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The Japan Children's Cancer Group Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Committee conducted a prospective observational study (ALL-R14) to explore promising reinduction therapy regimens for relapsed ALL to investigate in future trials. In Japan, clofarabine- and bortezomib-based regimens were of interest since they were newly introduced for ALL in the study period (2015–2018). Seventy-five pediatric patients were enrolled in total. The 2-year event-free/overall survival rates in patients with first (n = 59) or second (n = 11) relapse were 40.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.5–52.3%)/66.3% (95% CI 52.3–77.0%) and 34.1% (95% CI 9.1–61.6%)/62.3% (95% CI 27.7–84.0%), respectively. Clofarabine- or bortezomib-based regimens were used only in patients with high-risk disease. The first reinduction therapy used in the 41 patients with early or multiple relapsed B-cell precursor ALL was clofarabine in 7 patients and bortezomib in 9 patients. The odds ratio for reinduction failure risk with a clofarabine- or bortezomib-based regimen compared with other regimens was 9.0 (95% CI 0.9–86.4, P = 0.057) or 1.9 (95% CI 0.4–8.7, P = 0.42), respectively. Thus, clofarabine- or bortezomib-based regimens had no obvious advantage as reinduction therapy for relapsed ALL in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HLA-haploidentical stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT) using post-transplant high-dose cyclophosphamide (PT-CY) is an alternative choice when a suitable donors is unavailable. However, PT-CY is difficult in patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) due to their high vulnerability to alkylating agents. For FA, we prefer haplo-SCT by T-cell receptor αβT-cell and B-cell depletion (αβT/B-depleted haplo-SCT), which can reduce the risks of PT-CY-related complications and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). An 11-year-old boy with diagnosed FA (FANCG mutation) and bone marrow failure was to receive αβT/B-depleted haplo-SCT from his father (HLA 4/8 allele matched) due to absence of an HLA-matched donors. αβT/B-depleted peripheral blood stem cells (CD34 + cell count, 1.17 × 107/kg; αβ + T-cell count, 1.3 × 105/kg) were infused following conditioning consisting of fludarabine (150 mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (40 mg/kg), anti-thymocyte globulin (5 mg/kg), rituximab (375 mg/m2), and thoraco-abdominal irradiation (3 Gy). Tacrolimus was used for GVHD prophylaxis until day + 30. Neutrophil engraftment was achieved on day + 9, and complete chimerism was confirmed on days + 28 and + 96. At 12-month post-SCT, the patient was well without GVHD or any other complications. αβT/B-depleted haplo-SCT is a good choice not only for patients unsuitable for PT-CY, but also for all pediatric recipients to reduce SCT-related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Takenouchi-Kosaki syndrome (TKS) is a rare congenital disease caused by a de novo heterozygous mutation in the CDC42 gene. Its characteristic clinical features are macrothrombocytopenia, developmental delay, dysmorphic facial features, and deafness. Splenectomy has been contraindicated for inherited thrombocytopenia, and there is little information on treatment of macrothrombocytopenia in TKS. In a previously reported case of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) with TKS, we observed that AIHA initially resolved with prednisolone, but gradually became refractory to drug therapy. After splenectomy, both anemia and macrothrombocytopenia improved. This is a novel positive effect of splenectomy for thrombocytopenia in TKS, although further studies are required to assess the effectiveness and safety of splenectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative therapy for most patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). We conducted a nationwide study on HCT for patients with IEI other than severe combined immunodeficiency (non-SCID) in Japan. Methods: Data from the Japanese national database (Transplant Registry Unified Management Program, TRUMP) for 566 patients with non-SCID IEI, who underwent their first HCT between 1985 and 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The 10-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were 74% and 64%, respectively. The 10-year OS for HCT from unrelated bone marrow (URBM), accounting for 39% of HCTs, was comparable to that for HCT from matched sibling donor (MSD), 79% and 81%, respectively. HCT from unrelated cord blood (URCB), accounting for 28% of HCTs, was also common, with a 10-year OS of 69% but less robust engraftment. The intensity of conditioning was not associated with OS or neutrophil recovery; however, myeloablative conditioning was more frequently associated with infection-related death. Patients who received myeloablative irradiation showed poor OS. Multivariate analyses revealed that HCT in 1985–1995 (hazard ratio [HR], 2.0; P = 0.03), URCB (HR, 2.0; P = 0.01), and related donor other than MSD (ORD) (HR, 2.9; P < 0.001) were associated with poor OS, and URCB (HR, 3.6; P < 0.001) and ORD (HR, 2.7; P = 0.02) showed a higher incidence of retransplantation. Conclusions: We present the 1985–2016 status of HCT for non-SCID IEI in Japan with sufficient statistical power, highlighting the potential of URBM as an alternative donor and the feasibility of reduced intensity conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative therapy for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Here, we conducted a nationwide study to assess the outcome of SCID patients after HCT in Japan. Methods: A cohort of 181 SCID patients undergoing their first allogeneic HCT in 1974–2016 was studied by using the Japanese national database (Transplant Registry Unified Management Program, TRUMP). Results: The 10-year overall survival (OS) of the patients who received HCT in 2006–2016 was 67%. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation was performed in 81 patients (45%). The outcomes of HCT from HLA-matched UCB (n = 21) and matched sibling donors (n = 22) were comparable, including 10-year OS (91% vs. 91%), neutrophil recovery (cumulative incidence at 30 days, 89% vs. 100%), and platelet recovery (cumulative incidence at 60 days, 89% vs. 100%). Multivariate analysis of the patients who received HCT in 2006–2016 demonstrated that the following factors were associated with poor OS: bacterial or fungal infection at HCT (hazard ratio (HR): 3.8, P = 0.006), cytomegalovirus infection prior to HCT (HR: 9.4, P = 0.03), ≥ 4 months of age at HCT (HR: 25.5, P = 0.009), and mismatched UCB (HR: 19.8, P = 0.01). Conclusion: We showed the potential of HLA-matched UCB as a donor source with higher priority for SCID patients. We also demonstrated that early age at HCT without active infection is critical for a better prognosis, highlighting the importance of newborn screening for SCID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS)/veno-occlusive disease is a life-threatening complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We previously reported the efficacy of the Hokkaido Ultrasonography (US)-based scoring system (HokUS-10) for US findings. To establish easier-to-use criteria, we retrospectively evaluated US findings from 441 patients, including 30 patients with SOS using the HokUS-10 scoring system. Using logistic regression analysis, we established the novel diagnostic criteria HokUS-6. In the presence of ascites, US diagnosis was made in the presence of two of the following 6 parameters: moderate amount of ascites, the appearance of a paraumbilical vein blood flow signal, gallbladder wall thickening, portal vein dilatation, portal vein velocity decrease, and hepatic artery resistive index increase. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of HokUS-6 were 0.974 (95% confidence interval 0.962-0.990), 95.2%, and 96.9%, respectively. The scores were significantly higher in patients with severe SOS than in those with non-severe SOS (p = 0.013). Furthermore, the scores before HSCT were significantly higher in patients who developed SOS than in controls (p = 0.001). The HokUS-6 is an easy and useful way to diagnose and identify the risk of SOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the treatment of pediatric patients with brentuximab vedotin are limited. The aims of the present study were to assess the safety and tolerability of brentuximab vedotin in Japanese children with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) or systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (sALCL). Pediatric patients, aged 2-17 years, with relapsed or refractory HL or sALCL were recruited. Brentuximab vedotin were administered at 1.8 mg/kg via intravenous infusion once every 3 weeks. Primary endpoints were dose-limiting toxicity and safety. Between September 2016, and March 2018, six patients (median age 11.5, range 5-14 years), four with relapsed or refractory HL and two with relapsed or refractory sALCL were enrolled. Dose limiting toxicity was not observed in any of the six patients. Although three of six patients (50%) experienced at least one grade ≥ 3 adverse event, no patient experienced a serious adverse event. The pharmacokinetic profile of brentuximab vedotin in pediatric patients was comparable to that reported in adults. The proportion of patients who achieved overall response was 60% (95% confidence interval 14.7-94.7). Brentuximab vedotin at 1.8 mg/kg once every 3 weeks was considered tolerable in children with relapsed or refractory HL or sALCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the outcomes of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) and risk factors for chimerism in 108 patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) who were registered with The Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation between January 1985 and December 2016. A preparative conditioning regimen consisting of myeloablative conditioning (MAC) was provided to 76 patients, and reduced-intensity conditioning was provided to 30 patients. Fifty-one patients received prophylaxis against graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with cyclosporine, and 51 patients received tacrolimus (Tac). Chimerism analyses had been performed in 91 patients. Neutrophil engraftment was achieved in 91 patients (84.3%). The engraftment rate was significantly higher in patients who received Tac for GVHD prophylaxis (p = 0.028). Overall survival rate (OS) was significantly higher in patients with complete chimerism than in patients with mixed chimerism (88.2 ± 6.1% and 66.7 ± 9.9%, respectively, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that the rate of complete chimerism in patients who received MAC including cyclophosphamide (CY) at a dose of 200 mg/kg was significantly higher (p = 0.021) than that in patients who received other conditioning. Thus, MAC including CY at a dose of 200 mg/kg