Role of ancillary techniques in diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of a case of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in an elderly patient

The chromosomal abnormality of Philadelphia chromosome is mostly seen in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). But it is observed that the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), t(9,22), is the most common cytogenetic abnormality in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), occurring in about 20% to 30 % of all cases. Patients with Ph-positive ALL have breaks in the minor breakpoint region, m?BCR (exons 1?2) lead to a short fusion proteins (p190) and is most frequently associated with Ph chromosome- positive ALL. They have an increased risk for central nervous system (CNS) involvement, an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. Historically, they had an inferior outcome when compared with their Ph-negative counterparts. Adult Ph+ patients achieve Complete Remission rates comparable to Ph? ALL patients with standard chemotherapy, but the remissions are short and survival poor. The addition of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) including imatinib has dramatically improved outcomes. We are presenting this case report of t(9;22), p190 BCR-ABL1 positive ALL in an elderly female patient of south Gujarat.

¿Es importante conocer el tipo de transcripto BCR-ABL en la leucemia mieloide crónica? / Is it important to know the type of BCR-ABL transcript in chronic myeloid leukemia?

La leucemia mieloide crónica se caracteriza por la ocurrencia de una translocación recíproca entre los cromosomas 9 y 22; que da origen a un cromosoma 22 derivativo conocido como Filadelfia. En el sitio de unión se forma el gen de fusión BCR-ABL que conlleva a la síntesis de una proteína híbridacon propiedades oncogénicas. El sitio de unión entre los cromosomas 9 y 22 es variable y da lugar a transcritos diferentes; los conocidos como e13a2 y e14a2 son los más frecuentes y estudiados. El análisis de las características clínico-hematológicas de presentación y la respuesta al tratamiento entre los pacientes portadores de e13a2 o e14a2 ha revelado diferencias que pueden ser útiles para la predicción del pronóstico. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura científica a través de PUBMED. Se analizó y resumió la información. Se evidencian diferentes características de presentación, pero no existe coincidencia entre todos los autores. Respecto al comportamiento de la respuesta al tratamiento con inhibidores de tirosina quinasa, algunos autores encuentran diferencias y algunos sugieren que puede tratarse de dos enfermedades diferentes. Puede ser importante conocer el tipo de transcripto BCR-ABL en la LMC ya que, al menos entre los dos más frecuentes, existen diferencias que pueden ser útiles en la predicción del pronóstico para el paciente, así como para el manejo del tratamiento(AU)

Chronic myeloid leukemia is characterized by the occurrence of a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22; which gives rise to a derivative chromosome 22 known as Philadelphia. At the binding site, the BCR-ABL fusion gene is formed, which leads to the synthesis of a hybrid protein with oncogenic properties. The binding site between chromosomes 9 and 22 is variable and gives rise to different transcripts; those known as e13a2 and e14a2 are the most frequent and studied. The analysis of the clinical-hematological characteristics of presentation and the response to treatment among patients with e13a2 or e14a2 has revealed differences that may be useful for the prediction of prognosis. To describe the different characteristics reported for one or another transcript and to know if it is important to know the type of transcript in the CML. A review of the scientific literature was carried out through PUBMED. The information was analyzed and summarized. Different presentation characteristics are evident but there is no coincidence between all the authors. Regarding the behavior of the response to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, some authors find differences and some suggest that it may be two different entities. It may be important to know the type of BCR-ABL transcript in CML cause, at least between the two most frequent, there are differences that may be useful in predicting the prognosis for the patient as well as for the management of treatment(AU)

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.

