Retrospective Study of Incidence and Prognostic Significance of Eosinophilia after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Influence of Corticosteroid Therapy

Objective:

The clinical significance of eosinophilia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is controversial. This study aimed to retrospectively study the impact of eosinophilia on the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation by taking into account the influence of corticosteroid therapy.

Materials and Methods:

We retrospectively studied 204 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from January 2001 to December 2010.

Results:

The median age was 43 years (minimum-maximum: 17-65 years). Myeloablative conditioning was used in 153 patients and reduced intensity conditioning was employed in 51 patients. Donor cells were from bone marrow in 132 patients, peripheral blood in 34, and cord blood in 38. Eosinophilia was detected in 71 patients and there was no significant predictor of eosinophilia by multivariate analysis. There was no relationship between occurrence of eosinophilia and the incidence or grade of acute graft-versus-host disease when the patients were stratified according to corticosteroid treatment. Although eosinophilia was a prognostic factor for 5-year overall survival by univariate analysis, it was not a significant indicator by multivariate analysis.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that the clinical significance of eosinophilia in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation should be assessed with consideration of systemic corticosteroid administration.

Mode-selective optical packet switching in mode-division multiplexing networks

A novel mode-selective optical packet switching, based on mode-multiplexers/demultiplexers and multi-port optical micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switches, has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The experimental demonstration was performed using the LP(01), LP(11a) and LP(11b) modes of a 30-km long mode-division multiplexed few-mode fiber link, utilizing 40 Gb/s, 16-QAM signals.

Clinical significance of the administration of cytarabine or thiotepa in addition to total body irradiation and cyclophosphamide for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with acute leukemia

A multicenter retrospective study was performed to determine the significance of adding cytarabine (CA) or thiotepa (TT) in the context of total body irradiation (TBI) and cyclophosphamide (CY). A total of 322 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) were distributed to the following three groups: TBI/CY (n = 75), TBI/CY/CA (n = 77), and TBI/CY/TT (n = 170). In the TBI/CY/TT group, 164 of patients (96 %) received HCT during the previous year (2000-2005). Multivariate analysis revealed that the TBI/CY/TT group demonstrated a trend of poorer survival rate than the TBI/CY group, [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.49, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.99-2.24, P = 0.055] with a higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) (HR = 2.34, 95 % CI 1.35-4.06, P = 0.002) rates, while TBI/CY/CA group demonstrated similar outcomes. Even in the subgroup analyses of disease type or disease risk, the outcomes with intensified conditioning regimens were not superior to those with TBI/CY. In conclusion, although the significant bias has to be carefully considered, the clinical benefit of adding CA or TT to the TBI/CY regimen was not demonstrated.

Predictive value of risk assessment scores in patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation (RIC allo-SCT) is associated with less toxicity and is used for older patients. We retrospectively studied the predictive value of two risk assessment scores, which were the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) and the pre-transplantation assessment of mortality (PAM) score, for assessing the outcome of RIC allo-SCT. Seventy-eight patients underwent transplantation between 2005 and 2013 at a single institution. RIC was performed with fludarabine and melphalan with/without total body irradiation. The 3-year overall survival of patients with an HCT-CI >3 was significantly worse than that of patients with an HCT-CI 0-3 (31.6% vs. 59.6%, P = 0.020). Also, the 3-year overall survival of patients with a PAM score >24 was significantly worse than that of those with a PAM score ≤24 (29.2% vs. 61.4%, P = 0.005). The present findings suggest that changing the cut-off values of these risk assessment scores can improve prediction of outcomes in patients receiving RIC allo-SCT with this conditioning regimen and we need validation by large-scale study with other regimens.