and Tac for GVHD prophylaxis were optimal conditions of SCT for patients with WAS under existing study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are at high risk of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Hypogonadism is universal after irradiation or busulfan. We hypothesized that reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) might protect ovarian function after HCT. We retrospectively reviewed data from patients with acute leukemia treated according to the Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study and nationwide multicenter study protocol. We selected 11 female patients with acute leukemia who received first HCT with RIC, had survived for three or more years after HCT, and were aged ≥ 12 years at the last follow-up visit. Median age at diagnosis, HCT, and last visit were 8, 10, and 17 years. Six patients received HLA-matched bone marrow (BM), two HLA-mismatched BM, and three cord blood. Melphalan was used as conditioning regimen in all patients. At the last visit, six of seven post-pubertal patients at transplantation recovered menstruation, and four of four patients who underwent transplantation at the pre-pubertal began menstruation. Height z scores showed no significant reduction between pre-transplant and post-transplant. No patients received growth hormone treatment. Only one recipient displayed subclinical hypothyroidism. Melphalan-based RIC may be an encouraging option for patients with acute leukemia to avoid ovarian and endocrine dysfunction after HCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children. Although the cure rate of ALL has greatly improved, a considerable number of patients suffer from relapse of leukemia. Therefore, ALL remains the leading cause of death from cancer during childhood. To improve the cure rate of these patients, precisely detecting patients with high risk of relapse and incorporating new targeted therapies are urgently needed. This study investigated inexpensive, rapid, next-generation sequencing of more than 150 cancer-related genes for matched diagnostic, remission, and relapse samples of 17 patients (3 months to 15 years old) with relapsed ALL. In this analysis, we identified 16 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertion/deletion variants and 19 copy number variants (CNVs) at diagnosis and 28 SNVs and insertion/deletion variants and 22 CNVs at relapse. With these genetic alterations, we could detect several B cell precursor ALL patients with high-risk gene alterations who were not stratified into the highest-risk group (5/8, 62.5%). We also detected potentially actionable genetic variants in about half of the patients (8/17, 47.1%). Among them, we found that one patient harbored germline TP53 mutation as a secondary finding. This inexpensive, rapid method can be immediately applied as clinical sequencing and could lead to better management of these patients and potential improvement in the survival rate in childhood ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bortezomib has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated in patients with refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia trial. However, the safety and efficacy of bortezomib have not been evaluated in Japanese pediatric patients. Here, we report the results of a clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety of bortezomib combined with induction chemotherapy in Japanese children with refractory ALL. A total of six patients with B-precursor ALL were enrolled in this study. Four-dose bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2/dose) combined with two standard induction chemotherapies was used. Prolonged pancytopenia (grade 4) was observed in all patients. Four of the six patients developed severe infectious complications. Peripheral neuropathy (grade 2) occurred in five patients. The individual plasma bortezomib concentration-time profiles were not related to toxicity and efficacy. Five patients were evaluable for response, and four patients achieved complete response (CR) or CR without platelet recovery (80%). In conclusion, four-dose bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2/dose) combined with standard re-induction chemotherapy was associated with a high risk of infectious complications induced by prolonged neutropenia, although high efficacy has been achieved for Japanese pediatric patients with refractory ALL. Attention must be given to severe infectious complications when performing re-induction chemotherapy including bortezomib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neurological disorder characterized by seizures, altered mental status and visual disorders, along with characteristic radiological findings. It is strongly related to hypertension induced by steroids and other immunosuppressive agents. There are an increasing number of reports regarding PRES arising during the course of chemotherapy for hematological malignancies. To clarify the risk factors for this phenomenon, we retrospectively analyzed pediatric patients undergoing treatment for hematological malignancies. Of 161 patients, six patients (3.7 %) developed PRES with characteristic clinical and radiographic findings. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) was a significant risk factor for the onset of PRES. TLS is a significant risk factor for the development of PRES in pediatric patients receiving chemotherapy for hematological malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]