Hemophagocytosis and Acute Monoblastic Leukemia

A 16-month-oldgirl presented with hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration showed a florid increase in macrophages with marked hemophagocytosis. She subsequently improved spontaneously with no therapeutic intervention, but 2 months later presented with frank acute monoblastic leukemia. This case illustrates the difficulties in classifying malignancies of the monocyte-macrophage lineage and how hemophagocytosis can be the presenting feature of a range of diseases.     

Transient Acute Monoblastic Leukemia with Reciprocal (8; 16) (p11; p13) Translocation

The translocation of t(8;16)(p11;p13) has been demonstrated in the blasts of aphenotypically normal newborn baby with acute monoblastic leukemia. No antileukemic therapy was administered and spontaneous, complete remission was observed at 2 months of age. The patient remains well 18 months after the diagnosis and continues to have a normal hemogram.     

Noonan's Syndrome in Association with Acute Leukemia

Noonan's syndrome (NS) is a syndrome with multiple congenital anomalies, characterized by craniofacial anomalies, congenital heart disease, skeletal and genital abnormalities, and mild mental retardation. Chromosomal abnormalities have been found in only a few cases. The combination of NS and acute leukemia has been reported in only three cases. Two additional cases are described here.     

Acute Encephalopathy During Induction Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Twenty-one children who suffered an acute encephalopathic illness during induction chemotherapy for ALL are described. Convulsions and coma were a major feature of this illness. In the absence of other predisposing factors we feel that the encephalopathy was secondary to drug toxicity. Two children died, and 4 of the surviving children have also died. Modifications of antileukemic therapy because of encephalopathic illness may have had a part to play in the outcome for some of these children. The surviving children appear to be neurologically and developmentally normal.     

Late Relapses in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Two children presented with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia 6 years and 8 years after cessation of maintenance treatment. Relapses this length of time off treatment are unusual, with only 7 previously reported cases. It is often unclear whether the relapse is of the original disease or a second leukemia, and our results in both cases suggest relapse of their primary disease.     

Late Relapses in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Two children presented with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia 6 years and 8 years after cessation of maintenance treatment. Relapses this length of time off treatment are unusual, with only 7 previously reported cases. It is often unclear whether the relapse is of the original disease or a second leukemia, and our results in both cases suggest relapse of their primary disease.     

Acute Monoblastic Leukemia as a Second Malignancy Following Chemotherapy for Osteogenic Sarcoma: A Case Report

A patient with well-differentiated monoblastic leukemia (ANLL FAB -M5b) is described in whom acute leukemia was diagnosed 25 months after having completed postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for osteogenic sarcoma of the femur. All analyzed metaphases showed 48xy, dup 1(q12), -3, +9.     

Auditory and Ophthalmological Findings in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The audiological and ophthalmological function in 59 children in continuous complete remission for at least 2 years since the completion of therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia was evaluated. Three of 42 tested had abnormal hearing assessments, but none was attributed to the leukemia or its treatment. Four of 54 patients had visual abnormalities: 3 had mild refractive errors and 1 patient had mild subcapsular cataracts consistent with steroid-induced cataracts. We conclude that as the frequency of visual and hearing impairment in these patients is low, it is not necessary to perform audiological or ophthalmological assessment during routine follow-up unless clinically indicated.     

COALL-97方案治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病临床及实验室研究

目的　引用德国儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病协作组 (cooperativeALLstudygroup ,COALL)的COALL 97方案治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病 (ALL) ,从临床疗效防治及目前国内外选用有效治疗ALL的药物 ,左旋门冬酰胺酶 (L Asp)的药代动力学方面 ,探讨在我国治疗儿童ALL的最佳方案及L Asp的最佳给药方式。方法　ALL患儿 1 2例自愿接受COALL 97方案在我院完成早期强化治疗后 ,回当地继续口服巯基嘌呤 (6 MP) /硫鸟嘌呤 (6 TG)加甲氨蝶呤 (MTX)持续治疗 ,每隔 3个月、半年来院复查 ,总疗程 1 .5～ 2 .0年。结果　诱导治疗后d1 4做骨髓检查 8例呈缓解骨髓像 ,治疗 2 8d后 1 2例均完全缓解 (CR) ,CR率1 0 0 % ,HR ALL患儿 1例CR后 1 0个月时骨髓复发并重症感染死亡。应用高压液相色谱技术 (HR HPLC)检测 1次注射 40 0 0 0U/m2 L Asp后能使血清和脑脊液 (CSF)中门冬酰胺 (ASN)浓度降低 ,并持续至第 5周后回升。 结论　COALL 97方案可被我国ALL患儿所接受 ;在治疗ALL的临床实践中 ,该方案确有可借鉴之处 ;1次 / 2～ 6周静脉注射 40 0 0 0U/m2 L Asp联合化疗的用药方式不仅作用强、持续时间长 ,耐药性小、不良反应少 ,且避免患儿每天或隔天静脉注射痛苦及患儿家长的经济和精神负担。     

Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a hyperinflammatory syndrome which can be an inherited congenital disorder or can develop secondary to malignancy, infection, or autoimmune disease. Secondary HLH due to malignancy occurs most commonly with T or NK-cell lymphoid neoplasms. HLH with B-cell malignancies is less common and HLH has rarely been described in association with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). We report three cases of HLH associated with B-ALL and review 17 cases of ALL-associated HLH previously reported in the literature.     

儿童白血病感染与血浆纤维结合蛋白的关系

研究纤维结合蛋白和白血病发生感染的关系，其是体内重要的生物活性物质。采用Ｌａｕｒｅｌｌ‘ｓ火箭免疫电泳法检测３５例急性白血病患儿血中纤维结合蛋白水平，重点观察各种感染时的变化。急性白血病患儿无发生感染时血中纤维结合蛋白含量与正常对照无差别，有感染发生者Ｆｎ即显著降低，感染越严重血中Ｆｎ下降就越显著。血浆Ｆｎ水平动态监测不仅对了解急性白血病理生理机制有益，而且对临床监测病情有帮助，更重要的是为临床治     

T-Lymphoblasts with Erythropoietic Helper Function in Acute T-Cell Leukemia

A patient with acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia was found to maintain a normal hemoglobin concentration both at presentation and preterminally several months later, despite a replaced bone marrow and over 80% circulating lymphoblasts on both occasions. Cell surface marker analysis demonstrated the T-lymphoblasts both at presentation and preterminally to belong to the T-helper subpopulation. In vitro culture studies demonstrated that the patient's T-lymphoblasts, as well as conditioned medium derived from these lymphoblasts, significantly stimulated normal bone marrow erythroid colony growth (CFU-E). These findings suggest that in this patient the preservation of erythropoiesis resulted from a helper effect exerted by his T-lymphoblasts.     

High Incidence of Hypertension in Children Presenting with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Although hypertension is a complication of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), its true incidence in this disease is unknown. In this study the blood pressure profiles in all children newly diagnosed with ALL were reviewed over an 18-month period. Fourteen (46%) from a total of 30 patients were found to be hypertensive at presentation (n= 8) or during induction chemotherapy (n= 6). A patient with significant hypertension developed generalized convulsions; the rest were asymptomatic. Six patients were managed with antihypertensive drugs. Four patients with hypertension had renal enlargement on the initial ultrasound scan, which returned to normal when hematologic remission was achieved. One patient without hypertension had bilateral renal enlargement, but this persisted despite achieving remission. All patients with hypertension were nomotelwive at follow-up 2 to 18 months after induction chemotherapy. The presence of hypertension before therapy and its association with renal enlargement suggest that the leukmic process is an important etiologic factor. In all cases therapy aggravated or unmasked the elevation in blood pressure. Considering the high incidence of susceptible patients, increased awareness and prompt management may avoid possible life-threatening complications.     

Relapsed Acute Leukemia in Children: Oman Experience

Acute leukemia (AL) is the most common malignancy in children in Oman. It accounts for over one-third of all childhood cancers, most of which (～75%) are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Over a decade, a total of 128 cases of childhood acute leukemia have been diagnosed and managed at Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Unit, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, which is the national referral center of pediatric leukemia cases. A retrospective review of case notes was used to study all children with a diagnosis of acute leukemia from January 1993 to January 2003. All the cases were diagnosed using a bone marrow aspirate with morphological and immunophenotypic classification. Over this period, 24 cases relapsed. They were classified as per BFM group as “very early,” “early,” and “late” according to the time from diagnosis to first relapse and were divided into isolated bone marrow (BM), extramedullary site, and combined relapse. Sixteen percent of ALL cases and 58.6% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases so far relapsed. Most of the AML cases relapsed very early on in treatment. Eleven patients had combined relapse in BM and extramedullary site (9 in the central nervous system, 1 in the testicles, and 1 in the eye). The overall outcome of these patients is very poor, and only 6 patients out of 24 are still alive. In conclusion, the relapse rates of childhood AL are more or less similar to those of other reports but the overall outcome is very poor. A large majority of the patients in this study are either very early or early relapsers. Future studies including genetic and molecular analysis may be able to explain the difference in clinical outcome of these relapsed AL cases.     

Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Terminating in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by multisystem dysfunction and persistent, extreme eosinophilia of unknown cause. Hi describe a 9-1/2-year-old boy whose course included several unusual clinical features and terminated 2 years after diagnosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Serial studies suggest that leukemia was not present earlier in his course. We speculate that this child may have had an evolving lymphoproliferative syndrome with a terminal blast crisis to which the eosinophilia was a nonmalignant leukemoid reaction.     

Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Terminating in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by multisystem dysfunction and persistent, extreme eosinophilia of unknown cause. Hi describe a 9-1/2-year-old boy whose course included several unusual clinical features and terminated 2 years after diagnosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Serial studies suggest that leukemia was not present earlier in his course. We speculate that this child may have had an evolving lymphoproliferative syndrome with a terminal blast crisis to which the eosinophilia was a nonmalignant leukemoid reaction.     

大剂量甲氨蝶呤治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病

目的探讨大剂量甲氨蝶呤(HD-MTX)治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病(ALL)在基层医院的可行性。方法对8例ALL患儿进行56次HD-MTX治疗,MTX剂量3 g/m2,同时水化碱化4 d,滴注MTX 36 h后开始四氢叶酸钙解救,首剂30 mg/m2,以后15mg/m2,1次/6 h,共8次。并观察其不良反应及疗效。结果接受HD-MTX治疗8例中,出现骨髓抑制(26/56次)占46.4%,消化道反应(24/56次)占42.9%,肝功能损害(13/56次)占23.2%,黏膜损害(12/56次)占21.4%,感染(5/56次)占8.93%,皮疹(3/56次)占5.36%,心脏损害(2/56次)占3.57%,出现肺弥漫性间质性浸润影、头痛各1例。主要不良反应发生率与HD-MTX疗程前后差异无显著性。随访8例ALL,仅1例发生中枢神经系统白血病(CNSL),该例为高危儿,发生时间为骨髓缓解(CR)后12个月。结论在基层医院不具备MTX监测及层流室条件下,只要在化疗前准备工作完善,水化碱化合理,四氢叶酸钙解救及时,HD-MTX治疗仍是安全可行的。     

Late Effects of Childhood Acute Leukemia and Its Treatment

Late effects of childhood acute leukemia and its treatment were studied in 766 patients (684 ALL, 73 ANLL, and 9 others) in Japan who had remained in remission for more than 1 year after their first complete remission. Delayed adverse sequelae involve a wide variety of organs and their functions. Short stature was present in 2.61%, obesity in 3.79%, abnormalities of growth hormone secretion in 1.5%, delayed secondary sex characteristics in 1.5% of males and 0.6% of females, motor disturbances in 1.17%, sensory disturbances in 0.91%, intellectual and learning disabilities in 2.48%, abnormal findings in routine neurologic examinations in 1.31%, EEG abnormalities in 4.30%, brain CT abnormalities in 5.09% and cardiac dysfunction in 1.07%. Various other disorders were seen in 20 patients. Many of these delayed adverse sequelae are caused by or related to central nervous system prophylaxis and systemic combination chemotherapy. The results suggest that it is needed to improve therapeutic methods through the stratification of patients by risk factors and detailed analysis of prognostic factors. Moreover it is important to render medical and psychosocial support to long-term survivors of childhood leukemia through interactions between the patient, parents and medical staff.     

Immunophenotyping to Detect and Characterize Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Testicular Biopsies

This study establishes the utility of immunophenotyping testicular biopsy specimens in patients with acute lymphoid leukemia. The value of immunophenotyping in detecting or excluding leukemic testicular infiltration is demonstrated in six children with acute lymphocytic leukemia. A panel of monoclonal antibodies was employed on snap-frozen testicular biopsies, allowing both detection and immunologic characterization of four neoplastic lymphocytic infiltrates. Two samples were proven both histologically and phenotypically negative for leukemic infiltration. One of the four leukemic cases was clinically silent and might have escaped detection except for phenotyping. One leukemic infiltrate was also suspected to possess a multidrug-resistant phenotype (-glycoprotein +); the latter possibility was excluded by an absence of reactivity with anti-p-glycoprotein monoclonal antibody. Thus, three clinically useful applications are demonstrated: (1) confirmation of testicular leukemic relapse, gaining assertion in histologically uncertain cases; (2) exclusion of clinically suspected disease relevant to cessation of therapy, and (3) detection/exclusion of drug-resistant phenotypes. Unexpectedly, we found expression of plasma cell-associated antigen in testicular germ cells, which may prove to be diagnostically useful in the future evaluation of germ cell tumors.