Clinical clues for suspecting wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Myeloproliferative disorders, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), are often associated with amyloid light-chain (AL)-type cardiac amyloidosis (CA) but occasionally with wild-type transthyretin (ATTR) CA. In recent years, ATTR amyloidosis has attracted necessity for its reliable diagnosis with the addition of new treatments. Usually, both wild-type ATTR CA and AL-type CA present with marked cardiac hypertrophy, but renal dysfunction is milder in wild-type ATTR amyloidosis than in AL-type amyloidosis. Peripheral neurologic and autonomic symptoms such as numbness and dysesthesia are moderately present in AL-type amyloidosis, but less so in wild-type ATTR amyloidosis. Furthermore, the prognosis of ATTR-type amyloidosis is better than that of AL-type amyloidosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old man with cardiac hypertrophy presented with New York Heart Association functional class III dyspnea and leg edema. He had no history of carpal tunnel syndrome. An electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation and low voltage. The N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level was 3310 pg/mL, and troponin T was elevated to 0.073 ng/mL. However, the glomerular filtration rate was only slightly decreased at 69.0 mL/min/1.73 m2. The serum free light-chain assay revealed a significant increase in the kappa chain, with positive results in Bence Jones proteins and serum immunoelectrophoresis. Bone marrow examination confirmed the diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). AL-type amyloidosis associated with a myeloproliferative disorder was suspected, and the prognosis was initially predicted to be poor, classified as Mayo stage IV. Contrary to this prognosis, the patient showed a slow progression of heart failure. Further imaging modalities and cardiac tissue findings confirmed the diagnosis as transthyretin type amyloidosis, and a favorable prognosis was established with the use of tafamidis. CONCLUSIONS: MGUS occasionally coexists with wild-type ATTR CA. Scant autonomic symptoms, mild renal dysfunction, and slow progression of heart failure might be clues that the CA associated with the myeloproliferative disease is wild-type ATTR amyloidosis.

Prognostic Impact of a Body Mass Index Decrease during First Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Follicular Lymphoma.

Objective Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent B-cell malignancy, usually treated by immunochemotherapy in advanced-stage and high-tumor-burden cases. Although some reports have shown no significant relationship between the pre-treatment body mass index (BMI) and the overall survival (OS) in FL, little is known regarding BMI changes during chemotherapy. We analyzed the impact of a BMI decrease during chemotherapy on the OS in FL patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 56 patients with untreated advanced FL who underwent chemotherapy at our institute between July 2009 and December 2020. The BMI change was defined based on the BMI before and at three months after the first chemotherapy session. The cut-off for a BMI decrease was set at 1.42 kg/m2 according to the receiver operating characteristics curve for the OS. We compared the survival outcome between two BMI groups based on this cut-off. Results A BMI decrease was significantly associated with a worse OS (5-year OS: 86.7% vs. 60.5%, p=0.019), although the pre-treatment BMI showed no significant relationship with the survival. The adverse impact of a BMI decrease remained in a multivariate analysis for the OS (hazard ratio, 3.972; p=0.045). The decreased-BMI group tended to show a higher cumulative incidence of early-onset histological transformation (HT) than the non-decreased-BMI group (20% vs. 0.0%). A BMI decrease during chemotherapy in previously untreated FL patients might reflect the hyperactivation of tumor-induced metabolism related to HT. Conclusion A BMI decrease during chemotherapy might be an independent adverse prognostic factor in FL patients. BMI changes in addition to the condition of FL patients should be monitored during chemotherapy.

[A rare synchronous occurrence of multiple myeloma and pulmonary adenocarcinoma with multiple solitary extramedullary plasmacytomas of the liver].

