Changes in the proportion of anemia among young women after the Great East Japan Earthquake: the Fukushima health management survey.

This study aimed to evaluate the sequential changes in the proportion of anemia among young women over eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 using a prospective study of the Fukushima Health Management Survey. This study focused on the women aged between 20 and 44 who lived in the evacuation area of the nuclear power plant accident. The yearly age-adjusted proportion of anemia was accessed with data between July 2011 and March 2019. A total of 9,198 women participated in the health checkup in 2011, albeit the participation was decreased to 1,241 in 2018. The age-adjusted proportion of anemia was 16.7% in 2012 and then declined after 2013 (p with Cochran-Armitage trend test = 0.03). The multivariate regression analysis identified < 23 kg/m2 of body mass index (BMI), no history of smoking, and no habitual alcohol use as independent baseline characteristics predictive of temporality anemic condition after the disaster (Adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval]; 1.98 [1.43-2.74], 1.85 [1.21-2.83], and 1.42 [1.07-1.90], respectively). Thus, women with low BMI and healthier habits might risk temporarily anemic status after the disaster. Our findings signal the importance of preventing anemia in young women after the disaster.

Profiles of anemia in adolescent students with sports club membership in an outpatient clinic setting: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a common health issue among adolescents. Anemic conditions could affect physical performance; however, the actual profiles of anemia in adolescent students in sports clubs have not been well documented. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of individuals aged 13-22 years who belonged to sports clubs in schools and visited an outpatient clinic between August 1, 2016, and August 31, 2020. The medical and laboratory records, including serum levels of ferritin, folate, vitamin B12, and creatinine kinase at their first visit were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 485 individuals (231 male (48%) and 254 female (52%) patients) were eligible for the study. The most common club activity was track and field (n = 171 (35%)). The overall prevalence of the World Health Organization-defined anemia was 16.5% (95% CI [13.1-20.4]; 9.0% [5.4-13.8] and 23.1% [17.8-29.2] in males and females, respectively) after excluding pre-treated individuals. Hypoferritinemia and elevation of serum creatinine kinase levels were identified as independent contributors to anemia in both sexes (odds ratios: 13.2 (95% CI [4.2-41.1]), p < 0.001 and 14.7 (95% CI [1.8-118.4]), p = 0.012, respectively for males; odds ratios: 6.6 (95% CI [1.3-13.9]), p < 0.001 and 2.7 (95% CI [1.4-5.5]), p = 0.004, respectively for females). DISCUSSION: Anemia is prevalent in both male and female adolescent students in sports clubs. Iron deficiency and excessive training indicated by elevated creatinine kinase levels may contribute to the risk of anemia. Physicians should assess the amount of exercise, and not merely iron storage, in clinical practice.

Phase I/II study of tandem high-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for advanced multiple myeloma.

The efficacy and safety of high-dose chemotherapy with tandem autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) were evaluated in a multicenter clinical study of patients with advanced multiple myeloma. Eligible patients (n = 40) were consecutively enrolled in the phase I/II study and received 2-4 cycles of vincristine-adriamycin-dexamethasone regimen. The responding patients underwent PBSC harvesting following high-dose cyclophosphamide and filgrastim administration. The first auto-PBSCT (n = 32) following high-dose melphalan (200 mg/m(2)) was performed within 2 months of PBSC harvesting; the second auto-PBSCT (n = 28) was scheduled 3-6 months later. Treatment-related mortality was 2.5% (n = 1) throughout the protocol. Grade 4 nonhematologic toxicity occurred in 12.5 and 14.3% of the first and second auto-PBSCT patients, respectively. All but one patient (who died) achieved hematopoietic recovery. For the 28 patients completing the second auto-PBSCT, the results were favorable with a response rate of 65% (complete response rate = 27.5%, n = 11); the five-year progression-free survival and overall survival were 20.3 and 66.5%, respectively. In conclusion, high-dose chemotherapy with tandem auto-PBSCT is feasible and safe with a favorable response rate in treating advanced multiple myeloma in Japan.

Prospective phase II trial to evaluate the complications and kinetics of chimerism induction following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with fludarabine and busulfan.

