Toxicity of high-dose busulphan and cyclophosphamide as conditioning therapy for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in adults with haematological malignancies

The toxicity of the conditioning regimen high-dose busulfan (BU) 16 mg/kg followed by cyclophosphamide (CY) 200 mg/kg has been analysed in 60 adult patients (mean age 36 +/- 9 years) with haematological malignancies, a third of whom had advanced disease, all received the graft from fully HLA-identical siblings. Significant nausea and vomiting were rare during BU administration but occurred in 44% of the patients with CY. Severe mucositis occurred in 30% of patients. Haemorrhagic cystitis occurred in 16% of patients; interstitial pneumonia occurred in 3 patients and was fatal in one. Veno-occlusive disease of the liver occurred in 2 patients and was fatal in one: however, increase of bilirubin of at least twice the baseline value and/or isolated weight gain > 5% of pre-transplant value occurred in 28% of patients. These signs of liver toxicity disappeared in all patients after appropriate therapy. Normalisation of bilirubin levels took twice as long as normalisation of body weight: median 35 and 18 days, respectively. Hyperpigmentation of the skin, mainly involving flexural and pressure areas, occurred in 47% of patients and was manageable topically. Eight patients died of relapsed disease; 15 died of transplant complications but in six the original malignancy persisted or had recurred at the time of death. Overall transplant-related mortality was 15%. We conclude that the toxicity of this regimen has not been high, with the liver being the most seriously affected organ. A longer follow-up is necessary to assess long-term consequences.

Hematological recovery after autologous bone marrow transplantation for high-grade non Hodgkin's lymphomas: a single center experience

BACKGROUND

Both rhGM-CSF and rhG-CSF can accelerate hematological recovery after high-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation in patients with high grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma and reduce transplant-related morbidity after ABMT.

METHODS

The clinical course of 23 non randomized patients was analyzed and compared with a historical control group of 10 patients. Ten patients received GM-CSF at a dose of 10 micrograms/kg in a 6-h IV infusion, and 13 received G-CSF at a dose of 5 micrograms/kg subcutaneously. Control patients received no GFs.

RESULTS

Mean granulocytic recovery to 0.5 x 10(9)/L was obtained 13.1 +/- 3.2 days after marrow reinfusion in the G-CSF arm vs 16 +/- 2.7 in GM-CSF pts (p = 0.03) and vs 19.6 +/- 7.6 in controls (p < 0.01); this reduction led to a statistically significant shorter duration of fever and parenteral antibiotic therapy. Platelet recovery to 20 x 10(9)/L was not significantly influenced by GFs.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that only G-CSF accelerates hematological recovery after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation and induces a significant decrease in terms of infection morbidity and duration of hospital stay.

FLAG (fludarabine+cytosine arabinoside+G-CSF) induces complete remission in acute-phase chronic myeloid leukaemia: a case report

The adenine nucleoside analogue fludarabine phosphate in combination with cytosine-arabinoside (Ara-C) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has recently proved effective in the treatment of poor-prognosis acute non-lymphoid leukaemia. We used this triple combination in a case of Ph1+ chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) unresponsive to alpha interferon that had progressed to acute phase after 5 months of treatment with 6-mercaptopurine plus hydroxyurea. The patient was treated with four courses of fludarabine 30 mg/m2 + Ara-C 2 g/m2 (days 1-5) and G-CSF (from day 0 to polymorphonuclear (PMN) recovery). Bone marrow blasts decreased from 80% to less than 5%, and karyotyping showed a progressive clearance of Ph1+ metaphases (from 100% to 9% after the fourth course). The patient is presently receiving autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). This therapeutic success in a patient for whom conventional treatment would usually be ineffective makes this combination worthy of further studies, in view of its wider use as a preparative regimen to ABMT in CML.

