Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cancer Cases Among Syrian Refugees From Southern Turkey

Importance

Cancer was a common noncommunicable disease in Syria before the present conflict and is now a major disease burden among 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. Data to inform health care practice are needed.

Objective

To explore sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes of Syrian patients with cancer residing in the southern border provinces of Turkey hosting more than 50% of refugees.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of all adult and children Syrian refugees diagnosed and/or treated for cancer between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2020, in hematology-oncology departments of 8 university hospitals in the Southern province of Turkey. Data were analyzed from May 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Demographic characteristics (date of birth, sex, and residence), date of first cancer-related symptom, date and place of diagnosis, disease status at first presentation, treatment modalities, date and status at last hospital visit, and date of death. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision and International Classification of Childhood Cancers, Third Edition, were used for the classification of cancer. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results system was applied for staging. The diagnostic interval was defined as the number of days from first symptoms until the diagnosis. Treatment abandonment was documented if the patient did not attend the clinic within 4 weeks of a prescribed appointment throughout the treatment.

Results

A total of 1114 Syrian adult and 421 Syrian children with cancer were included. The median age at diagnosis was 48.2 (IQR, 34.2-59.4) years for adults and 5.7 (IQR, 3.1-10.7) years for children. The median diagnostic interval was 66 (IQR, 26.5-114.3) days for adults and 28 (IQR, 14.0-69.0) days for children. Breast cancer (154 [13.8%]), leukemia and multiple myeloma (147 [13.2%]), and lymphoma (141 [12.7%]) were common among adults, and leukemias (180 [42.8%]), lymphomas (66 [15.7%]), and central nervous system neoplasms (40 [9.5%]) were common among children. The median follow-up time was 37.5 (IQR, 32.6-42.3) months for adults and 25.4 (IQR, 20.9-29.9) months for children. The 5-year survival rate was 17.5% in adults and 29.7% in children.

Conclusions and Relevance

Despite universal health coverage and investment in the health care system, low survival rates were reported in this study for both adults and children with cancer. These findings suggest that cancer care in refugees requires novel planning within national cancer control programs with global cooperation.

Prospective registry of adult patients receiving therapeutic plasma exchange with a presumptive diagnosis of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA): The Turkish hematology research and education group (ThREG)-TMA02 study

Thrombotic microanjiopathy (TMA) is a pathological diagnosis characterized by abnormalities of small vessels leading to microvascular thrombosis of arterioles and capillaries. The current prospective, non-interventional, multicenter study aimed to define the distribution of different TMA forms in adult Turkish patients who were referred for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for presumptive diagnosis of TMA. Patients with serum ADAMTS13 activity <5% were diagnosed as having acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). Patients presenting with ADAMTS13 activity 6-10 % / normal renal function and patients with ADAMTS13 activity >10 %, normal renal function and no secondary TMA were treated as unclassified TMA. The study included a total of 80 patients (women: 50; man: 30) with a median age of 48 (20-74). Detailed evaluation at 1 month after hospital admission revealed aTTP, secondary TMA, infection/complement-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome and unclassified TMA in 29 (36.2 %), 22 (27.5 %), 23 (28.8 %) and 6 (7.5 %) patients respectively. As subclassification of various TMAs will dictate specific therapy, proper diagnosis in a timely manner is of utmost clinical significance.

Brentuximab vedotin consolidation therapy after autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma: Multicenter retrospective study

The AETHERA trial reported an increased progression-free survival (PFS) when brentuximab vedotin (BV) was used as maintenance therapy in high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Thus, we aimed to determine the impact and safety of BV as maintenance after ASCT in real-world patients. Seventy-five patients with relapsed/refractory HL started on BV consolidation therapy after ASCT due to high risk of relapse, between January 2016 and July 2019, from 25 institutions, were included in the study. The median follow-up time was 26 months. The most common high-risk features were primary refractory or relapsed disease <12 months (n = 61), lack of complete response (CR) to the last salvage regimen (n = 51), and having had at least two salvage regimens (n = 29). At the time of analysis, 42 patients completed consolidation courses, and BV was discontinued in 33 patients. Fifty patients had an ongoing response (CR in 41, PR in 6, and SD in 3 patients), 25 had progressed. Ten died in the follow-up, eight with progressive disease and two due to infection while in CR. The 2-year PFS and OS rates were 67.75% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.77) and 87.61% (95% CI: 0.76-0.94), respectively. Seventeen patients (23%) received BV in the pre-ASCT treatment lines, and there was no survival difference between the BV-naïve and BV-exposed groups. The most common adverse events were neutropenia (27%) and peripheral neuropathy (21%). Sixteen patients (21.3%) experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicity. BV was discontinued due to adverse event in 12 patients. Consolidation with BV after ASCT can achieve a 2-year PFS of 67.75% (95% CI: 0.55-0.75) with an acceptable toxicity profile.

