Seminars in hematology
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In 1997, the approval of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab heralded a new era of combined immunochemotherapy for the treatment of malignant lymphoma. Until then, a combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and prednisone (CHOP) had been the standard of treatment for aggressive B-cell lymphoma for more than 25 years. The addition of rituximab led to an impressive improvement of response rates and survival outcomes in patients with follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has been confirmed in several randomized trials. ⋯ Finally, the question of the optimal dosage and schedule of rituximab has to be addressed in well-designed randomized trials. The outcome of patients relapsing after a rituximab-containing induction regimen is dismal even with high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). For these patients new modalities of second-line therapy are urgently warranted.
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The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) caused by single-gene defects leading to progressive cellular accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and damage to multiple organs, including the central nervous, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, and other systems. Hurler syndrome (MPS IH), the most severe form, is the prototypical model. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), available for MPS I, II, and VI, is beneficial in some patients. ⋯ Bone marrow has been the graft source in the past. However, in the last 5 years many patients have been treated with unrelated donor (URD) umbilical cord blood transplant (UCBT), allowing rapid and increased access to transplantation with favorable outcomes. This review describes published and our institutional clinical experiences, discusses the current status of the field, and provides therapy guidelines for patients with MPS.
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Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been used for three decades as therapy for lysosomal storage diseases. Stable engraftment following transplantation has the potential to provide a source of an enzyme for the life of a patient. Recombinant enzyme is available for disorders that do not have a primary neurologic component. ⋯ Adrenoleukodystrophy is an X-linked, peroxisomal disorder, and in approximately 40% of cases a progressive, inflammatory condition develops in the CNS. Early in the course of the disease, allogeneic transplantation can arrest the disease process in cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, while more advanced patients do poorly. In many of these cases, the utilization of cord blood grafts allows expedient transplantation, which can be critical in achieving optimal outcomes.
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Seminars in hematology · Oct 2009
ReviewPathogenesis and management of iron deficiency anemia: emerging role of celiac disease, helicobacter pylori, and autoimmune gastritis.
The causes of iron deficiency vary significantly during different stages of life, and according to gender and socioeconomic circumstances. Although dietary iron is important, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is mostly attributed to blood loss and may be the presenting clinical feature of occult bleeding from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract heralding underlying malignancy. Conventional GI diagnostic workup fails to establish the cause of iron deficiency in about one third of patients. ⋯ Cure of previously refractory IDA by H pylori eradication provides strong evidence supporting a cause-and-effect relation. The intriguing recent observations of H pylori antibodies directed against epitopes on gastric mucosal cells in atrophic gastritis imply an autoimmune mechanism triggered by H pylori and directed against gastric parietal cells by means of antigenic mimicry. Improved understanding of the role of abnormal iron absorption in IDA has important implications for current concepts related to the pathogenesis and management of IDA.
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Seminars in hematology · Jul 2009
ReviewNeutropenic fever syndromes in patients undergoing cytotoxic therapy for acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.
Fever represents the major surrogate of infection in neutropenic cancer patients. A number of neutropenic fever syndromes have been recognized, the causes and significance of which will vary depending upon the clinical context. First neutropenic fever syndromes are typically of bacterial origin, the character of which may be influenced by whether antibacterial chemoprophylaxis has been administered. ⋯ Recrudescent neutropenic fevers, defined by the appearance of a new fever after defervescence of the first fever, are often a function of invasive fungal infection or gram-positive infections outside the spectrum of the initial empirical antibacterial regimen. The myeloid reconstitution syndrome occurs in parallel with neutrophil recovery from aplasia and may not necessarily represent new infection. Recognition of these patterns can help the clinician make better clinical judgments and management plans.