Do Italian small cell lung cancer (SCLC) specialists share a common language? An analysis based on 549 questionnaires

Different specialists are involved in the treatment of SCLC: medical oncologists, pneumologists, radiotherapists, and thoracic surgeons; only in large institutions the therapeutic policy is the result of a multidisciplinary approach. In order to investigate the opinions of the Italian physicians about the state of the art in the diagnosis and treatment of SCLC, 2369 questionnaires have been sent to an equal number of specialists. Each questionnaire contained 16 topics addressing what we consider major open questions. The analysis is based on 549 interpretable questionnaires received back (23.1%). The general attitude of responding physicians is quite pessimistic on the present state of the art; the large majority considering insufficient the current knowledge of both clinical and basic research. Some differences have been registered, among different specialists, regarding the role of surgery and radiation therapy in prolonging the expected survival; while a nearly unanimous consensus has been reached on the role of radiation therapy for local control. Optimism merges about the possibilities of ameliorating the survival in the next decades: 48% have confidence in new drugs, 45% in the development of integrated modalities, and 41% in the application of basic research.

Donor origin of hematopoiesis after a case of allogeneic transplantation with cryopreserved marrow

In allogeneic marrow transplantation (BMT), fresh donor marrow is generally given like a simple transfusion immediately after collection. Cryopreservation, on the other hand, is extensively used in autologous marrow transplantation (ABMT). However, there could be a few instances in which donor marrow should be cryopreserved for later reinfusion mainly because of the donor's inability, for logistic or medical reasons, to undergo marrow harvesting immediately prior to transplantation. We wish to describe a case of ALL transplanted with donor harvested earlier and cryopreserved. The bone marrow was cryopreserved with 10% DMSO in a controlled rate freezer and stored for 1 month in liquid nitrogen. The VNTR (variation number tandem repeat) technique was used to demonstrate the donor origin of blood cells. Hematological reconstitution was rapidly achieved and we demonstrated the allogeneic origin of the recipient's blood cells. We confirm the possibility of using cryopreserved marrow stem cells for BMT. Cryopreservation of stem cells from other origin may also find a useful application in BMT.

Hypercoagulability in patients undergoing autologous or allogeneic BMT for hematological malignancies

Severe thrombotic alterations, such as veno-occlusive disease of the liver, may occur in the early phase following high-dose chemoradiotherapy and BMT. In this study, performed in patients with hematological malignancies subjected to allogeneic (10 cases) and autologous (20 cases) BMT, we have monitored laboratory hemostatic parameters to better understand the pathogenetic mechanism of thrombosis and particularly of veno-occlusive disease. Prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, plasma fibrinogen, markers of hypercoagulability (thrombin-antithrombin complex and prothrombin fragment F1+2); natural anticoagulants (protein C, protein S and antithrombin) together with fibrinolytic parameters (plasminogen, alpha 2-antiplasmin, tissue-plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor and D-dimer) were assessed before transplant, on day 0 and weekly for 1 month thereafter. A hypercoagulability state, not related to an impairment of the anticoagulant and fibrinolytic systems, was documented before and after autologous and allogeneic transplant. Two patients developed veno-occlusive disease: they did not show any difference from the other patients before transplant while they presented a decrease of the natural anticoagulants along with altered fibrinolytic parameters only at the clinical onset of veno-occlusive disease. In conclusion, in this study a state of marked hypercoagulability was documented in BMT patients and the hemostatic laboratory parameters evaluated were not able to predict the occurrence of the thrombotic complications.

