Karyotypic and fluorescent in situ hybridization study of the centromere of chromosome 7 in secondary myeloid neoplasms

Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a resource-constrained setting: outcomes after expansion of genetic evaluation

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a challenging disease with a growing genetic landscape, even though there is substantial gap between developed and non-developed countries when it comes to availability of such new technologies. This manuscript reports a 5-year retrospective cohort of newly diagnosed ALL patients and their genetic findings and outcomes. An expanded genetic evaluation by using FISH and RT-PCR was implemented, aiming to identify Ph-like alterations. Patients were treated according to our local protocol, which allocated patients according to age and Philadelphia-chromosome status. A total of 104 patients was included, with median age of 37.5 years. Philadelphia chromosome was detected in 33 cases of B-lineage. Among 45 Ph-negative B-lineage, after excluding KMT2A or TCF3-PBX1 cases, we identified 9 cases with Ph-like fusion. Ph-positive and Ph-like patients had higher initial WBC (p = 0.06). Out of 104 cases, two cases did not start chemotherapy and an early death rate of 10.8% was found. Allogeneic transplantation was performed in 18 cases, being ten performed in first CR. Three-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year event-free survival were 42.8% and 30.8%, respectively. For patients treated with a pediatric regimen, 3-year OS was 52.5%. Extramedullary disease (HR 0.42) and platelet counts (HR 0.9) were independently associated with OS. We still face excessive non-relapse mortality that compromises our results. Alternative strategies implementing FISH and RT-PCR are feasible and able to identify Ph-like fusions. Delays in allogeneic transplantation, as well as the unavailability of new agents, impact long-term survival. Measures to decrease early infection are desirable.

Myelodysplastic syndrome unrelated to lentiviral vector in a patient treated with gene therapy for sickle cell disease

Ability to accurately attribute adverse events post–gene therapy is required to describe the benefit-risk of these novel treatments. A SCD patient developed myelodysplastic syndrome post-LentiGlobin treatment; we show how insertional oncogenesis was excluded as the cause.

Secondary myeloid neoplasms: bone marrow cytogenetic and histological features may be relevant to prognosis

Background

Secondary myeloid neoplasms comprise a group of diseases arising after chemotherapy, radiation, immunosuppressive therapy or from aplastic anemia. Few studies have addressed prognostic factors in these neoplasms.

Method

Forty-two patients diagnosed from 1987 to 2008 with secondary myeloid neoplasms were retrospectively evaluated concerning clinical, biochemical, peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirate, biopsy, and immunohistochemistry and cytogenetic features at diagnosis as prognostic factors. The International Prognostic Scoring System was applied. Statistical analysis employed the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank and Fisher's exact test.

Results

Twenty-three patients (54.8%) were male and the median age was 53.5 years (range: 4–88 years) at diagnosis of secondary myeloid neoplasms. Previous diseases included hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, aplastic anemia, autoimmune diseases and conditions requiring solid organ transplantations. One third of patients (33%) were submitted to chemotherapy alone, 2% to radiotherapy, 26% to both modalities and 28% to immunosuppressive agents. Five patients (11.9%) had undergone autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The median latency between the primary disease and secondary myeloid neoplasms was 85 months (range: 23–221 months). Eight patients were submitted to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat secondary myeloid neoplasms. Important changes in bone marrow were detected mainly by biopsy, immunohistochemistry and cytogenetics. The presence of clusters of CD117⁺ cells and p53⁺ cells were associated with low survival. p53 was associated to a higher risk according to the International Prognostic Scoring System. High prevalence of clonal abnormalities (84.3%) and thrombocytopenia (78.6%) were independent factors for poor survival.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that cytogenetics, bone marrow biopsy and immunohistochemistry are very important prognostic tools in secondary myeloid neoplasms.