Disseminated Cunninghamella bertholletiae infection with septic pulmonary embolism after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Mucormycosis in immunocompromised patients is often reported. We report a patient who developed non-thrombotic pulmonary embolism due to Cunninghamella bertholletiae after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Clinical significance of pre- and 1-year post-transplant serum ferritin among adult transplant recipients

To clarify the significance of post-transplant serum ferritin (SF), we retrospectively assessed pre- and post-transplant SF. Among 256 patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) for hematologic malignancies between 2000 and 2011, those who had relapsed within 1 year were excluded, and 110 patients surviving for more than 1 year were included in the analysis. The cut-off value of SF was 1000 ng/mL, and four pre- and post-SF groups were defined: low-low (n = 62), low-high (n = 12), high-low (n = 13) and high-high (n = 23). Outcomes at 5 years for each group were as follows: overall survival (OS) 88.2, 38.1, 92.3 and 76.7%, respectively, p = 0.004, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) 11.3, 53.6, 7.7 and 18.9%, respectively, p = 0.037. Patients receiving larger transfusion volumes or developing chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) demonstrated higher 1-year SF values. In multivariate analysis for OS and NRM, low-high SF remained a significant predictor of OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-11.0, p = 0.032) and NRM (HR = 2.95, 95%CI: 1.04-8.36, p = 0.041). These results suggest that the elevation of SF at 1 year after SCT, which may reflect transfusion and the development of chronic GVHD, may have an aggravating influence on outcomes after SCT. This study provides a clue to clarifying the clinical significance of SF in a transplant setting.

Ultra-broad band, low power, highly efficient coherent wavelength conversion in quantum dot SOA

We report broadband, all-optical wavelength conversion over 100 nm span, in full S- and C-band, with positive conversion efficiency with low optical input power exploiting dual pump Four-Wave-Mixing in a Quantum Dot Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (QD-SOA). We also demonstrate by Error Vector Magnitude analysis the full transparency of the conversion scheme for coherent modulation formats (QPSK, 8-PSK, 16-QAM, OFDM-16QAM) in the whole C-band.

[Immunophenotypic analysis of hematogones in patients with hematological malignancies]

We studied immunophenotypic analysis of hematogones by flow cytometry. A total of 102 specimens from 93 patients with acute leukemia (52 specimens), myelodysplastic syndromes (4), or malignant lymphoma (46) were analyzed between April and August, 2011. Hematogones were detected in 55 specimens and highly identified in patients with acute myeloid leukemia in remission and B cell lymphoma. Stage 1 (CD34(+)CD20(-)) and stage 2/3 (CD34(-)CD20(+)) were detected in 9.9% and 52.7%, respectively. In addition, the intermediate type (CD34(+)CD20(+)) was identified in 37.4%. All specimens of stage 3 in bright CD45 expression were positive for CD5 and included CD5(+)CD23(-)CD11c(-), 11.1%, CD5(+)CD23(+)CD11c(-), 85.2%, and CD5(+)CD23(+)CD11c(+), 3.7%. These findings suggest that hematogones with unreported immunophenotypes may exist and the appearance of hematogones in hematologic malignancies may be relatively frequent.

Prognostic factors in patients aged 50 years or older undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancy

We retrospectively analyzed patients aged C 50 years with hematologic malignancies who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) to identify preoperative variables predicting the outcome. There were 71 patients with a median age of 57 years (range: 50-63 years) who had acute leukemia (n = 53) or myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 18). Myeloablative conditioning was done in 35 patients and 36 patients had reduced-intensity conditioning. The 5-year overall survival rate (OS), cumulative relapse rate, and non-relapse mortality rate (NRM) were 45, 24, and 33%, respectively. According to multivariate analysis, high-risk disease (HR 3.50, 95% CI 1.43-8.56, P = 0.006), a hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) score ≥ 3 (HR 4.41, 95% CI 1.31-14.77, P = 0.016), and an HLA-mismatched unrelated donor (HR 4.03, 95% CI 1.46-11.10, P = 0.007) were significant predictors of worse OS. Highrisk disease was also significantly associated with a higher cumulative relapse rate (HR 4.59, 95% CI 0.94-6.92, P = 0.065). Furthermore, an HCT-CI score ≥ 3 (HR 3.02, 95% CI 1.01-20.78, P = 0.048) and an HLA-mismatched unrelated donor (HR 3.02, 95% CI 1.04-8.74, P = 0.042) were risk factors for NRM. These results suggest that the disease risk, HCT-CI score, and donor type/histocompatibility are prognostic factors for elderly patients, while the conditioning regimen and age are not predictors.

