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KIT D816V mutation within exon 17 has been particularly reported as one of the poor prognostic factors in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1-RUNX1T1. The exact frequency and the prognostic impact of KIT D816V minor clones at diagnosis were not examined. In this study, the minor clones were examined and the prognostic significance of KIT D816V mutation in pediatric patients was investigated. Consequently, 24 KIT D816V mutations (7.2%) in 335 pediatric patients were identified, and 12 of 24 were only detected via the digital droplet polymerase chain reaction method. All 12 patients were confined in core binding factor (CBF)-AML patients. The 5 year event-free survival of the patients with KIT D816V mutation was significantly inferior to those without KIT D816V mutation (44.1% [95% confidence interval (CI), 16.0%-69.4%] vs. 74.7% [95% CI, 63.0%-83.2%] P-value = 0.02, respectively). The 5 year overall survival was not different between the two groups (92.9% [95% CI, 59.0%-NA vs. 89.7% [95% CI, 69.6%-96.8%] P-value = 0.607, respectively). In this study, KIT D816V minor clones in patients with CBF-AML were confirmed and KIT D816V was considered as a risk factor for relapse in patients with RUNX1-RUNX1T1-positive AML.

Children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) commonly develop extramedullary disease (EMD), which comprises central nervous system (CNS) lesions and myeloid sarcoma (MS). In this retrospective analysis, we aimed to determine the effect of EMD on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in 678 pediatric patients with de novo AML (median age, 7 years; range, 0.3-15 years) between 2006 and 2016. We compared the outcomes between patients with (EMD group, n = 158; CNS lesion, n = 47, CNS lesion + MS, n = 9, and MS, n = 102) and without EMD at diagnosis (non-EMD group, n = 520). Survivors were followed for a median of 4.5 years, and the 4-year overall survival (OS) rates were 60.6% and 56.4% in the EMD and non-EMD groups, respectively (P = 0.60). No significant differences in OS were observed with respect to the EMD site, except bone lesions, which were associated with poor OS after HCT in a non-remission status. A multivariate analysis revealed that EMD did not affect the outcomes of HCT. In conclusion, the study findings suggest that EMD should not be considered a poor prognostic factor in HCT for children with AML.

Background X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) deficiency is an infrequent inborn error of immunity that is often associated with refractory inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The natural course of XIAP deficiency is typically associated with poor prognosis, and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only curative treatment. Objective To study (1) the effect of HCT on patients with XIAP deficiency undergoing HCT, (2) the status of XIAP deficiency–associated IBD after HCT, and (3) the gut microbiota of XIAP deficiency–associated IBD before and after HCT. Methods A nationwide survey of patients with XIAP deficiency was conducted. A spreadsheet questionnaire was collected from the physicians. Feces samples collected from the patients before and after HCT and their healthy family members were analyzed. Results Twenty-six patients with XIAP deficiency underwent HCT by the end of March 2020, and 22 patients (84.6%) survived. All the survivors underwent a fludarabine-based reduced-intensity condition regimen. Acute graft-versus-host disease was observed in 17 patients (65.4%). Nineteen patients experienced refractory IBD before undergoing HCT. IBD improved remarkably after HCT. After HCT, the colonoscopic and pathological symptoms were restored to normal, and the pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index improved significantly. Gut microbiota indicated dysbiosis before HCT; however, it was improved to resemble that of the healthy family members after HCT. Conclusions This study revealed that HCT has a favorable outcome for XIAP deficiency. HCT rescues gut inflammation and dysbiosis in patients with XIAP deficiency.

Key Clinical Message We report two male siblings with SDS. They have the same compound heterozygous mutations. Only one of the siblings acquired cytogenetic abnormality of i(7q) 2 years after diagnosis, became transfusion‐dependent, and underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These cases indicate that i(7q) is associated with significant cytopenia in SDS patients.