Quimioterapia intensiva asociada a imatinib en leucemia linfoblástica aguda del adulto, Philadelphia positivo. Experiencia en un hospital público / Intensive chemotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background: Before the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), patients with Philadelphia-positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ALL) had a poor prognosis. The association of TKIs to intensive chemotherapy (CT) improved outcome. Aim: To evaluate results of an intensive CT protocol including TKI in a public hospital in Santiago, Chile. Material and Methods: All patients with Ph+ALL diagnosed between January 2010 and February 2019, and who met inclusion criteria for intensive CT, received the Ph+ALL national protocol in association with imatinib and were included in this analysis. Results: Thirty-five patients aged 15 to 59 years received treatment. Complete response (CR) was obtained in 97%. Measurable residual disease (MRD) was negative in 61% (19/31 evaluable cases) during follow-up, and 55% (16/29) were MRD (-) before three months. Relapse was observed in 13 cases. Three patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), two in CR1. The overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) at three years were 52 and 34%, respectively. In patients who achieved MRD negativity before three months, no statistically significant differences in OS (64 and 42% respectively, p = 0.15) or EFS (35 and 32% respectively, p = 0.37) were observed. Conclusions: The prognosis of Ph+ALL improved with the association of imatinib to intensive CT. MRD-negative status before three months in this series was not significantly associated with better outcomes. Our series suggests that the Ph+ALL national protocol associated to TKI is a therapeutic alternative with high CR and aceptable MRD (-) rates.

Clinical Spectrum of Primary Polycythaemia and Its Complications -Experience from a Single Center in Karnataka.

Awareness and diagnosis of Philadelphia Negative Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders has now improved and there is a need for more epidemiological data from India. MethodsThis is a retrospective study of patients of polycythaemia conducted at clinical haematology services, BMCRI, Bengaluru from 2010 to 2017. Results88 patients of polycythaemia were retrospectively studied. 84.1% were male and 15.9% were female. Their ages ranged from 19 to 79 years. 75 (85.23%) had Polycythaemia Rubra Vera (PRV). JAK-2 (V617F) mutation was positive in 33.33%. The commonest presentation was with unexplained erythrocytosis in 50 (66.66%), thrombosis in 20 (26.66%) and with bleeding in 2 (2.66%). 22 thrombotic events occurred in 20 PRV patients. Cortical sinus thrombosis was seen in 27.3%, cerebrovascular accidents in 22.8%, portal vein thrombosis in 13.6%, pulmonary embolism in 9.1%, central retinal artery occlusion in 13.6%, myocardial infarction in 4.5% and digital infarction in 9.1% patients. 3 cases of PRV presented with diplopia. No other definitive cause for ocular palsy could be found. The JAK 2 positive group was slightly older than the negative group and had higher frequency of splenomegaly (p<0.05) and higher values for haemoglobin (p<0.001) and neutrophil counts (p<0.001) and platelet counts (p<0.05). ConclusionsPatients with thrombosis, erythrocytosis, thrombocytosis and haemorrhage should be suspected to have myeloproliferative disorders like PRV and investigated. Ophthalmoplegia is a rare presentation and should raise the suspicion for polycythaemia. There is a higher probability of splenomegaly and higher values for haemoglobin and neutrophil counts and platelet counts in JAK 2 positive group.

De novo Philadelphia chromosome positive myelodysplastic syndrome: Report of two cases with brief literature review

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are characteristically defined by the presence of specific karyotypic abnormalities, based on which they have been prognosticated. Translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) (Philadelphia positive [Ph +ve]) and corresponding BCR-ABL fusion transcript is the defining parameter of chronic myeloid leukemia. It is also seen in a fair proportion of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Occurrence of a Ph +ve MDS is very uncommon, and that too is seen mostly on progression to higher stage/acute leukemia. Even rarer is the de novo presence of Ph positivity in an MDS. A literature search through PubMed has shown only about forty cases of Ph +ve MDS among which less than half had shown Ph positivity at the time of initial diagnosis. Due to its rarity, this entity has not yet found its space in current WHO 2008 classification and is still under “yet to be validated phase” in current practice of hematological malignancies. The benefit of using a tyrosine kinase inhibitor in such a situation is also debatable. We report here two such cases of de novo Ph +ve MDS, diagnosed in last 1½ year at our institute along with brief literature review

Advances in Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCR-ABL1-like ALL) is a newly defined ALL subtype in 2009. It is Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)/BCR-ABL1-negative and characterized by a set of gene expression profile which is highly similar to that of Ph/BCR-ABL1-positive ALL. However, there is no definitive unified diagnostic criteria yet. BCR-ABL1-like ALL is generally resistant to chemotherapy, with a high relapsed rate and poor prognosis. It harbors a diverse range of genetic alterations that affect cytokine receptor and/or signal transduction pathway of tyrosine kinase. Overexpression of CRLF2, JAK-STAT pathway abnormalities and ABL-class gene rearrangements are the most common. These genetic aberrations could be therapeutic targets. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments and clinical data support the efficacy of targeted therapy. Beside conventional multi-drug chemotherapy, the combination of targeted therapy, cellular immunotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is promising to improve the prognosis of BCR-ABL1-like ALL. In this paper, the research status of BCR-ABL1-like ALL is described from five aspects: definition, diagnosis, clinical characteristics, molecular biological characteristics and treatment.