[Extramedullary relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the breast after unrelated allogeneic bone marrow transplantation]

A 28-year-old female presented with an isolated extramedullary relapse in the breast following an unrelated allogeneic bone marrow transplantation(UBMT)for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She complained of a tumor in her right breast with hematological complete remission 23 months after her first UBMT. The extramedullary lesion resolved with chemotherapy, and she then received a second UBMT. Although there had been no relapse of leukemia in the bone marrow and extramedullary sites, she died from a herpes simplex virus infection in the central nervous system. Extramedullary relapses in the so-called 'sanctuary'sites after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are unusual, and breast recurrences are even more rare. A treatment strategy for unusual sites of relapse after BMT should be established.

[Immune-mediated encephalomyelitis following varicella-zoster virus infection after allogeneic stem cell transplantation]

A 40-year-old Japanese man with acute myeloid leukemia received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. On day 101, varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection occurred, but was improved by administration of acyclovir and immunoglobulin. On day 119, he complained of numbness and double vision, and he was admitted due to exacerbation of the symptoms. The findings of cerebrospinal fluid and magnetic resonance image examination were consistent with the diagnosis of immune-mediated encephalomyelitis (IMEM). Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was effective and his neurological findings dramatically improved without recurrence. IMEM is a rare non-infectious inflammatory demyelinating disease that can occur after transplantation. We herein describe a case report with a review of the associated literature.

The impact of the dose of natural killer cells in the graft on severe acute graft-versus-host disease after unrelated bone marrow transplantation

The impact of lymphocyte subpopulations on the outcome of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) remains uncertain. We investigated the relationship between the lymphocyte subpopulations of bone marrow grafts and the outcome of BMT. A total of 121 patients who underwent BMT at Kanagawa Cancer Center between 2000 and 2009 were analyzed. Grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in 35.9% of patients who received unrelated BMT with a CD56 cell dose ≤2.80×10(6)/kg versus only 9.7% of patients with a CD56 cell dose >2.80×10(6)/kg (P=0.017). In patients receiving related BMT, the cumulative incidence of grade III-IV acute GVHD did not differ significantly in relation to the CD56 cell dose. On multivariate analysis, older donor age (hazard ratio (HR): 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.15, P=0.004) and a high dose of CD56 cells (>2.80×10(6)/kg) (HR: 0.15, 95%CI: 0.03-0.92, P=0.040) were significant determinants of grade III-IV acute GVHD after unrelated BMT. None of the lymphocyte subpopulations had a significant impact on the outcome of transplantation, including the rate of neutrophil engraftment, relapse, relapse-free mortality, and overall survival. Our findings suggest that a high natural killer cell dose prevents severe acute GVHD after unrelated BMT, while sparing the graft-versus-leukemia effect.

Secondary solid tumors after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT in Japan

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for secondary solid tumors in Japan after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo-HSCT), 2062 patients who had received allo-HSCT between 1984 and 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-eight patients who developed 30 solid tumors were identified a median of 5.6 years after transplantation. The risk for developing tumors was 2.16-fold higher than that of the age- and sex-adjusted general population. The cumulative incidence of solid tumors at 10 years after allo-HSCT was 2.4%. The risk was significantly higher for tumors of the skin, oral cavity and esophagus (standard incidental ratio 40.23, 35.25 and 10.73, respectively). No increase in gastric, colon or lung cancer, despite being the most prevalent neoplasm in the Japanese, was observed. In multivariate analysis, occurrence of chronic GVHD and malignant lymphoma as a primary disease was associated with a higher risk for developing solid tumors. Eighteen patients are still alive, and their 5-year probability of survival since diagnosis of solid tumors is 59.7%. Our data suggest that the incidence and risk factors of secondary solid tumors in Japanese allo-HSCT recipients are comparable to those reported in Western countries and emphasize that the early detection of solid tumors has a crucial role in improving OS.