Evaluation of clinical characteristics of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria treated with eculizumab in Turkey: a multicenter retrospective analysis

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare X-linked genetic disorder. On the contrary to its name, it is a multisystemic disease and various symptoms other than hemoglobinuria could be occurred. It could be life threatening especially because of thromboembolic events. In the last decade, a terminal complement inhibition with eculizumab approved with promising results for PNH patients. We conducted this study to evaluate the long term experience of eculizumab therapy from Turkey for the first time. Our cohort included 138 patients with PNH treated with eculizumab between January 2008 and December 2018 at 28 centers in Turkey. Laboratory and clinical findings at the time of diagnosis and after eculizumab therapy were recorded retrospectively. The median age was 39 (range 18-84) years and median granulocyte PNH clone size was 74% (range 3.06-99.84%) at the time of diagnosis. PNH with bone marrow failure syndrome was detected in 49 patients and the rest of 89 patients had classical PNH. Overall 45 patients (32.6%) had a history of any prior thrombotic event before eculizumab therapy and only 2 thrombotic events were reported during the study period. Most common symptoms are fatigue (75.3%), hemoglobinuria (18.1%), abdominal pain (15.2%) and dysphagia (7.9%). Although PNH is commonly related with coombs negativity, we detected coombs positivity in 2.17% of patients. Seven months after the therapy, increased hemoglobin level was seen and remarkably improvement of lactate dehydrogenase level during the treatment was occurred. In addition to previous studies, our real life data support that eculizumab is well tolerated with no serious adverse events and improves the PNH related findings.

Clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients in Turkey: a multicenter experience

The aim of this study is to collect paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) patient data from hematology centers all over Turkey in order to identify clinical features and management of PNH patients. Patients with PNH were evaluated by a retrospective review of medical records from 19 different institutions around Turkey. Patient demographics, medical history, laboratory findings, and PNH-specific information, including symptoms at the diagnosis, complications, erythrocyte, and granulocyte clone size, treatment, and causes of death were recorded. Sixty patients (28 males, 32 females) were identified. The median age was 33 (range; 17-77) years. Forty-six patients were diagnosed as classic PNH and 14 as secondary PNH. Fatigue and abdominal pain were the most frequent presenting symptoms. After eculizumab became available in Turkey, most of the patients (n = 31/46, 67.4%) were switched to eculizumab. Three patients with classic PNH underwent stem cell transplantation. The median survival time was 42 (range; 7-183 months) months. This study is the first and most comprehensive review of PNH cases in Turkey. It provided us useful information to find out the differences between our patients and literature, which may help us understand the disease.

Study for the Diagnostic Screening of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria in Older Patients with Unexplained Anemia and/or Cytopenia

BACKGROUND

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare acquired hematopoietic stem cell disease that may lead to weakness and death of patients, if unrecognized and untreated. Although consensus guidelines were reviewed recently for the diagnostic screening of PNH with multi-parameter flow cytometry (FCM), until now, no study has investigated the efficiency of such clinical indications in older patients.

METHODS

Overall, 20 centers participated in the study and a total of 1,689 patients were included, 313 of whom were at geriatric age and 1,376 were aged 18 - 64 years. We evaluated the efficiency of consensus clinical indications for PNH testing using FCM in peripheral blood samples and compared the results of older patients and patients aged 18 - 64 years.

RESULTS

PNH clones were detected positive in 7/313 (2.2%) of the older patients. Five (74.4%) of the patients with PNH clones had aplastic anemia, 1 had unexplained cytopenia, and 1 patient had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with refractory anemia. PNH clones were not detected in any older patients who were screened for unexplained thrombosis, Coombs (-) hemolytic anemia, hemoglobinuria, and others (e.g., elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), splenomegaly). We detected PNH clones in 55/1376 (4%) samples of the patients aged under 65 years. Forty-two (76.4%) patients with PNH clones had aplastic anemia, 2 patients had Coombs (-) hemolytic anemia, 3 patients had unexplained cytopenia, 1 patient had MDS with refractory anemia, 1 patient had hemoglobinuria, and 6 (10.9%) had others (e.g., elevated LDH, splenomegaly). PNH clones were not detected in any patients who were screened for unexplained thrombosis. There was no statistical difference between the geriatric population and patients aged 18 - 64 years in terms of clinical indications for PNH screening with FCM (p = 0.49).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that the current clinical indications for PNH screening with FCM were also efficient in older patients. We suggest that older patients with unexplained anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome with refractory anemia, and unexplained cytopenia should be screened for PNH with FCM to identify patients who would benefit from treatment.

Serum IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, IL-27, and IL-33 levels in active and inactive ocular Behcet's disease

PURPOSE

To investigate serum levels of interleukin (IL)-12 (Th1 cytokine), IL-27 (an immunomodulatory cytokine), IL-4 (suppressor of Th1-cell growth), IL-13 (a stimulatory signal for Th2 cytokines), and IL-33 (an epithelial cell-derived cytokine) and their relations with the disease activity in Behcet's Disease (BD).

METHODS

Four groups, each composed of 20 participants were enrolled in the study; active ocular BD (Group-A), ocular BD in remission (Group-B), nonocular BD in remission (Group-C) and healthy controls (Group-D). IL levels were compared between the study groups and their correlation with the disease activity parameters were analyzed.

RESULTS

IL-13 and IL-33 were higher in Group-A. IL-27 was lower in all BD groups. Additionally, IL-13 and IL-33 levels were positively correlated with disease activity parameters.

CONCLUSION

These findings show Th2 dominance in the active phase of BD. Besides, decreased levels of IL-27, and presumably, its protective anti-inflammatory effect in all study groups may exert a new pathologic finding in BD.

