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Background: Hemovigilance (HV) is usually based on voluntary reports (passive HV). Our aim is to ascertain credible incidence, severity, and mortality of transfusion‐associated adverse events (TAAEs) using an active HV program. Study Design and Methods: Prospective cohort study to estimate transfusion risk after 46,488 transfusions in 5830 patients, using an active HV program with follow‐up within the first 24 h after transfusion. We compared these results to those with the previously established passive HV program during the same 30 months of the study. We explored factors associated with the occurrence of TAAEs using generalized estimating equations models. Results: With the active HV program TAAEs incidence was 57.3 (95% CI, 50.5–64.2) and mortality 1.1 (95% CI, 0.13–2.01) per 10,000 transfusions. Incidence with the new surveillance model was 14.0 times higher than with the passive. Most events occurred when transfusions had already finished (60.2%); especially pulmonary events (80.4%). Three out of five deaths and 50.3% of severe TAAEs were pulmonary. In the multivariate analysis surgical patients had half TAAEs risk when compared to medical patients (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34–0.78) and women had nearly twice the risk of a pulmonary event compared to men (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.03–3.32). Patient's age, blood component type, or blood component shelf‐life were unrelated to TAAEs risk. Discussion: Active hemovigilance programs provide additional data which may lead to better recognition and understanding of TAAEs and their frequency and severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GABRIELL was a phase II single-arm study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab plus bendamustine for relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Seventy-two patients with active disease received treatment for up to six 28-day cycles. Overall response rate was 78.6% with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 26 months, and overall survival (OS) not reached at the end of follow-up (36 months). Undetectable measurable residual disease (≤0.01%; 36.4% in bone marrow and 53.4% in peripheral blood) correlated with a significantly longer PFS and OS (vs. >0.01). Common grade ≥3 adverse events (76.4%) were neutropenia (58.3%), thrombocytopenia (26.4%) and febrile neutropenia (11.1%). TP53 disruption was the only independent predictive factor for response (Hazard ratio; HR: 0.228). Unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (HR: 16.061) was a negative prognostic factor for PFS. In conclusion, the combination of obinutuzumab plus bendamustine is an active and generally adequately-tolerated treatment for R/R CLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a 69-year-old man who presented acute leukemia with circulating blasts and numerous atypical mast cells in peripheral blood. Both blasts and mast cells presented identical cytochemistry (myeloperoxidase-negative, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase–negative, esterase-negative; toluidine blue–positive; and acid phosphatase–positive). Flow cytometry showed a blast population MPO−, DR−, CD34−, CD117++, CD25+, and CD2−. Bone marrow histology revealed infiltration by CD25+, c-Kit+, and tryptase+ cells. Cytogenetics revealed 46,XY,t(8; 21)(q22; q22),der(12),t(12; 13)(p13; q12-14),del(13)(q14)[20]. The KIT D816V mutation was negative. Serum tryptase was very high. He received treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and hydroxycarbamide without any response, and he died of respiratory distress with the finding at necropsy of pulmonary infiltration by mast cells. We highlight the rarity of the case that, in our opinion, could be classified as "acute" mast cell leukemia instead of systemic mastocytosis with an associated hematological neoplasia (WHO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria ( PNH) is a rare clonal disease. To date, many reviews and series have been described. We report the experience of our center by presenting a review of 56 PNH patient cases with an average age at diagnosis of 38 yr and follow-ups beginning at approximately 40 yr; the median survival rate was 11 yr. The average clonal size upon diagnosis was 48%, presenting a variable evolution. Thrombotic episodes and cancer were five each, and the main causes of death among our patients were equal at 8.9%. Radiological study by magnetic resonance imaging is presented as a fundamental technique for estimating the deposit of iron levels in the liver and kidney, as well as in some decisive cases at the start of eculizumab therapy. Sixteen patients have been treated with eculizumab so far in our series, and being a safe drug, it provides improvement in the patients' quality of life, and the disappearance of clinical symptoms, and avoids the emergence of new thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 59-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia refractory to several lines of chemotherapy, who had undergone allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). He was admitted for fever and pulmonary infiltrates two years after transplantation. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa were identified in blood cultures obtained through the central catheter, but 2 days after the initiation of antifungal treatment the blood cultures obtained were negative.

A letter to the editor is presented related to the use of human leukocyte antigen HLA-partially matched cellular therapy or stem-cell microtransplantation for acute myeloid leukaemia.