This prospective trial assessed the safety and efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a HLA-matched donor with a reduced-intensity regimen (RIST) consisting of iv fludarabine 30 mg/m(2) for 6 days and oral busulfan 4 mg/kg/day for 2 days in patients older than 50 years with hematological malignancies. Cyclosporine alone or cyclosporine with short-term methotrexate was randomized for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. After 30 patients had been enrolled, an interim analysis was performed, and this report focuses on a precise evaluation of the toxicity profile and chimerism kinetics. Sustained engraftment in all patients, no severe regimen-related toxicity (RRT) within 20 days, and no transplant-related mortality through Day 100 were observed. T-cell (CD3+) full-donor (over 90%) chimerism was observed in 22 of the 30 patients, while the remaining eight had mixed-donor chimerism over 77% on Day 90. Thereafter, five subsequently converted to full-donor chimerism without donor lymphocyte infusion by day 120 (n = 4) or Day 180 (n = 1). Two showed persistent mixed chimerism without relapse through Day 180. Grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease and extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease occurred in 10% and 73%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 1.5 years, overall survival and disease-free survival at 1 year was 83% and 62%, respectively. Seven patients hematologically relapsed overall, and five of them had myelodysplastic syndrome with poor prognostic factors. In older patients, RIST with fludarabine and busulfan was associated with acceptable toxicities and a satisfactory antileukemia effect, regardless of the early chimerism status.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated enteritis with multiple ulcers after stem cell transplantation: first histologically confirmed case.

The present case involves unique enteritis forming multiple ulcers associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A 57-year-old man had undergone a reduced intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation for a relapse of multiple myeloma following sequential autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The ileum, resected for massive melena, showed multiple irregular ulcers with occasional cobblestone-like appearance. There was inflammation including numerous plasma cells in the ulcer bases and surrounding areas, where many EBV-infected plasma cells were detected by double staining with EBV-encoded small RNA-1 (EBER-1) in situ hybridization and CD79a, while EBV-infected epithelial cells were not noted. The number of EBER-1-positive cells in the ileum (mucosa, 1451 cells/mm(2); submucosa, 465 cells/mm(2)) was much larger than in control samples (malignant lymphoma or leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, n = 4, range 0-113 cells/mm(2); malignant lymphoma after chemotherapy, n = 14, range 0-0.89 cells/mm(2); colon cancer, n = 12, range 0-3.5 cells/mm(2)). In the mucosa near the ulcers, EBER-1-positive cells often surrounded and involved the glandular epithelium, forming lymphoepithelial-like lesions. The histological findings differ from post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders or intestinal thrombotic microangiopathy, and this is the first case of EBV-associated enteritis with ulcers characterized by numerous plasma cells and lymphoepithelial-like lesions after stem cell transplantation.

Impact of human leucocyte antigen mismatch on graft-versus-host disease and graft failure after reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation from related donors.

The impact of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) incompatibility between donor and recipient on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft failure after reduced-intensity conditioning stem cell transplantation (RICT) remains to be elucidated. We retrospectively analysed outcome in 341 patients who underwent RICT from related donors for haematological malignancies. The overall cumulative incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) was 40% for all subjects; 39% in recipients with HLA-matched donors, 44% in those with one-locus-mismatched donors, and 50% in those with two- to three-loci-mismatched donors. In a Cox regression model adjusted for potential confounders, the tendency for grade II-IV aGVHD (P=0.01), chronic GVHD (cGVHD) (P=0.05) and graft failure (P=0.033) increased with HLA disparity. Use of peripheral blood grafts instead of marrow was a risk factor for cGVHD. Use of antithymocyte globulin was associated with reduced aGVHD and cGVHD. Overall survival (OS) in recipients of two- to three-loci-mismatched RICT at 2 years (18%) was significantly worse than that in patients who received one-locus-mismatched RICT (51%) and HLA-matched RICT (48%) (P<0.0001). A two- to three-loci mismatch was identified as an independent risk factor for OS (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in OS between HLA-matched and one-locus-mismatched RICT. HLA incompatibility between the donor and recipient is an important risk factor for graft failure, aGVHD, cGVHD and OS after RICT. RICT from a one-locus-mismatched donor may represent an effective alternative approach in patients with high-risk malignancies who lack HLA-matched related donors.

[Pneumonitis with a bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia-like shadow in a patient with human herpes virus-6 viremia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation].