[Relationship between early lymphocyte recovery and prognosis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute leukemia in remission]

To assess the relationship between early lymphocyte recovery and outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) for acute leukemia in remission, 79 adult patients (AML: 48, ALL: 31) who received transplantation between January 2000 and November 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. The median lymphocyte count on day 30 after SCT (LC30) was 465/µl (range, 10∼2640). On comparison of clinical outcomes between patients with low (LC30<400/µl) and high (LC30≥400/µl) counts, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in high LC30 group than in low LC30 group (81.6 vs. 52.6%, p=0.014), but the cumulative relapse rate (RR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 5 years did not differ between the two groups. On multivariate analysis, low LC 30 (HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.02∼5.88; p=0.046) and grade II∼IV acute graft-versus-host disease (HR, 2.41; 95% CI, 0.99∼5.90, p=0.0053) were significantly associated with worse OS. However, LC30 was not a risk factor for RR or NRM. These findings suggest that LC30 may be one of the outcome predictors for patients receiving SCT.

[Second transplantation for graft failure after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation--a retrospective survey by Kanto Study Group for Cell Therapy]

We retrospectively surveyed patients who received a second transplantation for graft failure (GF) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) in hospitals participating in the Kanto Study Group for Cell Therapy. A second SCT was performed in 21 of 45 patients with primary GF and in 13 of 15 with secondary GF. The median time between the first and second SCT was 49 days (range, 18-1204 days). The diagnosis included 28 patients with hematologic malignancies and 6 with aplastic anemia. Non-myeloablative or reduced-intensity conditioning was performed in 30 patients. Cord blood was frequently used as the source of stem cells followed by related donor peripheral blood, and unrelated bone marrow. Engraftment was achieved in 23 patients (68%). Conditioning regimen including total body or total lymphoid irradiation, was significantly associated with a higher engraftment rate. Overall survival at 5 years in all patients who underwent second SCT was 34%. Prognostic factors for better survival after second SCT were a time to second SCT longer than 90 days, the performance status at second SCT with 0 or 1, and the administration of tacrolimus for GVHD prophylaxis. The major cause of death after second SCT was infection. Although the outcome of a second SCT for graft failure remains poor, these findings suggest that the selection of patients as well as transplant methods, such as conditioning and GVHD prophylaxis, may contribute to survival.

[Successful selection of chemotherapy based on cell surface antigens in a patient with mixed phenotype acute leukemia]

A 47-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in June 2009 because of fatigue and blast cells in peripheral blood. Bone marrow examination showed that 67% leukemic cells were positive for myeloperoxidase (MPO) and negative for esterase stain. Flow cytometric analysis (FCM) revealed the expressions of CD2, cyCD3, CD5, TdT, CD13 on the blasts. Chromosome analysis of the bone marrow cells demonstrated 46, XY in 18 of the 20 analyzed cells, 46,XY,t(1;11)(q21;p15) in 1 of the 20 analyzed cells, and 47,XY,+11 in 1 of the 20 analyzed cells. The patient was diagnosed as having mixed phenotype acute leukemia, T/myeloid, NOS, according to the WHO classification. He received induction chemotherapy for ALL, but could not achieve complete remission (CR). After initial treatment, residual leukemic cells with CD13, CD33 and MPO were detected by FCM; therefore, he received re-induction chemotherapy for AML, and achieved CR. Acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage is a relatively rare subtype in acute leukemia and standard chemotherapy has not been established. It was suggested that the selection of chemotherapy based on the results of FCM was successful in our patient.

