CD79B mutations in primary vitreoretinal lymphoma: Diagnostic and prognostic potential.

Objective: Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) is a rare type of lymphoma wherein the lesions are limited to the eyes. PVRL is difficult to diagnose because of the challenges related to obtaining sufficient samples for biopsy. Moreover, PVRL has poor outcomes and often leads to the development of central nervous system (CNS) lesions during its course.

High-dose methotrexate following intravitreal methotrexate administration in preventing central nervous system involvement of primary intraocular lymphoma.

In order to prevent central nervous system (CNS) involvement and improve the prognosis of primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL), we prospectively evaluated the efficacy of combined therapy using intravitreal methotrexate (MTX) and systemic high-dose MTX on treatment-naïve PIOL. Patients with newly diagnosed PIOL whose lymphoma was limited to the eyes were enrolled. The patients were treated with weekly intravitreal MTX until the ocular lesions were resolved, followed by five cycles of systemic high-dose MTX (3.

[Fulminant visceral disseminated varicella-zoster virus infection without skin involvement in a patient with autoimmune hemolytic anemia on prednisolone therapy].

An 80-year-old man with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) received immunosuppressive therapy with prednisolone (1 mg/kg). One month later, his hemoglobin level had normalized, and the prednisolone dose was tapered. The next day, he complained of acute and progressive back pain.

A variant-type MLL/SEPT9 fusion transcript in adult de novo acute monocytic leukemia (M5b) with t(11;17)(q23;q25).

As a result of recurrent chromosomal translocations in acute leukemias, the mixed-lineage-leukemia (MLL) gene fuses with a variety of partner genes, which include several members of the septin gene family. SEPT9 is a very rare but recurrent fusion partner of MLL, and has recently been implicated in the oncogenesis of various malignancies. Herein, we report a case of de novo acute monocytic leukemia (M5b) with t(11;17)(q23;q25).

A novel variant form of MLL-ELL fusion transcript with t(11;19)(q23;p13.1) in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia transforming to acute myeloid leukemia.

MLL located at 11q23 is fused with a variety of partner genes by recurrent chromosomal translocations in acute leukemias. ELL, the MLL partner gene located on chromosome 19p13.1, encodes an RNA polymerase II transcriptional elongation factor, which also possesses the N-terminal region involved in the inhibition of transcription initiation.

IRF4 negatively regulates proliferation of germinal center B cell-derived Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines and induces differentiation toward plasma cells.

To investigate the roles of interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) in B-cell development, we established germinal center B cell-derived Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines that exogenously express IRF4. Daudi-IRF4 expressed IRF4 in the presence of doxycycline (inducible expression), and Raji-IRF4 constitutively expressed an IRF4-estrogen receptor chimeric protein, which was activated by 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Expression or activation of IRF4 resulted in growth inhibition accompanied by accumulation of cells in G0/G1.

[Bortezomib-induced tumor lysis syndrome with a remarkable elevation of LDH in a case of relapsed and therapy-resistant multiple myeloma].

A 60-year-old female patient with a therapy-resistant Bence-Jones (BJ) lambda-type multiple myeloma was treated with bortezomib. She had been treated with tandem autologous stem cell transplantations and achieved complete remission before her disease relapsed. Sixteen hours after the first administration of bortezomib, an episode of fever, slight consciousness disturbance and vomiting occurred, which was accompanied by a remarkable elevation of LDH (3608 IU/l).

[Ischemic colitis following the treatment of acute hemorrhage in a patient with acquired hemophilia A].

A 66-year-old man with hypertension and hyperlipidemia developed a hemorrhagic stomal ulcer and massive hematoma of the face at 4 and 7 months, respectively, after fundusectomy for early gastric cancer. The diagnosis of acquired hemophilia A was made based on the marked prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time, an extremely low factor VIII activity, and a very high-titer factor VIII inhibitor. After admission, oral prednisolone and cyclophosphamide were started.