Reuse and recycle solutions in refineries by ozone-based advanced oxidation processes: A statistical approach

Fresh water sources are under pressure globally by the increasing population and consequently increasing production, which increases the water demand day by day. Thus, decreasing the industrial fresh water demand and wastewater production became crucial both for the water availability in the future and for its impact to the environment. This study examined the ozone-based treatments as the possible solution to a refinery to treat the effluent already treated by the traditional techniques to reach the final requirements for reuse and recycle purposes. The screening tests performed by fractional factorial design revealed that the significant parameters for the treatment were ozone feed ratio, H₂O₂ amount and processing time while pH was found insignificant for this case. Based on the box-Behnken response surface methodology for effluent collected after biological treatment, the significant parameters were optimized as the ozone ratio of 0.9 g/h, H₂O₂ amount of 47 mg/L and 60 min duration. However, in case of increasing the H₂O₂ amount to 80 mg/L the duration can be minimized to 37.5 min decreasing the energy and reagent consumption costs by a 37%, reaching a final total organic carbon (TOC) under 4 mg/L, that is the target for reuse possibilities.

MicroRNAs expression profiles as biomarkers and therapeutic tools in Turkish patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

AIM

In 95 % of Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, chromosomal translocation resulting in the formation of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome (t:9;22) is observed, which in turn leads to the formation of the BCR-ABL fusion gene. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small and non-coding RNAs modulating gene expression via binding to the target mRNAs. We aimed to characterize the expression profiles of various miRNAs in different stages of Ph(+) CML patients.

METHODS

This case-controlled study was conducted in 75 CML patients and 25 healthy controls. The subjects were categorized into 4 groups; newly diagnosed patients, treatment-response patients, treatment-failure patients, and healthy controls. Expressions of miRNAs was analyzed by RT-PCR.

RESULTS

miR-150 expression was downregulated in the treatment failure patients compared to the control group (p = 0.003212) while miRNA 148b expression up-regulated in the treatment failure patients than the control group (p = 0.038016). miR-10a expression was up-regulated in newly diagnosed and treatment response patients compared to control group (p = 0.003934, p = 0.000292, respectively). It was found that miR-10a expression increased 11.17- fold in newly diagnosed patients and 9.82-fold in treatment response patients than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that expression profiles of miR-10a, miR-150, and miRNA 148b were correlated as biomarker and therapeutic tool in Turkish patients with CML (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 30).

Frontline nilotinib treatment in Turkish patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic Myeloid Leukemia in chronic phase: updated results with 2 years of follow-up

OBJECTIVES

This report presents final results (24 months of follow-up) from the first prospective, national study of frontline nilotinib in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in Turkey.

METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML in chronic phase (CML-CP; N = 112) received nilotinib 300 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint, which was the cumulative rate of major molecular response (MMR; BCR-ABL1 ≤ 0.1% on the International Scale [BCR-ABL1^IS]) by 12 months, was previously reported (66.1% [80% CI, 59.7%-72.0%]). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01274351 Results: By 24 months, 83.0% of patients achieved MMR, and 50.9% achieved MR^4.5 (BCR-ABL1^IS ≤0.0032%). Safety results at 24 months were consistent with those at 12 months. No additional deaths or disease progressions to accelerated phase/blast crisis were observed between 12 and 24 months.

DISCUSSION

Treatment with nilotinib 300 mg twice daily for 2 years provided high MMR with a good safety/tolerability profile in newly diagnosed CML-CP patients in Turkey. Assessment of MMR across time points showed increasing rates through 18 months, after which as lower rate of increase was observed. The safety profile of nilotinib 300 mg twice daily with 24 months of follow-up was similar to that observed at 12 months, and no new safety concerns were identified. These efficacy and safety findings are consistent with the results from the 12-month analysis of this study and from previous nilotinib studies. These findings support nilotinib as an option for frontline treatment of CML-CP.

CONCLUSION

Frontline nilotinib treatment provided sustained efficacy, with good tolerability, over 24 months in newly diagnosed CML-CP patients.

Outcomes with frontline nilotinib treatment in Turkish patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase

OBJECTIVES

Nilotinib is a BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP). This study was the first prospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of nilotinib in Turkish patients with newly diagnosed CML-CP. The primary endpoint of the study was the rate of major molecular response (MMR; BCR-ABL1 ≤ 0.1% on the International Scale [BCR-ABL1IS]) by 12 months.

METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed CML-CP were treated with nilotinib 300 mg twice daily. This analysis was based on the first 12 months of follow-up in a 24-month study. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01274351).

RESULTS

Of 112 patients enrolled, 66.1% (80% CI, 59.7-72.0%) achieved MMR and 22.3% achieved a deep molecular response of MR4.5 (BCR-ABL1IS ≤0.0032%) by 12 months. During the first year of treatment, one patient progressed to blast crisis and two patients died. Safety results were consistent with previous studies. Most adverse events (AEs) were grade 1/2. Most frequently reported nonhematologic AEs of any grade were elevations in bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, and triglycerides.

CONCLUSION

These results support the use of nilotinib 300 mg twice daily as a standard-of-care treatment option for patients with newly diagnosed CML-CP with low and intermediate risk.

Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma in daily practice: A multicenter experience

Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare subtype of Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical features and therapeutic outcomes of patients with NLPHL who were diagnosed at different institutes in Turkey. We retrospectively reviewed the records of the patients diagnosed with NLPHL. Adult patients who were diagnosed after 2005 with histological confirmation were selected for the study. Forty-three patients were included in the study. Median age of patients was 37.5 years (18-70) at the time of diagnosis. About 60.5% patients were diagnosed as stage I and II NLPHL, and remaining 39.5% had stage III and IV disease. Median follow-up was 46 months. During follow-up, none of the patients died. Seven patients relapsed or progressed after initial therapy at a median of 12 months. Five of 7 relapsed/refractory patients (71.4%) were salvaged with chemotherapy only (DHAP, ICE), and the remaining 2 (28.6%) were salvaged with chemoimmunotherapy. All of relapsed/refractory patients were able to achieve complete remission after salvage therapy. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly higher in patients with progressive disease compared with nonprogressive disease. Our study showed an excellent outcome with all patients alive at last contact with a median follow up of 46 months despite a wide range of different therapeutic approaches. All relapsed and refractory patients were successfully salvaged despite a low frequency of patients received immunotherapy in conjunction with chemotherapy. Our results suggest that immunotherapy may be reserved for further relapses.