Studies on the effect of cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9), vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1), and cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2) polymorphisms on warfarin maintenance dose in children are conflicting. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of these polymorphisms on warfarin maintenance dose in children. We searched relevant literature using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial libraries without any language restrictions from their inception to 23 July 2017. Dose differences are expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). This review was registered in the PROSPERO prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42015016172). We included a total of nine studies (745 participants) in the meta-analysis. Patients with CYP2C9 *1/*2, *1/*3, *2/*2, *2/*3, or *3/*3 required a lower warfarin maintenance dose compared with patients with CYP2C9 *1/*1 (SMD = −0.610, 95% CI: −0.802 to −0.419, I2 = 0%). Patients with VKORC1-1639GA or AA required a lower warfarin maintenance dose compared with patients with VKORC1-1639GG (SMD = −0.666, 95% CI: −0.887 to −0.445, I2 = 33%). However, no associations were observed between CYP4F2 polymorphisms and warfarin maintenance dose (MD = 0.005 mg/kg/day, 95% CI: −0.006 to 0.015, I2 = 0%). These results were not affected by a sensitivity analysis. Our meta-analysis provides evidence that CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variant statuses affect warfarin maintenance dose in children, but not CYP4F2.

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) is being increasingly performed as an alternative to bone marrow transplantation (BMT); however, PBSCT has not been proven to have equivalent outcome to BMT. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare survival rates and treatment-related complications between PBSCT and BMT for pediatric hematologic malignancies. We searched Medline, Embase plus Embase classics, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for the terms "hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" AND "allogeneic transplantation" AND "children", including randomized controlled studies and cohort studies without language limitations. We identified 7 of 5368 studies for inclusion in our meta-analysis. The cohorts of these studies included a total of 4328 patients, 3185 who underwent BMT and 1143 who underwent PBSCT. Five-year overall survival was similar in the 2 groups (PBSCT, 56.2%; BMT, 63.5%; relative risk [RR], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], .91 to 1.52), as was the 5-year event-free survival (PBSCT, 49.9%; BMT, 57.2%; RR, 1.14; 95% CI, .93 to 1.39). The incidences of nonrelapse mortality and chronic graft-versus-host disease were higher in the PBSCT group compared with the BMT group (RR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.50 to 1.99 versus RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.18 to 2.03). This meta-analysis found insufficient evidence to conclude that peripheral blood stem cells are equivalent to bone marrow. The results indicate that bone marrow can still be a preferred donor source for pediatric hematologic malignancies.

Infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia with lysine (K)-specific methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A) rearrangements usually has a poor prognosis regardless of the fusion partners of KMT2A. However, the prognosis of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with KMT2A rearrangements depends on its translocation partners. We herein report the case of a 9-month-old boy with a KMT2A-USP2 fusion, which required diagnosis by whole transcriptome sequencing after the failure of detection of known translocation partners by conventional screening approaches. As this first report of a patient with AML with a KMT2A-USP2 fusion illustrates, identification of the partners in all patients with KMT2A-rearranged AML is critical to elucidate the outcomes associated with specific rearrangements and to develop appropriate treatment strategies. Moreover, development of additional methods to detect specific translocation partners of KMT2A and leukemia-specific targeting drugs is important to improve further the outcomes of KMT2A-rearranged AML.

Botrytis leaf blight is the most important disease of Chinese chives. We examined a total of 345 isolates from symptomatic plants sampled from 14 fields in Hokkaido once in 2010 (summer) and twice in 2011 and 2012 (summer and autumn). They were identified as Botrytis squamosa (BS: 285 isolates) and B. cinerea (BC: 60 isolates) based on conidial morphology. Morphological identification of 65 BS isolates and 23 BC isolates supported by PCR–RFLP analysis and specific PCR. BS isolates were much more frequently obtained than BC isolates in autumn, but in summer, both species were almost equally recovered. BS predominated in all the fields in the autumn of the 3 years although the ratio of BS to BC in summer varied, depending on the field and year. These results indicate that both species infect leaves in summer, then BS becomes dominant in autumn. Inoculation tests revealed that BS was more virulent than BC at 15 and 20 °C and that the level of virulence of both species was greatly reduced at 20 °C. These results may account for fluctuations in the occurrence of the pathogens.