We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with multiple liver tumors. She was diagnosed with synchronous occurrence of multiple myeloma (MM) and primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma 4 years ago. She was treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone for MM, and then she underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy. After the surgery, she received autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. However, recurrence of MM was observed 9 months later. She received multiple chemotherapies for MM, but the effect was limited. Meanwhile, brain metastasis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma was observed; therefore, she underwent surgical resection and received radiation therapy. Furthermore, she had elevated levels of liver enzymes, and ultrasonography revealed multiple liver tumors. Because of thrombocytopenia, liver biopsy could not be performed, and chemotherapies for MM did not improve the tumors. Therefore, we clinically determined that the liver tumors were metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas. The epidermal growth factor receptor mutation was present in the pulmonary adenocarcinoma, so gefitinib was administered. However, the tumors were uncontrollable and the patient died within 1 month. From autopsy, the liver lesion was confirmed to be MM. Synchronous occurrence of MM and other primary cancers is very rare, and no standard treatment has yet been established. Thus, it is crucial to accumulate synchronous cases and develop treatment methods in the future.

[Successful treatment of pre-engraftment disseminated fusariosis with high-dose liposomal amphotericin B in a cord blood transplant recipient].

A 47-year-old man with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic-related changes relapsed after an allogenic bone marrow transplant and received a cord blood transplant as salvage therapy. The patient developed febrile neutropenia that was resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics and multiple, painful, nodular skin lesions on his trunk and extremities before engraftment. A skin biopsy and blood culture found mold, and the subsequent microscopic examination, mass spectrometry, and DNA sequencing of the fungal colonies identified Fusarium solani. The patient's fever and skin lesions began to improve with the administration of liposomal amphotericin B at 5 mg/kg/day. Neutrophilic engraftment occurred on day 19. Stage 3 acute skin graft-versus-host disease was cured by the application of topical steroid. Unexpectedly, a change from liposomal amphotericin B to voriconazole on day 38 exacerbated the Fusarium infection. The Fusarium infection was finally cured by the administration of liposomal amphotericin B for a total of 19 weeks. Neutrophilic engraftment, an immediate definitive diagnosis, the sufficient and long-term administration of appropriate antifungal medication, and avoidance of the systemic administration of steroids might have contributed to the successful outcome of this patient.

Identification of the novel deletion-type PML-RARA mutation associated with the retinoic acid resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) are essential for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment. It has been reported that mutations in PML-RARA confer resistance to ATRA and ATO, and are associated with poor prognosis. Although most PML-RARA mutations were point mutations, we identified a novel seven amino acid deletion mutation (p.K227_T233del) in the RARA region of PML-RARA in a refractory APL patient. Here, we analyzed the evolution of the mutated clone and demonstrated the resistance of the mutated clone to retinoic acid (RA). Mutation analysis of PML-RARA was performed using samples from a chemotherapy- and ATRA-resistant APL patient, and the frequencies of mutated PML-RARA transcript were analyzed by targeted deep sequencing. To clarify the biological significance of the identified PML-RARA mutations, we analyzed the ATRA-induced differentiation and PML nuclear body formation in mutant PML-RARA-transduced HL-60 cells. At molecular relapse, the p.K227_T233del deletion and the p.R217S point-mutation in the RARA region of PML-RARA were identified, and their frequencies increased after re-induction therapy with another type of retinoiec acid (RA), tamibarotene. In deletion PML-RARA-transduced cells, the CD11b expression levels and NBT reducing ability were significantly decreased compared with control cells and the formation of PML nuclear bodies was rarely observed after RA treatment. These results indicate that this deletion mutation was closely associated with the disease progression during RA treatment.

Prognostic analysis according to the 2017 ELN risk stratification by genetics in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients treated in the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG) AML201 study.

