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American Journal of Hematology Dec 2020Polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) respectively characterized by clonal erythrocytosis and thrombocytosis;... (Review)
Review
DISEASE OVERVIEW
Polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) respectively characterized by clonal erythrocytosis and thrombocytosis; other disease features include leukocytosis, splenomegaly, thrombosis, bleeding, microcirculatory symptoms, pruritus and risk of leukemic or fibrotic transformation.
DIAGNOSIS
Bone marrow morphology remains the cornerstone of diagnosis. In addition, the presence of JAK2 mutation is expected in PV while approximately 90% of patients with ET express mutually exclusive JAK2, CALR or MPL mutations (so called driver mutations). In ET, it is most important to exclude the possibility of prefibrotic myelofibrosis.
SURVIVAL
Median survivals are approximately 15 years for PV and 18 years for ET; the corresponding values for patients age 40 or younger were 37 and 35 years. Certain mutations (mostly spliceosome) and abnormal karyotype might compromise survival in PV and ET. Life-expectancy in ET is inferior to the control population. Driver mutations have not been shown to affect survival in ET but risk of thrombosis is higher in JAK2 mutated cases. Leukemic transformation rates at 10 years are estimated at <1% for ET and 3% for PV.
THROMBOSIS RISK
In PV, two risk categories are considered: high (age > 60 years or thrombosis history present) and low (absence of both risk factors). In ET, four risk categories are considered: very low (age ≤ 60 years, no thrombosis history, JAK2 wild-type), low (same as very low but JAK2 mutation present), intermediate (age > 60 years, no thrombosis history, JAK2 wild-type) and high (thrombosis history present or age > 60 years with JAK2 mutation).
RISK-ADAPTED THERAPY
The main goal of therapy in both PV and ET is to prevent thrombohemorrhagic complications. All patients with PV require phlebotomy to keep hematocrit below 45% and once-daily or twice-daily aspirin (81 mg), in the absence of contraindications. Very low risk ET might not require therapy while aspirin therapy is advised for low risk disease. Cytoreductive therapy is recommended for high-risk ET and PV, but it is not mandatory for intermediate-risk ET. First-line drug of choice for cytoreductive therapy, in both ET and PV, is hydroxyurea and second-line drugs of choice are interferon-α and busulfan. We do not recommend treatment with ruxolutinib in PV, unless in the presence of severe and protracted pruritus or marked splenomegaly that is not responding to the aforementioned drugs.
NEW TREATMENT DIRECTIONS
Controlled studies are needed to confirm the clinical outcome value of twice-daily vs once-daily aspirin dosing and the therapeutic role of pegylated interferons and direct oral anticoagulants.
Topics: Age Factors; Aspirin; Busulfan; Calreticulin; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Interferon-alpha; Janus Kinase 2; Mutation; Polycythemia Vera; Receptors, Thrombopoietin; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Survival Rate; Thrombocythemia, Essential
PubMed: 32974939
DOI: 10.1002/ajh.26008 -
Leukemia Dec 2021Polycythemia vera (PV) is a relatively indolent myeloid neoplasm with median survival that exceeds 35 years in young patients, but its natural history might be... (Review)
Review
Polycythemia vera (PV) is a relatively indolent myeloid neoplasm with median survival that exceeds 35 years in young patients, but its natural history might be interrupted by thrombotic, fibrotic, or leukemic events, with respective 20-year rates of 26%, 16%, and 4%. Current treatment strategies in PV have not been shown to prolong survival or lessen the risk of leukemic or fibrotic progression and instead are directed at preventing thrombotic complications. In the latter regard, two risk categories are considered: high (age >60 years or thrombosis history) and low (absence of both risk factors). All patients require phlebotomy to keep hematocrit below 45% and once-daily low-dose aspirin, in the absence of contraindications. Cytoreductive therapy is recommended for high-risk or symptomatic low-risk disease; our first-line drug of choice in this regard is hydroxyurea but we consider pegylated interferon as an alternative in certain situations, including in young women of reproductive age, in patients manifesting intolerance or resistance to hydroxyurea therapy, and in situations where treatment is indicated for curbing phlebotomy requirement rather than preventing thrombosis. Additional treatment options include busulfan and ruxolitinib; the former is preferred in older patients and the latter in the presence of symptoms reminiscent of post-PV myelofibrosis or protracted pruritus. Our drug choices reflect our appreciation for long-term track record of safety, evidence for reduction of thrombosis risk, and broader suppression of myeloproliferation. Controlled studies are needed to clarify the added value of twice- vs once-daily aspirin dosing and direct oral anticoagulants. In this invited review, we discuss our current approach to diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment of PV in general, as well as during specific situations, including pregnancy and splanchnic vein thrombosis.