Assessment of the underlying causes of the immune thrombocytopenia: Ten years experience

OBJECTIVE

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an immune haematologic disorder causing platelet destruction mediated by anti-platelet antibodies. In this study we aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory variables of ITP patients in southeast of Turkey.

METHODS

In this retrospective study 167 ITP patients between 2005 and 2015 were evaluated. All patients were screened for immunological parameters including ANA (antinuclear antibodies), anti dsDNA (anti-double-stranded-DNA), ACA(anti-cardiolipin) IgM and IgG, LA (lupus anticoagulants). All patients were screened for Helicobacter pylori, HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen), anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus antibody), and anti-HIV ½ (HIV antibody) and brucellosis..

RESULTS

Among the patients, 50 (29.9%) patients were male, 117 (70.1%) were female. The age range of patients was 18-86 (mean 38.16±14). In 56 patients (33.5%) splenectomy was performed. 36 patients (21.6%) were positive for ANA, 5 (3%) were positive for anti dsDNA, 14 (8.4%) for ACA Ig G, and 14 (8.4%) patients for ACA IgM. LA was tested in 165 patients and 30 (18%) patients were positive for LA. Microbiologic evaluation was as follows: 16 patients (9.6%) were positive for HbsAg, 109 (65.3%) positive for Anti-HBs, 5 positive for anti-HCV (3%), 56 (33.5%) patients were positive for Helicobacter pylori antigen, 5 (2.9%) for Brucella and one patient was positive for anti-HIV ½.

CONCLUSIONS

Immune thrombocytopenia patients have to be evaluated according to their demographic characteristics and laboratory results. Secondary causes of ITP were HIV, HCV, Helicobacter pylori, brucellosis, tuberculosis, and autoimmune diseases in our region. Management of ITP patients can change in different regions.

Cholesterol Levels in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Low cholesterol levels may be accompanied by solid tumors or hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma. Decreased cholesterol levels have been reported in some experimental studies about chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It may be associated with tumoral cell metabolism. Herein, we examine blood lipid profiles of patients with newly diagnosed CLL (284 male, 276 female, mean age 64 ± 11 years) as defined by National Cancer Institute criteria. The control group consisted of 71 healthy subjects with mean age 55 ± 9 years (28 male, 43 females). 60% of patients with Binet A, while 25% were Binet C. Decreased levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were observed in patients with CLL than control group (p < 0,001). There was no statistical significance between CLL and control group for triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), also between HDL-C, VLDL, TG and grades. Cholesterol may metabolized by abnormal lymphocytes in CLL patients.

Factor V Leiden Mutation in Venous Thrombosis in Southeast Turkey

Venous thrombosis (VT) is a common disease, with an annual incidence in the general population of approximately 1 per 1,000. Factor V Leiden mutation (G1691A) (FVL) is the most common risk factor in venous thrombosis. The prevalence of FVL for thrombosis varies greatly in different regions of the world. FVL mutation has been identified both by conventional method and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with the LightCycler. Sixty-one patients with VT, different in age and sex, were consecutively entered into this study to assess the prevalence of FVL in VT in southeast Turkey. FVL mutation was found in 24.6% (15/61). Fourteen individuals were heterozygous and 1 homozygous, a rate of 22.9% and 1.6%, respectively. In conclusion, the authors suggest that FVL mutation is common in patients with venous thrombosis in southeast Turkey.

Atherosclerotic background of disseminated teeth losses in sickle cell diseases

Background: We tried to understand whether or not there is an atherosclerotic background of disseminated teeth losses in sickle cell diseases (SCDs). Methods: All patients with the SCDs were included, and cases with disseminated teeth losses (< 20 teeth present) were detected. Results: The study included 434 patients (222 males). Mean ages were similar in males and females (30.8 versus 30.3 years, respectively, P>0.05). Smoking (23.8% versus 6.1%) and alcohol (4.9% versus 0.4%) were higher in males (P<0.001 for both). Although the relatively younger mean ages, the prevalences of disseminated teeth losses were higher both in males and females (5.4% versus 1.4%, respectively, P<0.001). On the other hand, transfused units of red blood cells in their lives (48.1 versus 28.5, P=0.000), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (25.2% versus 7.0%, P<0.001), ileus (7.2% versus 1.4%, P<0.001), cirrhosis (8.1% versus 1.8%, P<0.001), leg ulcers (19.3% versus 7.0%, P<0.001), digital clubbing (14.8% versus 6.6%, P<0.001), coronary artery disease (18.0% versus 13.2%, P<0.05), chronic renal disease (9.9% versus 6.1%, P<0.05), and stroke (12.1% versus 7.5%, P<0.05) were all higher in males. Conclusion: SCDs are chronic inflammatory processes on vascular endothelium particularly at the capillary level, and terminate with accelerated atherosclerosis induced end-organ failures in early years of life. Although the relatively younger mean ages of the study cases, the higher prevalences of disseminated teeth losses in both genders are probably due to the disseminated endothelial damage, inflammation, and fibrosis both at arterial and venous systems of the oral mucosa, periodontium, and teeth in the SCDs.

