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Background/aim: Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), whose prognosis has greatly improved since the incorporation of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab into current therapeutic regimens. Evidence, however, on the optimal time interval between consecutive chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) cycles is still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy outcomes of the more commonly administered 3-weekly regimens to the biweekly ones in a PMLBCL patients' population, who were mostly treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone every 21 days (R-CHOP-21) or R-CHOP-14., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively studied our cohort of consecutively treated PMLBCL patients, focusing on their treatment density, in order to determine possible differences in treatment outcomes., Results: CIT, in the form of both R-CHOP-21 as well as R-CHOP-14 (or similar regimens), is highly active in PMLBCL, with low rates of early treatment failure. In our cohort of patients, R-CHOP-14 did not result in a meaningful improvement of freedom from progression (FFP) or overall survival (OS)., Conclusion: Both R-CHOP-14 and R-CHOP-21 are probably equally effective in PMLBCL, yet further, prospective, randomized studies are warranted to clarify whether dose-dense regimens can be associated with better disease control and long-term results., (Copyright © 2022, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

End-of-treatment (EoT) PET/CT is used as a guide to omit radiotherapy (RT) patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). We present the mature and extended results of a retrospective study evaluating the prognostic significance of EoT-PET/CT after adequate response to R-CHOP. Among 231 consecutive PMLBCL patients, 182 underwent EoT-PET/CT and were evaluated according to the Deauville 5-point scale (D5PS) criteria. Freedom from progression (FFP) was measured from the time of PET/CT examination. Among 182 patients, 72 (40%) had D5PS score 1 (D5PSS-1), 33 (18%) had 2, 28 (15%) had 3, 29 (16%) had 4, and 20 (11%) had 5. The 5-year FFP was 97, 94, 92, 82, and 44% for D5PSS-1, D5PSS-2, D5PSS-3, D5PSS-4, and D5PSS-5, respectively. Among 105 patients with unequivocally negative PET/CT (D5PSS-1/D5PSS-2), 49 (47%) received RT (median dose 3420 cGy) and 56 (53%) did not with relapses in 0/49 vs. 4/56 patients (2 mediastinum and 2 isolated CNS relapses).The 5-year FFP for those who received RT or not was 100% versus 96%, when isolated CNS relapses were censored (p = 0.159). Among D5PSS-3 patients (27/28 irradiated-median dose 3600 cGy), the 5-year FFP was 92%. The 5-year FFP for D5PSS-4 and D5PSS-5 was 82 and 44%; 44/49 patients received RT (median dose 4000 and 4400 cGy for D5PSS-4 and D5PSS-5). Our study supports the omission of RT in a sizeable fraction of PET/CT-negative patients and definitely discourages salvage chemotherapy and ASCT in patients with PMLBCL who conventionally respond to R-CHOP, solely based on PET/CT positivity in the absence of documented progressive or multifocal disease. The persistence of positive PET/CT with D5PSS < 5 after consolidative RT should not trigger the initiation of further salvage chemotherapy in the absence of conventionally defined PD., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Background: R-CHOP can cure approximately 75% of patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL), but prognostic factors have not been sufficiently evaluated yet. R-da- EPOCH is potentially more effective but also more toxic than R-CHOP. Reliable prognostic classification is needed to guide treatment decisions., Materials and Methods: We analyzed the impact of clinical prognostic factors on the outcome of 332 PMLBCL patients ≤65 years treated with R-CHOP ± radiotherapy in a multicenter setting in Greece and Cyprus., Results: With a median follow-up of 69 months, 5-year freedom from progression (FFP) was 78% and 5-year lymphoma specific survival (LSS) was 89%. On multivariate analysis, extranodal involvement (E/IV) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≥2 times upper limit of normal (model A) were significantly associated with FFP; E/IV and bulky disease (model B) were associated with LSS. Both models performed better than the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the age-adjusted IPI by Harrel's C rank parameter and Akaike information criterion. Both models A and B defined high-risk subgroups (13%-27% of patients [pts]) with approximately 19%-23% lymphoma-related mortality. They also defined subgroups composing approximately one-fourth or one-half of the patients, with 11% risk of failure and only 1% or 4% 5-year lymphoma-related mortality., Conclusion: The combination of E/IV with either bulky disease or LDH ≥2 times upper limit of normal defined high-risk but not very-high-risk subgroups. More importantly, their absence defined subgroups comprising approximately one-fourth or one-half of the pts, with 11% risk of failure and minimal lymphoma-related mortality, who may not need more intensive treatment such as R-da-EPOCH., Implications for Practice: By analyzing the impact of baseline clinical characteristics on outcomes of a large cohort of patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma homogeneously treated with R-CHOP with or without radiotherapy, we developed novel prognostic indices which can aid in deciding which patients can be adequately treated with R-CHOP and do not need more intensive regimens such as R-da-EPOCH. The new indices consist of objectively determined characteristics (extranodal disease or stage IV, bulky disease, and markedly elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase), which are readily available from standard initial staging procedures and offer better discrimination compared with established risk scores (International Prognostic Index [IPI] and age-adjusted IPI)., (© 2021 AlphaMed Press.)

