Publications by authors named "Menelaos Papoutselis"

• Aging leads to chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction, heightening the risk of myeloid malignancies like MDS and CMML. • Both aging and MDS show alterations in monocyte subtypes and function. Aging boosts inflammatory genes upregulation, whereas MDS favors antigen presentation, reflecting distinct immune and disease-specific adaptations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

RCHOP is the standard of care for patients with diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) but failures occur in approximately 40% of them. We performed a meta-analysis of 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing experimental regimens with RCHOP. We searched the database of PubMed with proper criteria, and data of efficacy (Progression Free Survival-PFS) in the ITT population were extracted and analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) improves survival of patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and oligoblastic acute myeloid leukemia (AML); however, predictive factors for response and outcome have not been consistently studied.

Methods: This study of the Hellenic MDS Study Group included 687 consecutive patients with higher-risk MDS and oligoblastic AML treated with 5-AZA.

Results: The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) revised version (IPSS-R), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) (0 or 1 ⩾2) and baseline serum ferritin (SF) levels > 520 ng/ml were shown to independently predict response to 5-AZA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) emerges as a major cause of death in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but predictors of fatal CVD and the effect of MDS-specific treatments on CVD mortality remain largely unknown. In an analysis involving 831 patients with MDS with known causes of death, we noted an independent association of lower risk MDS, age >70 years, pre-existing CVD, and treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents with a higher risk of death from CVD. If externally validated, these simple risk factors could increase clinicians' awareness toward CVD complications and guide early introduction of intensive monitoring and preventive interventions in MDS patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Higher-risk Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients undergoing treatment with 5-azacytidine (AZA) are typically elderly with several comorbidities. However, the effect of comorbidities on the effectiveness and safety of AZA in real-world settings remains unclear. We analyzed data from 536 AZA-treated patients with higher-risk MDS, Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative neoplasms and low blast count Acute Myeloid Leukemia enrolled to the Hellenic National Registry of Myelodysplastic and Hypoplastic Syndromes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable B-cell malignancy. The immunotherapeutic approach for MM therapy is evolving. The Cd1d/invariant natural killer T-cell/glycolipid immune axis belongs to the innate immunity, and we have highlighted role in myeloma pathogenesis in the present study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are characterised by abnormal epigenetic repression and differentiation of bone marrow haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Drugs that reverse epigenetic repression, such as 5-azacytidine (5-AZA), induce haematological improvement in half of treated patients. Although the mechanisms underlying therapy success are not yet clear, induction of endogenous retroelements (EREs) has been hypothesised.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis affects millions of postmenopausal women worldwide. Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) are important cells for bone homeostasis. The sim of this study was to investigate the contribution of invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) in the increased receptor activator of the nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) pool and bone resorption, a characteristic of patients with osteoporosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hypomethylating agents are widely used in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). We analyzed the characteristics of 88 patients with CMML homogeneously treated with 5-azacytidine (Hellenic 5-Azacytidine Registry). The overall response rate was 48.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is a gain of function point mutation that occurs in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN) patients and deranges their hemopoiesis at cellular level. We speculate that hyperfunctioning JAK2 can modify osteoclast (OCL) homeostasis in MPN patients. We studied 18 newly diagnosed MPN patients and four age-matched normal donors (ND).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Myeloid neoplasms with isolated isochromosome 17q [MN i(17q)] has been described as a distinct entity with poor prognosis. However, literature reports show a considerable clinical and molecular heterogeneity. We describe a 58-year-old male patient who was diagnosed as refractory anemia with multilineage dysplasia and ringed sideroblasts with isolated i(17q).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Data derived from clinical trials consistently show a prolongation of overall survival of late-stage MDS patients with the introduction of azacytidine. Nevertheless, the applicability of the above results to real-world clinical settings may be questionable due to the strict design, the controlled medical environment, and the limited patient sample of explanatory studies. We retrospectively compared the outcome of two well-balanced groups of late-stage MDS patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with renal impairment (RI) were not assessed in the approval trials of 5-azacytidine, thus the optimal use of 5-azacytidine in such patients is currently undefined. We retrospectively analyzed 42 IPSS intermediate-2 and high-risk patients with moderate, mild or no RI undergoing 5-azacytidine therapy in a non-trial setting. We demonstrate that patients in all three groups achieved comparable responses and had similar overall and event-free survival.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aims: To evaluate the fluctuating course of serum HBV-DNA levels during the natural history of chronic HBV infection in the general population of North-Eastern Greece, in association with liver disease progression.

Methods: Two hundred and sixty-three adults with chronic HBV, median 34 years of age, were randomly selected and prospectively followed-up for a maximum period of 12 years. Viral markers, liver biochemistry and physical examination were performed every 6 months, and liver biopsy/abdominal ultrasound every 2-4 years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: To investigate the mode of transmission and the natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children of different ethnicities in Greece. This study was part of the Interreg I-II EC project.

Patients And Methods: One hundred seventy-three hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)(+) carriers, median age 6.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF