Haematologica
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The impact of cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma after allogeneic stem cell transplantation has not been clearly defined. This study examines whether allogeneic stem cell transplantation could be of benefit for myeloma patients with high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities. ⋯ These data indicate that allogeneic stem cell transplantation could potentially be of benefit to high-risk myeloma patients.
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The 2005 National Institute of Health Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease Consensus Conference recommended collection of patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials on chronic graft-versus-host disease. We assessed whether changes in chronic graft-versus-host disease severity, determined using National Institute of Health criteria, clinicians' assessment or patients' self-evaluation, correlated with patient-reported quality of life as measured by the Short Form-36 and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) instruments. ⋯ We conclude that serial National Institute of Health and clinician-reported chronic graft-versus-host disease severity assessments cannot substitute for patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials. Collection of just the FACT-G instead of the Short Form-36 and the full FACT-BMT will decrease respondent burden without compromising quality of life assessment.
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The myeloproliferative neoplasms, essential thrombocytosis, polycythemia vera and primary myelofibrosis, share the same acquired genetic lesion, but the concept of JAK2 V617F serving as the sole lesion responsible for these neoplasms is under question, and there has been interest in identifying additional mutations that may contribute to disease pathogenesis. Because ASXL1 lesions have been increasingly identified in myeloid neoplasms, we examined the relationships of ASXL1 mutation or deletion to both clinical phenotype and associated molecular features in 166 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms. ⋯ ASXL1 haploinsufficiency is associated with a myelofibrosis phenotype in the context of other known and unknown lesions, and disruption of ASXL1 function may contribute to the disease pathogenesis of myelofibrosis.