In vitro amplification of hypervariable DNA regions for the evaluation of chimerism after allogeneic BMT

The role of mixed hematopoietic chimerism in engraftment and relapse after allogeneic BMT remains unclear. To better evaluate post-transplant chimerism we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in vitro amplification of four single locus simple repetitive DNA sequences, all of which vary extensively in their repeat number among different individuals: variable number of tandem repeats D1S80, APOB and D17S5, and the tetranucleotide repeat F8VWF. We tested 13 cases of CML, four of multiple myeloma (MM), three of ANLL and one of B-CLL. In a sequential analysis protocol with the different loci, the donor could be distinguished from the recipient in 14 of 20 (70%) pairs with the first marker used (D1S80). When a donor of opposite sex was involved, karyotyping and Y chromosome-specific PCR were also used. With the use of the four markers, chimerism was identified in all the pairs. Mixed chimerism was present in 5 patients, and complete chimerism in 15. No patients relapsed. The application of PCR for documenting post-transplant chimerism has several advantages over Southern blotting: increased sensitivity, use of small amounts of sample, ease of preparation of DNA, elimination of restriction enzyme analysis and of radioisotopes, and speed.

High-dose chemotherapy supported with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in germ cell tumors: a phase two study

In this paper, the first Italian multicentre experience with high-dose chemotherapy and ABMT in germ cell cancer is presented. Twenty-eight patients underwent treatment with a carboplatin-etoposide w/o ifosfamide high-dose combination. Seventeen patients were in progression of disease, 9 were responsive to salvage treatments or failed to achieve CR to front line, and 2 had stable disease (both with an elevated marker level) at the time of transplantation. Five patients, all of whom were in sensitive relapse at transplantation, are alive and disease-free at > 17 months' follow-up. Two patients died 15 days after ABMT, one of veno-occlusive disease and one of rapid uncontrolled tumor progression. In highly pretreated patients this schedule seems to provide an option of cure for a cohort of patients failing to achieve CR to standard salvage regimens for germ cell cancer. Definitive conclusions may eventually be drawn with a more homogeneous group of patients. This type of approach should continue to be taken in sensitive relapse patients only, as responses in progressive cases are very transient, with virtually no cures. The question of whether high-dose programs are better than standard chemotherapy will in any case be answered only in a randomized prospective trial.

Minimal residual disease status in transplanted chronic myelogenous leukemia patients: low incidence of polymerase chain reaction positive cases among 48 long disease-free subjects who received unmanipulated allogeneic bone marrow transplants

Forty-eight long-term disease-free chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients, who had received unmanipulated allogeneic bone marrow transplants (BMT) for eradication of the Philadelphia (Ph1)-positive clone were studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using a very sensitive PCR procedure and very stringent criteria for preventing and revealing contamination. Nine patients (18%) were positive at the first PCR examination, but only one patient remained PCR positive four years after. However, a second PCR analysis performed on new bone marrow samples obtained at a median interval of 14 months (range 6-16) after the first specimen collection from six of nine originally positive cases, and from 16 of 39 originally negative cases, showed that only one of the six positive cases remained positive, whereas negativity was confirmed in all the originally negative patients. These data are evidence that the Ph1-positive clone is apparently completely eradicated in the majority of CML patients who survive disease-free long-term after an unmanipulated allogeneic BMT and that only sporadic cases remain PCR-positive four years post-BMT. The data also show that at least two sequential bone marrow samples for each patient must be analyzed before drawing conclusions regarding the stable persistence of BCR/ABL transcripts and the minimal residual disease status.

Dose-intensive therapy for germ cell neoplasms

Dose-intensive chemotherapy for recurrent or refractory germ cell cancer has evolved over the last decade. Initial experience using high-dose regimens including single agents like cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and etoposide demonstrated that responses could be obtained in the majority of patients but that they tended to be of short duration. Second-generation studies focusing on this disease site incorporated drugs and principles specific to germ cell cancer. Large studies performed at Indiana University (Indianapolis, IN) and in several European centers have demonstrated that the addition of high-dose carboplatin or cisplatin to other regimens can result in long-term survival of otherwise incurable patients. With the results of initial pilot studies now confirmed, high-dose carboplatin-based chemotherapy is beginning to play a role in first salvage therapy, and in some centers is being used in protocols of initial therapy for poor-risk patients. Based on the success of some of the early studies in germ cell cancer, similar protocols also are being investigated for other disease sites such as ovarian cancer, neuroblastoma, lymphoma, and breast cancer.