Chemotherapy associated osteoporosis is a severe problem in patients with malignant diseases as it increases the risk for fractures and deteriorates quality of life. There are very limited data in the literature for the effect of chemotherapy on bone metabolism of adult patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). We prospectively evaluated bone remodeling pre- and post-chemotherapy in 61 patients with newly diagnosed NHL. First-line chemotherapy resulted in high bone turnover, which led to increased bone loss and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femur neck (FN). The reduction of L1-L4 and FN BMD post-chemo was more profound in males and in older patients (>55 years). Patients who received 8 cycles of chemotherapy had a greater reduction of L1-L4 and FN BMD as compared to 6 cycles. The administration of chemotherapy also resulted in a dramatic increase of bone resorption markers (CTX and TRACP-5b), bone formation markers, (bALP and Osteocalcin) and of osteoblast regulator Dickkopf-1. During study period, one patient had a pathological fracture in his right FN., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2019 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the European Hematology Association.)

Introduction: Invasive candidiasis (IC) can be a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with cancer, hematologic diseases and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of micafungin in patients with hematologic malignancies or HSCT recipients, relevant to clinical presentation of IC, in real-life practice in Greece., Methods: ASPIRE was a phase IV, multicenter, non-interventional, prospective cohort study, conducted at ten tertiary hospitals in Greece, in adults with hematologic disease. Micafungin treatment for IC or prophylaxis for Candida infection was administered per standard clinical practice until a clinical outcome (success or failure) was reached. Treatment success was defined by the EORTC/MSG criteria for invasive fungal infections (IFI) and was assessed by the investigator. Treatment discontinuation and safety were also evaluated., Results: One hundred forty-three patients were enrolled. Median age was 62; 85 (59.4%) patients were male, and 133 (93.0%) had Greek ethnicity. One hundred twenty-six (88.1%) patients had hematologic malignancies, and 21 (14.7%) had received HSCT. Prophylaxis was administered to 74 (51.7%) patients [median (range) dose: 50 (50-150) mg/day] with no signs of IFI. Overall, 52 (36.4%) patients with possible IFI at baseline received micafungin treatment [100 (50-125) mg/day] versus 12 (17.2%) with probable [100 (75-150) mg/day] and 5 (3.5%) with confirmed [125 (100-150) mg/day] IFI. Treatment success was 91.6% (95% CI 85.80-95.59; n = 131) overall and 90.5% (n = 67) in patients receiving prophylaxis. Median time on treatment was 13 days. Treatment discontinuation (n = 26; 18.2%) was not related to adverse events. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported., Conclusion: Micafungin treatment for IC or prophylaxis for Candida infection was effective and well tolerated in patients with hematologic disorders in clinical practice in Greece. These results demonstrate that micafungin could be used more widely for prophylaxis. Further work is required to determine the efficacy and safety of micafungin for the management of IFIs in hematologic settings., Funding: Astellas Pharma Inc.

