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E Wattel

Publications and source records attributed to E Wattel.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Is there still a role for low-dose cytosine arabinoside in de novo acute myeloid leukemia in the elderly? A report on 77 cases.

Seventy-seven elderly patients (median age 72, range 59-85) with de novo AML were treated with low-dose Ara C (10 mg/m2/12 h over 21 days, for one or two courses). Thirteen (17%) achieved complete remission (CR), 16 (21%) partial remission (PR); 28 (35%) had resistant leukemia, and 20 (26%) early death or death during hypoplasia. Most (86%) of the patients had severe pancytopenia and 58% were hospitalized. Overall median survival was 3 months. Median duration of CR was 9 months. Five CR were longer than 1 year, and two were longer than 4 years. All but one PR were < or = 9 months, and 12/16 were < or = 4 months. Karnofsky index and karyotype (the latter performed for 52 patients) were the only significant prognostic factors of response to treatment (including CR+PR) and survival: poor response rate (8%) and survival (median 0.7 months) were found in patients with Karnofsky index < 60, compared with 44% and 4 months, respectively, in patients with Karnofsky index > or = 60; likewise, patients with rearrangements of chromosome 5 and/or 7 or complex rearrangements had a response rate of 13% and median survival of 1.5 months, compared with 68% and 8 months, respectively, in patients with normal karyotype or single abnormalities (not involving chromosomes 5, 7, or 8). Patients with isolated trisomy 8 had a response rate of 37% but short median survival (2.5 months). Significantly longer survival was seen in responders. Our findings suggest that, overall, low-dose Ara C yields limited results in AML in the elderly. However, it could remain a useful option in elderly patients with AML who are not candidates for intensive chemotherapy (even with the support of growth factors), provided their general condition is not too altered and they do not have an "unfavorable" karyotype (i.e., rearrangements of chromosomes 5 or 7 or complex abnormalities).

Aged↗

De novo myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with deletion of the long arm of chromosome 20: a subtype of MDS with distinct hematological and prognostic features?

We report on 8 cases of de novo myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with deletion of the long arm of chromosome 20 (del 20q), who represented about 2% (8/392) of our cases of de novo MDS with cytogenetic analysis seen during a period of 9 yr. Median age was 69 yr, and there were 7 males and 1 female. Anemia was absent or very mild (Hb > 11 g/dl) in 5 patients. Only 1 patient had neutrophils < 0.5 x 10(9)/l, and none had platelets < 50 x 10(9)/l. Four patients had refractory anemia (RA), 2 had refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS), and 2 had refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB). Del 20q was isolated in 5 patients, and associated with other chromosomal rearrangement(s) in 3 patients. Only 1 patient progressed to ANLL and 2 showed an increase in bone marrow blasts during evolution. The 5 other patients had stable disease after 18-77 months. By comparison with de novo MDS patients with other cytogenetic findings, patients with del 20q had a tendency towards lower incidence of anemia and excess of marrow blasts, lower incidence of progression to AML and more prolonged survival, although differences were not significant. Only patients with isolated del 5q had a more prolonged survival than patients with del 20q.

Aged↗

Long-term survivors in myelodysplastic syndromes: a report on 63 cases and comparison with short and intermediate survivors.

Sixty-three of 373 patients (17%) with de novo myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) survived more than 5 yr (long survivors). At diagnosis, they usually had no or only moderate cytopenias; 63% of them had marrow blasts < 5%; only 1 patient had circulating blasts; 60% had refractory anaemia (RA) or refractory anaemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS); 19% of the 43 patients who were karyotyped had an abnormal clone, and only 2 patients had complex cytogenetic findings. Only 4 of the 63 patients progressed to another FAB type within 5 yr of diagnosis, from RA to refractory anaemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) or chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML). After 5 yr, 9 patients showed progression (including progression to AML in 5 patients). The other patients remained stable (43 cases) or died from cytopenias or unrelated disorders (11 cases). Except for 3 patients who achieved prolonged complete remission with intensive chemotherapy, and possibly 3 patients who responded to low dose Ara C, prolonged survival seemed to result mainly from the low natural course of the disease. Although, as expected, significant differences for age, cytopenias, circulating and bone marrow blasts, and karyotype were seen between short (< 2 yr) and long (> 5 yr) very few significant differences were seen between intermediate and long survivors. These 2 subgroups only differed by significantly lower age and higher haemoglobin level in long survivors. Multivariate scoring systems (Bournemouth, Sanz's and Lille scores) proved of relatively limited value in differentiating them.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I and II DNA amplification in seropositive and seronegative at-risk individuals.

