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Smoking is associated with a high risk for different diseases including respiratory tract infections in immunocompetent patients. However, data about the effects of cigarette smoking on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are limited. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated 608 patients aged ≥20 years with hematological disorders who received their first allo-HSCT at our group of hospitals between 2000 and 2015, and evaluated the impact of cigarette smoking before allo-HSCT on clinical outcomes by dividing patients into two groups according to the Brinkman index (BI) (nonsmokers or light smokers [BI: 0-500] and heavy smokers [BI: ≥ 500]). Multivariate analyses showed that heavy smoking was associated with a high 5-year cumulative incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.61, p < 0.01). The 5-year overall survival (HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.86-1.58, p = 0.33) and disease-free survival (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.83-1.52, p = 0.45) were similar between the two groups. Hence, cigarette smoking is correlated with cGVHD, although prospective studies must be conducted to further verify this result.

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We evaluated the kinetics of immune reconstitution (IR) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT) and analyzed the clinical effect of IR on posttransplant outcomes. Absolute lymphocyte and its subset counts were measured using flow cytometry on days 28, 100, 180, 365, and 730 after transplantation in 358 adult patients who underwent HSCT between 2009 and 2017. On day 100 after HSCT, 310 surviving patients were analyzed. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT), peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), and cord blood transplantation (CBT) were performed in 119, 55, and 136 patients, respectively. Mature B-cell and differentiated natural killer (NK) cell subset counts significantly increased after CBT. The 2-year overall survival (OS), nonrelapse mortality (NRM), cumulative incidence of relapse, and chronic GVHD in BMT, PBSCT, and CBT were 62%, 67%, and 76% (P = .021); 17%, 17%, and 13% (P = .82); 33%, 40%, and 27% (P = .063); and 43%, 45%, and 28% (P = .025), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that higher CD16+CD57- NK cell counts correlated with lower disease relapse, whereas higher CD20+ B-cell counts correlated with lower NRM. OS-favoring factors were higher CD16+CD57- NK cell count (hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.60; P < .001) and CD20+ B-cell count (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.93; P < .001) and lower Disease Risk/HCT-Specific Comorbidity index score. Collective contribution of graft source-specific and event-related immune reconstitution might yield better posttransplant outcomes in CBT.

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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and natural killer (NK) cell reconstitution are well-recognized immunologic events occurring after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). We aimed to study the outcome of CMV reactivation (CMVR) and NK cell reconstitution in patients with hematologic malignancies after allo-SCT. We retrospectively studied 246 adult patients (152 men, 94 women; median age, 51 years [range, 18 to 69]) who underwent allo-SCT for hematologic malignancies at the Kanagawa Cancer Center. CMVR was defined as initiation of preemptive CMV therapy after pp65 antigenemia surveillance. All patients' lymphocyte subsets were monitored by flow cytometry at 180, 365, and 730 days post-transplant. The median follow-up period was 3.2 years (range, .8 to 9.6 years). CMVR occurred in 141 patients (57%) at a median of 45 days (range, 15 to 93). In patients without CMVR (CMVR-) versus those with CMVR (CMVR+), 5-year overall survival (OS), nonrelapse mortality (NRM), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) were 79% versus 55% (P < .001), 3% versus 16% (P = .012), and 28% versus 38% (P = .09), respectively. CD8+ T cell and CD3-CD56+ NK cell subset were higher in CMVR+ patients at day 100 post-transplant. Multivariate analysis showed that adverse factors for OS were represented by no remission, CMVR, and lower CD16+CD57-NK cell counts. Overall, a higher NK cell subset significantly contributed to a lower CIR. Among subgroups of CMVR+ patients, CD16+CD57-NK cells represented a favorable factor for OS, NRM, and CIR. CMVR was an adverse event after allo-SCT. NK cell reconstitution may contribute to improved outcomes, especially in CMVR+ subgroups.

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A single-center retrospective study was performed with consecutive patients who received salvage therapy using ponatinib for the aim of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for relapsed or refractory Ph-leukemia between January 2017 and July 2018. A total of ten patients-seven with Ph-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and three with chronic phase (CP)/accelerated phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)-were eligible. Eight patients had a history of a single tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) use prior to ponatinib. Any mutation of the tyrosine kinase domain was detected in eight patients, including seven of T315I. The median dose of ponatinib was 15 mg with a median duration of 7 weeks (range 4-23 weeks). The median duration from the start of ponatinib to HCT was 54 days (range 35-175 days). Hematological remission was obtained in five Ph-ALL patients. Maintenance therapy of ponatinib was applied to five patients. No vascular occlusion event has occurred over this series of treatments. Salvage therapy with low-dose ponatinib appears to be safe and effective in patients with relapsed or refractory Ph-leukemia, which may immediately bridge to HCT.