Topics: History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Polycythemia Vera
PubMed: 34480106
DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01401-3 -
American Family Physician Jun 2021Polycythemia vera is one of three stem-cell-derived myeloid malignancies commonly known as myeloproliferative neoplasms. It is characterized by erythrocytosis, often... (Review)
Review
Polycythemia vera is one of three stem-cell-derived myeloid malignancies commonly known as myeloproliferative neoplasms. It is characterized by erythrocytosis, often with associated leukocytosis and thrombocytosis. It has a significant negative impact on overall mortality and morbidity in the form of arterial and venous clots, symptoms of fatigue and pruritus, and conversion to leukemia and myelofibrosis. The World Health Organization's major diagnostic criteria include an elevated hemoglobin or hematocrit level, abnormal results on bone marrow biopsy, and presence of the Janus kinase 2 genetic mutation, which is present in approximately 98% of cases. The only minor criterion is a subnormal erythropoietin level, which helps differentiate polycythemia vera from common causes of secondary erythrocytosis such as smoking, sleep apnea, and testosterone use. First-line treatments, such as low-dose aspirin and goal-directed phlebotomy to a hematocrit level of less than 45% to reduce thrombotic events, improve quality of life and prolong survival. When indicated, cytoreductive therapy, primarily with hydroxyurea, can be added with consideration of second-line agents such as pegylated interferon-alfa, busulfan, and ruxolitinib, depending on the clinical scenario. Smoking cessation and cardiometabolic disease are modifiable risk factors that should be addressed to reduce the risk of thrombosis. Currently, no medications have been shown to cure the disease or to reduce the risk of conversion to leukemia and myelofibrosis.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Fibrinolytic Agents; Genetic Markers; Humans; Hydroxyurea; Janus Kinase 2; Mutation; Phlebotomy; Polycythemia Vera
PubMed: 34060791
DOI: No ID Found -
The New England Journal of Medicine Dec 2022The DNA-repair enzyme Artemis is essential for rearrangement of T- and B-cell receptors. Mutations in , which encodes Artemis, cause Artemis-deficient severe combined...
BACKGROUND
The DNA-repair enzyme Artemis is essential for rearrangement of T- and B-cell receptors. Mutations in , which encodes Artemis, cause Artemis-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (ART-SCID), which is poorly responsive to allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantation.
METHODS
We carried out a phase 1-2 clinical study of the transfusion of autologous CD34+ cells, transfected with a lentiviral vector containing , in 10 infants with newly diagnosed ART-SCID. We followed them for a median of 31.2 months.
RESULTS
Marrow harvest, busulfan conditioning, and lentiviral-transduced CD34+ cell infusion produced the expected grade 3 or 4 adverse events. All the procedures met prespecified criteria for feasibility at 42 days after infusion. Gene-marked T cells were detected at 6 to 16 weeks after infusion in all the patients. Five of 6 patients who were followed for at least 24 months had T-cell immune reconstitution at a median of 12 months. The diversity of T-cell receptor β chains normalized by 6 to 12 months. Four patients who were followed for at least 24 months had sufficient B-cell numbers, IgM concentration, or IgM isohemagglutinin titers to permit discontinuation of IgG infusions. Three of these 4 patients had normal immunization responses, and the fourth has started immunizations. Vector insertion sites showed no evidence of clonal expansion. One patient who presented with cytomegalovirus infection received a second infusion of gene-corrected cells to achieve T-cell immunity sufficient for viral clearance. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia developed in 4 patients 4 to 11 months after infusion; this condition resolved after reconstitution of T-cell immunity. All 10 patients were healthy at the time of this report.
CONCLUSIONS
Infusion of lentiviral gene-corrected autologous CD34+ cells, preceded by pharmacologically targeted low-exposure busulfan, in infants with newly diagnosed ART-SCID resulted in genetically corrected and functional T and B cells. (Funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03538899.).