Presentation and Management of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria: A Single-Center Experience

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare acquired disorder characterized by intravascular hemolysis. Real-world experience of PNH management is largely unreported. A retrospective analysis was undertaken based on medical records from six patients with PNH [two with aplastic anemia (AA)] treated at our center, Dicle University, Turkey. Diagnosis was based on granulocyte PNH clones, ranging from 93% to 66%. All patients had symptoms consistent with PNH. One patient was managed adequately with supportive measures only. Five were treated with the complement inhibitor eculizumab. Follow-up data (<1 year) were available in four cases (the fifth had received only three infusions by final follow-up). Hemoglobin level in these four patients increased from 4.1-7.2 g/dL to 8.3-13.0 g/dL. Lactate dehydrogenase, a marker for hemolysis, decreased profoundly in the two non-AA patients, with more minor improvements in the two AA patients. Weakness and fatigue improved in all eculizumab-treated patients. Four of the five treated patients became transfusion independent, including the patient given only three infusions. In the remaining case, a patient with AA, transfusion requirement decreased, and abdominal pain and dysphagia resolved. No adverse events occurred. PNH can be successfully managed in routine practice.

Serum uric acid and inflammation in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura: preliminary results

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the uric acid (UA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty patients with newly diagnosed ITP and 40 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups; group 1 (n = 40) consisted of patients with ITP, and group 2 (n = 40) consisted of healthy subjects. UA and CRP levels were measured in the blood samples from them.

RESULTS

There were no statistical differences in gender, age and body mass index between two groups (p > 0.05 for all). Compared to group 2, group 1 had significantly higher UA levels (p = 0.002), whereas CRP levels were not significantly different (p > 0.05). In ITP patients, serum UA and CRP levels significantly correlated with low platelet count (r = -0.362, p = 0.022; r = -0.383, p = 0.015, respectively); and UA levels significantly correlated with CRP levels (r = 0.436, p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that UA levels increased in patients with ITP and negatively correlated with platelet counts. UA levels might be a mediator of inflammation via enhanced production of inflammatory cytokines; they might also be a potential mediator of low platelet count, and could play a pathophysiological role in the development of ITP.

Clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: A retrospective multicenter study

AIMS

We aimed to investigate whether older age leads to limitations in the starting dose of imatinib in daily treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, and to determine the compliance of elderly patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) therapy.

METHODS

Data including the clinical characteristics, therapeutic outcomes and compliance with TKI therapy of elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia aged >65 years were collected from 13 institutions in Turkey, retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 69 patients (27 [39%] men, 42 [61%] women) were evaluated retrospectively. The median age of the patients was 71 years (range 66-85 years). Of the patients, 66 (96%) were in the chronic phase and three (4.3%) were in the accelerated phase when diagnosed. A total of 63 (91.3%) patients were receiving imatinib as the first-line therapy. The initial dose of imatinib was 400 mg/day in 59 patients (93.6%). Imatinib treatment induced 57 (90.5%) complete hematological responses at 3 months, 29 (46%) complete cytogenetic responses at 6 months and 49 (77.7%) major molecular responses at 12 months. As a result, nilotinib and dasatinib were used in 14 patients as second-line therapy. Second-line TKI induced nine complete hematological responses (64.3%) at 3 months, four complete cytogenetic responses (28.6%) at 12 months and seven major molecular responses (50%) at 18 months. A total of 56 of the patients (81.2%) are still alive. The median overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 35 months (range 1-95 months) and 17 months (range 0.8-95 months), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients should receive TKI according to the same guidelines that apply to younger patients.

Two cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia secondary to brucellosis: a review of hemolytic disorders in patients with brucellosis

Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease associated with hemolytic complications, including thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) and hemolytic anemia. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare clinical presentation of this disease. In this report, we describe the cases of two patients with brucellosis who presented with Coombs-positive AIHA. We also include a review of the literature on the hemolytic complications of brucellosis. Both patients were successfully treated with a combination of doxycycline and rifampicin in addition to steroids. In the medical literature, there are several cases of TMA associated with brucellosis, although only a few cases of Coombs test-positive AIHA have been reported. Antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment, and the selection of antibiotics and duration of treatment do not differ between brucellosis patients with and without hemolysis. Although rare, the potential for brucellosis should always be kept in mind in patients who present with hemolysis, especially those living in areas where brucellosis is endemic.

Gender differences in severity of sickle cell diseases in non-smokers

OBJECTIVE

To find out gender differences in severity of sickle cell diseases (SCDs) in non-smokers.

METHODS

Three groups of SCDs patients on the basis of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions were included. Less than 10 units in their lives were kept in Group-1, Ten units of higher in Group-2 and 50 units or higher as the Third Group. Patients with a history of using one pack of cigarettes -year or above were excluded.

RESULTS

The study included 269 patients. Mean ages of the groups were similar (28.4, 28.5, and 28.9 years, respectively). Prevalences of cases without any RBC transfusion in their lives were 7.2% and 3.7% in females and males, respectively (p<0.05). Prevalences of cases without any painful crisis were 13.8% and 6.0% in females and males, respectively (p<0.001). There was progressive increase according to mean painful crises, clubbing, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leg ulcers, stroke, chronic renal disease (CRD), pulmonary hypertension, and male ratio from the first towards the third groups (p<0.05, nearly for all). Mean ages of mortal cases were 29.1 and 26.2 years in females and males, respectively (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The higher painful crises per year, digital clubbing, COPD, leg ulcers, stroke, CRD, pulmonary hypertension, and male ratio of the third group, lower male ratio of patients without any RBC transfusion, lower male ratio of patients without any painful crisis, lower mean ages of male SCDs patients with mortality, and longer overall survival of females in the world could not be explained by well known strong atherosclerotic effects of smoking alone, instead it may be explained by the dominant role of male sex in life.