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Probiotic-rich foods are consumed without much restriction. We report here, a case of septic shock caused by yogurt derived Lactobacillus species in a 54-year-old male patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia, in second complete remission, and who was an autologous stem cell transplantation recipient. He received high dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. He ingested commercially available probiotic-enriched yogurt because of severe diarrhea. One week later, he developed septic shock, and the pathogen was determined by strain-specific PCR analysis as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103), which was found to be identical with the strain in the yogurt he consumed. Thus, because even low virulent Lactobacilli in the probiotic products can be pathogenic in the compromised hosts, ingestion of such products should be considered with caution in neutropenic patients with severe diarrhea, such as stem cell transplantation recipients.

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AIM: Primary malignant lymphomas arising from the female genital tract are very rare, with an incidence rate of 0.5%. Because of its rarity, its clinical characteristics, prognosis and optimal treatment are still unclear. Here, we retrospectively evaluated female patients with uterine lymphoma. METHODS: Between January 2000 and October 2016, 4362 patients were newly diagnosed with malignant lymphoma by the participating institutions of YACHT. Among these 4362 patients, we retrospectively evaluated 14 adult patients with primary uterine lymphoma. RESULTS: The median follow up time was 41 months. The median age at diagnosis was 68 years. Of 14 patients, 10 (72%) were diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Seven patients presented with vaginal bleeding and three with abdominal pain. Eleven patients (79%) had advanced stages at diagnosis. Three patients (21%) had ovarian involvement and 2 (14%) had vaginal involvement. Induction chemotherapy regimens were R-CHOP in seven patients (50%), CHOP in three (21%) and other regimens in four (29%). Among 14 patients, 12 patients (86%) achieved a complete response and 2 (14%) experienced disease progression. Three patients (21%) showed relapse. Five patients (36%) died because of malignant lymphoma. The 3-year overall survival rate was 57.9%. Soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels > 5000 U/mL, anemia, a bulky mass and the presence of > 1 extranodal sites, B symptom at diagnosis were associated with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Female genital lymphoma is very rare, and further study of more cases is warranted.

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A 73-year-old woman presented a 3-year history of indolent enlargement of cutaneous tumor nodules. Peripheral blood flow cytometry revealed thrombocytopenia (platelets; 85,000/µl) and the presence of an abnormal, small B lymphocyte population (CD5+, CD10-, CD20+, CD22+, CD23dim, FMC7+, SmIgλ+, and SmIgκ-; 4,000/µl). Skin biopsy indicated infiltration of CD5+, CD10-, CD20+, BCL2+, BCL6+, and cyclin D1- atypical large B-cells, suggesting diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Cytogenetic analysis of the peripheral blood revealed a complex karyotype [t (2;18) (p12;q21) and +12]. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected the presence of BCL2 split signal and the absence of IGH/CCND1 fusion signal. Cervical lymph node biopsy indicated a pseudofollicular pattern. The sequence of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region from the peripheral blood and the skin tumor contained the same mutated pattern, and therefore, confirmed clonality. Because the patient's clinical course and skin tumor were indolent, the possibility of Richter syndrome was discarded, and the final diagnosis was chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, Rai stage IV and Binet stage C. The patient achieved complete remission after 4 cycles of a fludarabine plus rituximab regimen, without disease progression since >1 year of treatment.

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Useful prognostic markers for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have been reported. To identify which biomarker best predicts the prognosis of patients with DLBCL, we performed a retrospective study that included 319 DLBCL patients who had received rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) therapy between 2003 and 2012. We assessed the prognostic significance of six biomarkers [lactate dehydrogenase, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, thymidine kinase activity, beta-2 microglobulin (B2M), C-reactive protein, and ferritin] and representative clinical characteristics using progression-free survival (PFS) as the endpoint. The study group included 181 men and 138 women with a median age of 63 years (range, 22-89 years). In a multivariate analysis, the serum B2M level most strongly correlated with PFS (hazard ratio, 2.11; P=0.04). In a univariate analysis, patients with serum B2M levels >1.75µg/mL (n=210) had a worse 3-year PFS rate (71.2%) than those with B2M levels <1.75µg/mL (n=109; 90.0%). Therefore, serum B2M level at the time of diagnosis is a useful prognostic indicator in DLBCL patients receiving R-CHOP.

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Irradiation therapy alone is a standard strategy for limited-stage FL, leading to a 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 30-50%. However, we have been administering R-CHOP therapy alone to patients with limited-stage FL. A total of 35 patients with newly diagnosed FL received R-CHOP therapy with curative intent between 2002 and 2009. The median age of the 35 patients was 61 years; 7 patients had in CS 1 FL, and 28 patients, CS 2 FL. The median number of R-CHOP cycles was 6. On completion of the R-CHOP therapy, 33 patients achieved complete response and 1 showed partial response (PR). The patient showing PR after the completion of R-CHOP was administered additional irradiation. The remaining 1 patient was not evaluated because of discontinuation of hospital visit. In all the 35 patients, the 5-year PFS rate was 70%, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 92%. In the 15 patients with a PFS>5 years, only 1 patient showed disease progression. The outcome of R-CHOP therapy alone in patients with limited-stage FL was at least equivalent to the reported outcome of irradiation therapy alone. R-CHOP therapy could be an alternative to irradiation therapy in limited-stage FL patients.