An Italian experience of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in germ cell tumours. Suggestions for future direction

In this paper an Italian cooperative trial investigates the role of a high-dose regimen with carboplatin, etoposide and ifosfamide in germ cell tumours. Twenty-eight patients underwent one or two transplants. Seventeen with progressive disease. Nine in sensitive relapse and two with stable disease after salvage therapy. Toxicity was generally moderate: two deaths occurred at day 15 from ABMT (one from VOD and one from tumour growth). Five patients are alive and disease free at least 10 months follow-up. In highly pre-treated patients this high-dose combination seems to give an option of cure for relapsed patients. Early transplantation is suggested.

[Evaluation of the reproductive endocrine system in a population of hemodialyzed adult males]

There is a high incidence of sexual disorders of multifactorial origin in hemodialysed patients. The endocrine reproduction system was evaluated in 19 male adult hemodialysed patients. Slightly enhanced levels of prolactin and gonadotropins were found together with normal levels of total and free testosterone. Androgen biosynthesis intermediates were substantially normal. Hypophyseal stimulation tests using TRH and GnRH revealed a prolactin and gonadotropins response which was reduced, slow and protracted compared to normal. Hypophyseal stimulation did not cause any variation in testosterone levels. Prolactin and gonadotropins were not pulsatile. Data obtained appear to indicate that the hormonal component in sexual disorders in uremic patients is related to dynamic alterations of the system rather than basic hormonal changes.

Long-term outcome of adults with acute myelogenous leukaemia: results of a prospective, randomized study of chemotherapy with a minimal follow-up of 7 years

In a prospective study running between 1981 and 1983, a group of 156 adult (under 60 years of age) patients with de-novo acute myelogenous leukaemia were randomly assigned to receive a daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside and thioguanine combination or a regimen containing lower dosages of these drugs but also containing etoposide and vindesine. Patients who entered complete remission received maintenance therapy for 2 years. The survival and remission duration curves of the two groups were exactly superimposable and for this long-term analysis all patients have been considered together. The follow-up times range between 84 and 104 months. Actual survival at 7 years is 15% (95% confidence intervals 9-20%), with a stable curve thereafter. Actual probability of continuous complete remission at 7 years is 22% (95% C.I. 13-31%) with a stable curve beyond that point. These findings, similar to those of the few other studies of chemotherapy with comparable follow-up times, suggest that only a small fraction of adult patients become long-term survivors, irrespective of the precise type or amount of antineoplastic agents administered.

Bone marrow transplantation for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The classic treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) aims at prolonging survival, without attempting to eradicate the disease. CLL commonly affects the elderly, but a small proportion of patients are less than 50 years old. In this age group a novel form of therapy, high-dose chemoradiotherapy and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), has been used recently. Review of the literature and the IBMTR data show that 26 patients have received BMT (24 allogeneic, two syngeneic). Patients were predominantly male (20/26) with an age ranging between 21 and 49 years; 18 had advanced disease at BMT and had received multiple courses of chemotherapy to which they were considered refractory. Conditioning consisted of cyclophosphamide and fractionated total body irradiation, plus additional agents in one-third of the patients. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prevention was variable. Twenty-five patients are evaluable: 12 died of early complication of BMT (GVHD, infection, haemorrhage, etc.) and only two died of CLL. The effect of BMT on the disease was evaluable in 22 patients: 19 achieved a remission, three showed persistent disease and two relapsed; 11 were alive and apparently disease-free, with follow-up between 5 and 48 months. In two of these patients molecular biology studies showed no residual disease. These results indicate that further studies of the use of BMT for selected patients with CLL appear to be justified.