Background Recent advances in the genetic understanding of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have improved clinical outcomes in pediatric patients. However, approximately 40% of patients with pediatric AML relapse, contributing to a relatively low overall survival (OS) rate of approximately 70%. The objective of this study was to reveal the comprehensive genetic background of pediatric AML. Methods We performed transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq) in 139 of the 369 patients with de novo pediatric AML who were enrolled in the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (JPLSG) AML-05 trial and investigated correlations between genetic aberrations and clinical information. Findings Using RNA-seq, we identified 54 in-frame gene fusions and one RUNX1 out-of-frame fusion in 53 out of 139 patients. Moreover, we found at least 258 gene fusions in 369 patients (70%) through RT-PCR and RNA-seq. Six gene rearrangements were newly identified, namely, NPM1-CCDC28A, TRIP12-NPM1, NPM1-DNAJC1, TBL1XR1-RARB, ETV6-CTNNB1, and RUNX1-FNBP1. In addition, we found rare gene rearrangements, namely, MYB-GATA1, NPM1-MLF1, ETV6-NCOA2, ETV6-MECOM, RUNX1-PRDM16, RUNX1-CBFA2T2, and RUNX1-CBFA2T3. Among the remaining 111 patients, KMT2A-PTD, biallelic CEBPA, and NPM1 gene mutations were found in 11, 23, and 17 patients, respectively. These mutations were completely mutually exclusive with any gene fusions. Interpretation RNA-seq unmasked the complexity of gene rearrangements and mutations in pediatric AML. We identified potentially driver alterations in nearly all patients with AML, including novel gene fusions. Based on the results of the RNA-seq, risk stratification should be reconsidered. Funding Statement: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development. Declaration of Interests: I have no financial relationships to disclose. Ethics Approval Statement: The present study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the institutional review boards of Gunma Children’s Medical Center and the participating institutes and the ethical review board of the JPLSG AML-05 trial.

BACKGROUND Varicella zoster virus (VZV) disease is a common complication after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The mortality rate for disseminated VZV infection is 34%. Acyclovir has been used for the prophylaxis of VZV disease after HCT, but the effectiveness of prophylaxis is controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of the incidence of VZV disease within the first 1 year after acyclovir prophylaxis had been discontinued and assessed the risk of VZV disease during acyclovir prophylaxis. METHODS Medline, EMBASE plus EMBASE classics, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were used for a systematic search. The inclusion criteria were both randomized controlled trials and cohort studies that described the effectiveness of acyclovir as prophylaxis against VZV disease after allogeneic HCT. RESULTS We included seven studies involving a total of 2265 patients. No mortality by VZV was identified. Acyclovir prophylaxis significantly reduced the rate of VZV infection within the first 1 year after discontinuation (risk ratio: 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29-0.51). The risk of VZV disease during acyclovir prophylaxis was also reduced (risk ratio: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.12-0.24). Both short-term and long-term prophylaxis reduced the incidence of VZV infection (RR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30-0.86 vs RR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.22-0.54). Low-dose acyclovir (

Background Thrombomodulin alfa (TM-α) is a new class of anticoagulant drug for patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This study aimed to determine the pharmacokinetics of TM-α and determine the optimal dose in pediatric patients with hematological malignancy and DIC. Procedure Pediatric patients with hematological malignancy and DIC were administered TM-α at a dose of 0.06 mg/kg (380 U/kg) over 30 min every 24 hr. Blood samples were taken at steady state before the start, immediately after the end, and 24 hr after the start of the sixth administration. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using sparse samples with the nonlinear mixed-effect modeling program NONMEM®, version 7.3. Results The actual and predicted plasma concentrations of TM-α based on the final population pharmacokinetic model showed a good linear correlation. Clearance and volume of distribution of TM-α were affected by body weight. The clearance of TM-α in pediatric patients with hematological malignancy and DIC was higher than that in adults as previously reported. Six of eight patients did not achieve the target trough concentration at steady state. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic simulation based on the estimated pharmacokinetic parameters from the final model demonstrated that TM-α administered at a dose of 0.06 mg/kg every 24 hr also failed to achieve the target trough concentration at steady state in the majority of pediatric patients. Conclusions Our study shows that further dose adjustment of TM-α is necessary considering the higher clearance per body weight in pediatric patients with hematological malignancy and DIC.

