6 to 24 months after IST. All the four patients belonged to the groups with G-CSF. (5) The use of G-CSF could not decrease the infection period before IST (day) (P = 0.273), and it had no impact on the infection rate after IST (P = 0.066). It did not reduce the rates of septicemia and infectious shock. And to the infection-related death rate no significant conclusion can be made. (6) Follow up of the patients for 13 years, showed that 2 had the evolution to MDS/AML in the 105 patients and the two children belonged to the groups with G-CSF. (7) Kaplan-meier curve analysis did not show any differences in the survival rates of the four groups. (8) Cox regression analysis showed that the use of G-CSF had no benefit to the patients' long term survival. While the age of diagnosis and the infection history before IST were significantly related to the patients' long term survival.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The use of G-CSF did not contribute to the early response and could not reduce the infection rate, infection-related death rate and the patients' long term survival. There were no significant differences in the survival rates of the four groups. Attention should be paid to the risk of the evolution to MDS/AML.</p>

Efficacy observation of polyethylene glycol conjugated asparaginase for induction treatment of children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the efficacy of polyethylene glycol conjugated asparaginase (peg-asp) for induction treatment of children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A total of 268 newly diagnosed children with ALL enrolled in CCLG-2008 from January, 2010 to August, 2012 were analyzed. Patients received either native Escherichia coli asparaginase or pegaspargase along with multiagent chemotherapy during remission induction treatment. Status of bone marrow aspiration was assessed on day 15, day 33 (M1, M2, M3).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Of the 268 patients stratified, 37.3% (n = 100) were SR, 32.1% (n = 86) were IR, and 31.6% (n = 82) were HR; 159 patients received native Escherichia coli asparaginase and 109 patients received pegaspargase. Characteristics of two groups in age, sex, blood count at diagnosis, immunophenotype and response to prednisolone had no significant difference (P > 0.05). Bone marrow status on day 15 in pegaspargase group was M1 in 70 (64.2%) cases, M2 in 23 (21.1%) and M3 in 16 (14.7%), while in native Escherichia coli asparaginase group, M1 in 112 (70.4%) cases, M2 in 21 (13.2%) and M3 in 26 (16.4%), respectively (χ(2) = 2.938, P = 0.230). Bone marrow status on day 33 was M1 in 105 (96.3%), M2 in 3 (2.8%) and M3 in 1 (0.9%) in pegaspargase group, while it was M1 in 154 (96.9%) cases, M2 in 5 (3.1%) and M3 in native Escherichia coli asparaginase group, respectively (χ(2) = 1.494, P = 0.474).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Domestic pegaspargase of our country can achieve the similar efficacy in induction treatment for ALL patients as compared with native Escherichia coli asparaginase. The drug could be considered as not only the choice for allergic patients but also a first-line alternative for new patients.</p>

NPM1 and CEBPA mutations in pediatric cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the frequency of the nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene and the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α gene (CEBPA) through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array in pediatric patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) and explore the clinical significances of these mutations.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Between August 2009 and December 2012, 30 children (<16 years old) with newly diagnosed CN-AML were included. The clinical characteristics were analyzed in these patients. PCR combined with direct sequencing was used to detect NPM1, CEBPA gene mutations. All the data were statistically analyzed using SPSS17.0 software.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The gene mutations were detected in each of the 30 patients. NPM1 mutation was positive in three patients (10%) with type A mutation, while CEBPA mutation was positive in two patients (6.7%) with double mutations (TAD, bZIP) . Besides, FLT3/ITD mutation was positive in three patients. Patients with NPM1 or FLT3/ITD had a significantly elevated diagnostic WBC count with a median diagnostic WBC count of 102.80×10(9)/L compared with 18.56×10(9)/L for the patients without mutations(t = 2.353, P = 0.043), as well as the marrow blast percentage (94.0% vs. 80.0%, t = 3.804, P = 0.002). The complete remission was achieved in all the 3 patients with NPM1 mutations and 2 patients with CEBPA mutations. All the patients with these mutations also achieved 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and 2-year overall survival (OS), while 2-year EFS and 2-year OS of the other patients were (40.1 ± 11.2)% and (51.8 ± 10.9)% (P = 0.044, 0.091, respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NPM1 and CEBPA mutations may indicate a favorable prognosis in pediatric CN-AML.</p>