The outcome of patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL) after autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) is poor. Recently, the anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate, brentuximab vedotin (BV), has shown remarkable activity in the setting of R/R cHL. In the pivotal phase II study, BV produced an overall response rate of 75% and a median progression-free survival of 6.7 months. Although these results have been reproduced by large registry studies, the impact of BV on the overall survival (OS) of patients with R/R cHL has not been addressed so far. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of BV on OS in the setting of post auto-SCT R/R cHL. Analysis was performed in a group of patients with R/R cHL after a previous auto-SCT reported in the Greek registry during the last 2 decades. By using a multivariate model and censoring patients at the time of subsequent allo-SCT or treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, we showed that treatment with BV in the posttransplant relapse setting has a positive impact on the outcome and results in significant improvement of OS. To our knowledge, this the first published study, addressing the impact of BV on the OS in the setting of posttransplant relapse., (Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization involves cleavage of ligands between HSC and niche components. However, there are scarce data regarding the role of bone cells in human HSC mobilization. We studied biochemical markers of bone metabolism and angiogenic cytokines during HSC mobilization in 46 patients' sera with lymphoma and multiple myeloma, by ELISA. Significant changes between pre-mobilization and collection samples were found: (1) Bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) increased, indicating augmentation of bone formation; (2) Receptor activator of Nf-κB ligand/osteoprotegerin ratio (RANKL/OPG) increased, showing osteoclastic differentiation and survival; however, there was no evidence of increased osteoclastic activity; and (3) Angiopoietin-1/Angiopoietin-2 ratio (ANGP-1/ANGP-2) decreased, consistent with vessel destabilization. Poor mobilizers had significantly higher carboxy-terminal telopeptide of collagen type I (CTX) and lower ANGP-1 at pre-mobilization samples, compared to good ones. CTX, amino-terminal telopeptide of collagen type I (NTX) and ANGP-1 pre-mobilization levels correlated significantly with circulating CD34 + peak cell counts. Our results indicate that bone formation and vessel destabilization are the two major events during human HSC mobilization. Osteoblasts seem to be the orchestrating cells, while osteoclasts are stimulated but not fully active. Moreover, ANGP-1, CTX and NTX may serve as predictors of poor mobilization.

This retrospective study aimed to describe the Hellenic experience on the use of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in relapsed/refractory (R/R) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) given within its indication. From June 2011 to April 2015, ninety-five patients with R/R HL, who received BV in 20 centers from Greece, were analyzed. Their median age was 33 years, and 62% were males. Sixty-seven patients received BV after autologous stem cell transplantation failure, whereas 28 patients were treated with BV without a prior autologous stem cell transplantation, due to advanced age/comorbidities or chemorefractory disease. The median number of prior treatments was 4 and 44% of the patients were refractory to their most recent therapy. The median number of BV cycles was 8 (range, 2-16), and the median time to best response was the fourth cycle. Fifty-seven patients achieved an objective response: twenty-two (23%), a complete response (CR), and 35 patients (37%), a partial, for an overall response rate of 60%. Twelve patients (13%) had stable disease, and the remaining twenty-six (27%) had progressive disease as their best response. At a median follow-up of 11.5 months, median progression-free survival and overall survival were 8 and 26.5 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that chemosensitivity to treatment administered before BV was associated with a significantly increased probability of achieving response to BV (P = .005). Bulky disease (P = .01) and response to BV (P <.001) were significant for progression-free survival, while refractoriness to most recent treatment (P = .04), bulky disease (P = .005), and B-symptoms (P = .001) were unfavorable factors for overall survival. Among the 22 CRs, 5 remain in CR with no further treatment after BV at a median follow-up of 13 months. In conclusion, our data indicate that BV is an effective treatment for R/R HL patients even outside clinical trials. Whether BV can cure a fraction of patients remains to be seen., (© 2017 The Authors Hematological Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: The role of Protein Z (PZ) in conditions, such as thrombosis, inflammation or cancer, is under investigation. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is an acute phase reactant that promotes thrombosis and tumorigenesis. Subject of this work was to study PZ and PAI-1 in patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), a malignancy with inflammatory background and relatively low incidence of thrombosis., Methods: Newly diagnosed patients were enrolled in the study. Healthy individuals were used as controls., Results: PZ levels were higher in patients compared to controls (not significantly), while PAI-1 levels were significantly higher in patients. Both PZ and PAI-1 concentrations did not correlate with most of patients' characteristics. Lower PZ levels at diagnosis were associated with presence of B symptoms and positive final positron emission tomography (PET) and higher baseline PAI-1 levels with positive final PET, too. PZ had a declining trend, but PAI-1 increased initially and decreased thereafter, during the treatment period., Conclusions: Conclusively, PAI-1, but not PZ, seems to be an acute phase protein in HL. Lower PZ and higher PAI-1 levels at diagnosis may be indicative of aggressive disease. These results need further verification.