To determine the presence or the absence of human T-lymphotropic virus type I and/or II (HTLV-I/II) DNA in at-risk individuals who were persistently negative for specific serologic assays, polymerase chain reaction with two primer pairs in common and conserved regions of HTLV-I and -II genomes was used. Seronegative individuals at risk for HTLV-I/II infection (15 heterosexual partners of seropositive individuals, 17 breastfed children born to HTLV-I-infected mothers, 47 multiply transfused patients, 22 intravenous drug users) were studied (n = 101); 35 seropositive individuals and 25 seronegative low-risk individuals were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. No positive polymerase chain reaction was observed in the seronegative at-risk individuals or in the negative controls. Positive controls gave positive results with at least one primer pair in all cases except one. A latent HTLV-I/II infection with a persistently negative serologic test for HTLV-I/II seems unlikely.

Adolescent↗

Improved cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow plasma cells after cytokine stimulation in multiple myeloma: a report on 46 patients.

Cytogenetic analysis was successfully performed in 46 consecutive myeloma patients (40 newly diagnosed and six relapsed patients). Karyotype was performed on bone marrow cells after long-term cultures (6 d) stimulated by GM-CSF, GM-CSF+IL6 or GM-CSF+IL6+IL3. Nineteen patients (41%) had cytogenetic abnormalities including 17/40 patients at diagnosis (42.5%) and 2/6 patients at relapse. Hyperdiploidy was found in 12 patients and hypodiploidy in four patients. Of the 17 newly diagnosed patients with cytogenetic abnormalities, five died from myeloma after 1-14 months and three other patients had primary drug resistance. Our results suggest that cytogenetic analysis after stimulation of cultures by cytokines detects clonal abnormalities in 40-50% of newly diagnosed myeloma patients and that these patients often have a short survival and/or primary drug resistance.

Bone Marrow↗

Absence of amplification of MDM2 gene, a regulator of p53 function, in myelodysplastic syndromes.

The MDM2 gene is a gene whose product binds to p53 and regulates its function. Amplification of MDM2 has been found in human sarcomas, where it leads to inactivation of p53. In 64 cases of generally advanced myelodysplastic syndromes, we found no amplification or rearrangement of MDM2 gene by Southern analysis. MDM2 RNA was also normal in the 15 cases where Northern analysis was made. Thus, amplification of MDM2 is not seen or must be very rare in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Because P53 gene mutations are not frequent in MDS, inactivation of p53 seems to be, overall, a rare pathogenetic event in MDS.

Blotting, Southern↗

Cytogenetic analysis has strong independent prognostic value in de novo myelodysplastic syndromes and can be incorporated in a new scoring system: a report on 408 cases.

Although the prognostic value of cytogenetic analysis has previously been demonstrated in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), karyotype had not been included in previously published scoring systems, such as Bournemouth and Sanz's scores. We studied karyotype at diagnosis in 408 cases of de novo MDS (after excluding therapy-related MDS). Karyotypes were classified in 10 groups: normal; isolated del 5q; del 5q and other rearrangements; isolated +8; isolated -7 or del 7q; del 20q; isolated -Y; miscellaneous single rearrangements; -7 or del 7q and other rearrangements; miscellaneous complex rearrangements. Karyotypes were considered complex when at least three chromosomes were rearranged. Complex karyotypes included all patients with del 5q and other rearrangements, -7 or del 7q and other rearrangements, and miscellaneous complex rearrangements (i.e. three of the 10 groups). Median actuarial survival of the 408 patients was 28 months, and 90 patients (22%) progressed to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For survival, bone marrow (BM) blasts, circulating blasts, white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil count, platelet count, hemoglobin, age, sex, FAB classification, and Bournemouth and Sanz's scores had strong prognostic value. Cytogenetics also had strong prognostic value. An unfavorable cytogenetic group (patients with complex karyotypes) was identified. On the other hand, although patients with isolated del 20q and del 5q had a somewhat better prognosis than other patients with non-complex cytogenetic findings, they could not be statistically individualized as a favorable group, possibly owing to their relatively limited number. By multivariate regression analysis, a three-variable new scoring system could be designed based on karyotype (1 point for complex karyotype; 0 for other groups), platelets (0 for > 75 x 10(9)/l; 1 for < 75 x 10(9)/l), and BM blasts (0 for < 5%, 1 for 5-10%, 2 for > 10%). The total score (addition of points for the three variables) was able to separate patients in three groups with low (score 0) intermediate (score 1 or 2), and high risk (score 3 or 4) which included 34%, 47%, and 19% of the patients, and had a median survival of 55, 24, and 6 months, respectively (chi 2 = 110, p < 10(-4)). This new score (Lille score) was able to subdivide risk groups according to Bournemouth and Sanz's scores into further subgroups of different prognoses. For progression to AML, BM blasts, circulating blasts, WBC count, hemoglobin, FAB type, and karyotype had prognostic value by univariate analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Vertical growth of the anterior face: a new approach.