Many genetic alterations that are associated with the prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been identified, and several risk stratification systems based on the genetic status have been recommended. The European LeukemiaNet (ELN) first proposed the risk stratification system for AML in 2010 (ELN-2010), and recently published the revised system (ELN-2017). We validated the long-term prognosis and clinical characteristics of each ELN-2017 risk category in Japanese adult AML patients who were treated in the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG) AML-201 study. We demonstrated that the 3-risk category system of the ELN-2017 successfully discriminated the overall survival and complete remission rates in our cohort in comparison with the 4-risk category of the ELN-2010. However, there were still genetic categories in which stratification of patients into favorable or intermediate risk categories was controversial; the low allelic ratio of FLT3-ITD was not necessarily associated with a better prognosis in patients with FLT3-ITD, and cytogenetic abnormalities may affect the prognosis in patients with favorable genetic lesions such as NPM1 and CEBPA mutations. As many molecular targeting agents, such as FLT3 inhibitors, have been developed, we must continue to modify the genetic risk stratification system to match the progression of therapeutic strategies.

Effective chemomobilization with etoposide and cytarabine (EC regimen) in lymphoma patients: a single-center, retrospective, observational study.

Objective: Autologous stem cell transplantation is an important strategy for patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma. Although various regimens for peripheral blood stem cell collection have been used, the optimal regimen has not yet been established. We aimed to evaluate the mobilization efficacy and safety of the regimen consisted of etoposide and cytarabine (EC regimen). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 46 lymphoma patients who received peripheral blood stem cell mobilization with the EC regimen [etoposide (100 mg/m2/day, days 1-4) and cytarabine (100 mg/m2/day, days 1-4)] at Toyohashi municipal hospital from 2004 to 2013. Results: The median age of the patients was 55 years. The most common underlying diseases were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (46%) and follicular lymphoma (26%). Three-quarters of patients were in their second complete or partial remission. The median total number of collected CD34+ cells was 10.6 × 106 kg-1. Forty-two patients (91%) yielded at least 2 × 106 kg-1 CD34+ cells within a median of 2 apheresis days, and 33 patients (72%) achieved it with only one apheresis. Successful mobilization was observed in five of six patients who failed to mobilize previously. Although febrile neutropenia occurred in 22 patients (48%), no fatal infection was observed. Conclusion: The EC regimen was highly effective in lymphoma patients, including patients who mobilized poorly with other regimens.

Emetine elicits apoptosis of intractable B-cell lymphoma cells with MYC rearrangement through inhibition of glycolytic metabolism.

Despite improved clinical outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a certain proportion of patients still develop a primary refractory disease. To overcome these lymphomas that are intractable to existing treatment strategies, the tumor microenvironment has been identified as a potential therapeutic target. Here we describe our search for effective drugs for primary refractory lymphoma cells with MYC rearrangement. Through the drug screening of 3,440 known compounds, we identified a unique compound, emetine. This compound was effective against lymphoma cells with MYC rearrangement from two different patients that were co-cultured with cancer associated fibroblasts. Emetine induced the death of these cells with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 312 nM and 506 nM, respectively. Subsequent analyses of the mechanism of action of emetine showed that the drug induced apoptosis of tumor cells via alteration of glucose metabolism through inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor-1α. Moreover, emetine inhibited the potential of cancer associated fibroblasts to support tumor cell viability in vitro and demonstrated significant inhibition of tumor growth in in vivo analyses. Emetine also induced cell death in other primary refractory lymphoma cells with MYC rearrangement. Our combined data indicate that emetine is a potential promising drug for the treatment of intractable lymphomas, which targets both the tumor and its microenvironment.

Successful treatment with allogeneic stem cell transplantation followed by DLI and TKIs for e6a2 BCR-ABL-positive acute myeloid leukaemia: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Patients with the e6a2 BCR-ABL transcript, 1 of the atypical transcripts, have been reported to have a poor prognosis, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can be considered as additional therapy. However, long-term survival after ASCT for this disease is rare. PATIENT CONCERNS: This report concerns a 55-year-old female patient with e6a2 BCR-ABL-positive acute myeloid leukemia including the outcome of ASCT followed by donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). DIAGNOSES: The breakpoint was confirmed by direct sequencing. Her minimal residual disease could be detected by nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction using primers for the minor BCR-ABL (e1a2) transcript. INTERVENTIONS: Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and ASCT followed by DLI. OUTCOMES: Despite multiple cytogenetic and molecular relapses after ASCT, she remains in molecular remission at 46 months after ASCT. LESSONS: This case indicates the efficacy of the combination of the graft-versus-leukemia effect and TKIs for e6a2 BCR-ABL-positive acute leukemia. When the Philadelphia chromosome with an unusual chromosomal breakpoint is suggested, we should clarify the breakpoint because that information can aid molecular assessments and decisions to provide an additional or alternative therapy.