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) has presented a revolutionary advance in the management of hematologic malignancies with low toxicity. However, oral mucositis (OM) remains a distressing toxic effect of AHCT and one of the major side effects of the conditioning. This prospective, observational study aimed to evaluate the severity of oral cavity pain and quality of life (QOL) and explore incidence, duration, and potential risk factors of moderate/severe OM. Thirty-nine patients receiving prophylactic palifermin post-AHCT were enrolled. QOL and severity of pain were assessed using validated questionnaires (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and mouth and throat soreness (MTS), respectively). The incidence of moderate/severe OM was 28.2 % with a median duration of 5 days and was associated with younger age and female gender. Severity of pain related to OM was generally low or moderate with only 25 % of patients reporting a score >6 on the MTS scale of 0-10 on day +7. Health-related QOL was worse on day +7 in the transplant unit compared to day 1, while on discharge day, all scores recovered and the total FACT-G score was not different from that on day 1. In our population, the incidence and duration of OM and the severity of pain related to OM appeared to be lower compared to that reported in previous studies. The impact of OM on QOL assessments seemed to be reversible with optimal supportive care despite the major transient disabilities mainly attributable to OM.

Lenalidomide and dexamethasone (RD) is a standard of care for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but there is limited published data on its efficacy and safety in the "real world" (RW), according to the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research definition. We studied 212 RRMM patients who received RD in RW. Objective response (≥PR (partial response)) rate was 77.4 % (complete response (CR), 20.2 %). Median time to first and best response was 2 and 5 months, respectively. Median time to CR when RD was given as 2nd or >2(nd)-line treatment at 4 and 11 months, respectively. Quality of response was independent of previous lines of therapies or previous exposure to thalidomide or bortezomib. Median duration of response was 34.4 months, and it was higher in patients who received RD until progression (not reached versus 19 months, p < 0.001). Improvement of humoral immunity occurred in 60 % of responders (p < 0.001) and in the majority of patients who achieved stable disease. Adverse events were reported in 68.9 % of patients (myelosuppression in 49.4 %) and 12.7 % of patients needed hospitalization. Peripheral neuropathy was observed only in 2.5 % of patients and deep vein thrombosis in 5.7 %. Dose reductions were needed in 31 % of patients and permanent discontinuation in 38.9 %. Median time to treatment discontinuation was 16.8 months. Performance status (PS) and initial lenalidomide dose predicted for treatment discontinuation. Extra-medullary relapses occurred in 3.8 % of patients. Our study confirms that RD is effective and safe in RRMM in the RW; it produces durable responses especially in patients who continue on treatment till progression and improves humoral immunity even in patients with stable disease.

International Staging System (ISS), serum free light chain ratio (sFLCR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are well known, easily assessed independent prognostic indicators of outcome in multiple myeloma (MM). The purpose of the study was to re-examine the prognostic contribution of these variables in a multicenter setting with special attention to MM patients treated with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or novel agents (NA). Three hundred and five symptomatic newly diagnosed MM patients were retrospectively studied. Twenty-seven per cent, 32% and 41% were in ISS stages 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Fifty-six per cent of them presented kappa light chain monoclonality; median sFLCR was 27.04 (0.37-1.9 × 10(5) ) and 47.97 (0.26-2.3 × 10(7) ) for kappa patients and lambda patients, respectively; patients with sFLCR above median constituted the high sFLCR group. Thirty-one per cent of patients had increased LDH. As first line treatment, 55.7% received conventional treatment and 44.3% NA. After induction, 24% underwent ASCT, whereas 76% received NA at any line, either bortezomib (82.5%), thalidomide (48%) or lenalidomide (27%). When the 305 patients were analyzed together, staging, high sFLCR and abnormal LDH were predictive of survival. The same was true for patients that never received NA, whereas neither high sFLCR nor abnormal LDH constituted adverse factors in patients that received NA frontline. In the last group of patients, no difference was observed between ISS stages 2 and 3. The median 5-year survival of patients that never received NA versus those who did frontline was 29% vs 47%, 7% vs 52% and 24% vs 40% in patients with abnormal LDH, high sFLCR and ISS stage 3, respectively (p = 0.03, p < 0.00001 and p = 0.035). In conclusion, patients gaining the most from NA are those with an aggressive disease as reflected by advanced stage, abnormal LDH and high sFLCR. In addition, the adverse impact of these three variables is obscured by NA., (Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The circulating levels of several angiogenic cytokines [angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiogenin and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)] were evaluated in 174 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed, symptomatic, multiple myeloma (MM). Circulating levels of Ang-1/Ang-2 were reduced in myeloma patients compared to controls, whereas VEGF and angiogenin levels were increased. Reduced angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio correlated with advanced disease features including international staging system (ISS)-3 stage, renal impairment and extensive bone disease. Based on immunohistochemical results in 20 patients (10 with the higher and 10 with the lower values of circulating angiopoietin-2) we found that angiopoietin-2 is expressed by myeloma cells and correlates with increased microvessel density in subsets of patients. Furthermore, Ang-1/Ang-2 ratio correlated with survival. Patients with circulating Ang-1/Ang-2 below or equal to the median value (6.03) had a median survival of 26.3 months compared to 53 months of all others (p = 0.002). Interestingly, this was mainly observed in patients who received first-line therapy with novel agent-based regimens (65% of our patients). Furthermore, a subset of ISS-3 patients with serum Ang-1/Ang-2 above the median value had favourable prognosis (median survival: 45 months versus 17 months of all others; p = 0.0001). The multivariate analysis revealed that low Ang-1/Ang-2 ratio could independently predict for inferior survival in our cohort of patients (relative risk (RR) 2.07, 95% CI 1.50-2.42; p < 0.001). These results highlight the role of angiopoietins pathway in the biology of MM and reveal novel targets for the development of antimyeloma agents., (Copyright © 2011 UICC.)