Mixed phenotype acute leukaemia with t(9,22), BCR-ABL1: A case report

@#Introduction: Mixed phenotype acute leukaemia (MPAL) is a rare entity of acute leukaemia. Case Report: Here we report a case of a 39-year-old lady, with an incidental finding of hyperleukocytosis (white blood cells count: 139.2 x 109 /L). Her peripheral blood film revealed 36% of blasts and a bone marrow aspiration showed 53% of blasts. Immunophenotyping showed a population of blasts exhibiting positivity of two lineages, myeloid lineage and B-lymphoid lineage with strong positivity of CD34 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt). A conventional karyotyping revealed the presence of Philadelphia chromosome. She was diagnosed with MPAL with t(9,22), BCR ABL1, which carried a poor prognosis. She was treated with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) chemotherapy protocol coupled with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and was planned for an allogeneic stem cells transplant. Conclusion: This MPAL case was diagnosed incidentally in an asymptomatic patient during medical check-up. We highlight this rare case report to raise the awareness about this rare disease. Understanding the pathogenesis of the disease with the underlying genes responsible for triggering the disease, uniform protocols for diagnosis and targeted treatment will help for proper management of these patients.

Prognostic significance of a normal karyotype in adult patients with BCR-ABL1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor era

OBJECTIVE: The occurrence of cryptic Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome translocation is rare in BCR-ABL1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCR-ABL1+ ALL) and is of unknown significance in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) era. METHODS: We retrospectively studied a series of adult patients receiving TKI-based therapy to evaluate the prognostic impact of the normal karyotype (NK) (n=22) in BCR-ABL1+ ALL by comparison with the isolated Ph+ karyotype (n=54). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in clinical characteristics and complete remission rate between the two groups. Compared with the isolated Ph+ group, the NK/BCR-ABL1+ group had a higher relapse rate (55.0% versus 29.4%, p=0.044). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were significantly shorter in the NK/BCR-ABL1+ group than in the isolated Ph+ group [median OS: 24.5 versus 48.6 (months), p=0.013; median DFS: 11.0 (months) versus undefined, p=0.008]. The five-year OS and DFS for patients with NK/BCR-ABL1+ were 19.2% and 14.5%, respectively; those for patients with isolated Ph+ were 49.5% and 55.7%, respectively. Thirty-four (44.7%) patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in this study. Among the patients who received allo-HSCT, the median OS and DFS in the NK/BCR-ABL+ group (n=9) were 35.5 and 27.5 months, respectively, while those in the isolated Ph+ group (n=25) were undefined. There was a trend of significant statistical difference in the OS between the two subgroups (p=0.066), but no significant difference in the DFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that NK was independently associated with worse OS and DFS in BCR-ABL1+ ALL patients [Hazard ratio (HR) 2.256 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.005-5.066), p=0.049; HR 2.711 (95% CI, 1.319-5.573), p=0.007]. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the sub-classification of an NK could be applied in the prognostic assessments of BCR-ABL1+ ALL. In addition, allo-HSCT should be actively performed to improve prognosis in these patients.

Isocromosoma Filadelfia en dos pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica / Philadelphia isochromosome in two patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

RESUMEN El cromosoma Filadelfia (Ph por su abreviatura del inglés "Philadelphia") se presenta en más del 90 % de los pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica. Un cromosoma Ph extra es una de las alteraciones secundarias comúnmente observada como evolución clonal de la enfermedad y se puede presentar como un derivativo adicional o un isocromosoma del 22 derivativo. Es una alteración adquirida durante la progresión de la enfermedad con implicación pronóstica. Se presentan dos casos con diagnóstico de leucemia mieloide crónica, resistentes al tratamiento con mesilato de imatinib. En el estudio cromosómico con técnica de banda G se observaron en ambos pacientes líneas celulares con dos isocromosomas del derivativo del 22, 2ider (22) t (9; 22). El primer caso falleció en crisis blástica y el segundo luego de no responder al tratamiento de primera línea, se le indicó nilotinib pero su evolución fue no satisfactoria. Las alteraciones cromosómicas secundarias están asociadas con un impacto negativo en la supervivencia y progresión a fase acelerada y crisis blástica de la enfermedad.