[Successful treatment with reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation for primary myelofibrosis]

A 60-year-old man was found to have anemia and leukocytosis from a health examination, and diagnosed with primary myelofibrosis (PMF). He was treated with low-dose melphalan but required frequent transfusions of red blood cells, and his splenomegaly enlarged. He received reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation (RIST)from an HLA-identical unrelated donor. The recovery of hematopoiesis was delayed due to the small number of transplanted cells (0.4 x 10(8)/kg). Splenomegaly and myelofibrosis gradually improved, and transfusion was not necessary 6 months later. He died of pneumonia about 1 year after transplantation. However, this case suggests that RIST is an effective treatment for PMF with giant splenomegaly.

The presence of mature granulocytes/monocytes derived from leukemic cells in MLL-associated leukemia

We observed the mature granulocytes/monocytes derived from leukemic cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia who present mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL). Morphologic observation and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) for chromosome 11q23 abnormality were studied, and a multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was done to identify the fusion partners with MLL. The bone marrow cells with FISH signals of MLL showed the cell differentiation of the myeloid and/or monocytic lineages in 4 of 6 AML patients. MLL partner genes were AF6, AF9, ELL, and ENL, respectively. There was no correlation between the fusion partner and the appearance of mature cells derived from MLL clones. RT-PCR showed the fusion between MLL exon 9 or 10 and the partner genes in mature granulocytes/monocytes. These findings suggest that subgroup of leukemia cells with MLL rearrangement has the differentiation potential of leukemic cells and mature granulocytes/monocytes derived from MLL clones may be biologically different from normal mature cells.

[Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from HLA one-locus-mismatched related donors]

Fourteen patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a serologically HLA one mismatched related donor (MMRD) between November 1987 and July 2003, were compared with HSCT from matched sibling donor (MSD) (n=142) or matched unrelated donor (MUD) (n=78). Cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients with MMRD was significantly higher than in those with MSD, but was not different from that in those with MUD. There was no difference in the incidence of extensive type chronic GVHD in HSCT according to donor type. Overall survival (OS) at 5-years in patients with MMRD, MSD and MUD was 42.8%, 55.6% and 44.3%, respectively. The presence of acute GVHD and disease status at HSCT were identified as risk factors for overall survival by multivariate analysis. Acute GVHD was a risk factor for prognosis in patients with MSD and MUD, but not in those with MMRD. It was confirmed that the therapeutic results could be obtained in HSCT from MMRD as well as MUD.

[Myocardial infiltration and formation of multiple granulocytic sarcoma of acute myeloid leukemia after cord blood transplantation]

A 57-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, M5a) with MLL rearrangement in August 2006. Cord blood transplantation (CBT) conditioned with a reduced-intensity regimen was carried out during second complete remission in March 2007. Marrow study on day 28 confirmed complete chimera and disappearance of minimal residual disease by RT-PCR. She complained of left chest pain around day 120. CT scan on day 127 showed left pleural effusion, tumors of the upper mediastinum and spleen, and pericardial effusion. She suddenly died of cardiogenic shock on day 129. Postmortem examination revealed systemic granulocytic sarcomas and infiltration of leukemic cells into the right atrium and epicardium without recurrence of leukemia in blood and marrow.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after surgical resection of pulmonary aspergillosis in 5 patients with acute leukemia

We report five patients with acute leukemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) following surgical resection of pulmonary aspergillosis. The patients were three men and two women with a median age of 40 (range, 32 approximately 60). The diagnosis, based on CT imaging, Aspergillus antigen, culture, and histopathology of resected lung specimens, included two proven and three possible pulmonary aspergillosis. Median duration from surgery to HSCT was 2.5 months (range, 1.0 approximately 20). Pre-transplant restrictive-type lung dysfunction was observed in four patients. Antifungal prophylaxis after HSCT was attempted with voriconazole in three patients, amphotericin-B in one patient, and micafungin in one patient. No patients experienced a relapse of pulmonary aspergillosis, although three patients died after HSCT. The causes of death included leukemia relapse in two and hemophagocytic syndrome in one. These results suggest that pre-transplant surgical resection with post-transplant prophylactic antifungal agents seems to be an effective strategy to prevent the relapse of pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with residual disease in the lung before allogeneic HSCT.

