Elevated, combined serum free light chain levels and increased mortality: a 5-year follow-up, UK study.

Aims: Abnormal serum free light chain (FLC) ratios are diagnostically important in almost all plasma cell disorders. However, absolute increases in polyclonal FLC levels are often discarded as inconsequential. Here we report an association between increased combined polyclonal FLC (cFLC: FLCκ plus FLCλ) concentrations and mortality.

Clinical management of gastrointestinal disturbances in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes receiving iron chelation treatment with deferasirox.

Myelodysplastic syndromes are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis resulting in peripheral cytopenias. The majority of patients is dependent on regular transfusions of packed red blood cells leading to a secondary iron overload which might result in organ damage. Therefore, sufficient iron chelation therapy in selected patients is mandatory.

Elevated FOSB-expression; a potential marker of valproate sensitivity in AML.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) are emerging as valuable new agents in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). However, since response rates to these agents alone are low, we sought to identify markers associated with responsiveness. In a trial of 20 patients treated with the HDI sodium valproate (VPA) in combination with all trans retinoic acid and theophylline, three patients responded clinically with one complete remission (CR) and two partial remissions.