Analysis of thrombophilic genetic mutations in patients with Sheehan's syndrome: is thrombophilia responsible for the pathogenesis of Sheehan's syndrome?

The gene mutations of Factor V R506Q (FV-Leiden), prothrombin (FII G20210A), methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C and PAI-1 4G/5G are well-established risk factors for thrombosis. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of these gene mutations and their possible impact on the development of pathogenesis in patients with Sheehan's syndrome (SS). 40 female patients with SS compared to a control group of 45 healthy women. The presence of FV-Leiden, FII G20210A, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C and PAI-1 4G/5G gene mutations were assessed by polymerase chain reaction analysis with a light cycler analyzer. An odds ratio of greater than one is considered to increase the risk of SS disease as found in Factor V Leiden, FII G20210A, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C and PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism, as follows respectively: 1.13, 1.85, 6.00, 8.14 and 1.45. MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C polymorphism were found significantly higher in SS patients than the control group (P<0.001), however FV-Leiden, FII G20210A and PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The level of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) was significantly higher in patients with SS than in the control group (P<0.001). We suggest that the genetic mutations of FV-Leiden, FII G20210A, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C and PAI-1 4G/5G increase the risk of SS. Also, high plasma tHcy levels may be a risk factor for the development of SS.

The effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on platelet function and severity of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause gastrointestinal (GI) damage primarily due to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis in gastric mucosa, which is an important factor in mucosa protection. Platelets are a cardinal feature of vascular repair. A variety of angiogenic stimulators are stored in platelets and are released during clotting at the wound. When there is a defect in any of these functions and/or platelet number, haemostasis is usually impaired and there may be an associated increased risk and severity of bleeding. While the mechanism of mucosal injury and bleeding are well documented with the use of NSAIDs, very little is known about the platelet function abnormalities and their effects on severity of upper GI bleedings. We performed a prospective analysis of 49 patients who had a history of NSAIDs use to investigate the association between the platelet function impairment associated with NSAIDs and severity of upper GI haemorrhages. Thirty-six of 49 patients (73.5%) had deteriorated platelet function. Mean severity score of patients with deteriorated platelet functions was 3.39, and that of patients with normal platelet functions was 2.46. Mean severity score was statistically significantly higher in patients with deteriorated platelet functions. In conclusion, impaired platelet functions associated with NSAIDs may cause more severe upper GI bleeding. Clinicians should be alert for GI complications especially in older patients and in those with a history of ulcer bleeding.

Two cases of bacterial meningitis accompanied by thalidomide therapy in patients with multiple myeloma: is thalidomide associated with bacterial meningitis?

Morbidity and mortality in multiple myeloma is often attributed to life-threatening infections. A defect in humoral immunity has been proposed for the predisposition to bacterial infections. Most of the infections are of bacterial origin, and the most serious are septicemia, meningitis, and pneumonia. Thalidomide is a drug with pleiotropic effects. The immunomodulatory effects of thalidomide are at least partially mediated through its ability to down-regulate the pathogenic over-production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). TNF-alpha is a cytokine that plays a central role in the regulation of the host immune and inflammatory response to infection. In the central nervous system, TNF-alpha is involved in induction of a fever response and triggers the release of other cytokines, and may also influence transport of compounds into the brain, leading to cerebrospinal fluid leukocytosis, increased protein influx, and lactate accumulation. Thalidomide has been shown to down-regulate the production of TNF-alpha. On the other hand, knowledge of the effects of thalidomide on granulocyte functions is limited. Thalidomide has been shown to attenuate neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis. We present herein two cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterial meningitis that developed soon after the initiation of thalidomide treatment, and discuss the effect of thalidomide on the immune system. Although, it is not clear whether thalidomide caused the development of the bacterial infections and meningitis, or what its pathogenetic mechanisms are, physicians should be alert for signs and symptoms of meningitis in patients with multiple myeloma who are treated with thalidomide, especially those in neutropenic states.

The efficacy of rituximab in patients with splenectomized refractory chronic idiopathic thrombocythopenic purpura

The most difficult problem a physician encounters is the management of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), who has persistent severe thrombocytopenia after failure of initial treatment with glucocorticoids and splenectomy. Most of the patients refractory to corticosteroids and splenectomy will become refractory to other available agents, such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), danazol or chemotherapy. In this study, we investigated the effect of rituximab on 17 splenectomized refractory chronic ITP patients. Here, we showed that the anti-CD20 antibody, rituximab, induces a clinically significant response in severe chronic ITP patients, who are unresponsive to other therapeutic options. After sixth month, 10 out of 14 responders were still maintaining their durable and significant platelet responses (platelet counts >50 x 10(9)/l), without requirement to any other ITP medication. Therefore, we suggest that, rituximab is an effective treatment option in splenectomized refractory or relapsed ITP patients. Rituximab was well tolerated without severe side effects.

