Brentuximab vedotin and bendamustine: an effective salvage therapy for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

The prognosis is poor for relapsed or refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) patients. The brentuximab vedotin (Bv) and bendamustine (B) combination has been used as a preferable salvage regimen in R/R cHL patient trials. We retrospectively evaluated response rates, toxicities, and the survival in R/R cHL patients treated with the BvB combination. In a multi-centre real-life study, 61 R/R HL patients received intravenous doses of 1.8 mg/kg Bv on the first day plus 90 mg/m2 B on the first and second days of a 21-day cycle as a second-line or beyond-salvage regimen. Patients' median age at BvB initiation was 33 (range: 18-76 years). BvB was given as median third-line treatment for a median of four cycles (range: 2-11). The overall and complete response rates were 82% and 68.9%, respectively. After BvB initiation, the median follow-up was 14 months, and one- and two-year overall survival rates were 85% and 72%, respectively. Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia (24.6%), lymphopenia (40%), thrombocytopenia (13%), anaemia (13%), infusion reactions (8.2%), neuropathy (6.5%), and others. The BvB combination could be given as salvage regimen aiming a bridge to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), in patients relapse after ASCT or to transplant-ineligible patients with manageable toxicity profiles.

Relationship of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic with Blood Groups.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV attaches to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor with the spike protein and infects cells. It can play a direct role in infection by acting as a receptor and/or co-receptor for blood group antigens, microorganisms, parasites, and viruses. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare the blood group distribution of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to hospital and that of healthy donors. METHODS: A total of 823 patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and clinical symptoms were included in the study. The results were compared with the normal blood group distribution in the region. RESULTS: While the prevalence of COVID-19 in the A, B, and AB blood groups was higher than that in the healthy blood donors, it was lower in the O blood group (p = 0.009). The distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics based on blood groups did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: Our results are in agreement with other studies suggesting that blood group O individuals are somewhat more resistant to clinically overt infection with SARS-CoV-2 than other blood groups. However, this tendency is not sufficiently established to allow special prophylaxis recommendations for non-O individuals.

Can the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predict type 1 hereditary angioedema attacks?

The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is a simple and easily used parameter for the assessment of inflammation. We aimed to determine the predictive potential of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio regarding episode occurrence in patients with hereditary angioedema. Sixty-six patients with Type 1 hereditary angioedema and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. The laboratory results of the patients in their episode-free periods were similar to those of the healthy controls. The median of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was higher during episodes when compared to normal periods (3.5 versus 2.0, p < .001). A significant positive correlation was present between the episode count and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio calculated during the episodes (r = 0.557, p < .001). We can conclude that the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, which is cheap and easy to calculate, can be used by clinicians as a predictive parameter for prediction of the episode count in patients with hereditary angioedema.

Recognizing the unusual findings: Cases of desiderosmia.

Iron deficiency anemia may cause a desire to smell. This has not been well defined by clinicians. In the cases we present, we have shown that there may be a desire to smell in iron deficiency anemia. We wanted to attract the attention of clinicians.

Investigation of Rho-Kinase Expressions and Polymorphisms in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare but aggressive form of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by excessive expression of cyclin D1. Intracellular signaling enzyme Rho-kinase (ROCK) can contribute to cellular migration, proliferation, and differentiation, as well as tumor development and metastasis. However, ROCK gene and protein expressions or polymorphisms have never been investigated in MCL patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of ROCK gene and protein expressions in MCL patients. We also examined ROCK2 gene polymorphisms in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 patients with MCL and 60 healthy controls were included in this retrospective study. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained lymph node tissue slides in the entire archive were reevaluated and used for immunohistochemistry, gene expression, and polymerase chain reaction studies. RESULTS: In immunohistochemical studies, there were significant increases in ROCK1 (p=0.0009) and ROCK2 (p<0.0001) protein expressions in MCL patients when compared with the control group. Although a marked increase in ROCK1 gene expression (p=0.0215) was noted, no significant change was observed in ROCK2 gene expression in MCL patients. Seven ROCK2 polymorphisms were studied, but the results showed no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that ROCK1 gene and ROCK protein expressions may contribute to the development of MCL.