Prospective monitoring of BCR-ABL1 transcript levels in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia undergoing imatinib-combined chemotherapy

The clinical significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) is uncertain in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph+ ALL) treated with imatinib-combined chemotherapy. Here we report the results of prospective MRD monitoring in 100 adult patients. Three hundred and sixty-seven follow-up bone marrow samples, collected at predefined time points during a uniform treatment protocol, were analysed for BCR-ABL1 transcripts by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Ninety-seven patients (97%) achieved complete remission (CR), and the relapse-free survival (RFS) rate was 46% at 3 years. Negative MRD at the end of induction therapy was not associated with longer RFS or a lower relapse rate (P = 0.800 and P = 0.964 respectively). Twenty-nine patients showed MRD elevation during haematological CR. Of these, 10 of the 16 who had undergone allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in first CR were alive without relapse at a median of 2.9 years after transplantation, whereas 12 of the 13 who had not undergone allogeneic HSCT experienced a relapse. These results demonstrate that, in Ph+ ALL patients treated with imatinib-combined chemotherapy, rapid molecular response is not associated with a favourable prognosis, and that a single observation of elevated MRD is predictive of subsequent relapse, but allogeneic HSCT can override its adverse effect.

[Air-leak syndrome in patients with non-infectious pulmonary complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

We reported 5 patients who developed air-leak syndrome (ALS) including pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The underlying diseases were AML (n=2), ALL (n=1), MDS (n=1), and CML (n=1). All patients received allogeneic SCT from related donors including 2 donors with HLA mismatch. Total body irradiation was performed as a conditioning regimen in all patients. Late-onset noninfectious pulmonary complications (LONIPC) were detected in all patients before the development of ALS. The interval from diagnosis of LONIPC to onset of ALS was 10-360 days (median, 20 days). Four of 5 patients were treated with corticosteroid for chronic graft-versus-host disease and/or LONIPC. To date, three patients have died of respiratory failure. The others are currently alive and one of these surviving patients is receiving home oxygen treatment. Physicians should be aware of this rare complication following LONIPC, because treatment of ALS is difficult in some patients.

[Thyrotoxicosis after cord blood transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia]

We describe a 44-year-old man with acute myelogenous leukemia who developed thyrotoxicosis after unrelated cord blood transplantation. He complained of fever, general fatigue, tremor and tachycardia on day 63. On examination of thyroid function, free triiodothyronine (23.67 pg/ml) and free thyroxine (5.71 ng/dl) were increased, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (<0.03 microU/ml) was decreased. Antithyroid receptor antibody, antithyroid peroxidase antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody were all negative. The patient was diagnosed as having thyrotoxicosis. His symptoms improved and thyroid function returned to the normal levels within 2 weeks. Thyrotoxicosis is a rare complication, but we should be aware that it may cause idiopathic fever after stem cell transplantation.

Karyotype at diagnosis is the major prognostic factor predicting relapse-free survival for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with imatinib-combined chemotherapy

To identify factors associated with relapse-free survival (RFS), 80 patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, enrolled in a phase II study of imatinib-combined chemotherapy, were analyzed. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 26.7 months (maximum, 52.5 months). Twenty-eight out of 77 patients who had achieved CR relapsed. The probability of RFS was 50.5% at 2 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of secondary chromosome aberrations in addition to t(9;22) at diagnosis constitute an independent predictive value for RFS (p=0.027), and increase the risk of treatment failure by 2.8-fold.