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This study evaluated the efficacy of central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis using intrathecal methotrexate (IT-MTX) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We retrospectively studied 322 patients who achieved first complete remission (CR) after rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) therapy. The CNS prophylaxis consisted of four doses of IT-MTX (15 mg) with hydrocortisone (25 mg) administered after CR was achieved. Forty patients (12%) received CNS prophylaxis (group A) and 282 patients (88%) did not (group B). Three patients in group A (8%) and eight in group B (3%) experienced isolated CNS relapse during the first CR, although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.14). Ten of 11 CNS relapses occurred in the brain parenchyma with (n = 3) or without (n = 7) leptomeningeal involvement, and the remaining patient had exclusive leptomeningeal involvement. In patients with DLBCL attaining CR after R-CHOP, IT-MTX administration was insufficient to prevent CNS relapse.

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The levels of serum beta-2 microglobulin (ß2MG) are determined mainly from lymphoid tissue. To examine its prognostic value in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), we conducted a retrospective analysis. We analyzed 67 patients with HL diagnosed and treated at seven institutes of the Yokohama City University Hematology Group between 1998 and 2011. The patients included 40 males and 27 females with a median age of 41 years (range 16-81 years). The HL subtypes were nodular sclerosis classical HL in 37 patients, mixed cellular classical HL in 23, lymphocyte-rich classical HL in 6, and nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL in 1. The 4-year overall survival (OS) rate of all 67 patients was 89 %. Patients with ß2MG levels ≥ 2.5 mg/L (n = 18) showed inferior progression-free survival (PFS; 4-year PFS rate, 42 %) and inferior OS (4-year OS rate, 60 %) compared to patients who had ß2MG levels <2.5 mg/L (n = 49; 4-year PFS rate, 87 %; 4-year OS rate, 98 %; P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, only a serum ß2MG level ≥ 2.5 mg/L was a significant adverse prognostic factor in regard to PFS (P = 0.04; relative risk 3.57). However, it was not significant prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.16) in the multivariate analysis. The serum ß2MG level at diagnosis is a useful prognostic marker in patients with HL.

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Promyelocytic crisis (PMC) of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is relatively rare. We report a patient who progressed to PMC with a T315I mutation during the initial treatment with dasatinib for CML. He obtained hematological remission after combination therapy with all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy for PMC, and PML-RARA was not detected by FISH analysis. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) and imatinib therapy induced a second complete cytogenetic response, and PML-RARA mRNA detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR dropped below the detection limit. Finally, allogeneic stem cell transplantation was performed. This case suggests that combination therapy with imatinib and ATO achieves favorable outcomes for PMC.

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[18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is useful for primary staging and evaluation of treatment outcome in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. The reduction in the maximum standardized uptake value (ΔSUVmax) from the initial to the interim 18F-FDG PET scan has been reported to predict survival in DLBCL patients. We retrospectively evaluated ΔSUVmax obtained by PET or PET-computed tomography before and after initial therapy in 31 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients who were treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone) therapy. Receiver observation characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the optimal cutoff value for the ΔSUVmax for disease progression. The 3-year progression-free survival rate of patients with ΔSUVmax≥83 and <83% was found to be 91 and 25%, respectively (P<0.001). The 4-year overall survival rate of patients with ΔSUVmax≥83 and <83% was found to be 100 and 83%, respectively (P=0.046). The ΔSUVmax observed before and after R-CHOP therapy could be useful in the prediction of disease progression and survival in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients.

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POEMS syndrome is a monoclonal plasma cell disorder characterized by polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes. High-dose therapy (HDT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) are an effective therapy, but optimal treatment options are still under debate. Bortezomib is an important agent for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and has recently been reported as efficacious in the treatment of patients with POEMS syndrome. We present a case of POEMS syndrome in a 33-year-old woman, who was successfully treated with BorDex (bortezomib and dexamethasone) combined with radiotherapy, and followed by ASCT. She was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome with a localized plasmacytoma of bone 5 months after her initial symptoms of heart failure. Her Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was 4. She was first administered BorDex therapy, which was subsequently combined with radiotherapy. Her general condition including heart failure dramatically improved after four cycles of BorDex therapy and radiation, resulting in partial response. After chemoradiotherapy, HDT and ASCT were performed. After treatment, she was able to walk unassisted and her plasma endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level decreased. She did not experience neurotoxicity induced by bortezomib. Bortezomib was well tolerated and we suggest that BorDex therapy followed by HDT and ASCT may be an effective therapy for POEMS syndrome.

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