Is Bone Marrow Trephine Biopsy Necessary in Multiple Myeloma Patients at Diagnosis?

Multiple myeloma (MM) diagnosis requires ≥10% plasma cell (PC) infiltration in the bone marrow (BM), detected by bone marrow aspiration (BMA) or biopsy (BMB). We evaluated the concordance of these 2 techniques in 189 patients. In 43 cases (23%), the techniques were discordant, 10 due to poor sample quality.

Laparoscopic cervico-isthmic cerclage: A "Needle-free" approach for managing cervical insufficiency in pregnant and non-pregnant patients.

This video-article describes a laparoscopic cervico-isthmic cerclage technique for managing cervical insufficiency in both pregnant and non-pregnant patients, utilizing a port-site closure device for precise suture placement. Two cases-one non-pregnant and one at 12 weeks gestation-underwent the procedure, with details on trocar placement, dissection, and suture passage documented. Both surgeries were completed successfully, with minimal blood loss and no complications.

Clinical, biological, and prognostic implications of SF3B1 co-occurrence mutations in very low/low- and intermediate-risk MDS patients.

SF3B1 is a highly mutated gene in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, related to a specific subtype and parameters of good prognosis in MDS without excess blasts. More than 40% of MDS patients carry at least two myeloid-related gene mutations but little is known about the impact of concurrent mutations on the outcome of MDS patients. In applying next-generation sequencing (NGS) with a 117 myeloid gene custom panel, we analyzed the co-occurrence of SF3B1 with other mutations to reveal their clinical, biological, and prognostic implications in very low/low- and intermediate-risk MDS patients.

Optimal large-scale CD34+ enrichment from a leukapheresis collection using the clinimacs prodigy platform.

Optimization of Hematology Patient's treatment: It is possible to obtain a 100% CD34+ recovery after CD34+ selection using the CliniMACS Prodigy.

Results of an Early Access Treatment Protocol of Daratumumab Monotherapy in Spanish Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

Daratumumab is a human CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody approved as monotherapy for heavily pretreated relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. We report findings for the Spanish cohort of an open-label treatment protocol that provided early access to daratumumab monotherapy and collected safety and patient-reported outcomes data for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. At 15 centers across Spain, intravenous daratumumab (16 mg/kg) was administered to 73 patients who had ≥3 prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug, or who were double refractory to both.

Cesarean rates in a Chilean public hospital and the use of a new prioritization criteria: The relevance index.

Aim: Cesarean section rates are increasing worldwide and Robson's classification system allows a practical approach to study this phenomenon. C-section in Chile has been indicated as unexpectedly high, with important variability within the country and payment systems. The aim was to report our data using Robson's system and the evolution of local C-section rate in a public hospital during a 9-year period.

Prediction of performance by heart rate-derived parameters in recreational runners.

We investigated whether heart rate (HR)-derived parameters are accurate performance predictors in endurance recreational runners. One hundred thirty recreational athletes completed an incremental running test (4´running + 1´rest). After each stage, we recorded HR, % of maximum HR (%HRmax), and blood lactate.

Multidimensional assessment of patient condition and mutational analysis in peripheral blood, as tools to improve outcome prediction in myelodysplastic syndromes: A prospective study of the Spanish MDS group.

The International Prognostic Scoring System and its revised form (IPSS-R) are the most widely used indices for prognostic assessment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but can only partially account for the observed variation in patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the relative contribution of patient condition and mutational status in peripheral blood when added to the IPSS-R, for estimating overall survival and the risk of leukemic transformation in patients with MDS. A prospective cohort (2006-2015) of 200 consecutive patients with MDS were included in the study series and categorized according to the IPSS-R.

Bone marrow fibrosis in myelodysplastic syndromes: a prospective evaluation including mutational analysis.

The biological and molecular events that underlie bone marrow fibrosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes are poorly understood, and its prognostic role in the era of the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) is not yet fully determined. We have evaluated the clinical and biological events that underlie bone marrow fibrotic changes, as well as its prognostic role, in a well-characterized prospective patient cohort (n=77) of primary MDS patients. The degree of marrow fibrosis was linked to parameters of erythropoietic failure, marrow cellularity, p53 protein accumulation, WT1 gene expression, and serum levels of CXCL9 and CXCL10, but not to other covariates including the IPSS-R score.