Cytogenetic events after bone marrow transplantation for Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is the only way to cure patients with Ph1+ chronic myeloid leukemia. It is commonly assumed that, in order to obtain a cure for the patients, the leukemic clone must be completely destroyed by the conditioning treatment and the donor's bone marrow must repopulate the hemopoietic niches leading to a "complete chimera". However, cytogenetic analyses, supported by molecular ones, indicate that Ph1+ cells, far from being completely destroyed by chemo-radiotherapy may persist for a long time, probably in the majority of the patients. As demonstrated by the outcome of patients receiving T-cell depleted marrow, immune mechanisms must be involved in controlling and progressively reducing the size of the residual leukemic clone. Furthermore, immunodulating therapeutic strategies, represented by cyclosporin-A discontinuation or alpha interferon treatment, may successfully reduce the Ph1+ cell population even after a full relapse.

An unusual case of Candida tropicalis sepsis in a patient submitted to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

We describe an exceptional case of Candida tropicalis sepsis in a patient submitted to allogeneic BMT; the diagnosis was made on a peripheral blood smear, when the pt was neutropenic and only mildly febrile. The combination of GM-CSF to accelerate hematological recovery and the possibility of administering large doses of a liposomal form of Amphotericin B were the contributing factors to the resolution of the infection.

Mitoxantrone (M) and Vinblastine (V) in the Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer

Twenty-four patients with metastatic breast cancer, all but 1 pretreated with one or more chemotherapeutic regimens, were entered in a pilot study to assess toxicity and efficacy of the combination mitoxantrone and vinblastine. Dominant sites of metastases were viscera in 9 patients, bone in 10 and soft tissues in 5. All patients received mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1 and vinblastine 1.7 mg/m2 by 4 hour infusion on days 3, 4 and 5, every 3-4 weeks. Objective responses (1 CR, 7 PR) were observed in 8 (38%) of the 21 evaluable patients. Median duration of response was 10.5 months. Of 12 patients pretreated with an anthracycline containing regimen, 4 responded (1 CR and 3 PR). Major toxicity was myelosuppression, grade 4 in 2 cases and grade 3 in 2 others. No evident alopecia was observed and only 1 case of grade 1 cardiac toxicity. In conclusion, mitoxantrone followed by vinblastine is an effective regimen in metastatic breast cancer also in pretreated patients, and previous anthracycline administration does not seem to reduce the percentage of response. Moreover, toxicity is generally mild.

Systemic broad-spectrum antimicrobial prophylaxis in hematological patients after intensive antineoplastic chemotherapy

We performed a pilot study on 13 heavily treated hematologic patients, in whom a systemic broad-spectrum antimicrobial prophylaxis was started after the end of the antineoplastic treatment. Results were compared to a historical control group of patients with similar characteristics, in whom antibody were started at the appearance of fever. We observed a remarkable reduction in infectious fevers (1 versus 7, p = 0.03) and a disappearance of bacterial sepsis (0 versus 7, p = 0.005). The length of treatment was longer (18.6 versus 12.0 days, p = 0.06); no side effects were seen. We conclude that this seems to be a promising and safe approach, whose role in the management of selected neutropenic patients could be evaluated with further, wider studies.

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for multiple myeloma

Seventeen patients received marrow transplants from their HLA-matched, MLC-negative, sibling donors. Nine patients had progressive disease not responding to conventional treatments, while the other 8 patients were rated as responders. The most frequently used conditioning regimen consisted of total body irradiation and high-dose multi-agent chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide plus either oral melphalan (5 cases) or BCNU (1 case) on both these drugs (7 cases). Twelve patients were valuable for response to BTM: 7 of them (6 responders and 1 with advanced refractory MM) entered complete remission, while 5 had sustained decrease in tumor mass that ranged between 72% and 93%. Eleven patients died of transplant-related causes, 1 of them with signs of progressive disease. The remaining 6 patients are alive and 5 of them maintain a complete remission status 4 to 67 (median 36) months after BMT.

