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Mast cell leukemia (MCL) is a rare, life-threatening malignancy defined by a substantial increase in neoplastic mast cells (MCs) in bone marrow (BM) smears, drug-resistance, and a poor prognosis. In most patients, the survival time is less than 1 year. However, exceptional cases may present with a less malignant course. We report on a 49-year-old female patient with MCL diagnosed in 2013. In February 2013, first symptoms, including flushing, headache, and diarrhea, were recorded. In addition, mild anemia was detected. The disease was characterized by a massive increase in well-granulated, mature, and often spindle-shaped MCs (80 %) in BM smears. The serum tryptase level amounted to 332 ng/mL. Like in most other MCL patients, no skin lesions were detected. However, unlike in other patients, tryptase levels remained stable, and no other signs or symptoms of MCL-induced organ damage were found. Sequencing studies revealed an isolated S476I point mutation in KIT but no mutation in codon 816. The patient received histamine receptor blockers but refused cytoreductive therapy. After 9 months, still no progression or organ damage was detected. However, progression with transformation to acute MCL occurred after 12 months. We propose that the chronic type of MCL with stable conditions, absence of organ damage, and a mature MC morphology is recognized as a distinct entity that should be distinguished from the acute variant of MCL.

We have performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with extragastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma treated at our institution to compare the efficacy of first-line therapeutic modalities including surgery, radiation, systemic therapy, and antibiotics. One hundred eighty-five patients with extragastric MALT lymphoma with a median age of 63 (interquartile range (IQR) 50-74) years and a median follow-up time of 49 (IQR 18-103) months were retrospectively analyzed. Time to progression and time to next therapy were used as surrogate endpoints for efficacy. Patients having either surgery (100 %), chemo/immunotherapy (85.5 %), or radiation (80 %) had significantly (p = 0.01) higher response rates than patients treated with antibiotics (33.3 %). Patients who were irradiated had significantly more progressive disease, but also the longest follow-up time. Stage, elevated LDH, anemia, elevated beta-2 microglobulin, plasmacytic differentiation, monoclonal gammopathy, or autoimmune disease did not influence the rate of disease progression nor did complete remission or partial remission from initial therapy influence time to and rate of progression. There was no significant difference in the median time to progression (p = 0.141), but the estimated time to progression (p = 0.023) as well as the estimated time to next therapy (p = 0.021) was significantly different among the various cohorts favoring surgery, chemo/immunotherapy, and radiation. Our results suggest extragastric MALT lymphoma as a potential systemic disease irrespective of initial stage. Radiation, surgery, and chemo/immunotherapy seem to be equally effective in achieving remissions and prolonged progression free survivals, but a curative potential is questionable. Localized MALT lymphomas affecting the thyroid gland or the lungs have excellent long-term progression-free survivals with surgical treatment only.

Recently, the combination of rituximab and bendamustine (R-Benda) has been defined as highly active in patients with follicular lymphomas, but little is known about the efficacy of R-Benda in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. In a retrospective analysis, we have defined 14 patients with MALT lymphoma undergoing therapy with R-Benda. Seven patients were female and seven male (aged 44-88 years), and all had relapsed extragastric MALT lymphoma. R-Benda was given at first relapse in ten patients, while four patients had more than two prior forms of therapy. Bendamustine was given at a dose of 90 mg/m(2) on days 2 and 3 in ten patients and at 70 mg/m(2) in three patients, while all received 375 mg/m(2) rituximab on day 1. Ten patients received six courses of therapy, while two patients discontinued therapy after three, and one after four courses for personal reasons, while one patient had progressive disease after four courses. Tolerance of therapy was excellent, and all except one patient responded. Ten patients achieved a complete remission (CR) (71 %), three a partial remission (21 %), while one patient progressed. Toxicities were mild and mainly hematological but did not result in relevant delays or the necessity for dose reductions. After a median follow-up of 23 months (range, 4-42+), 13 patients are alive and one patient has relapsed 23 months after initial CR. Our data suggest high activity and good tolerance of R-Benda in patients with relapsed MALT lymphoma despite intensive pretreatment in some patients. In view of this, prospective studies are warranted.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas are B cell neoplasms which commonly affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas rarely show plasmacytic differentiation (PCD), and limited data on the potential influence of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (R) on PCD exist in the current literature. We have retrospectively analyzed patients with GI MALT lymphomas treated with R-containing regimens because restaging is routinely performed by repeated biopsies with pathohistological response assessment. Twenty-one patients with GI MALT lymphoma were identified to have undergone R-containing therapy. In 19 patients, the lymphoma originated in the stomach, while the colon was the primarily affected organ in two cases. Four patients received R monotherapy and 17 combinations of R with various chemotherapeutic agents. Only two patients with gastric MALT lymphoma had PCD before initiation of therapy. In 7 of 19 patients (37%) without PCD at diagnosis, restaging revealed PCD after or while on treatment with R-containing regimens. Out of these seven patients, only one patient had a complete response as opposed to 10/12 without PCD. These data suggest that R or R-containing treatment regimens may not optimally eradicate the plasma cell component and thus lead to PCD in patients with GI MALT lymphoma. In view of this, rebiopsy and histological re-assessment appear mandatory in patients failing/relapsing after R-containing regimens.

There is increasing evidence for the role of chronic antigenic stimulation (CS) in the development of cancer. Clinical data, however, are rare as is the information on outcome. In this study, the occurrence of chronic infections (CI) and autoimmune diseases (AI) in patients with malignant lymphoma at diagnosis was assessed. Of 367 patients [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) N = 297, Hodgkin's lymphoma N = 70], 9.8% (N = 36) had a history of chronic antigenic stimulation (4.4% AI, 5.4% CI) at diagnosis. After a median observation time of 74.7 months, 118 patients have died. There were more male patients in this cohort. However, sex ratio among patients with chronic antigenic stimulation was skewed in favor of women (p = 0.018), in particular among lymphoma patients with AI (p = 0.001). NHL patients with autoimmune diseases showed a tendency to develop diffuse large B cell lymphoma [8 of 12 AI + NHL patients (66.7%) vs. 100 of 266 non-CS NHL (37.6%); p = 0.066]. No significant difference in overall survival (OS) between CS and non-CS patients could be observed (median OS after 48 months was: CS 77.7% vs. non-CS 71.8%). In conclusion, chronic antigenic stimulation at diagnosis appears to be associated with a higher prevalence in women, in particular among patients with autoimmune disease. However, no difference in overall survival was observed. This suggests that the presence of chronic inflammatory conditions does not decisively influence the outcome of lymphoma patients.

We used nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD) in cytostatic drug combinations to treat 37 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and pre-existing cardiac disorder or elderly patients with reduced physical state who were ineligible for conventional anthracycline-containing therapy. High remission rates were observed in this poor-risk population: Complete remission rates were 75% for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 55% for T/NK cell neoplasm (overall response rate of 80% and 89%, respectively). Twenty-seven patients (73%) are still alive after a median observation time of 14 months. No major cardiac or gastrointestinal toxicity was observed. Extravasation of NPLD in two patients resulted in mild inflammation without tissue damage. Hematologic toxicity was comparable to that of conventional anthracycline-containing regimens. We conclude that NPLD is highly active in combination chemotherapy for lymphoma with low cardiac toxicity in patients with pre-existing cardiac disorders or higher age. Moreover, we also observed remarkable efficacy in T/NK cell lymphomas.