Topics: Humans; Infant; Busulfan; Genetic Therapy; Immunoglobulin M; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency; DNA Repair Enzymes; Antigens, CD34; Transplantation, Autologous; Lentivirus; Genetic Vectors; T-Lymphocytes; B-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 36546626
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2206575 -
Trials Jan 2020Although there have been multiple randomised trials in newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma family of tumours (ESFT) and these have been conducted over many years and involved...
BACKGROUND
Although there have been multiple randomised trials in newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma family of tumours (ESFT) and these have been conducted over many years and involved many international cooperative groups, the outcomes for all stages of disease have plateaued. Internationally, the standard treatment of ESFT is not defined, and there is a need to add new agents other than conventional chemotherapy to improve outcomes. This trial will compare two different induction/consolidation chemotherapy regimens: (1) vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin and etoposide (VIDE) induction and vincristine, actinomycin D, ifosfamide or cyclophosphamide, or busulfan and mephalan (VAI/VAC/BuMel) consolidation and (2) vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and etoposide (VDC/IE) induction and ifosfamide and etoposide, vincristine and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, actinomycin D and ifosfamide, or busulfan and mephalan (IE/VC/VAI/BuMel) consolidation (randomisation 1, or R1). A second randomisation (R2) will determine whether the addition of zoledronic acid to consolidation chemotherapy, as assigned at R1, is associated with improved clinical outcome.
METHODS
EURO EWING 2012 is an international, multicentre, phase III, open-label randomised controlled trial. There are two randomisations: R1 and R2. Patients are randomly assigned at two different time points: at entry to the trial (R1) and following local control therapy (R2). The primary outcome measure is event-free survival. The secondary outcome measures include overall survival, adverse events and toxicity, histological response of the primary tumour, response of the primary tumour, regional lymph nodes or metastases (or both), and achievement of local control at the end of treatment.
DISCUSSION
This study will establish which is the "standard regimen" of chemotherapy, taking into account both clinical outcomes and toxicity. This will form the chemotherapy backbone for future interventional studies where we may want to add new targeted agents. It will also determine the role of zoledronic acid in conjunction with the separate EE2008 trial. Any trial in ESFT needs to take into account the rarity of the tumour and consider that international cooperation is needed to provide answers in a timely manner.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Registered with EudraCT number 2012-002107-17 on 26 February 2012. Registered with ISRCTN number 54540667 on 4 November 2013.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Bone Neoplasms; Busulfan; Consolidation Chemotherapy; Cyclophosphamide; Dactinomycin; Doxorubicin; Etoposide; Ifosfamide; Induction Chemotherapy; Sarcoma, Ewing; Vincristine; Zoledronic Acid; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
PubMed: 31952545
DOI: 10.1186/s13063-019-4026-8 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) induced by chemotherapy is an intractable disorder with a considerable incidence that commonly results in insufficient fertility... (Review)
Review
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) induced by chemotherapy is an intractable disorder with a considerable incidence that commonly results in insufficient fertility and concomitant complications in female patients. Due to limitations in the current progress in POI diagnosis and treatment, there is an urgent need to develop novel remedies to improve ovarian function and protect fertility. The ameliorative effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and exosomes derived from them in POI treatment could be a new hope for patients. Herein, we identified exosomes from hUCMSCs (hUCMSC-Exos). Then, systematic infusion of hUCMSC-Exos was accomplished via tail intravenous injection to investigate the feasibility of the treatment of rats with chemotherapy-induced POI by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX) and busulfan (BUS). Ovarian functions in the indicated group were evaluated, including oestrous cycle, serum sex hormone levels, follicle counts, ovarian pathological changes, proliferation and apoptosis of granulosa cells (GCs), and reproductive ability testing. Furthermore, the potential influence of hUCMSC-Exos on ovarian tissues was illuminated by conducting RNA-seq and multifaceted bioinformatics analyses. POI rats with hUCMSC-Exos transplantation exhibited a decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and apoptosis of GCs but an increase in oestradiol (E2), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and the number of ovarian follicles and foetuses in the uterus. And the immunomodulation- and cellular vitality-associated gene sets in rats had also undergone moderate changes. Our data indicated the feasibility of hUCMSC-Exos in improving ovarian function and protecting fertility in chemotherapy-induced POI rats. HUCMSC-Exos can improve the local microenvironment of ovarian tissue in POI rats by participating in immune regulation, cellular viability, inflammation regulation, fibrosis and metabolism, and other related signal pathways.