We present a cohort of 22 patients with type 2 dendritic cell (DC2) acute leukemia (or blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm-BPDCN, as it has been recently named), diagnosed in Greece over the past 12-year period, according to the main clinical and immunophenotypic features of this entity. Four additional cases are discussed, classified as leukemia of ambiguous lineage (LAL), because of the simultaneous detection of a CD56 negative DC2 population and of a second myeloid precursor cell population. The morphological features and cytogenetic findings of the typical BPDCN cases were similar to those previously described. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia-type chemotherapeutic regimens were more efficient in controlling the disease. Immunophenotyping of typical BPDCN cases revealed CD4(+), CD56(+), HLA-DR(+) and CD123(bright) neoplastic cells, in the absence of major B-, T- and myeloid-associated markers, while the phenotype of the four cases characterized as LAL highlights the risk of misdiagnosis. Based on our experience, we propose a flow cytometric algorithmic approach for the distinction of typical BPDCN from certain types of acute myeloid leukemia, but also for the identification of acute myeloid leukemia, admixed with CD56 negative DC2 cells, which could be misdiagnosed as BPDCN., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) was evaluated in the pre-treatment serum of 55 newly diagnosed patients with symptomatic myeloma. TIMP-1 was elevated in 47% of patients and correlated with lytic bone disease and increased bone resorption. Importantly, TIMP-1 correlated with ISS stage (p=0.005) and was an independent prognostic covariate for survival [HR: 1.003 (1-1.006), p=0.004] in these patients who were all treated with novel agents (bortezomib and/or IMiDs) during their disease course. Our study provides evidence that pre-treatment serum TIMP-1 is associated with advanced myeloma and suggests the further evaluation of this molecule to better determine its prognostic potential in MM., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of heterogeneous clonal stem cell (SC) disorders that mainly affect the elderly population. They are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis which results in quantitative and qualitative cellular defects and high incidence of leukemic transformation. Recent advances in MDS research have led to the development of novel agents which appears to improve remission rates and survival when compared to best supportive care. Currently azacitidine, decitabine, and lenalidomide are approved by the US FDA for the treatment of MDS, while the activity of other novel agents such as histone deacetylase inhibitors, farnesyl-transferase inhibitors, novel thrombopoietic agents, and anti-angiogenesis molecules is under evaluation. Erythropoietin-stimulating agents, iron chelating therapy and thrombopoietin receptor ligands may also improve quality of life and possibly prolong survival in MDS patients. The only treatment modality that can achieve long-term survival is the allogeneic SC transplantation which is given only in selected patients. Moreover the heterogeneity of MDS and the patient's advanced age and co-morbidity are significant factors besides cytogenetics, IPSS and WPSS that should be taken into account during the decision-making process. Therefore clinicians should treat patients with MDS on an individual basis aiming the increase of the response rates and the decrease of treatment-associated toxicities. This can only be achieved through the better understanding of the MDS subgroups. If we can better define MDS subgroups we will be able to identify patients who will benefit from the incorporation of the novel agents, as monotherapy or in combinations regimens along with supportive care., (Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Renal impairment is a common complication of multiple myeloma. Cystatin-C is considered an accurate marker of glomerular filtration rate in several renal disorders. Microarray analysis has revealed that cystatin-C is one of the most highly up-regulated genes in multiple myeloma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of cystatin-C in myeloma patients, explore possible correlations with clinical data, including survival, and assess the effect of bortezomib on cystatin-C in relapsed multiple myeloma., Design and Methods: We measured serum cystatin-C in 157 newly diagnosed, previously untreated myeloma patients, in 28 patients with relapsed disease pre- and post-bortezomib therapy and in 52 healthy controls, using a latex particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay., Results: In newly diagnosed patients, cystatin-C was elevated and showed strong correlations with advanced ISS stage, extensive bone disease, high beta(2)-microglobulin, high serum creatinine, and low creatinine clearance. Multivariate analysis revealed that only cystatin-C and lactate dehydrogenase had an independent prognostic impact on patients' survival. The combination of cystatin-C and lactate dehydrogenase revealed three prognostic groups of patients: a high-risk group (both elevated cystatin-C and lactate dehydrogenase) with a median survival of 24 months, an intermediate-risk group (elevated cystatin-C or elevated lactate dehydrogenase) with a median survival of 48 months and a low-risk group (both low cystatin-C and lactate dehydrogenase) in which median survival has not yet been reached (p<0.001). Cystatin-C could also identify a subset of ISS-II patients with worse outcome. Relapsed patients had higher cystatin-C levels even compared to newly diagnosed patients. Treatment with bortezomib produced a significant reduction of cystatin-C, mainly in responders., Conclusions: Serum cystatin-C is not only a sensitive marker of renal impairment but also reflects tumor burden and is of prognostic value in myeloma. Its reduction after treatment with bortezomib reflects bortezomib's anti-myeloma activity and possibly bortezomib's direct effect on renal function.