ABSTRACT The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) is present in more than 90% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. An extra Ph chromosome is one of the secondary alterations commonly observed in clonal evolution and it could be as na additional derivative or anisochromosome of the derivative. It is na alteration acquired during the progression of the disease with prognostic implications. We present two cases with a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia, Who showed resistance to treatment with imatinib mesylate. In both patients,the chromosomal study with G-band technique, show cell lines with two isochromosomes from the derivative of 22, 2ider(22)t(9; 22). The first case died in blast crisis and to the second after not responding to the first line treatment, was precribed nilotinib but the evolution was unsatisfactory. Secondary chromosomal alterations are associated with a negative impact on survival and the progression to accelerated phase and blast crisis of the disease.

Efficacy of Hyper-CVAD/MA and CHALL-01 regimens in the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients under 60 years old / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To compare the difference of efficacy between traditional Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen and the adolescents inspired chemotherapy regimen, CH ALL-01, in treatment of adult Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) .@*Methods@#In this study we retrospectively analyzed 158 Ph+ ALL patients receiving Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen (n=63) or CHALL-01 regimen (n=95) in our center and Changzheng hospital from January 2007 to December 2017, excluding patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) was administered during induction and consolidation chemotherapy. Patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation received TKI as maintenance therapy.@*Results@#Of them, 91.1% (144/158) patients achieved complete remission (CR) after 1-2 courses of induction. CR rate was 90.5% (57/63) for patients in Hyper-CVAD/MA group and 91.6% (87/95) for patients in CHALL-01 group. There was no difference in CR rates between the two groups (χ2=0.057, P=0.811) . The last follow-up was June 2018. A cohort of 134 CR patients could be used for further analysis, among them, 53 patients received Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen and other 81 patients received CHALL-01 regimen. The molecular remission rates were significantly higher in CHALL-01 group (complete molecular response: 44.4%vs 22.6%; major molecular response: 9.9% vs 18.9%) (χ2=7.216, P=0.027) . For the patients in Hyper-CVAD/MA group, the 4-year overall survival (OS) was 44.81% (95%CI: 30.80%-57.86%) and the 4-year disease free survival (DFS) was 37.95% (95%CI: 24.87%-50.93%) . For patients received CHALL-01 regimen, the 4-year OS was 55.63% (95%CI: 39.07%-69.36%) (P=0.037) and 4 year DFS was 49.06% (95%CI: 34.24%-62.29%) (P=0.015) , while there was no significant difference in 4 year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (P=0.328) or cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality (CI-NRM) (P=0.138) . The rate of pulmonary infection was lower in patients received CHALL-01 regimen compared with patients received Hyper-CVAD regimen (43.4% vs 67.9%, χ2=7.908, P=0.005) .@*Conclusions@#Outcome with CHALL-01 regimen appeared better than that with the Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen in Ph+ ALL, which has lower incidence of pulmonary infection, higher molecular remission rate and better OS and DFS.

