Publications by authors named "Christine Hanzis"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the effectiveness of rituximab in treating Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia (WM) by analyzing its impact on patient outcomes, particularly progression-free survival (PFS).
- A total of 159 patients were examined, with various levels of response observed: 8.8% achieved complete response (CR), 13.2% very good partial response (VGPR), and 50% partial response, showing that better responses correlate with improved PFS.
- Genetic analysis revealed that certain polymorphisms in the FCGR3A gene were linked to better responses, particularly for CR and VGPR, ultimately leading to longer PFS for patients receiving rituximab-based therapies.
Article Synopsis
- Hypogammaglobulinemia, particularly low levels of IgA and IgG, is frequently observed in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, where it may be related to tumor-induced suppression of antibody production.
- A study involving 207 untreated patients revealed that a significant percentage had low serum IgA (63.3%) and IgG (58.0%), but these low levels did not correlate with overall disease severity or recurrent infections.
- Despite treatments achieving remission, low IgA and IgG levels persisted, and a mutation in a gene related to immunoglobulin deficiency was noted in one patient, suggesting a need for further investigation into this genetic pathway.