[Usefulness of hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

We retrospectively investigated the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index(HCT-CI)to predict non relapse mortality. Of 127 patients who underwent transplantation between January 2000 and December 2003 with conditioning consisting of total body irradiation, cyclophosphamide and thiotepa, HCT-CI scores were obtained for 83 patients. Median age was 42 years. The sources of stem cells included HLA-identical bone marrow or peripheral blood from sibling(30), HLA-matched bone marrow from unrelated donors(45), and HLA-mismatched bone marrow or peripheral blood from family donors(8). Hematological disease was divided into two groups, standard risk(47)and high risk(36). Standard risk indicates acute leukemia in first or second remission and chronic myelocytic leukemia in first chronic phase, while high risk indicates all other diagnoses. There were 45 patients with moderate or severe pulmonary comorbidities. 55 patients with HCT-CI scores of 2 or less had higher 2-year overall survival than 28 patients with HCT-CI scores of 3 or more(65% vs. 36%, p=0.0009). Although the non relapse mortality rate was not different, HCT-CI scores were a more useful indicator to predict survival in high risk patients than in standard risk patients. Prospective evaluation is warranted to clarify the usefulness of HCT-CI.

Thiotepa/cyclophosphamide/TBI as a conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients aged 50 years and over

OBJECTIVE

To reduce the relapse rate for hematological malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, we employed a myeloablative regimen comprising thiotepa 400 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 3,600 mg/m(2) and total body irradiation 10 Gy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Subjects comprised 17 patients (median age, 53 years; range, 50-56 years) with hematological malignancies who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from HLA-identical related (n=6), HLA-mismatched family (n=2) or unrelated donors (n=9). Prophylaxis of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) consisted of short-term methotrexate and cyclosporine (n=4) or short-term methotrexate and tacrolimus (n=13).

RESULTS

No grade IV regimen-related toxicities as determined by Bearman's criteria were encountered. Acute grade II-IV GVHD developed in 7 patients, with chronic GVHD in 11 patients. With a median follow-up of 39 months, 3 years survival rate after transplantation was 59%. Two patients died due to infection by 100 days after transplantation. Only 1 patient with Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia experienced relapse. Eight patients died of non-leukemic causes (sepsis, n=2; liver dysfunction, n=2; idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, n=1; bacterial pneumonia, n=1; bronchiolitis obliterans resulting from chronic GVHD, n=1; and disseminated infection with varicella zoster virus, n=1).

CONCLUSIONS

This regimen was tolerable, but a large trial is warranted to confirm the efficacy of this conditioning.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor: incidence, risk factors and association with relapse. A report from the Japan Marrow Donor Program

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the major cause of late morbidity and mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We retrospectively analysed 2937 patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor (UR-BMT) facilitated by the Japan Marrow Donor Program (JMDP) and survived beyond day 100 after transplantation. The cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD (limited + extensive) or extensive chronic GVHD at 5 years post-transplant was 45.8% and 28.2%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, seven variables predicting chronic GVHD were identified: recipient age over 20 years, donor age over 30 years, primary diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia, human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A or -B mismatch, total body irradiation-containing regimen, platelet count not having reached 50 x 10(9)/l by day 100, and prior acute GVHD. Among 2609 patients with haematological malignancy, overall survival was significantly higher in patients with limited chronic GVHD but lower in patients with extensive chronic GVHD compared with those without chronic GVHD. The cumulative incidence of relapse among patients with limited or extensive chronic GVHD was significantly lower than that among patients without chronic GVHD. Our results suggest that limited chronic GVHD provides a survival benefit to patients with haematological malignancies by reducing the risk of relapse without increasing the risk of death from chronic GVHD.