Familial Mediterranean fever gene mutations in the Southeastern region of Turkey and their phenotypical features

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks of serosal membranes. Several studies have focused on the differences between frequency of the mutations and their phenotypical manifestations. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether or not this phenotypical variation is associated with the existence of particular mutations. Twelve MEFV (Mediterranean fever) gene mutations were investigated in 119 patients suffering from FMF. Heterozygote M694V (21/119), heterozygote E148Q (21/119), homozygote M694V (17/119) and heterozygote V726A (12/119) mutations were the most common mutations. Patients were grouped according to the presence of the M694V mutation: group I was M694V/M694V, group II was M694V/others, and group III was other/other. Mean severity scores for the groups were 13.94 +/- 4.10, 10.79 +/- 3.01 and 8.31 +/- 2.26, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the mean severity scores of groups I and II (p = 0.029), groups I and III (p < 0.0001), and groups II and III (p < 0.0001). Diagnosis of amyloidosis was established in four (23%) patients of group I, and three (8%) patients of group II, but in none of the patients in group III. There was also a statistically significant difference between groups I and III (p = 0.046), but not between groups II and III (p = 0.083) and groups I and II (p = 0.317) in terms of amyloidosis development. In conclusion, we found a higher disease severity score and higher prevalence of amyloidosis in FMF patients who were M694V mutation carriers. Many ethnic groups live in Anatolia and more ethnic origin-based studies are needed to determine the real effect of these mutations on disease severity and amyloidosis.

Clinical significance of elevated antinuclear antibody test in patients with Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a single center experience

AIM

There is an increased risk of lymphoma subsequent to autoimmune conditions. Autoimmune disorders may occur in the course of lymphomas. In this study, the association of autoimmunity and related autoantibodies within non-Hodgkin's (NHL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients has been investigated.

METHODS

The study enrolled 119 patients affected by NHL and 60 patients affected by HL for the presence of autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases. Afterwards, the results between the two lymphoma groups have been confronted.

RESULTS

Autoimmune diseases were diagnosed in eight (6.7%) patients with NHL and three patients with HL (5%) (P=0.651). Thirty-four (28.5%) patients with NHL and 14 (23.3%) patients with HL displayed autoantibody positivity (P=0.083). As regards HL cases, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected in 12 (20%) and anti PM-Scl in two patients (3.3%). None the patients had anti Jo-1, anti Scl-70, anti Sm, anti nRNP/Sm, anti single-stranded DNA (anti-ssDNA), anti double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), antihistones, antinucleosomes, anti SS-A, anti SS-B or anti CENP-B autoantibodies. In patients affected by NHL ANA was detected in 16 (13.4%), anti SS-A and anti SS-B in two (1.7%), anti CENP-B in eight (6.7%) and anti PM-Scl in eight patients (6.7%). None of the patients had anti Jo-1, anti Scl-70, anti Sm, anti nRNP/Sm, anti ssDNA, antihistones or antinucleosome antibodies. There was a statistically significant difference between patients with HL and NHL in terms of anti CENP-B positivity (P=0.040).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, ANA and related autoantibodies can frequently be detected during lymphoma treatment. However, the majority of lymphoma patients with positive ANA did not display autoimmune diseases, demonstrating the lack of a strict correlation between the presence of ANA and autoimmune diseases.

Thrombophilia in young patients with acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of thrombophilia and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

METHODS

Under the age of 45 years, 129 patients with MI and 107 control subjects were included into the study. Traditional risk factors of CAD and protein C, S, antithrombin III deficiencies, factor V Leiden (FV Leiden), prothrombin G20210A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutations were investigated.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant differences in terms of obesity, smoking, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, family history, hypertension, diabetes, and left ventricular hypertrophy between patients and controls. None of the patients and controls had protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III deficiencies. Ten patients (7.8%) and 4 controls (3.7%) had heterozygote FV Leiden mutation. Homozygous prothrombine G20210A gene mutation was detected in one patient (1.1%). Homozygous MTHFR C677T mutation was observed in 7.8% (patients) and in 6.5% (controls). Heterozygous MTHFR C677T mutation was detected 36.4% in patients and 31.7% in controls. The difference was not statistically significant in terms of carriage of thrombophilic mutations.

CONCLUSION

We found that traditional risk factors increased the risk of CAD. Prothrombin G20210A, FV Leiden and MTHFR C677T mutations, protein C, S and AT-III deficiencies did not increase the risk of CAD in our young population.

Pulmonary hypertension in patients with essential thrombocythemia and reactive thrombocytosis

Increased incidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been reported in patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders. The exact incidence of PH in essential thrombocythemia (ET) is unknown. Most of the reported literature consists of case reports or small studies. We designed this study to asses the incidence of PH in patients with ET and reactive thrombocytosis. Previously or newly diagnosed 46 patients with ET, and 40 patients with reactive thrombocytosis secondary to iron deficiency anemia were found to be eligible for this study. Diagnosis of PH was established via transthoracic echocardiography. PH was found in 22 (47.8%) out of 46 patients with ET. Seven patients with PH were newly diagnosed ET, 5 patients with PH were in low, and the other patients with PH were in intermediate or high risk category. We found statistically significant difference in terms of platelet counts between ET patients with PH and without PH (p = 0.027). None of the patients with reactive thrombocytosis had PH. In conclusion, PH appears to be common in patients with ET. Therefore, all patients with ET should be evaluated for PH. Larger and prospective studies are required to clarify the long-term impact of PH on the survival of these patients. Future studies are also needed to determine whether cytoreductive treatment and aspirin prevent the development of PH, and to determine the effects of cytoreductive treatments and aspirin on the prognosis of PH. The effect of PH on ET prognosis should also be determined in low risk ET patients.