Minimal residual disease in adults with Philadelphia chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in high-risk / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To explore the significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) in predicting prognosis and guiding therapy of adults with Philadelphia-chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph- ALL) in high-risk.@*Methods@#Data of newly diagnosed adults with Ph- ALL in high-risk who achieved CR were reviewed. Variables associated with outcome were identified by COX regression model and Landmark analysis.@*Results@#A total of 177 patients, 99 (56%) cases male with a median age of 40 years (range, 16-65 years) were included in this study. Of them, 95 (54%) patients received allo-HSCT in CR1. Multivariate analyses showed that MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation (HR=0.52, 95%CI 0.30-0.89, P=0.017) and achieving CR within 4 weeks (HR=0.43, 95%CI 0.24-0.79, P=0.006) were the factors significantly-associated with longer DFS, and allo-HSCT was associated with both longer DFS (HR=0.13, 95%CI 0.08-0.22, P<0.001) and OS (HR=0.24, 95%CI 0.15-0.41, P<0.001) . Landmark analysis was performed on 121 patients, of 85 patients achieving MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation, multivariate analyses showed that MRD negativity after the third cycle of consolidation was significantly-associated with longer DFS (HR=0.18, 95%CI 0.05-0.64, P=0.008) and OS (HR=0.14, 95%CI 0.04-0.50, P=0.003) . For the patients achieving MRD negativity after both the first and the third cycles of consolidation, the 3-year DFS rate in the allo-HSCT cohort had a higher trend compared with that in the chemotherapy cohort (75.2% vs 51.3%, P=0.082) , however, the 3-year OS rates in the 2 cohorts were similar (72.7% vs 68.7%, P=0.992) . In those with MRD positivity after the first and/or the third cycle of consolidation, 3-year DFS (64.8% vs 33.3%, P=0.006) and OS (77.0% vs 33.3%, P=0.028) rates in the allo-HSCT cohort were significantly higher than those in the chemotherapy cohort, and similar to those in the cohort achieving MRD negativity after both the first and the third cycles of consolidation and receiving allo-HSCT.@*Conclusions@#MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation was a predictor for better outcome in adults with Ph- ALL in high-risk. The survival advantage of the allo-HSCT cohort was not pronounced compared with that in the chemotherapy cohort even in those with high-risk features but achieving MDR negativity after both the first and third cycles of consolidation. However, allo-HSCT could be a good option for the patients with MRD positivity after the first and/or the third cycle of consolidation.

Prognosis of clonal chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia negative metaphases cells in chronic myeloid leukemia with tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the characteristics and prognosis of clonal chromosomal abnormalities appearing in Philadelphia negative metaphases (CCA/Ph-) cells in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.@*Methods@#The clinical data of 30 cases with CCA/Ph- during TKI treatment in Henan Cancer Hospital from August 2007 to July 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The univariate factor was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Multiple-factor was analyzed by Cox proportional risk model.@*Results@#Of the 30 cases, 19 (63.3%) were males. At the first detection of CCA/Ph- the median age was 44 (rang 14-68) years old and the median treatment of TKI was 13 (rang 2-94) months. The clones proportion of first detected CCA/Ph-≥ 50% was found in 18 (60.0%) cases. TKI treatment for 3 months with BCR-ABLIS less than 10% was seen in 14 (46.7%) patients. 63.3% (19/30) of CCA/Ph- was transient (only one time) and 36.7% (11/30) was repeated (≥2 times) . Trisomy 8 dominant accounted for 60.0% (18/30) , -7/7q- for 13.3% (4/30) , loss of chromosome Y 6.7%. With a median of follow-up 50 months, 76.7% (23/30) cases were in complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) ; 63.3% (19/30) in major molecular response (MMR) , 43.3% (13/30) in undetectable minimal residual disease (UMRD) . The median event-free survival rate of (EFS) were 44 months, and 2-year and 5-year EFS were (82.1±7.3) % and (52.4±12.8) %, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) were 50 months, and 2-year and 5-year OS rates were (92.6±5.0) % and (77.2±14.7) %, respectively. Univariate analysis shows that the 2-year EFS of who in males, more than 2 times CCA/Ph-, BCR-ABLIS>10% at 3 months after TKI were significantly lower than women, transient CCA/Ph-, and BCR-ABLIS≤10% (P<0.05) . The 2-year OS rate in whom the occurrence frequency of CCA/Ph- more than twice was significantly lower than those with transient CCA/Ph- (P<0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed that CCA/Ph- was an independent risk factor (RR=4.741, 95%CI 1.21-18.571, P=0.018) for EFS in CML patients.@*Conclusion@#Trisomy 8, -7/7q-, and -Y were the most common CCA/Ph- during TKI treatment, with high clones proportion of ≥50%. CCA/Ph- mainly occurred transiently or was permanent occasionally. CCA/Ph- recurrence (≥2 times) was an independent risk factor for EFS and OS in CML with TKI.

