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High-dose methotrexate (MTX) is widely used for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Despite the application of routine supportive care measures, such as intensive fluid hydration and urine alkalinization, nephrotoxicity is still a problem. The present study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for MTX-induced nephrotoxicity. We retrospectively reviewed 88 patients who received a regimen consisting of high-dose MTX (1000 mg/m2) and cytosine arabinoside between 2006 and 2018. Nephrotoxicity (≥ grade 2) was observed in 11 patients. Nephrotoxicity was observed only in patients with a high MTX concentration. Other than the MTX concentration, the serum uric acid level and urine pH at day 1 were associated with nephrotoxicity. A multivariate analysis revealed that urine pH was an independent risk factor for MTX-induced nephrotoxicity. Urine pH

The combination of dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and cisplatin (DHAP) is used as salvage chemotherapy for relapsed or refractory lymphoma. It includes the administration of cisplatin in a single dose of 100 mg/m2, and renal toxicity is a common adverse event. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the risk factors for renal toxicity (≥ grade 2) in 74 patients who received DHAP as salvage chemotherapy. Regarding maximal renal toxicities, 38 (51.4%), 6 (8.1%), and 1 (1.4%) patients had grade 2, 3, and 4 toxicities, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that overweight (body mass index ≥ 25) was an independent predictive factor for renal toxicity of ≥ grade 2 (odds ratio [OR] 4.08, P = 0.032). A subgroup analysis for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma treated with DHAP as second-line therapy (n = 44) confirmed that overweight was an independent risk factor (OR 5.28, P = 0.049). In conclusion, we demonstrated that overweight was an independent risk factor for renal toxicity of ≥ grade 2 in patients who received DHAP. Further clinical studies will be needed to identify a method to decrease renal toxicities after the administration of cisplatin.

We evaluated clinical outcomes of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in patients with hematological malignancies treated with synthetic protease inhibitors (SPIs) and compared the effects of gabexate mesilate (FOY) and nafamostat mesilate (FUT). We retrospectively examined 127 patients [acute myeloid leukemia (n = 48), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 25), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 54)] with DIC, who were diagnosed according to Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare criteria and treated with SPIs [FOY (n = 55) and FUT (n = 72)] at our hospital from 2006 to 2015. The DIC resolution rates on days 7 and 14 were 42.6% and 62.4%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in DIC resolution rates between the FUT and FOY groups [40.3% vs. 45.5% (day 7), P = 0.586; 56.3% vs. 69.8% (day 14), P = 0.179, respectively]. Multivariate analysis revealed that response to chemotherapy was the only independent predictor of DIC resolution on days 7 and 14 (ORR 2.81, 95% CI 1.32-5.98, P = 0.007; ORR 2.51, 95% CI 1.12-5.65, P = 0.026). Resolution of DIC was correlated with improvement of background hematological malignancies, and no significant differences were observed between the two SPIs.

Neutropenia is a major risk factor for opportunistic infections in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who undergo chemotherapy. In the present study, we retrospectively compared the D-index, which reflects both the depth and duration of neutropenia, between two different chemotherapy regimens for AML. Sixty-seven patients with AML were included: 37 received an induction regimen of daunorubicin (DNR) and cytarabine followed by consolidation therapies consisting of standard-dose cytarabine (SDAC) and other antineoplastic agents; the remaining 30 received idarubicin (IDR) and cytarabine as remission induction therapy followed by high-dose cytarabine (HDAC). The duration of neutropenia was shorter, but the D-index was higher, with IDR than with DNR. The total D-index during the entire consolidation therapies was significantly higher with SDAC than with HDAC. In conclusion, the neutropenia profile differs between treatment regimens, and thus, physicians should plan the management of infectious complications according to the neutropenia profile for each regimen.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the effects of these agents on mature B cell lymphoma are not well known. We describe a 50-year-old man who was diagnosed with CML in the chronic phase and treated with imatinib. After 3 years of imatinib therapy that achieved a complete cytogenetic response of CML, he developed Philadelphia-negative follicular lymphoma (FL). Rituximab monotherapy induced a partial response of FL, and he subsequently achieved a major molecular response (MMR) of CML. Three years later, however, the MMR was lost, followed by the progression of FL. Imatinib was switched to nilotinib for the treatment of CML, while we chose watchful waiting for FL. He achieved MMR again under treatment with nilotinib for 8 months including one month of substitutional use of dasatinib due to adverse events, but thereafter nilotinib was switched to bosutinib due to hyperbilirubinemia. With the administration of second-generation TKIs (2G-TKIs) for a total of 18 months, he achieved a complete response to FL without antilymphoma treatment. This is the first report to suggest that 2G-TKIs may have direct or indirect effects on FL.