Depression and abnormal illness behavior in cancer patients

Evaluation of the incidence of depression among cancer patients has been the object of a number of studies. Recent reports of medically ill patients have indicated that depression is related to several dimensions of abnormal illness behavior (e.g., hypochondriasis, irritability, denial, disease conviction). To investigate the relationship between depression and abnormal illness behavior in cancer patients, a study was conducted of 196 patients with a recent diagnosis of cancer and with a good performance status (Karnofsky score greater than 80). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) were administered in their validated Italian forms. A cutoff point of 17 on the HDRS revealed 38.26% of the patients as having symptoms of depression, whereas a more conservative cutoff point of 21 indicated a depressive state in 23.97% of the patients. Depressed patients had higher scores on all the IBQ dimensions except that of psychologic versus somatic perception of illness. The results were confirmed by the correlation between the parameters. Higher levels of denial were reported by females and by patients receiving adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy, who had, however, lower levels of dysphoria than patients not receiving treatment. Higher levels of irritability were shown in hospitalized patients. No relationship was found between medical status variables (Karnofsky score, tumor status, and disease extent) and psychologic measures, except for denial. The findings seem to confirm the importance of assessment of depression and illness behavior in cancer patients and suggest the need for more thorough investigation of the psychosocial variables associated with them.

5q- and t(2;11) in a patient with M2 acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. Case report

A patient with M2-ANLL and a 46,XX,del(5)(q22q33), t(2;11)(p21;q24) karyotype is described. The diagnosis was made after a short period of myelodysplastic syndrome. After chemotherapy consisting of Daunorubicin and Arabinosylcytosine in continuous infusion, the patient reached a complete remission. The chromosome pattern described here has been observed in two other patients with refractory anemia and refractory anemia with excess of blasts, respectively. The breakpoints on the chromosomes 2, 5 and 11 allow us to hypothesize the involvement of N-myc, c-fms, GM-CSF and IL-3 genes.

Cytogenetic and molecular studies in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and variant Philadelphia translocations

Out of 105 Philadelphia (Ph) positive chronic myeloid leukemia patients analyzed, six (5.7%) carried a variant Ph translocation, namely t(6;9;9;10;22)(q24;p13;q34;p15;q11); t(9;13;22)(q34;q21;q11);der(2)(2pter----2q31::9q21---- 9q34::22q11----22qter) and der(9)t(2;9) (9pter----9q21::2q31----2qter);t(7;9;22)(q11;q34 ;q11), 14q + ;t(7;9;22)(q35;q34;q11), and t(9;11;22) (q34;q13;q11), respectively. Five of these patients were analyzed with Southern blotting. Three of them showed an atypical molecular pattern; namely, the patient with t(9;13;22) showed no rearrangement in the breakpoint cluster region (bcr), the patient with t(7;9;22)(q35;q34;q11) showed a 3' deletion, and the patient with t(7;9;22), 14q + showed a bcr rearrangement 3' to the exon 4 of the M-BCR. Chromosome in situ hybridization studies demonstrated that in patient one, a two-step translocation occurred: the first step moved the 3' bcr from chromosome 22 to chromosome 9, and the second moved the terminal part of 22q, carrying the c-sis protooncogene, to 10p. Variant Ph translocations appear to be associated with atypical molecular breakpoints.

High-dose etoposide and autologous bone marrow transplantation as intensification treatment in small cell lung cancer: a pilot study

A pilot study was conducted in which 15 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with limited or extended disease were treated with high dose etoposide (600 mg/m2 daily for 3 consecutive days) followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Twelve patients underwent a double graft. All had achieved complete or partial remission with conventional induction chemotherapy (adriamycin and etoposide, plus cisplatin in five cases). After ABMT six of the 15 patients did not receive radiotherapy to the chest; all but four patients received prophylactic brain irradiation. No toxic deaths were recorded during the period of aplasia. Eleven patients relapsed and died after ABMT. The median time to death was 18 months. One other patient died at 13 months of unknown cause. At the present time three patients are alive and free of disease at 54, 51 and 47 months respectively. This pilot study shows that high dose etoposide and ABMT is well tolerated as late intensification for responsive SCLC. Definite conclusions about its precise role in therapy cannot yet be drawn.