Factor V Leiden and G20210A prothrombin mutations in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss: data from the southeast of Turkey

Factor V Leiden (FV-Leiden) and prothrombin gene mutations (FII G20210A) are well-established independent risk factors for thrombosis. In the recent years, many studies have suggested that these mutations are associated with an increased risk of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of these molecular defects in subjects with a history of early RPL. One hundred and fourteen women with three or more consecutive unexplained first-trimester miscarriages were compared to 185 parous women with uncomplicated pregnancies from the same ethnic origin. The presence of FV-Leiden and FII G20210A mutations was assessed by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Overall, 11 out of the 114 women with early RPL (9.6%) had either FV-Leiden or FII G20210A mutation, as compared with 16 out of the 185 women with normal pregnancies (8.6%; p = 0.756). The prevalence of FV-Leiden mutation was 7.9% (9/114) in patient group, compared with 7% (13/185) in control group (p = 0.780). One hundred and two patients were primary and 12 were secondary aborters. All FV-Leiden positive cases were primary aborters (8.8%; 9/102, p = 0.584). Concerning the FII G20210A, two out of 114 (1.7%) were first-trimester RPL (primary aborters) and three out of 185 (1.6%) controls were carriers of the FII G20210A mutation (1.7 vs 1.6%, p = 0.931). The results obtained from patients with first-trimester RPL and the control group have no statistical significant differences in the prevalence of FV-Leiden and FII G20210A mutations. These results suggest that mutations have no role in etiology of first-trimester recurrent abortions.

Myocardial infarction and venous thrombosis in a 42-year old woman with heterozygous methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHRF) gene mutation, hyperhomocysteinemia, and protein C deficiency

OBJECTIVE

Hyperhomocysteinemia and protein C deficiency have synergistic effect on the onset of thrombotic disease.

METHODS

We report a 42-year old woman with myocardial infarction and venous thrombosis in whom recognition of heterozygous MTHRF gene mutation, hyperhomocysteinemia, and protein C deficiency.

RESULTS

The patient was treated successfully with coronary artery bypass graft surgery and systemic anticoagulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our report emphasize that a combined hyperhomocysteinemia, and protein C deficiency may be a high risk factor for arterial and venous thromboembolic events in young adults. These patients might be candidates for indefinite anticoagulation.

Prevalence and clinical significance of elevated antinuclear antibody test in children and adult patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

BACKGROUND

To determine the clinical significance of the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test in children and adult patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

METHOD

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 365 children and 108 adult patients with ITP. Patients found to have positive ANA were regularly followed-up by an experienced hematologist until December 2006 for development of symptoms indicative of autoimmune disorder. Mean follow-up 3.6 years (range: 2.1-7 years) for all patients. At the time of diagnosis of ITP, patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) were excluded. Out of 365 childhood ITP; 301 (82.4%) patients were acute, 64 (17.6%) patients were chronic ITP. ANA titer > or = 1:80 were positive in 33 (9.04%) of 365 patients with childhood ITP; 21 patients (6.9%) were in acute, and 12 patients (18.7%) were in chronic group. Out of 108 adult patients with ITP; 31 (28.7%) patients were acute and 77 (71.3%) patients were chronic ITP cases. ANA titer > or = 1:80 were positive in 36 (33.3%) of 108 patients with adult ITP; 12 patients (38.8%) were in acute, and 24 patients (31.2%) were in chronic group. At the end of follow-up period Sjogren's syndrome (SS) was diagnosed in only one adult chronic ITP cases. None of the other ANA positive patients developed SLE or other CTD.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that ANA positivity is often found in adult and children patients with ITP, and indicate that the detection of ANA positivity is not enough to identify those patients with ITP who are at risk of developing SLE or other CTD. There is a statistically significant difference in terms of ANA positivity between childhood acute and chronic ITP patients. We think that ANA positivity may be an indicator in terms of chronicity for childhood ITP. However, large-scale studies should be considered to determine the significance of ANA positivity and their utility in differentiating acute from chronic ITP.

Central nervous system blastic crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia on imatinib mesylate therapy: a case report

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. Imatinib mesylate is a potent and selective inhibitory of the BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase. Imatinib is a first choice of treatment of chronic phase CML. It has also shown activity in patients with CML in accelerated or blastic phases. However, the penetration of the drug and its active metabolites into the central nervous system (CNS) is poor. Therefore, the CNS is sanctuary site for malignant cells in patients treated with imatinib. Herein, we report a patient with CML in accelerated phase that developed central nervous system disease while on imatinib mesylate therapy.

Type III mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with digital necrotic ulcer successfully treated with intermittent intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide--a case report

Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis is an immune complex-mediated vasculitis predominantly affecting small vessels. The authors report an 18-year-old woman with painful digital necrotic ulcer due to type III cryoglobulinemic vasculitis on the basis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Serum protein electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated a polyclonal peak of the immunoglobulin Glambda (IgGlambda) and IgMlambda type. The patient was successfully treated with intermittent intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide.

Aase-Smith syndrome type II

Aase-Smith syndrome type II is rare in childhood and there are few reported cases. Here, we report an 8-month-old boy with congenital red cell aplasia and triphalangeal thumbs. In addition to thumb anomalies, he presented with growth failure, hypertelorism and novel osseous radiologic abnormalities, large fontanelles and micrognathia as extraordinary. Some clinical symptoms had complete clinical remission with deflazacort treatment.