The mechanism of anterior vertical facial growth was studied in normal subjects between 7 and 22 years of age. This subsample (n = 60) of participants in the Nijmegen Growth Study was representative of normal variation with respect to vertical facial proportions. A negative correlation was found between the average growth rate of the upper and lower anterior facial height in boys. Boys with a relatively large facial height exhibited a higher than average growth rate of the lower anterior facial height compared with the upper facial height. In girls a similar trend was present. The individual average growth rate of the anterior upper and lower facial height maintains or accentuates the early established facial form.

Adolescent↗

Human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type I and II DNA amplification in HTLV-I/II-seropositive blood donors of the French West Indies.

To confirm the presence of DNA from human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I), HTLV-II, or both in individuals found HTLV-I/II-positive through systematic screening of blood donations in Guadeloupe (French West Indies), 42 blood donors repeatedly positive for HTLV-I/II by ELISA were studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Three primer pairs (env, pol, tax) targeted on conserved regions of HTLV-I or -II sequences (or both) and six probes (two generic, two HTLV-I-specific, two HTLV-II-specific) were used in a multiplex PCR. HTLV-I sequences were detected in 31 individuals (74%). All 31 subjects positive by Western blot (WB) harbored HTLV-I sequences. Fifteen individuals (48%) were positive with the three primer pairs used, 10 (32%) with two, and 6 (20%) with one. Subjects indeterminate or negative by WB were all negative by PCR. No HTLV-II sequences were detected with specific probes. The results indicate the absence of HTLV-I and -II infection in individuals with indeterminate WB, the presence of HTLV-I DNA in individuals positive for WB in the French West Indies, and the absence of HTLV-II infection in the cohort.

Adult↗

Towards a new predictor of AIDS progression through the quantitation of HIV-1 DNA copies by PCR in HIV-infected individuals.

The proviral copy (PVC) number in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals was measured by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to determine over time the relation between the viral load and the evolution towards the disease in HIV-infected people: 67 anti-HIV-1 positive individuals (60 stage II/III, 7 stage IV) were studied. The mean PVC number per 1.5 x 10(5) PBMCs in stage II/III individuals (14.4 +/- 14.2) and in stage IV individuals (32.2 +/- 22.9) was significantly different (P < 0.02). PVC number was inversely correlated to the CD4 lymphocyte count (P < 0.01). In the logistic regression, the PVC number was a better marker of evolution towards the disease than the CD4 lymphocyte count. The mean proportion of HIV-infected PBMCs in stage IV individuals and in stage II/III individuals was 1/4606 and 1/10714, respectively.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Quantification of HTLV-1 proviral copy number in peripheral blood of symptomless carriers from the French West Indies.

The development of human T-cell leukemia type 1 (HTLV-1) diseases are related to an increase in the proviral copy number (VCN) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Twenty symptomless anti-HTLV-1-positive blood donors, as well as four symptomatic individuals, all from the French West Indies, were studied. The VCN in PBMCs was determined by quantitative PCR. The VCN values for asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (range of less than 100 to approximately 9,500/micrograms of DNA) was nearly always less than the values for symptomatic carriers (range of approximately 5,500 to approximately 29,000/micrograms of DNA). Consequently, the proportion of HTLV-1-infected PBMCs in symptomless and in symptomatic individuals ranged from less than 1/1,500 to approximately 1/16 and approximately 1/27 to approximately 1/5, respectively. No correlation could be found between VCN and age or sex, suggesting the importance of factors other than age and sex as influences on the VCN number.

Adult↗

Cytogenetic study in a bone marrow metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

We report an additional cytogenetic study of a metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. Even though the cells analyzed were from a metastatic lesion, chromosomal abnormalities were not complex. Similarities between cytogenetic findings described in small-cell lung carcinoma and the present case are observed. However, further studies are needed to define the relationship between these two neuroendocrine small-cell malignancies.

Adult↗

No evidence of HTLV-I infection in French patients with multiple sclerosis using the polymerase chain reaction.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using three primer pairs in the pol, tax, and env regions of the HTLV-I genome, was unable to detect HTLV-I in the blood samples of 54 caucasian subjects with multiple sclerosis who were seronegative for HTLV-I/II. Seventeen HTLV-I/II seropositive (by ELISA and Western blot) subjects used as positive controls were positive with the three primer pairs. The PCR was negative in 47 healthy HTLV-I/II seronegative (by ELISA) subjects at low risk of HTLV-I infection used as negative controls. These results suggest that there is no association between the occurrence of HTLV-I sequences and the development of multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