Background Despite its shortcomings, warfarin is still the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant to prevent thromboembolism in children. In adults, numerous studies confirmed the robust relationship between warfarin maintenance doses and single nucleotide polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9), vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKORC1), and cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2). However, their effect in children still remains to be determined. The primary objective of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effect of genotypes of CYP2C9, VKORC1, and CYP4F2 on warfarin maintenance dose in children. Methods/design A comprehensive literature review search using the OVID platform will be conducted by a specialized librarian, without language restrictions (i.e., MEDLINE/EMBASE/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and all abstracts will be reviewed by two authors. Data abstraction from each eligible study will be extracted individually by two authors (MT and TK), and disagreements will be resolved through discussion with a third person (SI). Critical appraisal of the included analysis of the primary objective will follow the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, in addition to the Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Association study (STREGA) statement, and data reporting will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. For the meta-analysis, the presence vs. absence of each genetic polymorphism will be pursued, respectively, using a random effect model with effect size expressed as a mean difference plus 95 % confidence interval. Discussion Our study will provide a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the potential effects of CYP2C9, VKORC1, or CYP4F2 on the warfarin maintenance dose in children, exploring the feasibility of the development of pharmacogenetic-guided warfarin dosing algorithm for children on oral vitamin K antagonists. Systematic review registration The review has been registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42015016172). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0280-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: As a source of cells for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) have become a major alternative to bone marrow, the most common source of cells. A meta-analysis showed that the use of PBSC in adults is not superior with respect to overall survival, and the incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is more frequent after PBSC transplantation (PBSCT) than after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Furthermore, several studies suggested that PBSCT in children results in poor overall survival compared with BMT, and the benefit of PBSCT is controversial. To elucidate this question, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the survival rate and treatment related complications of pediatric patients receiving PBSCT with those receiving BMT. Methods: Based on the pre-defined protocol, MEDLINE, EMBASE plus EMBASE classics, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Search Portal and Clinical Trials.gov records were searched from inception through July 25, 2018 with no language restriction. The search terms included "hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" AND "allogeneic transplantation" AND "children". We included randomized control studies or cohort studies. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to evaluate study quality. The primary outcome was to evaluate five-year overall survival after HCT. Secondary outcomes were five-year event-free survival after HCT, non-relapse mortality, the incidence of acute and chronic GVHD, and time to platelet and neutrophil engraftment. We performed meta-analyses using random effect models with risk ratios (RR) and a 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I-squared statistic and chi-squared test. Publication bias was assessed with funnel plots. Results: We identified a total of 5,248 relevant studies. Seven cohort studies with a total of 4,328 patients (BMT group 3,185 patients and PBSCT group 1,143 patients) were included in the present study. There was no significant difference between PBSCT and BMT for five-year overall survival (RR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.91-1.52, heterogeneity I2=69%, p=0.22) and five year event free survival (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.93-1.39, heterogeneity I2=57%, p=0.05), respectively. The risk of chronic GVHD in the PBSCT group was higher than those in the BMT group (RR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.18-2.03, heterogeneity I2=75%, p=0.002). The risk of non-relapse mortality with PBSCT was higher than with BMT (RR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.50-1.99, heterogeneity I2=0%, p Conclusions: This meta-analysis did not show significant difference in overall survival or relapse between PBSCT and BMT for pediatric hematological malignancy. However, a higher risk of chronic GVHD and transplantation related mortality was associated with PBSCT. Table. Table. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The composition of vehicle on the reversible sol-gel transition temperature in a ternary system made up of methylcellulose (MC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and citric acid (SC) was investigated. The properties of the in situ gelling system were estimated by rheological measurement. When PEG (4000) concentration was varied from 0% to 10% while MC (SM25) and SC concentrations were kept constant at 1.5% and 3.5%, respectively, the reversible sol-gel transition temperature lowered from 38 °C to 26 °C with increasing PEG concentration. However, the extent of lowering in temperature was not influenced by the molecular weight of PEG. The reversible sol-gel transition temperature shifted towards the lower temperature with increasing MC concentration, and towards the higher temperature with decreasing pH. Comparison of rheological properties between the present thermo-setting in situ gelling solution and a conventional one, such as gellan gum solution or Poloxamer 407 solution, revealed that the present solution radically differed from the conventional solutions in the incipient gelling mechanism. These findings suggest that the ternary system in this study would be useful as a drug delivery system for instillation of drugs into the eye.