Human immunodeficiency virus testing in acute leukemia patients transfused between 1978 and 1985: a retrospective study on 91 cases

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) can be transmitted by blood transfusions. A recent report focused on the relativey high risk of HIV-1 infection in American patients treated for leukemia and multiply transfused as a consequence of therapy. We therefore conducted a retrospective study on the presence of HIV-1 antibodies among 91 acute leukemia patients diagnosed between 1978 and 1985, before the onset of routine tests for HIV-1 contamination of blood products. The transfusion requirement (platelet units, red blood cell concentrates) involved almost 7,000 donors. We did not find any case of seropositivity in patients transfused with units from the donor pool. The only case of HIV-1 seropositivity was due to a bone marrow transplant donor, retrospectively found to be HIV-1 seropositive. These results differ from the American data previously cited. This is probably due both to differences in diffusion of the HIV-1 infection in the two countries and to differences in the selection of the two donor populations. We conclude that the risk of contracting HIV-1 infections before 1985 through multiple transfusions from registered donors in our Italian area was very low, if not absent, not only for leukemia patients but reasonably for other categories of heavily transfused groups.

Relapse after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia: cytogenetic analysis of 24 patients

One hundred patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) submitted to bone marrow transplantation (BMT) were included in a cooperative cytogenetic study. Relapse (defined on the basis of hematological and cytogenetic findings) occurred in 24 (24%) patients at different intervals after BMT. In 18 of these patients (studied on average 3.3 times between BMT and relapse) no Ph-positive metaphases were detected before relapse. Sixteen (75%) of the patients relapsed with the same chromosomal pattern as that seen before BMT; eight patients, of whom five relapsed in blast crisis, showed additional chromosomal abnormalities resembling those seen in non-transplanted patients. One of these patients relapsed in cells of donor origin. After recognition of relapse, various hematological and cytogenetic patterns were observed. Four patients showed spontaneous reversion to normal (donor-type) chromosomes and hematology. Two other patients were followed for prolonged periods with hypercellular marrows with more than 50% Ph-positive cells but with normal peripheral blood values. The majority of patients proceeded to clinical relapse and required treatment with chemotherapy. We conclude that the isolated finding of a minority of Ph-positive metaphases after BMT should not be classified as relapse; for patients who do relapse, the sequence of cytogenetic and hematological events thereafter is variable.

Sweet's syndrome: association with accelerated phase of chronic myeloid leukemia

The authors describe a case of Sweet's syndrome in a woman affected with chronic myeloid leukemia. They emphasize the association of the syndrome with a progression of the disease and the complete disappearance of it for 3 years until the present time after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Chromosome studies in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia submitted to bone marrow transplantation--results of a European Cooperative Study

The karyotypes of 74 patients with Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia submitted to bone marrow transplantation collected from nine institutions were studied serially before and after transplantation. In 13 cases sporadic Ph-positive metaphases were detected without signs of relapsing disease at various intervals after transplantation. These data indicate that the leukemic clone may not be completely suppressed by the conditioning treatment and that other biological mechanisms may be involved in destroying this clone or controlling its expansion.

Chromosome studies in patients with acute nonlymphocytic or acute lymphocytic leukemia submitted to bone marrow transplantation--results of a European cooperative study