[Early blastic transformation within a year of imatinib treatment in 2 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia]

We report herein on two rare cases of newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia, which developed early blastic transformation within a year of imatinib treatment. Case 1 is a 22-year-old Japanese female, who underwent gradual blastic transformation with the increase of a resistant clone, which cytogenetically evolved right after she reached complete hematologic remission. Case 2 is a 24-year-old Japanese male, who underwent sudden transformation after 8 months treatment with imatinib mesylate following complete cytogenetic response. Although a sudden blastic transformation is extremely rare, the occurrence of such events even among the low-risk, good responding patients highlights the need for continued, rigorous monitoring by sensitive analysis, such as quantitative PCR. In order to accomplish the early eradication of minimal residual disease, the therapeutic strategy for chronic myeloid leukemia has to be defined in the era of imatinib, considering the application of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which is currently the only curative treatment.

Four-color flow cytometric analysis of myeloma plasma cells

We monitored the behavior of residual myeloma plasma cells in patients with multiple myeloma after high-dose therapy and autologous or allogeneic transplantation using 3 methods of a flow cytometric technique using 4-color staining, immunofixation, and polymerase chain reaction approaches. We analyzed 17 cases by a relatively simple flow cytometric technique using CD38/CD45/CD19/CD56. Detectable myeloma plasma cells were found in 5 patients at diagnosis and 9 patients after treatment. Of 14 cases, 9 (64%) had CD19-CD56+ myeloma plasma cells, and 5 (36%) of 14 had CD19-CD56- myeloma plasma cells. When 37 bone marrow samples that had less than 5% myeloma plasma cells were assessed, myeloma plasma cells were detected in all 20 immunofixation-positive cases and 3 of 17 immunofixation-negative cases (P = .002). All 4 polymerase chain reaction-negative samples characterized as immunofixation-negative contained no detectable myeloma plasma cells. Flow cytometry can provide effective information to detect low levels of myeloma plasma cells.

Human Herpesvirus 6 Meningoencephalitis in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

We retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) meningoencephalitis within 100 days after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Of 1148 patients who received transplants between January 1999 and December 2003, 11 patients (0.96%) with HHV-6 meningoencephalitis were identified. Ten of 11 recipients received hematopoietic stem cells from donors other than HLA-identical siblings. Confusion was the most frequent central nervous system (CNS) symptom, and a skin rash with high-grade fever preceded the CNS symptoms in 9 patients. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed an abnormal increased T2 signal in the hypothalamus of 5 patients. Eight patients were treated with ganciclovir, and an improvement of CNS symptoms was obtained in 3 patients; 3 patients treated with acyclovir showed no improvement. Improvement in the meningoencephalitis seemed less frequent in patients with abnormal findings in the hypothalamus than in those without such findings. Because the symptoms of HHV-6 meningoencephalitis mimicked those of cyclosporine- or tacrolimus-induced encephalopathy, the drugs were withdrawn at the onset of CNS symptoms in 10 patients, resulting in the development of grade IV graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in 5 patients. Three patients died of HHV-6 meningoencephalitis, and 6 died of other causes, including GVHD. In conclusion, HHV-6 meningoencephalitis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication in patients who undergo allogeneic HSCT. Careful assessment of the clinical findings and the brain may allow early and precise diagnosis of HHV-6 meningoencephalitis and contribute to improving its prognosis.

[Cord blood transplantation after successful treatment of brain abscess caused by Bacillus cereus in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia]

Central nervous system infection caused by Bacillus cereus is a rare condition, which often progresses rapidly and is fatal in immunocompromised patients. A 54-year-old woman with acute myelogenous leukemia fell into a coma with high fever during severe neutropenia while undergoing chemotherapy. A blood culture demonstrated the presence of B. cereus and magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple abnormal lesions in her brain. The patient was treated with meropenem and vancomycin, and recovered from the coma in a week. Antibiotic therapy was administered for seven weeks, and then she underwent cord blood transplantation for refractory acute myelogenous leukemia with successful engraftment without exacerbation of the brain abscess. This case demonstrates that brain abscess caused by B. cereus can be treated without surgical treatment.