Clinical impact of mutated JAK2 allele burden reduction in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.

The variant allele frequency (VAF) of driver mutations (JAK2, CALR) in myeloproliferative neoplasms is associated with features of advanced disease and complications. Ruxolitinib and interferon were reported to variably reduce the mutant VAF, but the long-term impact of molecular responses (MR) remains debated. We prospectively measured changes in JAK2 and CALR VAF in 77 patients with polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia, treated with ruxolitinib for a median of 8 years, and assessed correlation with complete clinical and hematological response (CCHR) and outcomes.

The prognostic contribution of CBL, NRAS, KRAS, RUNX1, and TP53 mutations to mutation-enhanced international prognostic score systems (MIPSS70/plus/plus v2.0) for primary myelofibrosis.

Contemporary risk models in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) include the mutation (MIPSS70) and mutation/karyotype enhanced (MIPSS70 plus/v2.0) international prognostic scoring systems. High molecular risk (HMR) mutations incorporated in one or both of these models include ASXL1, SRSF2, EZH2, IDH1/2, and U2AF1Q157; the current study examines additional prognostic contribution from more recently described HMR mutations, including CBL, NRAS, KRAS, RUNX1, and TP53.

Effect of age and treatment on predictive value of measurable residual disease: implications for clinical management of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is a powerful predictor of outcome in acute myeloid leukemia. In the early phases of treatment, MRD refines initial disease risk stratification and is used for the allocation to allogeneic transplant. Despite its well-established role, a relatively high fraction of patients eventually relapses albeit achieving MRDneg status.

Venetoclax-Based Regimens for Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia in a Real-Life Setting: A Retrospective Single-Center Experience.

Relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a largely unmet medical need, owing to the lack of standardized, effective treatment approaches, resulting in an overall dismal outcome. The only curative option for R/R AML patients is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) which is only applicable in a fraction of patients due to the scarce efficacy and high toxicity of salvage regimens. Recently, a number of targeted agents with relatively favorable toxicity profiles have been explored in clinical trials for R/R AML patients.

Multilineage Dysplasia as Assessed by Immunophenotype in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Prognostic Tool in a Genetically Undefined Category.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) "with myelodysplasia-related changes (MRC)" is considered a separate entity by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of myeloid neoplasms. While anamnestic and cytogenetic criteria provide objective attribution to this subset, with clear unfavorable prognostic significance, the actual role of multi-lineage dysplasia (MLD) as assessed by morphology is debated. The aim of our work was to study MLD by a technique alternative to morphology, which is multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC), in a large series of 302 AML patients intensively treated at our Center.

Surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoid tumors: a single-center experience.

Background: Bronchial carcinoid is an infrequent neoplasm with a neuroendocrine differentiation. Surgical treatment is the gold standard therapy, with procedures varying from sublobar resections to complex lung sparing broncoplastic procedures. This study evaluates the results of surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoids and its prognostic factors.

Accuracy of clinical examination findings in the diagnosis of COPD.

Objective: Simple diagnostic methods can facilitate the diagnosis of COPD, which is a major public health problem. The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of clinical variables in the diagnosis of COPD.

Methods: Patients with COPD and control subjects were prospectively evaluated by two investigators regarding nine clinical variables.

Sputum examination in the clinical management of community-acquired pneumonia.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of the use of sputum examination in the clinical management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in a general hospital and to determine whether its use has an impact on mortality.

Methods: The medical records of CAP patients treated as inpatients between May and November of 2004 at the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Hospital, located in Porto Alegre, Brazil, were reviewed regarding the following aspects: age; gender; severity of pneumonia (Fine score); presence of sputum; sputum bacteriology; treatment history; change in treatment; and mortality.

Results: A total of 274 CAP patients (134 males and 140 females) were evaluated.