The chromosomal data of 58 acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) patients and of 32 acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients submitted to bone marrow transplantation and collected from nine institutions are reported. Chromosomal studies were available at diagnosis in 19 cases with ANLL: seven had a partially or completely abnormal pattern. Forty-one patients had a chromosome study before bone marrow transplantation and all had a normal pattern. Thirteen patients with ALL were studied at diagnosis: five had a partially or completely abnormal karyotype. Of 20 cases analyzed before bone marrow transplantation, only one has maintained the abnormal pattern of diagnosis in part of the cells. Karyotypes were available in nine ANLL patients relapsed after bone marrow transplantations. Two showed the same clonal abnormalities seen at diagnosis; in three other cases the leukemic clone of relapse carried an additional chromosome abnormality with respect to the pattern at diagnosis and four more cases presented at relapse complex abnormalities; two of them had a cytogenetically normal pattern at diagnosis. In four of ten relapsed ALL cases chromosomes analyses were available. A relapse in donor cells and a hyperdiploid pattern were observed in two cases, respectively, while a normal, recipient pattern was documented in the other two cases. Serial chromosome studies performed in acute leukemia patients after bone marrow transplantation may allow the detection of different chromosomal patterns of relapse. In those cases who relapsed with a cell clone cytogenetically different from the pattern at diagnosis, a direct role played by the conditioning treatment in the pathogenesis of the relapsing disease may be hypothesized.

Ciclosporin A: correlation of blood levels with acute graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplantation

Thirty patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for hematologic malignancies received ciclosporin A (CS-A) as prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). CS-A trough levels were determined in whole blood by radioimmunoassay (RIA); results were not used to adjust the CS-A dosage. Neither the dose of CS-A administered nor the CS-A concentration and fluctuation of blood levels during the first 15 days after BMT correlated with acute GVHD. Conversely in the 13 patients with acute GVHD, CS-A concentrations in the 10 days prior to the onset of the disease were increasingly lower with increasing severity of GVHD. Moreover, patients without GVHD had higher CS-A concentrations in a matched period of time. Upon withdrawal of CS-A treatment, 7 patients developed GVHD. There was no possibility to predict who would do so, but the analysis of CS-A disappearance profiles indicates that effective CS-A concentrations might be lower during long-term treatment than the concentrations required early after transplant. Despite these relationships, CS-A concentration is of little predictive value in the individual patient because of the considerable overlap among patients.

Primary gastric lymphoma: a review of 45 cases

Primary gastric lymphoma accounts for about 2% of gastric neoplasms. The prognosis of patients affected with non-Hodgkin's gastric lymphoma appears better than for other lymphatic sites. In a retrospective study, the authors have analyzed 45 patients, by evaluating the histopathologic characteristics and relative prognostic factors. The main factors significantly influencing 5-yr survival are: serosal penetration (31.17% vs. 71.2%, P less than 0.05), regional lymph node involvement (53.07% vs. 68%), and clinical stage of disease (IE: 85.6%, IVE:10%, P less than 0.001). The histologic characteristics, the high or low grade of malignancy, and patient age can also be considered important prognostic factors, but not statistically significant in our series of cases. Comparison between overall survival and disease-free survival of patients in stages IE and IIE who underwent surgery alone, with those who had chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy after surgery shows a higher survival (85.6%) of the group who had combined treatments, even though this difference is not statistically significant.

High-dose therapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in previously untreated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

13 previously untreated patients with poor prognosis non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) underwent high-dose therapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). All patients experienced a great cytoreductive effect and 9 of them reached a complete remission (mean duration 32 months). The best results were observed in patients with more limited disease and in those without symptoms. 7 patients still remain in complete unmantained remission 15-46 months from the transplant. The probability of survival is 74% at 46 months. No therapy-related deaths were recorded. In differentiating our preliminary approach, we propose high dose therapy followed by ABMT as induction phase in patients with stage II and as consolidation after first line therapy in patients with stages III-IV. Further studies are warranted to determine which type of lymphoma may benefit more and which conditioning regimens may improve the remission rate.

Chromosome 12 rearrangement with breakage at the p11 level in hematologic disorders: report of four cases

Four patients with chromosome #12 rearrangement at the p11 level are described. One had acute promyelocytic leukemia, one had myelofibrosis evoluting to acute undifferentiated leukemia, one had acute nonlymphoid leukemia (ANLL) secondary to Hodgkin's disease, and another had acute leukemia recurring after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. This chromosome abnormality was always associated with other karyotypic aberrations, probably as a secondary event. Possible correlations with recent findings in oncogene research are discussed.