Radiation exposure in acute myeloid leukaemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma patients in the first year following diagnosis.

Purpose: Radiological examinations are critical in the evaluation of patients with haematological malignancies for diagnosis and treatment. Any dose of radiation has been shown in studies to be harmful. In this regard, we assessed the radiation exposure of 3 types of haematological malignancies (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL], acute myeloid leukaemia [AML], and multiple myeloma [MM]) in our centre during the first year after diagnosis.

International Forum: The Turkish perspective on apheresis activity: The Turkish apheresis registry report.

Therapeutic apheresis is an extracorporeal treatment that selectively removes abnormal cells or harmful substances in the blood that are associated with or cause certain diseases. During the last decades the application of therapeutic apheresis has expanded to a broad spectrum of hematological and non-hematological diseases due to various studies on the clinical efficacy of this procedure. In this context there are more than 30 centers performing therapeutic apheresis and registered in the apheresis database in Turkey.

Efficacy and safety of plasmapheresis in symptomatic hyperviscosity and cast nephropathy: A Multicenter Experience in Turkey.

Background And Objectives: Cast nephropathy (CN) and hyperviscosity (HV), which we encounter in plasma cell diseases, are serious clinical manifestations that increase mortality and morbidity if not managed well in the early period. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) procedures based on the removal of patient plasma is a frequently preferred treatment modality. TPE is recommended at varying levels of evidence for the treatment of CN and HV in plasma cell disorders.

The miRNA content of circulating exosomes in DLBCL patients and in vitro influence of DLBCL-derived exosomes on miRNA expression of healthy B-cells from peripheral blood.

Background: Due to the heterogeneous nature of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), the mechanisms underlying tumor development and progression have not yet been fully elucidated.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the characteristics of plasma exosomes of DLBCL patients and healthy individuals and to evaluate the exosomal interactions between DLBCL cell lines and normal B-cells.

Methods: Exosome isolation was performed using an ultracentrifugation-based protocol from plasma of 20 patients with DLBCL and 20 controls.

Is CONUT score a prognostic index in patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma?

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score on the prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Materials And Methods: The present study was a retrospective study. The CONUT score was calculated based on serum albumin, total cholesterol and lymphocyte levels.

Nivolumab for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: real-life experience.

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is considered a curable disease; however, in approximately one-third of the responding patients, the disease relapses following completion of therapy. One of the drugs that have been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory cHL is nivolumab, an immune check point inhibitor that shows its effects by blocking the programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor. In this study, we present a retrospective "real-life" analysis of the usage of nivolumab in patients with relapsed/refractory cHL that have joined the named patient program (NPP) for nivolumab, reflecting 4 years of experience in the treatment of relapsed/refractory cHL.

Early Access Program Results From Turkey and a Literature Review on Daratumumab Monotherapy Among Heavily Pretreated Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma.

Background: In countries where frontline drug approval is limited to first-generation proteasome inhibitors or immunomodulatory drugs, relapses have been both more frequent and less durable. We investigated real world data on the efficacy and safety of daratumumab monotherapy among patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) from Turkey using a prospective early access program.

Patients And Methods: A total of 42 patients with RRMM after a minimum of 3 previous lines of proteasome inhibitor/immunomodulatory drug-based treatments were included from 25 centers across Turkey.

Stem cell mobilization kinetics in elderly patients with multiple myeloma.

In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the procedure and product kinetics differ according to age groups in advanced-age MM patients who underwent autologous HSCT. 59 patients who underwent autologous HSCT were retrospectively analyzed. Then, the patients were divided into two groups as 60-65 years and ≥65 years.

Autologous stem cell transplantation and stem cell mobilization kinetics in elderly patients with B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

As known, the world population is aging and as the life span increases the number of advanced-age lymphomas also shows an upward trend. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the standard treatment modality in chemotherapy-sensitive relapsed or refractory aggressive lymphomas. Increased morbidity and mortality related to both the transplant itself and comorbid diseases can be observed in elderly lymphoma patients.

Efficacy of CLARA in recurrent/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia patients unresponsive to FLAG chemotherapy.

We hereby report our multicentre, retrospective experience with CLARA in patients with fludarabine/cytarabine/G-CSF (FLAG) refractory AML. The study included all consecutive R/R AML patients, who received CLARA salvage during October 2010-October 2015 period. All patients were unresponsive to FLAG salvage chemotherapy regimen and did not undergo previous allo-HCT.

Haemostatic disorders in reproductive age women with menorrhagia and effects on quality of life.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of haemostatic abnormalities in women with menorrhagia and to evaluate their effect on quality of life (QoL). The study population was composed of patients with menorrhagia seen in the outpatient clinic, having a score of >185 with a pictorial blood assessment chart. Structured questionnaires were used in the assessment of demographic characteristics and QoL, and patients were tested for bleeding disorders.