[Successful treatment with drainage of hematoma and chemotherapy in a case of Burkitt leukemia presenting with subdural hematoma].

A 53-year-old male was admitted because of pancytopenia and chronic subdural hematoma. Bone marrow was hypercellular with 97% blasts, which expressed CD10, CD19, CD20, and immunoglobulin mu and gamma chains on the cell surface and had chromosomal abnormalities including t(8 ; 22)(q24 ; q11). The patient was diagnosed as having Burkitt leukemia.

[An abdominal follicular dendritic cell tumor in Castleman's disease].

A 57-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of elevated ALP. CT and MRI scans together with abdominal angiography showed multiple masses in his abdomen and portal vein obstruction. A diagnostic laparoscopic examination revealed a tumor of 3 cm x 3 cm near the portal vein and para-aortic lymphadenopathy.

Secondary near-tetraploidy with double der(15)t(15;17) in acute promyelocytic leukemia in relapse.

Tetraploidy or near-tetraploidy is a rare cytogenetic abnormality in acute myelocytic leukemia. We report here a case of acute promyelocytic leukemia that showed near-tetraploidy with double der(15)t(15;17) the leukemia relapsed. At diagnosis, cytogenetic analysis failed to reveal any karyotypic abnormality; however, a promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML/RARA) fusion transcript of the bcr3-type was detected with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis, and a single PML/RARA fusion signal was observed with fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis.

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia with der(11)t(1;11)(q21;q23) and ATM deficiency.

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare mature T-cell malignancy and is similar to a mature T-cell leukemia seen in some patients with ataxia telangiectasia, which is a recessive hereditary chromosomal instability syndrome caused by mutations of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene located on 11q23. Intriguingly, recent studies have strongly implicated ATM in the pathogenesis of T-PLL as a tumor suppressor gene, because biallelic inactivation of ATM is frequently observed in this disease; however, translocations involving 11q23 have rarely been reported in T-PLL. We report here a case of T-PLL with der(11)t(1;11)(q21;q23).

BCL6 overexpression prevents increase in reactive oxygen species and inhibits apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic reagents in B-cell lymphoma cells.

Chromosomal translocations and somatic mutations occurring in the 5' noncoding region of the BCL6 gene, encoding a transcriptional repressor, are most frequent genetic abnormalities associated with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma and result in deregulated expression of BCL6. However, the significance of deregulated expression of BCL6 in lymphomagenesis and its effect on clinical outcomes of lymphoma patients have remained elusive. In the present study, we established Daudi and Raji B-cell lymphoma cell lines that overexpress BCL6 or its mutant, BCL6-Ala333/343, in which serine residues required for degradation through the proteasome pathway in B-cell receptor-stimulated cells are mutated.

Late appearance of Philadelphia chromosome with the p190 BCR/ABL chimeric transcript in acute myelogenous leukemia progressing from myelodysplastic syndrome.

We report a late appearance of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) with the p190 BCR/ABL chimeric transcript in a 69-year-old patient with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) that had evolved from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In July 1997, the patient was found to have pancytopenia caused by refractory anemia with excess of blasts, which evolved into AML in 4 months. The leukemic cells were positive for CD13, CD14, CD33, and HLA-DR and had a normal karyotype.

[Hypercalcemia mediated by parathyroid hormone-related protein in the blastic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia].

A 45-year-old man with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in the accelerated phase was admitted to our hospital because of lower back pain and hypercalcemia. On admission, he was confused and found to have massive splenomegaly. The hypercalcemia and splenomegaly improved significantly after administration of incadronate, hydroxyurea, vincristine and prednisolone.

Cloning and characterization of the human BAZF gene, a homologue of the BCL6 oncogene.

The BAZF gene has recently been identified as a novel homologue of the BCL6 oncogene. Here we cloned the human BAZF gene using murine BAZF as a probe. The predicted amino acid sequence was 91% identical to that of murine BAZF.