The influence of additive clonal chromosome abnormalities in Ph negative cells on the efficacy of chronic myeloid leukemia / 中华内科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the influence of additional clonal chromosome abnormalities in Ph negative cells (CCA/Ph-) on the efficacy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) treatment.@*Methods@#The clinical data of 28 CML patients with CCA/Ph- treated in Henan Cancer Hospital from July 2014 to December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The univariate analysis was carried out by Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis was done by Cox proportional risk model.@*Results@#A total of 28 CCA/Ph-patients were recruited including 17 males and 11 females with median age of 42.5 years old. The most common CCA/Ph-were trisomy 8 (60.7%), monosomy 7 (14.3%). 64.3% CCA/Ph-were transient and 35.7% recurrent (more than 2 times). Cytopenia in two or three lineages of peripheral blood was seen in 42.9% patients. As to the efficacy, 89.3% patients achieved major cytogenetic response (MCyR), 25% with major molecular response (MMR). The median follow-up time was 26.5 months. Treatment failure (TF) of TKI occurred in 32.1% patients with median duration of response 8 (1-41) months. Univariate analysis showed that TF rate was significantly correlated with the frequency of CCA/Ph-and cytopenia (all P<0.05). The MMR rate was also significantly correlated with cytopenia (P<0.05). Cytopenia of two lineages or pancytopenia was an independent risk factor related to MMR rate (RR=3.868, 95%CI 1.216-12.298, P=0.022) .@*Conclusions@#Cytopenia in CCA/Ph-appears to be an independent risk factor of MMR in CML patients with TKI treatment. The recurrent CCA/Ph-may link to higher treatment failure rate. Drug withdrawal or alternative strategy should be considered according to response and the ABL kinase mutations.

Clinical effect and safety of dasatinib combined with Chinese Children's Leukemia Group-acute lymphoblastic leukemia 2008 protocol in treatment of childhood Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective@#To investigate the clinical effect and safety of dasatinib combined with Chinese Children's Leukemia Group-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (CCLG-ALL) 2008 protocol in treatment of childhood Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).@*Methods@#The clinical data of 22 patients with Ph+ ALL who were newly diagnosed at the age of less than 15 years old in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with dasatinib combined with CCLG-ALL2008 protocol (high-risk group). The patients were assigned to two groups according to different starting times of oral dasatinib: the dasatinib-induced group (starting from day 15 of induction chemotherapy) and the dasatinib-consolidated group (starting with early consolidated chemotherapy). The early treatment response and 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate were compared between the two groups.@*Results@#The differences of clinical characteristics and early efficacy of chemotherapy before treatment of dasatinib between the two groups were not statistically significant (both P > 0.05). The complete remission (CR) rate on day 33 of induction chemotherapy was higher in the dasatinib-induced group than that in the dasatinib-consolidated group [100% (10/10) vs. 75% (9/12)], but the difference was not statistically significant (χ 2= 2.895, P= 0.221). The rate of minimal residual disease (MRD) turned negative (<0.01%) on day 33 of induction chemotherapy in the dasatinib-induced group was significantly higher than that in the dasatinib-consolidated group [70% (7/10) vs. 17% (2/12)], and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2= 6.418, P= 0.027). The 3-year EFS rate was higher in the dasatinib-induced group than that in the dasatinib-consolidated group (88.9% vs. 63.5%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P= 0.163). The incidence of grade 3-4 infection in the dashatinib-induced group was lower than that in the dasatinib-consolidated group, and the difference was statistically significant [60% (6/10) vs. 100% (12/12), P= 0.029]. the other grade 3-4 adverse reactions related to the chemotherapy drugs mainly included hematological toxicity, diarrhea, abnormal liver function, edema and pleural effusion, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (all P > 0.05).@*Conclusions@#Dasatinib combined with CCLG-ALL2008 protocol in the treatment of children with Ph+ ALL has good efficacy and safety. Furthermore, the early use of dasatinib on day 15 of induction chemotherapy can enable patients to achieve deeper remission earlier and improve long-term efficacy.

Progress in molecular studies of Ph-positive and Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中国医师杂志

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a highly heterogeneous disease. The prognosis of adolescents and adults with ALL is worse than that of children with ALL, mainly because of differences in biological characteristics. Molecular markers are of great value on risk stratification, prognosis evaluation, treatment guidance. The good news is with the deepening of studies on pathogenesis of ALL and the introduction of new technologies, novel molecular markers of prognostic relevance continue to be discovered. It was found that increased Sox4 expression was shown to correlate with accelerate leukemia progression. Unfortunately, resistance to medicine is associated with two cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitor-2AB (CDKN2A/B) deletion.And the deletion of IKZF1 increase risk of relapse. Meanwhile, Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by a variety of genetic alterations that activate kinase or cytokine receptor signaling pathway. Identification of these molecular markers will provide important insights into the treatment strategies. This paper reviewed the advance in the Ph-positive ALL and Ph-like ALL.

