Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in adults: collaborative analysis of 137 cases of a nationwide German registry.

Purpose: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe hyperinflammatory syndrome emerging from a deregulated immune response due to various triggers. In adults, systematic data are sparse, which is why recommendations on diagnosis and management have been adopted from pediatric guidelines. A nationwide clinical registry with associated consulting service as collaborative initiative of HLH-specialized pediatricians and hematologists was initiated to better characterize HLH in adults.

Long-term follow-up of rituximab plus first-line mitoxantrone, chlorambucil, prednisolone and interferon-alpha as maintenance therapy in follicular lymphoma.

Purpose: The randomised, controlled OSHO#39 study showed promising results using first-line mitoxantrone, chlorambucil and prednisolone (MCP) chemotherapy plus rituximab in patients with advanced symptomatic follicular lymphoma (FL) in need of therapy. The aim of this long-term follow-up was to investigate whether clinical benefits are maintained after up to 9 years of observation.

Methods: Following the 4-year follow-up of OSHO#39, 77 FL patients who received rituximab plus MCP (R-MCP) and 52 patients who received MCP (129 patients alive and not previously censored in total) were followed for 5 additional years in this prospective, non-interventional, observational study.

Treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome with isolated del(5q) including bands q31-q33 with a combination of all-trans-retinoic acid and tocopherol-alpha: a phase II study.

All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) alone or in combination with cytokines and vitamins has been shown to stimulate erythropoiesis in low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We performed a phase II study on 29 patients with MDS and isolated del(5q) including bands q31-q33 to determine the efficacy and safety of ATRA in combination with tocopherol-alpha. All patients had low/intermediate-1 risk MDS according to the international prognostic scoring system.

The addition of rituximab to a combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone (FCM) significantly increases the response rate and prolongs survival as compared with FCM alone in patients with relapsed and refractory follicular and mantle cell lymphomas: results of a prospective randomized study of the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group.

In follicular lymphoma (FL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) the monoclonal antibody rituximab may improve the prognosis when combined with chemotherapy. This was investigated in a prospective randomized study in patients with relapsed disease. A total of 147 patients were randomized to receive 4 courses of chemotherapy with 25 mg/m(2) fludarabine on days 1 to 3, 200 mg/m(2) cyclophosphamide on days 1 to 3, and 8 mg/m(2) mitoxantrone on day 1 (FCM), alone or combined with rituximab (375 mg/m(2); R-FCM).

Randomized study to evaluate the use of high-dose therapy as part of primary treatment for "aggressive" lymphoma.

Purpose: This trial of the German High-Grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Study Group compares the use of high-dose therapy (HDT) as part of primary treatment with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) plus etoposide followed by involved-field (IF) radiotherapy in a randomized, multicenter, phase III study.

Patients And Methods: Three hundred twelve patients with "aggressive" non-Hodgkin's lymphoma aged View Article and Find Full Text PDF