Prognostic impact of chromosomal translocations in myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia patients. A study by the spanish group of myelodysplastic syndromes.

Chromosomal translocations are rare in the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). With the exception of t(3q), translocations are not explicitly considered in the cytogenetic classification of the IPSS-R and their impact on disease progression and patient survival is unknown. The present study was aimed at determining the prognostic impact of translocations in the context of the cytogenetic classification of the IPSS-R.

Experience with anidulafungin in patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and graft-versus-host disease.

Background: It is well known that both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are associated with invasive fungal disease (IFD). Because the galactomannan antigen diagnostic test has low specificity and sensitivity outside of the neutropenic period, many institutions use posaconazole or voriconazole for IFD prophylaxis during GVHD treatment. Moreover, several factors, mainly hepatic impairment, can limit the use of extended spectrum azoles, both in prophylaxis or treatment.

Lymph node tuberculosis after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: an atypical presentation of an uncommon complication.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections are uncommon complications in the haematopoietic stem cell post-transplant period. Most cases are reactivations of latent infections affecting the lung. We present an atypical case of isolated lymph node tuberculosis after an allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which highlights the importance of having a high suspicion index, even in non-endemic countries.

CD 30-positive transformed follicular lymphoma: two case reports and literature review.

Aims: Here we report two cases of follicular lymphoma that transformed to CD30 positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma and review the literature on this topic.

Results: The first case represents an example of early transformation of conventional low-grade follicular lymphoma to CD30-positive large B cell lymphoma. Immunoglobulin (Ig)H and cytogenetic identity was demonstrated between both components.

Results of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in the Spanish MDS registry: prognostic factors for low risk patients.

Although new agents have been approved for the treatment of MDS, the only curative approach is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and thus, in particular circumstances this procedure has been proposed as a treatment option for low risk patients. We have retrospectively analyzed the results of HSCT in 291 patients from the Spanish MDS registry with special attention to low risk MDS (LR-MDS) in order to define the variables that could impact their clinical evolution after transplantation. At 2 years OS was 51% and EFS was 50% (95% CI 0.

Reciprocal translocations in myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myelomonocytic leukemias: review of 5,654 patients with an evaluable karyotype.

The infrequency of translocations in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemias (CMML) makes their identification and reporting interesting for the recognition of the recurrent ones and the genes involved in these neoplasias. The aims of this study were to identify new translocations associated with MDS and CMML and to establish their frequency in a cohort of 8,016 patients from the Spanish Group of MDS database. The karyotype was evaluable in 5,654 (70%) patients.

Simultaneous analysis of the expression of 14 genes with individual prognostic value in myelodysplastic syndrome patients at diagnosis: WT1 detection in peripheral blood adversely affects survival.

Several studies have evaluated the prognostic value of the individual expression of certain genes in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, none of them includes their simultaneous analysis by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We evaluated relative expression levels of 14 molecular markers in 193 peripheral blood samples from untreated MDS patients using real-time PCR.

FLAGIDA-lite is an effective regimen for patients between 70 and 80 years with acute myeloid leukemia or refractory anemia with excess blasts-2 and is feasible as outpatient treatment.

We investigated a FLAGIDA-lite protocol (fludarabine 40 mg/m(2)/d orally days 1-5, cytarabine 20 mg/m(2)/d subcutaneously days 1-5, G-CSF 300 μg/d subcutaneously days 1-5, and idarrubicin 15 mg/m(2)/d orally days 1-3) in 38 consecutive patients older than 70 years of age with acute myeloid leukemia (32 patients) or refractory anemia with excess blasts-2 (six patients) and no prior therapy. Seventy-nine percent had intermediate/unfavorable karyotype and 79% had a high comorbidity. Overall response was 55% [complete response (CR) 47%] and 37% were refractory.

Simultaneous cytomorphologic and multiparametric flow cytometric analysis on lymph node samples is faster than and as valid as histopathologic study to diagnose most non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

We evaluated the validity and accuracy of cytomorphology and multiparametric flow cytometry (C-FCM) in diagnosing oncohematologic disease in 223 consecutive lymph node biopsy specimens from patients with lymphadenopathy, from 2004 to 2007. C-FCM and histopathologic studies were interpreted independently by hematologists and pathologists, respectively. C-FCM detected neoplastic disorders in 133 samples (59.