Search

Simple Summary: We conducted a prospective trial comparing single-dose etoposide (375 mg/m2 for one day) plus G-CSF versus G-CSF alone, followed by risk-adapted plerixafor in myeloma patients. Despite significantly less frequent (p = 0.045) use of plerixafor in the etoposide group, the optimal collection rates (CD34+ cells ≥ 6 × 106/kg) were not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.195). In addition, the rate of collected CD34+ cells of ≥ 8.0 × 106/kg was significantly higher in the etoposide group. Our results suggest that single-dose etoposide plus G-CSF may be a better option for patients who are expected to receive two or more transplantations. To explore the optimal mobilization for multiple myeloma (MM) patients, we conducted a prospective trial comparing single-dose etoposide (375 mg/m2 for one day) plus G-CSF versus G-CSF alone, followed by risk-adapted plerixafor. After randomization, 27 patients in the etoposide group and 29 patients in the G-CSF alone group received mobilizations. Six (22.2%) patients in the etoposide group and 15 (51.7%) patients in the G-CSF alone group received plerixafor based on a peripheral blood CD34+ cell count of < 15/mm3 (p = 0.045). The median count of CD34+ cells collected was significantly higher in the etoposide group (9.5 × 106/kg vs. 7.9 × 106/kg; p = 0.018), but the optimal collection rate (CD34+ cells ≥ 6 × 106/kg) was not significantly different between the two groups (96.3% vs. 82.8%; p = 0.195). The rate of CD34+ cells collected of ≥ 8.0 × 106/kg was significantly higher in the etoposide group (77.8% vs. 44.8%; p = 0.025). Although the rates of grade II–IV thrombocytopenia (63.0% vs. 31.0%; p = 0.031) and grade I–IV nausea (14.8% vs. 0%; p = 0.048) were significantly higher in the etoposide group, the rates of adverse events were low in both groups, with no neutropenic fever or septic shock. Thus, both single-dose etoposide plus G-CSF and G-CSF alone with risk-adapted plerixafor were effective and safe, but the former may be the better option for patients who are expected to receive two or more transplantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fecal calprotectin (FC) is commonly used to assess Crohn's disease (CD) activity. However, standardized cut-off values accounting for bowel resection history and disease location are lacking. In this study, we analyzed data from patients with CD who underwent magnetic resonance enterography, ileocolonoscopy, and FC measurements from January 2017 to December 2018. In 267 cases from 254 patients, the FC levels in the 'operated' patients were higher when the disease was active compared with those who were in the remission group (178 vs. 54.7 μg/g; p < 0.001), and similar findings were obtained for the 'non-operated' patients (449.5 vs. 40.95 μg/g; p < 0.001). The FC levels differed significantly according to the location of inflammation, with lower levels in the small bowel compared to those in the colon. The FC cut-off levels of 70.8 μg/g and 142.0 μg/g were considered optimal for predicting active disease for operated and non-operated patients, respectively. The corresponding FC cut-off levels of 70.8 μg/g and 65.0 μg/g were observed for patients with disease only in the small bowel. In conclusion, different FC cut-off values would be applicable to patients with CD based on their bowel resection history and disease location. Tight control with a lower FC target may benefit those with a history of bowel resection or small-bowel-only disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic snare papillectomy (ESP) has been established as a safe and effective treatment for ampullary adenomas. However, little is known about the optimal post-procedure follow-up period and the role of routine endoscopic surveillance biopsy following ESP. We aimed to evaluate patient adherence to a 5-year endoscopic surveillance and routine biopsy protocol after ESP of ampullary adenoma. Methods: We reviewed our prospectively collected database (n = 98), all members of which underwent ESP for ampullary lesions from January 2011 to December 2016, for the evaluation of long-term outcomes. The primary outcome was the rate of patient adherence to 5-year endoscopic surveillance following ESP. The secondary outcomes were the diagnostic yield of routine endoscopic biopsy, recurrence rate, and adverse events after endoscopic surveillance in the 5-year follow-up (3-month, 6-month, and every 1 year). Results: A total of 19 patients (19.4%) experienced recurrence during follow-up, all of these patients experienced recurrence within 3 years of the procedure (median 217 days, range 69–1083). The adherence rate for patients with sporadic ampullary adenoma were 100%, 93.5%, and 33.6% at 1, 3, and 5 years after ESP, respectively. The diagnostic yield of routine endoscopic biopsy without macroscopic abnormality was 0.54%. Pancreatitis occurred in four patients (4%, 3 mild, 1 moderate) after surveillance endoscopic biopsy without macroscopic abnormality. Conclusions: Given the low 5-year adherence rate and diagnostic yield of routine endoscopic biopsy with risk of pancreatitis, optimal surveillance intervals according to risk stratification (low grade vs. high grade adenoma/intramucosal adenocarcinoma) may be required to improve patient adherence, and routine biopsy without macroscopic abnormality may not be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1-RUNX1T1 is a heterogeneous disease entailing different prognoses. Patients with high-risk features can benefit from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or autologous HSCT. However, insufficient data about major risk factors, such as KIT mutations and measurable residual disease (MRD) status for relapse, make it difficult to clarify the benefit of each transplant strategy. Moreover, limited data are available to elucidate the exact prognostic impacts of different types of KIT mutations and optimal thresholds or time points for RUNX1–RUNX1T1 MRD assessment, particularly in the setting of HSCT. Given the lack of prospective study, the current retrospective study, including a large cohort of high-risk AML patients with RUNX1–RUNX1T1, firstly demonstrated the differentiated prognostic impact of D816V KIT mutation among various KIT mutations and clarified optimal time points and thresholds for RUNX1–RUNX1T1 MRD monitoring in the setting of HSCT. The prognostic significance of KIT mutations and optimal thresholds and time points of measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1-RUNX1T1 remain controversial in the setting of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We retrospectively evaluated 166 high-risk patients who underwent allogeneic (Allo-HSCT, n = 112) or autologous HSCT (Auto-HSCT, n = 54). D816V KIT mutation, a subtype of exon 17 mutations, was significantly associated with post-transplant relapse and poor survival, while other types of mutations in exons 17 and 8 were not associated with post-transplant relapse. Pre- and post-transplant RUNX1–RUNX1T1 MRD assessments were useful for predicting post-transplant relapse and poor survival with a higher sensitivity at later time points. Survival analysis for each stratified group by D816V KIT mutation and pre-transplant RUNX1–RUNX1T1 MRD status demonstrated that Auto-HSCT was superior to Allo-HSCT in MRD-negative patients without D816V KIT mutation, while Allo-HSCT was superior to Auto-HSCT in MRD-negative patients with D816V KIT mutation. Very poor outcomes of pre-transplant MRD-positive patients with D816V KIT mutation suggested that this group should be treated in clinical trials. Risk stratification by both D816V KIT mutation and RUNX1–RUNX1T1 MRD status will provide a platform for decision-making or risk-adapted therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]