During the last decade several novel agents have been used in the management of patients with multiple myeloma. Immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors exert their efficacy both directly by inducing apoptosis of myeloma cells and indirectly through the interruption of the interactions between myeloma and stromal cells in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. These interactions are crucial for myeloma cell growth and survival. The adherence of myeloma cells to BM stromal cells leads to the overproduction of several cytokines with angiogenic properties that enhance the survival and growth of myeloma cells through paracrine and autocrine loops. The correlation of these molecules with clinical features and survival of myeloma patients supports the importance of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of the disease and reveals these cytokines as suitable targets for the development of novel anti-myeloma therapies. This review summarises all available preclinical and clinical data for the effect of novel agents that are used in myeloma therapy, such as thalidomide, lenalidomide, bortezomib and VEGF inhibitors, on angiogenesis, which is at least partially responsible for their remarkable anti-myeloma efficacy.

Neoangiogenesis is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma and angiopoietins possibly contribute to myeloma-induced neovascularization. Bortezomib's antineoplastic potential includes an anti-angiogenic effect. We determined serum levels of angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 with ELISA pre- and post-bortezomib administration in 35 patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Pre-bortezomib, serum angiopoietin-1 levels did not differ in patients and in healthy individuals, while serum angiopoietin-2 levels were elevated. Corresponding serum angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio was reduced in patients compared with controls. After treatment, serum angiopoietin-1 levels increased, while serum angiopoietin-2 levels decreased, therefore the angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio increased and normalized. This increase was significant in patients who responded to treatment. In conclusion, angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio normalization reflected response to bortezomib.

Background: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with hyperleukocytosis of at least 100 x 10(9) per L are at high risk of early death due to pulmonary or cerebral leukostasis. Although the efficacy of leukapheresis in terms of prompt cytoreduction is generally accepted, published data regarding the clinical value of immediate therapeutic leukapheresis are limited and conflicting., Study Design and Methods: To determine whether leukapheresis has a favorable impact on early mortality, the clinical course of 53 newly diagnosed patients with AML and hyperleukocytosis admitted between 1995 and 2005 was analyzed retrospectively. Before August 2001, 28 patients received chemotherapy without leukoreduction (Cohort A). Thereafter, all AML patients with hyperleukocytosis were scheduled to receive leukapheresis, which was performed in 25 patients (Cohort B)., Results: There were no procedure-related adverse events. By Day 21 of therapy, 13 of 53 patients had died, resulting in an overall early death rate of 25 percent. In a multivariate logistic regression model, patients in Cohort B had a significantly lower risk of early death than patients in Cohort A (16% vs. 32%, respectively; p = 0.015). Dyspnea (p = 0.005), elevated creatinine (p = 0.028), and higher lactate dehydrogenase serum levels (p = 0.021) were independent risk factors for early death. With a median follow-up of 24.2 months, the overall survival was similar in both cohorts (Cohort A, 7.5; Cohort B, 6.5 months). Thus, leukapheresis had no impact on patients' long-term survivals., Conclusions: Our experience suggests that AML patients with hyperleukocytosis receiving leukapheresis had a significantly lower risk for early death by Day 21 than patients treated without leukapheresis. We therefore have adopted leukapheresis as a standard procedure in our department.