High-dose methotrexate therapy (HD-MTX) has been well established for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aims of this study were to investigate whether clinical and pharmacogenetic factors influence plasma MTX concentration and renal dysfunction in patients treated with HD-MTX. In a total of 127 courses of HD-MTX in 51 patients with childhood ALL, influence of clinical and pharmacogenetic factors on plasma MTX concentration and HD-MTX-related renal dysfunction was evaluated. Clinical factors included age, gender, duration of HD-MTX continuous-infusion and duration of pre-hydration before HD-MTX. Pharmacogenetic factors included 5 gene polymorphisms within the MTX pathway genes, namely, SLC19A1, MTHFR, ABCC2 and ABCG2. Short duration of pre-hydration before HD-MTX is the most important risk factor for prolonged high MTX concentration (p

The purpose of the study is to establish a simple and relatively inexpensive flow cytometric chemosensitivity assay (FCCA) for leukemia to distinguish leukemic blasts from normal leukocytes in clinical samples. We first examined whether the FCCA with the mitochondrial membrane depolarization sensor, 5, 50, 6, 60-tetrachloro-1, 10, 3, 30 tetraethyl benzimidazolo carbocyanine iodide (JC-1), could detect drug-induced apoptosis as the conventional FCCA by annexin V/7-AAD detection did and whether it was applicable in the clinical samples. Second, we compared the results of the FCCA for prednisolone (PSL) with clinical PSL response in 18 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients to evaluate the reliability of the JC-1 FCCA. Finally, we performed the JC-1 FCCA for bortezomib (Bor) in 25 ALL or 11 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples as the example of the clinical application of the FCCA. In ALL cells, the results of the JC-1 FCCA for nine anticancer drugs were well correlated with those of the conventional FCCA using anti-annexin V antibody (P

The characteristics of an ultrasonic rotary motor using a longitudinal-torsional vibration converter with a large torque are studied. To obtain a large torque, ultrasonic motors using a slitted longitudinal-torsional vibration converter are proposed. The converters have rather simple structures and are driven using only a longitudinal vibration transducer. The vibration converters have 8 to 16 diagonal slits of 45 ° and 0.5 to 1.0 mm width. The designed ultrasonic motors consist of a vibration converter with a driving part at its free edge, and a rotor part pressed statically to a driving surface using corned disk springs. Characteristics of these motors are measured under loading by various weights. Maximum torques over 0.3 to 23 Nm were obtained by converters of 15 to 60 mm in diameter and of 56 to 23 kHz in frequency. Maximum revolution obtained was over 290 r.p.m. using a 15 mm diameter motor of 56 kHz.

Crizotinib treatment for refractory pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with RAN-binding protein 2-anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion gene

The efficacy of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone (DMF), a methylated analog of chrysin, as a therapeutic agent to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was investigated. Using a panel of ALL cell lines, the IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) of DMF varied between 2.8 and 7.0 μg/ml. DMF induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, concomitant with a decreased expression of phosphorylated retinoblastoma-associated protein 1. DMF increased the rate of apoptosis, although it was apparent only after a long period of exposure (96 h). The accumulation of oxidative stress was not involved in the growth-inhibitory effects of DMF. As DMF reduced the intracellular levels of glutathione, the combination effects of DMF with other anticancer drugs were evaluated using the improved Isobologram and the combination index method. In the simultaneous drug combination assay, DMF antagonized the cytotoxicity of 4-hydroperoxy-cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, vincristine, and L-asparaginase in all tested ALL cells. This study demonstrated that DMF, a methylated flavone, was an effective chemotherapy agent that could inhibit cell cycle arrest and induce apoptosis in ALL cell lines. However, combination therapy with DMF and other anticancer drugs is not recommended.

not Available.

Characteristics of ultrasonic rotary motors using a converter from longitudinal vibration to torsional one are studied. The longitudinal-tortional vibration converter consists of (1) cylindrically arranged thin rods bent at a longitudinal node part, (2) a cylinder with a diagonally slitted vibration converting part, (3) a slitted converting disk and cylindrical parts joined with a bolt. Ultrasonic motors consist of such a converter mentioned above with a driving part at its free edge and a rotor part clamped statically to a driving surface with corned disk springs. Maximum torque over 80 kgf·cm is obtained using the converter of 40 mm diameter.