[Large-cell diffuse B-cell lymphoma: heterogenous origin and prognosis from the aspect of modern diagnosis].

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors with a different origin, morphological findings and a variable clinical prognosis. These tumors have been recently classified into two prognostically relevant subgroups differing in the gene expression. The key genes suitable for routine diagnostics of DLBCL have not been yet identified.

[Is the current treatment of primary and secondary amyloidosis effective?].

Background: Retrospective study about results of treatment of patients (pts) with primary (AL) and secondary (AA) amyloidosis is given. 31 pts with systemic forms of amyloidosis have been treated and followed-up in our department since 1993.

Methods And Results: 6 men and 11 women were in the AL group with the mean age of 59 years.

Unusual sequence of VDJ rearrangement revealed by molecular analysis in a patient with indolent lymphoma.

We report a unique case of indolent lymphoma with an unusual VDJ rearrangement. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of bone marrow at the time of diagnosis was positive for both BCL-2/JH and CDRIII rearrangements. After treatment, the patient achieved complete remission (CR) with slow disappearance of both rearrangements (CDRIII and then BCL-2/JH).

Multiplex single-tube screening for mutations in the Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome (NBS1) gene in Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients of Slavic origin.

Patients with Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome (NBS) have a high risk to develop malignant diseases, most frequently B-cell lymphomas. It has been demonstrated that this chromosomal breakage syndrome results from mutations in the NBS1 gene that cause either a loss of full-length protein expression or expression of a variant protein. A large proportion of the known NBS patients are of Slavic origin who carry a major founder mutation 657del5 in exon 6 of the NBS1 gene.

[Intensive therapy with paclitaxel (Taxol) and cyclophosphamide followed by administration of G-CSF as a mobilization regimen in patients with breast carcinoma and indications for autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation].

Cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) and paclitaxel (Taxol) (175, 200 or 250 mg/m2) therapy with subsequent administration of G-CSF (10 micrograms/kg) has been used as intensification and as mobilization therapy for patients with breast cancer. This regimen was used in 19 patients, as part of adjuvant therapy in 14 and as part of therapy of metastatic disease in five. Median number of collected CD34+ cells was 17.

[Clinical importance of semi-quantitative monitoring of lymphomas using the comparative polymerase chain reaction].

Background: PCR techniques detecting interchromosomal translocation and clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement (IgH) as disease markers in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) has been utilised past ten years. However, qualitative PCR detection of persisted minimal residual disease cannot provide clinically useful prognostic information and presently, quantitative approaches are required to predict patient outcome and assess response to the treatment. In some cases, "end-point" quantifying techniques, such as comparative PCR, are applicable and the relative estimation of differences in target quantity may serve in disease monitoring rather than absolute number of target copies.

[Predictive features of positron emission tomography after two cycles of induction therapy in malignant lymphoma].

Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a modern functional imaging method, recently introduced to clinical oncology. The aim of our study was the evaluation of prognostic value of PET performed in malignant lymphoma patients after two cycles of chemotherapy.

Methods And Results: From 9/99 to 11/00 PET was performed in 37 patients with malignant lymphoma (9x m.

[Modern therapy of hematologic malignancies].

Remarkable progress has been done during the last three decades in the therapy of hematological malignancies. It is now possible to cure significant number of patients by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and stem cell transplantation. However, there is still a large group of patients and situations where our approaches are failing.

[Positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with malignant lymphomas--indications for the method as presented in case reports].

Positron emission tomography is a modern functional imaging method recently available also in the Czech Republic. The authors try to present indications of this method in the form of case-histories of patients with malignant lymphomas.

Aleukemic granulocytic sarcoma with AML1/ETO fusion gene expression and clonal T cell populations.

We report a unique case of aleukemic granulocytic sarcoma of the neck, originally misdiagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), though chloroma was also suspected due to a greenish macroscopic appearance and the presence of myeloid chloroacetate esterase (CAE)+ cells. The proof of clonal T cell receptor gamma chain (TcRgamma) gene rearrangements in the recurring tumor was deemed to confirm the initial diagnosis of T cell NHL. Altogether five distinct types of clonal TcRgamma gene rearrangements were found in the tumor, bone marrow and peripheral blood.

Antiemetic efficacy of three serotonin antagonists during high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in malignant lymphoma.

The aim of this study was to compare antiemetic efficacy of three serotonin antagonists, granisetron, tropisetron and ondansetron, during conditioning for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Forty-five malignant lymphoma patients (mean age 38 years, M:F 30:15), undergoing the highly emetogenic regimen BEAM prior to ASCT, were randomized to receive IV granisetron (G) 3 mg once a day, IV tropisetron (T) 5 mg once a day, or IV ondansetron (0) 8 mg twice daily, for six days. The treatment groups were comparable with respect to age, sex and previous experience of nausea and/or vomiting.

[New cytokines and their role in supportive care].

Several cytokines stimulating hematopoiesis, mainly lineage restricted, are already widely used in supportive care to correct myelosuppression or anaemia (GM-CSF, G-CSF, EPO). The new growth factor are tested in preclinical or clinical studies to abrogate other anti-cancer therapy side-effects (thrombocytopenia, mucositis etc.).

[Administration of interferon alpha as post-transplantation immunotherapy in malignant lymphoma. Case control study].

Background: A possible cause of relapses in patients with malignant lymphomas after autologous transplantation of haematopoietic cells is among others the absence of an immune reaction. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of long-term interferon alpha administration after autologous transplantation in malignant lymphomas.

Methods And Results: A total of 16 patients were followed up (9 men and 6 women, mean age 44 years) 14 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and two with Hodgkin's disease where after high-dose transplantation with autologous transplantation of haematopoietic cells immunotherapy was started by administration of IFN alpha 3 MU three time per week.

[Separation of hematopoietic progenitor cells from peripheral blood in patients with hemato-oncologic malignancy].

Background: Transplantations of haematopoietic progenitor cells from peripheral blood (PBPC) are able to ensure haematopoietic and immunological reconstitution as well as stable long term engraftment. Autologous PBPC are administered after previous myeloablative chemotherapy to patients with haematological and non-haematological malignancies. The objective of the submitted study was to follow-up the results of autologous separations of PBPC in patients with a good effect of mobilisation therapy.

[Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy--a disseminated form of the Rosai-Dorfman syndrome].

A 20 year-old black male presented with a generalized lymphadenopathy, skin papules with maximum involvement of the head and trunk region, and elevated temperature. Ultrasound, CT and bone scans revealed infiltration of the kidneys and bones. Surgical specimens of the cervical lymph nodes showed massive infiltration of sinuses by histiocytes with engulfed lymphocytes and granulocytes in their cytoplasm.

[Familial occurrence of malignant hematologic diseases].

The cases of first-degree relatives from five families with hematological malignancies are described in this study. The occurrence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and B-cell chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (B-CLL) in the first family, NHL and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the second one, two cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in the third and the fifth one's NHL and acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML) in the fourth one observed. Several factors which are considered to be involved in etiopathogenesis of hematological malignancies (virus infection, immune defects, HL-A antigens, cytogenic features) were discussed.

[Hematopoietic growth factors. Biology and clinical applications].

The authors present an account of haematopoietic growth factors which include the stem cell factor (SCF), factors stimulating granulocytomacrophage colonies (GM-CSF), granulocyte (G-CSF), monocytomacrophage (M-CSF) factors, erythropoietin (EPO) and also interleukin (IL) 1 to 11. Their main action is described as well as the site of action in haematopoiesis. In many of them participation in the pathogenesis of some diseases, incl.