Minimal residual disease in adults with Philadelphia chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in high-risk / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To explore the significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) in predicting prognosis and guiding therapy of adults with Philadelphia-chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(-) ALL) in high-risk. Methods: Data of newly diagnosed adults with Ph(-) ALL in high-risk who achieved CR were reviewed. Variables associated with outcome were identified by COX regression model and Landmark analysis. Results: A total of 177 patients, 99 (56%) cases male with a median age of 40 years (range, 16-65 years) were included in this study. Of them, 95 (54%) patients received allo-HSCT in CR(1). Multivariate analyses showed that MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation (HR=0.52, 95%CI 0.30-0.89, P=0.017) and achieving CR within 4 weeks (HR=0.43, 95%CI 0.24-0.79, P=0.006) were the factors significantly-associated with longer DFS, and allo-HSCT was associated with both longer DFS (HR=0.13, 95%CI 0.08-0.22, P<0.001) and OS (HR=0.24, 95%CI 0.15-0.41, P<0.001) . Landmark analysis was performed on 121 patients, of 85 patients achieving MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation, multivariate analyses showed that MRD negativity after the third cycle of consolidation was significantly-associated with longer DFS (HR=0.18, 95%CI 0.05-0.64, P=0.008) and OS (HR=0.14, 95%CI 0.04-0.50, P=0.003) . For the patients achieving MRD negativity after both the first and the third cycles of consolidation, the 3-year DFS rate in the allo-HSCT cohort had a higher trend compared with that in the chemotherapy cohort (75.2% vs 51.3%, P=0.082) , however, the 3-year OS rates in the 2 cohorts were similar (72.7% vs 68.7%, P=0.992) . In those with MRD positivity after the first and/or the third cycle of consolidation, 3-year DFS (64.8% vs 33.3%, P=0.006) and OS (77.0% vs 33.3%, P=0.028) rates in the allo-HSCT cohort were significantly higher than those in the chemotherapy cohort, and similar to those in the cohort achieving MRD negativity after both the first and the third cycles of consolidation and receiving allo-HSCT. Conclusions: MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation was a predictor for better outcome in adults with Ph(-) ALL in high-risk. The survival advantage of the allo-HSCT cohort was not pronounced compared with that in the chemotherapy cohort even in those with high-risk features but achieving MDR negativity after both the first and third cycles of consolidation. However, allo-HSCT could be a good option for the patients with MRD positivity after the first and/or the third cycle of consolidation.

Efficacy of Hyper-CVAD/MA and CHALL-01 regimens in the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients under 60 years old / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To compare the difference of efficacy between traditional Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen and the adolescents inspired chemotherapy regimen, CH ALL-01, in treatment of adult Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL) . Methods: In this study we retrospectively analyzed 158 Ph(+) ALL patients receiving Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen (n=63) or CHALL-01 regimen (n=95) in our center and Changzheng hospital from January 2007 to December 2017, excluding patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) was administered during induction and consolidation chemotherapy. Patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation received TKI as maintenance therapy. Results: Of them, 91.1% (144/158) patients achieved complete remission (CR) after 1-2 courses of induction. CR rate was 90.5% (57/63) for patients in Hyper-CVAD/MA group and 91.6% (87/95) for patients in CHALL-01 group. There was no difference in CR rates between the two groups (χ(2)=0.057, P=0.811) . The last follow-up was June 2018. A cohort of 134 CR patients could be used for further analysis, among them, 53 patients received Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen and other 81 patients received CHALL-01 regimen. The molecular remission rates were significantly higher in CHALL-01 group (complete molecular response: 44.4%vs 22.6%; major molecular response: 9.9% vs 18.9%) (χ(2)=7.216, P=0.027) . For the patients in Hyper-CVAD/MA group, the 4-year overall survival (OS) was 44.81% (95%CI: 30.80%-57.86%) and the 4-year disease free survival (DFS) was 37.95% (95%CI: 24.87%-50.93%) . For patients received CHALL-01 regimen, the 4-year OS was 55.63% (95%CI: 39.07%-69.36%) (P=0.037) and 4 year DFS was 49.06% (95%CI: 34.24%-62.29%) (P=0.015) , while there was no significant difference in 4 year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (P=0.328) or cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality (CI-NRM) (P=0.138) . The rate of pulmonary infection was lower in patients received CHALL-01 regimen compared with patients received Hyper-CVAD regimen (43.4% vs 67.9%, χ(2)=7.908, P=0.005) . Conclusions: Outcome with CHALL-01 regimen appeared better than that with the Hyper-CVAD/MA regimen in Ph(+) ALL, which has lower incidence of pulmonary infection, higher molecular remission rate and better OS and DFS.

