Improved prognosis of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type of nasal origin but not extranasal origin.

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL), nasal type (ENKL) that shows no apparent nasal involvement, is termed extranasal NKTCL or non-nasal NKTCL. In this study, we aimed to explore therapeutic approaches and outcomes in patients with extranasal NKTCL in current clinical practice. A data set of patients with newly diagnosed NKTCL who were diagnosed at 31 institutes in Japan between 2000 and 2013 was used for analysis.

NM23 downregulation and lysophosphatidic acid receptor EDG2/lpa1 upregulation during myeloid differentiation of human leukemia cells.

The NM23 gene is overexpressed in many hematological malignancies and its overexpression predicts poor treatment outcomes. NM23 overexpression is thought to suppress myeloid differentiation of leukemia cells, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. In breast cancer cells, the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor EDG2/lpa1 was downregulated by NM23-H1 overexpression, and this reciprocal expression pattern was associated with suppressed or induced cell motility/metastasis.

Lymphocyte-Rich Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma. A Case with Difficulty in Distinguishing from Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma.

A 35-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of left supraclavicular and cervical lymphadenopathies. Histopathological examination of the lymph nodes revealed reactive lymphadenopathy. He visited our hospital three years after the initial diagnosis because of enlarged left cervical lymph nodes.

The association of nm23-H1 expression with a poor prognosis in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified.

nm23-H1 was originally identified as a protein that is expressed at a lower than usual level in metastatic cancer cells. The nm23 genes play critical roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, oncogenesis, and tumor metastasis. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is relatively rare, accounting for only 10% to 15% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Prognostic significance of metabolic tumor burden by positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of measuring metabolic tumor burden using [F-18] fluorodeoxyglucose ((18) F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with bendamustine-rituximab. Because the standardized uptake value is a critical parameter of tumor characterization, we carried out a phantom study of (18) F-FDG PET/CT to ensure quality control for 28 machines in the 24 institutions (Japan, 17 institutions; Korea, 7 institutions) participating in our clinical study. Fifty-five patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL were enrolled.

Prognostic significance of pleural or pericardial effusion and the implication of optimal treatment in primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: a multicenter retrospective study in Japan.

The prognosis of patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma has improved over recent years. However, the optimal treatment strategy including the role of radiotherapy remains unknown. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of 345 patients with newly diagnosed primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma in Japan.

[Targeted therapy].

Rituximab, a genetically engineered chimeric monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to CD20, is the first monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma. It has been shown that rituximab exerts cytotoxic activities through CDC and ADCC, and that it directly induces apoptosis. The CD20 protein has four transmembrane domains (tetraspan structure) and is not internalized following antibody binding, and is not shed or secreted into the circulation.

Incidence and clinical significance of aberrant T-cell marker expression on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells.

Introduction: Aberrant expression of T-cell markers is occasionally observed in B-cell lymphomas. We conducted a retrospective study to establish its incidence and to determine its relationship with clinical features of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Patients And Methods: We reviewed DLBCL patients diagnosed between January 2002 and April 2009.

Multicenter phase II study of bendamustine plus rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: Effective and less aggressive therapies are required for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not eligible for or have undergone autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). The present phase II study assessed the efficacy and safety of bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in this population.

Patients And Methods: Patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL treated with one to three prior chemotherapy regimens received rituximab 375 mg/m(2) intravenous (IV) infusion on day 1 and bendamustine 120 mg/m(2) by IV infusion on days 2 and 3 of each 21-day cycle for up to six cycles.

Association of CD20 levels with clinicopathological parameters and its prognostic significance for patients with DLBCL.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) express CD20. CD20 expression is described as negative, weak, or normal as determined by flow cytometry (FCM) and is an important target for the treatment of DLBCL. However, the impact of CD20 levels at onset of the disease on patient prognosis has not been fully elucidated.

Cytotoxic molecule-positive classical Hodgkin's lymphoma: a clinicopathological comparison with cytotoxic molecule-positive peripheral T-cell lymphoma of not otherwise specified type.