Topics: Rats; Humans; Female; Animals; Exosomes; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency; Menopause, Premature; Antineoplastic Agents
PubMed: 37564988
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1205901 -
Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official... Feb 2021Total body irradiation (TBI) before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
PURPOSE
Total body irradiation (TBI) before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is efficacious, but long-term side effects are concerning. We investigated whether preparative combination chemotherapy could replace TBI in such patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
FORUM is a randomized, controlled, open-label, international, multicenter, phase III, noninferiority study. Patients ≤ 18 years at diagnosis, 4-21 years at HSCT, in complete remission pre-HSCT, and with an HLA-compatible related or unrelated donor were randomly assigned to myeloablative conditioning with fractionated 12 Gy TBI and etoposide versus fludarabine, thiotepa, and either busulfan or treosulfan. The noninferiority margin was 8%. With 1,000 patients randomly assigned in 5 years, 2-year minimum follow-up, and one-sided alpha of 5%, 80% power was calculated. A futility stopping rule would halt random assignment if chemoconditioning was significantly inferior to TBI (EudraCT: 2012-003032-22; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01949129).
RESULTS
Between April 2013 and December 2018, 543 patients were screened, 417 were randomly assigned, 212 received TBI, and 201 received chemoconditioning. The stopping rule was applied on March 31, 2019. The median follow-up was 2.1 years. In the intention-to-treat population, 2-year overall survival (OS) was significantly higher following TBI (0.91; 95% CI, 0.86 to 0.95; < .0001) versus chemoconditioning (0.75; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.81). Two-year cumulative incidence of relapse and treatment-related mortality were 0.12 (95% CI, 0.08 to 0.17; < .0001) and 0.02 (95% CI, < 0.01 to 0.05; = .0269) following TBI and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.25 to 0.40) and 0.09 (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.14) following chemoconditioning, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Improved OS and lower relapse risk were observed following TBI plus etoposide compared with chemoconditioning. We therefore recommend TBI plus etoposide for patients > 4 years old with high-risk ALL undergoing allogeneic HSCT.
Topics: Adolescent; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Busulfan; Chemoradiotherapy; Child; Child, Preschool; Equivalence Trials as Topic; Etoposide; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; International Agencies; Male; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Prognosis; Survival Rate; Thiotepa; Vidarabine; Whole-Body Irradiation
PubMed: 33332189
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.02529 -
Theranostics 2020: Busulfan is currently an indispensable anti-cancer drug, particularly for children, but the side effects on male reproduction are so serious that critical drug...
: Busulfan is currently an indispensable anti-cancer drug, particularly for children, but the side effects on male reproduction are so serious that critical drug management is needed to minimize any negative impact. Meanwhile, alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) are natural products with many consequent advantages, that have attracted a great deal of pharmaceutical attention. In the current investigation, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on murine testes treated with busulfan and/or AOS to define the mitigating effects of AOS on spermatogenesis at the single cell level. : Testicular cells () were examined by single cell RNA sequencing analysis, histopathological analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and Western blotting. Testes samples () underwent RNA sequencing analysis. Blood and testicular metabolomes were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). : We found that AOS increased murine sperm concentration and motility, and rescued busulfan disrupted spermatogenesis through improving (i) the proportion of germ cells, (ii) gene expression important for spermatogenesis, and (iii) transcriptional factors . Furthermore, AOS promoted the expression of genes important for spermatogenesis Finally, our results showed that AOS improved blood and testis metabolomes as well as the gut microbiota to support the recovery of spermatogenesis. : AOS could be used to improve fertility in patients undergoing chemotherapy and to combat other factors that induce infertility in humans.
Topics: Alginates; Animals; Blood; Busulfan; Cellular Microenvironment; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Infertility, Male; Male; Metabolome; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Oligosaccharides; Protein Interaction Mapping; RNA-Seq; Single-Cell Analysis; Sperm Motility; Spermatogenesis; Testis; Transcriptome
PubMed: 32194870
DOI: 10.7150/thno.43189