Two rare diagnoses during chronic lymphocytic leukaemia follow-up: Kaposi's sarcoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia often has a clinical presentation characterised by increased neoplastic lymphocytes which are mostly mature looking due to B lymphocytes. Increased secondary cancer prevalence has been detected among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia diagnosis. In this report, we present three chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients who developed secondary rare cancers during their follow-up at our clinic.

Adult Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Daily Practice: A Multicenter Experience.

Background: The prognosis of Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL) is generally poor. Currently, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is the only accepted therapy with curative potential.

Patients And Methods: Herein, we report our multicenter, retrospective experience with 46 (23 female; 23 male) Ph(+) ALL patients, who were treated off-study between 2005 and 2012.

Successful Treatment of Refractory Gastrointestinal Bleeding by Systemic (Oral) Ankaferd Blood Stopper in a Patient with Glanzmann Thrombasthenia.

Background: Glanzmann Thrombasthenia (GT) is a genetic platelet dysfunction and a life threatening disease. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) is a topical hemostatic agent of herbal origin which has been recently made available for clinical use. Its hemostatic effect is independent from blood clotting factors and occurs as a result of the aggregation of focal red blood cells by an encapsulated protein web.

MYD88 expression and L265P mutation in mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Background: Myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88) is a common adaptor protein that is responsible for signaling from several receptors; mutations in this gene may play a role in the pathogenesis of lymphoma.

Aim: We aimed to determine the MYD88 L265P mutation frequency, the level of MYD88 expression, and their associations with clinicopathological parameters in mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs).

Methods: A total of 68 patients were included in the study.

Possible Role of GADD45γ Methylation in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Does It Affect the Progression and Tissue Involvement?

Objective: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among adults and is characterized by heterogeneous clinical, immunophenotypic, and genetic features. Different mechanisms deregulating cell cycle and apoptosis play a role in the pathogenesis of DLBCL. Growth arrest DNA damage-inducible 45 (GADD45γ) is an important gene family involved in these mechanisms.

Dramatic response in the dependency to transfusion after low doses of lenalidomide treatment in a 5q-syndrome patient: a case report.

5q-syndrome is a special subgroup of myelodysplastic syndrome in terms of follow-up and treatment. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug that is frequently used in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Some clinical studies have shown that lenalidomide treatment is effective in 5q syndrome and significantly decreases the transfusion dependency in these patients.

Multicenter retrospective analysis regarding the clinical manifestations and treatment results in patients with hairy cell leukemia: twenty-four year Turkish experience in cladribine therapy.

In this multicenter retrospective analysis, we aimed to present clinical, laboratory and treatment results of 94 patients with Hairy cell leukemia diagnosed in 13 centers between 1990 and 2014. Sixty-six of the patients were males and 28 were females, with a median age of 55. Splenomegaly was present in 93.

Clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: A retrospective multicenter study.

Aims: We aimed to investigate whether older age leads to limitations in the starting dose of imatinib in daily treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, and to determine the compliance of elderly patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) therapy.

Methods: Data including the clinical characteristics, therapeutic outcomes and compliance with TKI therapy of elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia aged >65 years were collected from 13 institutions in Turkey, retrospectively.

Results: A total of 69 patients (27 [39%] men, 42 [61%] women) were evaluated retrospectively.

The effect of gradual increment in rhG-CSF dose on stem cell yields in patients with multiple myeloma mobilized with intermediate dose cyclophosphamide plus rhG-CSF.

Cyclophosphamide along with recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is a commonly used strategy for mobilization. However, the optimal timing for rhG-CSF initiation after cyclophosphamide has not been determined as conclusively as has the G-CSF dose. In this paper, we aimed to present gradual dose increment of rhG-CSF between the third day of mobilization and time to apheresis that is started with 5 μg/kg (from day 3 to day 7) and continued with 10 μg/kg (from day 8 to time to apheresis) for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and its effect on stem cell yield and mobilization success.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a retrospective multicenter study.

Unlabelled: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a particular form of thrombotic microangiopathy typically characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, fever, neurological abnormalities, and renal dysfunction. TTP requires a rapid diagnosis and an adapted management in emergency. Daily sessions of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) remain the basis of management of TTP.

The effect of pneumatic tube system on complete blood count parameters and thrombocyte donation in healthy donors.

This paper is the first report whether or not pneumatic tube system affects the selection of apheresis donors according to the results of complete blood count. According to the apheresis guidelines, hemoglobin level must be ≥12.5g/dL and platelet level ≥150/μL to be a donor.

Efficacy of royal jelly on methotrexate-induced systemic oxidative stress and damage to small intestine in rats.

The aim of this present study is to investigate the mucositis caused by methotrexate (MTX), as well as whether the application of royal jelly (RJ) has a protective effect on oxidative stress. This present study included six groups each consisted of 12 Wistar rats. Distilled water (po: peroral) was given to the 1st group as placebo for 10 days and MTX (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal: ip) on the 7th day.