We report the case of a 42-year-old male who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute myelogenous leukemia, and then developed pneumonitis with a bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP)-like shadow. When he came with exertional dyspnea four months after BMT, the chest X-ray and CT findings disclosed bilateral infiltration, and remarkable elevation of his serum KL-6 level, a monitoring marker for disease activity in interstitial lung disease. Although organizing pneumonia (OP) was revealed by a transbronchial lung biopsy, no pathogen was detected in bacterial, fungal and routine viral cultures or by direct cytological examinations using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens. Since human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) was detected in BAL specimens by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a diagnosis of a pneumonitis-like BOOP shadow related to HHV-6 was made, and he was treated with methylprednisolone and ganciclovir (GCV). Although there was a relapse of his OP 1.5 months later, with re-elevation of his serum KL-6 level, continuous administration of GCV led to disappearance of HHV-6 in BAL specimens assayed by PCR, in association with normalization of the serum KL-6 level. HHV-6 should be considered as a cause of unexplained pneumonitis in BMT recipients, and KL-6 is useful for monitoring the pneumonitis status in these patients.

Common features in the onset of ARDS after administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Respiratory disturbance caused by ARDS has been reported during administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. The clinical features of such respiratory distress were investigated in this study. DESIGN: Retrospective case review. SETTING: A 1,100-bed university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Five patients who had dyspnea caused by ARDS develop after chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at our hospital. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Levels of cytokines, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing, and the clinical course were analyzed to clarify common features. All five patients possessed HLA-B51 or HLA-B52, and all had fever and an enhanced inflammatory response at the time of the WBC nadir. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-8 levels increased when respiratory distress syndrome occurred. CONCLUSIONS: If patients with HLA-B51 or HLA-B52 have infection develop at the time of WBC nadir after chemotherapy or BMT, ARDS may occur in association with elevation of TNF-alpha and IL-8 during WBC recovery.

Retrospective study on the impact of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infection on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Japan.

We performed a retrospective survey in 62 hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) centers in Japan in which all HCTs performed between 1986 and 1998 were reviewed, and those involving hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive donors were identified. One hundred and thirty-five patients who underwent allogeneic HCT (alloHCT) were studied for complications related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). The median follow-up period was 24 months. Positivity for HBsAg was observed in 32 patients (24%) throughout the study. Twenty-six of the 32 patients were HBsAg carriers before alloHCT, whereas the remaining 6 became HBsAg(+) after alloHCT. Forty-two recipients were anti-HBs antibody (HBsAb)-positive, and 58 recipients (43%) were HCV Ab(+). Eleven of 26 (42%) HBsAg(+) recipients survived between >4 and >119 months. Six of 26 cases received transplants from HBsAg(+) donors, and, although they had not developed acute graft-versus-host disease, 4 of 6 died of hepatic and renal failure within 10 months after HCT. After transplantation, 5 patients showed serologic evidence of HBV reactivation, whereas 4 patients showed evidence of an immune response to HBV. Viral reactivation occurred during the tapering of the immunosuppressive agent. However, 3 of 5 were alive at the time of this report, suggesting that reactivation is not directly correlated with severe liver dysfunction. Seventeen patients (13%) of 135 recipients developed hepatic failure. Eight (47%) of 17 were diagnosed with fulminant hepatitis and 5 (29%) with veno-occlusive disease (VOD). VOD was observed in 12% of both HBsAg(+) and HCVAb(+) patients. In this study, the relatively high incidence of HBV events occurred after alloHCT, and, therefore, we should consider a protocol for active immunization of donors and recipients against HBV. Moreover, although the presence of HBV or HCV is not a contraindication for alloHCT, we recommend a careful follow-up of recipients after transplantation, especially during immunosuppression tapering.

Expression of the antiapoptosis gene survivin in human leukemia.

Loss of the inhibition of apoptosis is important in leukemogenesis and may influence the prognosis. Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis that shows selective expression during fetal development and in human malignancies. Survivin expression was examined in human leukemias using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Survivin gene expression was detected in 17 of 31 patients with acute myelocytic leukemia and 11 of 16 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia but was not identified in normal bone marrow cells. Survivin expression was lower in patients with M3 acute myelocytic leukemia than in patients with other types of acute leukemia. Survivin was not detected in the chronic phase of chronic myelocytic leukemia but was observed in 5 of 7 patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blastic crisis. These findings suggest a relationship between survivin gene expression and hematopoietic cell differentiation. In fact, survivin gene expression was down-regulated during the differentiation of HL-60 cells after treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide or all-trans-retinoic acid. Moreover, the disease-free survival rates of patients with survivin expression were lower than in patients without survivin expression. Accordingly, survivin may have a role in leukemogenesis as well as in other malignancies. Detecting survivin may also provide prognostic information.