Search

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) (OMIM 260400) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, skeletal, and hematological abnormalities and bone marrow (BM) dysfunction. Mutations in the SBDS gene cause SDS. Clonal chromosome anomalies are often present in BM, i(7)(q10) and del(20q) being the most frequent ones. We collected 6 SDS cases with del(20q): a cluster of imprinted genes, including L3MBTL1 and SGK2 is present in the deleted region. Only the paternal allele is expressed for these genes. Based on these data, we made the hypothesis that the loss of this region, in relation to parental origin of deletion, may be of relevance for the hematological phenotype. By comparing hematological data of our 6 cases with a group of 20 SDS patients without evidence of del(20q) in BM, we observed a significant difference for Hb levels (P 0.012), and a difference slightly above the significance level for RBC counts (P 0.053): in both cases the values were higher in patients with del(20q). We also report preliminary evidence for an increased number of BFU-E colonies in cases with paternal deletion, data on the presence of the deletion in colonies and in mature circulating lymphocytes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

No abstract available

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder with a propensity to develop myelofibrosis, a condition named post polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (post-PV MF). Survival and prognostic factors after transition to MF remain to be defined. We studied 68 patients with post-PV MF to define survival and prognostic factors for survival at diagnosis of post-PV MF. We also developed a dynamic prognostic model to predict survival at any time from diagnosis of post-PV MF. The median interval between the diagnosis of PV and that of post-PV MF was 13 years (range, 4–29.6 years). Patients with post-PV MF were observed for 181 person-years of follow-up. At diagnosis of post-PV MF, 43 (63%) of 68 patients had less than 65 years. During the follow-up, the incidence of thrombosis was 42 × 1000 person-years (95% CI: 19–93.5) and the incidence of leukemia was 50.3 × 1000 person-years (95% CI: 26–115). The median survival was 5.7 years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression including age, hemoglobin value, platelet count, leukocyte count, and spleen size, showed that hemoglobin < 10 g/dL (P < .001) and platelet count < 100 × 109/L (P= .026) were independent risk factors for survival. We stratified patients at diagnosis of post-PV MF, according to these factors, obtaining two risk groups with significantly different survival (P = .003): low risk (Hb > 10 g/dL and platelet count > 100 × 109/L) with a median survival of 7 years, and high risk (Hb < 10 g/dL or platelet count < 100 × 109/L) with a median survival of 2 years. The prognostic model retained significance after adjustment for age in a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression (HR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.6–11.4; P= .003). To assess whether this prognostic model may predict survival at any time from diagnosis of post-PV MF, we evaluated in a time-dependent analysis 64 patients who had longitudinal blood cell counts during follow-up. As first step, we evaluated univariate survival analysis with hemoglobin value < 10 g/dL and platelet count < 100 ×109/L as time-dependent covariates. Both time-dependent parameters affected survival (HR for hemoglobin 5.8, 95% CI: 2.2–15.2, P < 0.001; HR for platelets 4.5, 95% CI: 1.67-12, P=.002). As second step, we evaluated the prognostic model assessed at diagnosis as time-dependent covariate, to define whether the acquisition of one risk factor during follow-up may affect survival. The HR was 7.5 (95% CI: 2.4-23.4; P < .001). The time-dependent prognostic model retained statistical significance after adjustment for age (P < .001). In conclusion, in patients developing post-PV myelofibrosis, a prognostic model based on hemoglobin level < 10 g/dL and platelet count < 100 × 109/L may predict survival at diagnosis of post-PV MF and at any time thereafter.

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) is a mature B-cell neoplasm characterized by rather indolent clinical course. However, nearly one third of patients experience a rapidly progressive disease with a dismal outcome. Despite the characterization of clone geneticsandthe recognition of deregulated immunologic stimulation in the pathogenesis of SMZL, little is known about microenvironment dynamics and their potential biological influence on disease outcome. Here we investigate the effect of stroma-intrinsic features on SMZL disease progression by focusing on the microenvironment of the bone marrow (BM), which represents an elective disease localization endorsing diagnostic and prognostic relevance. We show that the quality of the BM stromal meshwork of SMZL infiltrates correlates with time to progression. In particular, we describe the unfavorable prognostic influence of dense CD40 expression by BM stromal cells, which involves the contribution of CD40 ligand (CD40L)-expressing bystander mast cells infiltrating SMZL BM aggregates. The CD40/CD40L-assisted crosstalk between mesenchymal stromal cells and mast cells populating the SMZL microenvironment finds correlation in p53-/- mice developing SMZL and contributes to the engendering of detrimental proinflammatory conditions. Our study highlights a dynamic interaction, playing between nonneoplastic elements within the SMZL niche, toward disease progression. © 2014 by The American Society of Hematology.