Prognosis of clonal chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia negative metaphases cells in chronic myeloid leukemia with tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and prognosis of clonal chromosomal abnormalities appearing in Philadelphia negative metaphases (CCA/Ph(-)) cells in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 30 cases with CCA/Ph(-) during TKI treatment in Henan Cancer Hospital from August 2007 to July 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The univariate factor was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Multiple-factor was analyzed by Cox proportional risk model. Results: Of the 30 cases, 19 (63.3%) were males. At the first detection of CCA/Ph(-) the median age was 44 (rang 14-68) years old and the median treatment of TKI was 13 (rang 2-94) months. The clones proportion of first detected CCA/Ph(-)≥ 50% was found in 18 (60.0%) cases. TKI treatment for 3 months with BCR-ABL(IS) less than 10% was seen in 14 (46.7%) patients. 63.3% (19/30) of CCA/Ph(-) was transient (only one time) and 36.7% (11/30) was repeated (≥2 times) . Trisomy 8 dominant accounted for 60.0% (18/30) , -7/7q- for 13.3% (4/30) , loss of chromosome Y 6.7%. With a median of follow-up 50 months, 76.7% (23/30) cases were in complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) ; 63.3% (19/30) in major molecular response (MMR) , 43.3% (13/30) in undetectable minimal residual disease (UMRD) . The median event-free survival rate of (EFS) were 44 months, and 2-year and 5-year EFS were (82.1±7.3) % and (52.4±12.8) %, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) were 50 months, and 2-year and 5-year OS rates were (92.6±5.0) % and (77.2±14.7) %, respectively. Univariate analysis shows that the 2-year EFS of who in males, more than 2 times CCA/Ph(-), BCR-ABL(IS)>10% at 3 months after TKI were significantly lower than women, transient CCA/Ph(-), and BCR-ABL(IS)≤10% (P<0.05) . The 2-year OS rate in whom the occurrence frequency of CCA/Ph(-) more than twice was significantly lower than those with transient CCA/Ph(-) (P<0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed that CCA/Ph(-) was an independent risk factor (RR=4.741, 95%CI 1.21-18.571, P=0.018) for EFS in CML patients. Conclusion: Trisomy 8, -7/7q-, and -Y were the most common CCA/Ph(-) during TKI treatment, with high clones proportion of ≥50%. CCA/Ph(-) mainly occurred transiently or was permanent occasionally. CCA/Ph(-) recurrence (≥2 times) was an independent risk factor for EFS and OS in CML with TKI.

Progress in molecular studies of Ph-positive and Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中国医师杂志

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a highly heterogeneous disease.The prognosis of adolescents and adults with ALL is worse than that of children with ALL,mainly because of differences in biological characteristics.Molecular markers are of great value on risk stratification,prognosis evaluation,treatment guidance.The good news is with the deepening of studies on pathogenesis of ALL and the introduction of new technologies,novel molecular markers of prognostic relevance continue to be discovered.It was found that increased Sox4 expression was shown to correlate with accelerate leukemia progression.Unfortunately,resistance to medicine is associated with two cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitor-2AB (CDKN2A/B) deletion.And the deletion of IKZF1 increase risk of relapse.Meanwhile,Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by a variety of genetic alterations that activate kinase or cytokine receptor signaling pathway.Identification of these molecular markers will provide important insights into the treatment strategies.This paper reviewed the advance in the Ph-positive ALL and Ph-like ALL.