Purpose: To present our long-term experience regarding the use of chemotherapy plus low-dose involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) for clinical Stage I-IIA Hodgkin's lymphoma., Methods and Materials: We analyzed the data of 368 patients. Of these, 66 received mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (MOPP) and 302 received doxorubicin (or epirubicin), bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine [A(E)BVD]. Patients with complete remission or very good partial remission were scheduled for low-dose IFRT (< or =3200 cGy)., Results: The 10-year failure-free survival (FFS) and overall survival (OS) rate was 85% and 86%, respectively. A(E)BVD-treated patients had superior 10-year FFS and OS rates compared with MOPP-treated patients (87% vs. 75%, p = 0.009; and 93% vs. 71%, p = 0.0004, respectively). Only 10 of 41 relapses had any infield (irradiated) component. Of the complete responders/very good partial responders treated with low-dose IFRT, those who received <2800 cGy had inferior FFS but similar OS as those who received 2800-3200 cGy. Adverse prognostic factors for FFS included age > or =45 years, leukocytosis > or =10 x 10(9)/L, and extranodal extension. Secondary acute leukemia developed after MOPP with or without salvage therapy (n = 6) or after ABVD plus salvage therapy (n = 2). None of the nine secondary solid tumors developed within the RT fields., Conclusion: IFRT at a dose of 2800-3000 cGy is highly effective in clinical Stage I-IIA HL patients who achieved a complete response or very good partial response with A(E)BVD. The long-term toxicity with respect to secondary malignancies appears to be acceptable.

ATLL is etiologically associated with HTLV-I retrovirus. A population of 10 to 20 million worldwide is estimated to be infected by the virus, but only 1-4% develop ATLL during a 70-year lifespan. The latency period is more than 30 years. The aim of this study was to report two cases of ATLL in Greek patients with the concomitant study of their family members. A 55-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man presented with leucocytosis and lymphocytosis. Both were asymptomatic and physical examination was unremarkable except for minimal lymphadenopathy in the second patient. In both patients blood smears showed small-to-medium-sized, multilobulated lymphocytes, with different degrees of nuclear irregularity. Immunophenotypic study was as follows: CD2 + (97%), CD3 + (95%), CD5 + (95%), CD3/CD4 + (93%), CD3/CD25 + (84%), CD7 -/CD4 + (89%) CD2 + /HLA-DR + (53%), TCRabeta + (96%) and CD7-(7%). Bone marrow biopsy revealed a normal cellularity with dyserythropoiesis and scattered small lymphocytes (CD4 + on immunostaining) Serum HTLV I and II antibodies were positive. T-cell receptor gamma-chain rearrangement was positive in blood lymphocytes by PCR. Cytogenetic analysis showed complex karyotypic abnormalities. DNA analysis by PCR demonstrated the integration of the HTLV-I DNA in the DNA of the neoplastic T cells. Both patients rapidly developed acute type ATLL. In the first patient multiple subcutaneous nodules on the palmar surface of both hands were also observed. She received deoxycoformycin, which was stopped because of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Corticosteroid treatment was initiated, with gradual improvement. She suffered from recurrent opportunistic infections. She is currently under interferon and zidovudine therapy with stable blood parameters. Chemotherapy was administered to the other patient with > 50% initial response. Both patients' families were tested for serum anti HTLV-I antibodies and their mates were found to be positive; they also had detectable viral DNA by PCR analysis while asymptomatic, with no abnormal clinical findings and normal white blood cell count and morphology. In conclusion, the two aforementioned patients are the first fully documented ATLL patients described in Greece. Investigation for HTLV-I antibodies should be mandatory in all patients with T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.

Objectives: To investigate the prognosis of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) who relapse following a complete remission (CR) achieved by chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy (CT+/-RT), and to identify prognostic factors for freedom from second progression (FF2P)., Methods: We analyzed the prognostic significance of the initial CT regimen (4 vs. 7-8 drugs), treatment-free interval (TFI), and demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors at the time of relapse and diagnosis, in 113 patients with HL, who relapsed after a CR achieved by CT+/-RT., Results: Conventional salvage CT+/-RT was administered in 107 patients, while six received RT only. The 5-yr FF2P was 24%, while the 10-yr survival after relapse (O2S) was 39% and was not afffected by the initial CT regimen. Multivariate analysis revealed that extranodal disease at relapse (P<0.001), TFI<6 month (P<0.001), > or =5 involved sites at diagnosis (P=0.04) and anemia at relapse (P=0.03) were independent predictors of FF2P. 55% of patients had 0 or 1 of these adverse prognostic factors. The 5-yr FF2P of patients with 0, 1 or 2 adverse factors was 58%, 34% and 5% (P<0.0001). The corresponding rates for 10-yr O2S were 68%, 51% and 25%, respectively (P=0.002)., Conclusions: Our data confirmed the significance of TFI and extranodal relapse and demonstrated a potential role for anemia at relapse and number of involved sites at diagnosis, for the prognosis of patients with HL relapsing after CT+/-RT. The combination of these prognostic factors defines a sizeable subgroup of patients with favorable outcome following conventional salvage therapy.

CD55 and CD59 are complement regulatory proteins that are linked to the cell membrane via a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor. They are reduced mainly in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and in other hematological disorders. However, there are very few reports in the literature concerning their expression in patients with acute leukemias (AL). We studied the CD55 and CD59 expression in 88 newly diagnosed patients with AL [65 with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) and 23 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)] using the sephacryl gel test, the Ham and sucrose lysis tests and we compared the results with patients' clinical data and disease course. Eight patients with PNH were also studied as controls. Red cell populations deficient in both CD55 and CD59 were detected in 23% of ANLL patients (especially of M(0), M(2) and M(6) FAB subtypes), 13% of ALL and in all PNH patients. CD55-deficient erythrocytes were found in 6 ANLL patients while the expression of CD59 was decreased in only 3 patients with ANLL. No ALL patient had an isolated deficiency of these antigens. There was no correlation between the existence of CD55 and/or CD59 deficiency and the percentage of bone marrow infiltration, karyotype or response to treatment. However no patient with M(3), M(5), M(7) subtype of ANLL and mature B- or T-cell ALL showed a reduced expression of both antigens. The deficient populations showed no alteration after chemotherapy treatment or during disease course. This study provides evidence about the lower expression of CD55 and CD59 in some AL patients and the correlation with their clinical data. The possible mechanisms and the significance of this phenotype are discussed.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired clonal disorder characterized by a decrease or absence of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored molecules such as CD55 and CD59 from the surface of affected cells, resulting in intravascular hemolysis, cytopenia, and venous thrombosis. A PNH-like phenotype has been detected in various hematological disorders, mainly in aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, but also in lymphoproliferative syndromes (LPSs). To the best of our knowledge, CD55- or CD59-deficient red cells have not been detected in plasma cell dyscrasias (PCDs). The aim of this study was the detection of CD55- and/or CD59-deficient red cell populations in patients with PCD. Seventy-seven patients were evaluated; 62 with multiple myeloma (MM), 7 with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), 6 with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and 2 with heavy chain disease (HCD). The sephacryl gel microtyping system was applied; Ham and sucrose lysis tests were also performed on all samples with CD55- or CD59-negative populations. Red cells deficient in both molecules were detected in 10 (12.9%) of 77 patients with PCD: 2 (28.6%) of 7 with WM, 1 (16.6%) of 6 with MGUS, 6 (9.6%) of 62 with MM, and 1 of 2 patients with HCD. Isolated CD55 deficiency was found in 28.5% of all PCD patients, whereas isolated CD59 deficiency was not observed in any patients. These findings illustrate the existence of the PNH phenotype in the red cells of patients with PCD; further investigation is needed into the mechanisms and significance of this phenotype.

We present the case of a 71 year-old man with secondary acute myeloblastic leukemia, who was successfully treated with low dose melphalan plus Epo plus G-CSF. We treated the patient with 2 mg of melphalan once a day orally, G-CSF 5 mg/kg 3 times a week and Epo 10.000 ui subcutaneously 3 times a week until the maximum response was obtained. Complete remission was achieved after 16 weeks of continuous treatment. Treatment-related toxicity was not significant. We recommend the use of low dose melphalan in elderly patients with high risk MDS as a treatment option.