Background: Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma is characterized by Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg cells, which are of B-cell origin in many cases. We recently highlighted the adverse prognostic significance of cytotoxic molecule expression in patients with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, the clinical characteristics of cytotoxic molecule-positive classical Hodgkin's lymphoma remain controversial.

Multicentre phase II study of the CyclOBEAP regimen for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma with analysis of biomarkers.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) has a poorer prognosis than diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We administered the CyclOBEAP regimen (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, prednisolone) to patients with DLBCL, and reported its safety and efficacy. Here, we report the results of a multicentre phase II study of the CyclOBEAP regimen in patients with PTCL.

Expression of nm23-H1 is associated with poor prognosis in peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified.

Purpose: We examined whether nm23-H1 is a prognostic factor of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS).

Experimental Design: We studied 102 consecutive, untreated PTCL-NOS patients from 1998 to 2008. The expression of nm23-H1 and TIA-1 was studied by immunohistochemistry.

Prospective analysis of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after rituximab combination chemotherapy.

Purpose: Recently, there have been reports of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation after rituximab combination chemotherapy in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) -negative patients with B-cell lymphoma. In this prospective study, the frequency of and risk factors for HBV reactivation in patients who were receiving rituximab chemotherapy were examined.

Patients And Methods: A total of 314 HBsAg-negative patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were treated with rituximab chemotherapy.

Hepatic toxicity and prognosis in hepatitis C virus-infected patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy regimens: a Japanese multicenter analysis.

The influence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on prognosis and hepatic toxicity in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era is unclear. Thus, we analyzed 553 patients, 131 of whom were HCV-positive and 422 of whom were HCV-negative, with DLBCL treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (RCHOP)-like chemotherapy. Survival outcomes and hepatic toxicity were compared according to HCV infection.

A study on nm23-H1 expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that was treated with CyclOBEAP plus rituximab therapy.

In our previous study on nm23-H1 expression with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we found that patients with positive nm23-H1 had significantly poorer prognosis than patients with negative nm23-H1. We examined whether nm23-H1 is a prognostic factor of DLBCL in the rituximab era. The subjects were 101 DLBCL patients who underwent R-CyclOBEAP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, and prednisolone) therapy and in whom markers could be analyzed.

Current treatment strategy of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, accounting for approximately 25-30% of all new patients. Rituximab, a genetically engineered chimeric monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to CD20, is the first monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma. Rituximab significantly improves treatment outcome in DLBCL.

CD3- and CD4-positive plasmablastic lymphoma: a literature review of Japanese plasmablastic lymphoma cases.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a very rare and recently-described subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A maxillary tumor in an 84-year-old HIV-negative Japanese-man was referred. The biopsied specimen showed a diffuse proliferation of mature plasma cells, expressing CD3 (+), CD4 (+), CD20 (-), CD138 (+) and EBER (+) by immunohistochemistry.

Ellagic acid, a natural polyphenolic compound, induces apoptosis and potentiates retinoic acid-induced differentiation of human leukemia HL-60 cells.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a standard drug used for differentiation therapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia. To potentiate this therapy, we examined the effect of ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenolic compound with antiproliferative and antioxidant properties, on the growth and differentiation of HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia cells. EA was found to induce apoptosis, which was blocked by pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK.

Central nervous system involvement in intravascular large B-cell lymphoma: a retrospective analysis of 109 patients.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare disease entity with a high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement at diagnosis. To evaluate CNS involvement, particularly recurrence including progression on therapy and relapse of IVLBCL, we retrospectively analyzed 109 patients with IVLBCL receiving chemotherapies with or without rituximab. In 82 patients (75%) without CNS involvement at initial diagnosis, risk of CNS recurrence at 3 years was 25% with a median follow-up in survivors of 39 months (range, 2-158 months).

[Marfan syndrome complicated with CD5+ CD10+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma].

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding fibrillin. A 35-year-old man with MFS visited a local physician because of a sore throat. His left tonsil gradually became swollen and he was referred to our department.

Multicentre phase II study of CyclOBEAP plus rituximab in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The R-CHOP regimen has been found to improve the outcome of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, it does not provide a satisfactory treatment outcome in the high-risk group. We previously administered the CyclOBEAP regimen to patients with DLBCL, and reported its safety and efficacy.