A new prognostic index to make short-term prognoses in MDS patients treated with azacitidine: A combination of p53 expression and cytogenetics.

TP53 mutation is associated with various hematological malignancies and immunohistochemistry of p53 has been used as a simple method to establish the presence of a TP53 mutation. Since the significance of p53 expression is controversial in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients treated with azacitidine (Aza), we analyzed the prevalence of p53 expression as a prognostic factor in 60 MDS patients treated with Aza. To assess p53 expression, immunohistochemical analyses of bone marrow clot sections were performed. Overall survival (OS) was significantly lower in p53-positive patients compared with p53-negetive patients (59% vs. 85% at 12 months; P=0.006). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that p53-positive was a significant prognostic factor for OS along with poor cytogenetics. Here, we propose a new prognostic index to make short-term prognoses of MDS patients in the era of Aza treatment; high: p53-positive and poor cytogenetics, low: p53-negative and absence of poor cytogenetics, and intermediate: the others. OS was significantly different among the three groups according to this index (Low 92%, Intermediate 65% and High 27% at 12 months; P<0.0001). In conclusion, p53 expression was a significant prognostic factor in MDS patients treated with Aza. In combination with cytogenetic abnormalities, it is possible to make short-term prognoses.

Cervical epidural hematoma in a healthy donor presenting stroke mimic symptoms: a rare adverse event following peripheral blood stem cell apheresis.

Peripheral blood stem cell apheresis from a healthy donor is indispensable for allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Here, we report a rare adverse event following peripheral blood stem cell apheresis. A female sibling donor, aged 61 years with an unremarkable medical history, complained of pain in the left neck and shoulder and numbness in the left upper limb 1 h after the end of peripheral blood stem cell apheresis. Paralysis of the left upper and lower limbs appeared consecutively. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed no abnormalities. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated according to the standard treatment of atherothrombotic brain infarction. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical cord on the following day revealed a cervical epidural hematoma. An emergency C4-C5 laminectomy was performed, and the paralysis was improved immediately after surgery. This report is the first case of cervical epidural hematoma in a healthy donor who underwent peripheral blood stem cell apheresis and presented symptoms confusingly similar to those of brain infarction.

Stable renal engraftment in a patient following successful tandem autologous/reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation for treatment of multiple myeloma with del(17p) that developed as a post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease following renal transplantation.

Multiple myeloma (MM) developing after renal transplantation is rare. From January 1972 to December 2011, a total of 1,485 patients underwent renal transplantation in Nagoya Daini Red Cross Hospital; 14 (0.9%) of these recipients developed post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) including two plasma cell neoplasms. Here, we report the clinical course of a 35-year-old male with immunoglobulin G k-type MM of recipient origin that developed 5 years after renal transplantation from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical female sibling donor, which was performed to address dialysis-dependent chronic glomerulonephritis. Cytogenetic analysis revealed significant del(17p) abnormalities in myeloma cells. After non-response to bortezomib treatment, the patient achieved partial response with a thalidomide-containing salvage regimen and underwent successful tandem autologous/reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from an unrelated male donor matched for seven of eight HLAs. At the 8-month follow-up time point, the patient's performance status remained good, and the transplanted kidney remains functional without rejection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a successful use of allogeneic HSCT for a patient who developed MM as a PTLD after renal transplantation. This patient has a transplanted kidney and transplanted hematopoietic cells that currently coexist without rejection.