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Hisashi Tsurumi

Publications and source records attributed to Hisashi Tsurumi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Serum-soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNF-R2) level determines clinical outcome in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Recently investigators have worked to identify prognostic factors in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) so an appropriate therapeutic plan can be put in action. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic significance of serum soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNF-R) 2 in aggressive NHL. METHODS: One hundred and ten consecutive patients with aggressive NHL who were previously untreated (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; 94, peripheral T-cell lymphoma; 16) were prospectively enrolled in this study between 1997 and 2002. The patients were treated with 6-8 cycles of CHOP or THP-COP regimens. RESULTS: High serum sTNF-Rs level was associated with some poor prognostic factors and low complete remission rate. Patients with high sTNF-R1 (4 ng/mL and over) and sTNF-R2 (15 ng/mL and over) at onset had significantly lower survival rates (5 yr: 19%, 19%) than those with low sTNF-R1 (under 4 ng/mL) and sTNF-R2 (under 15 ng/mL) (62% and 69%), respectively (P < 0.0005 and 0.0001). Multivariate analysis employing sTNF-R2 and some conventional prognostic factors demonstrated that a combination of sTNF-R2 and performance status, and that of sTNF-R2, sIL-2R, and LDH were significant prognostic factors for poor overall survival and for poor event-free survival, respectively. In addition, we attempted to use sTNF-R2 in combination with the international prognostic index (IPI). The patients in the high risk group and those with high sTNF-R2 in the low-intermediate (LI)/high-intermediate (HI) risk group had significantly lower survival rates than the patients in the low risk group and those with low sTNF-R2 in LI/HI risk group (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a high serum sTNF-R2 level predicts a poor prognosis in aggressive NHL and may be a useful biomarker for selecting appropriate treatment when used in combination with the IPI.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Fas and Fas ligand expression on germinal center type-diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is associated with the clinical outcome.

In recent years, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been classified by DNA microarray analysis into the germinal center B-cell-like (GC) type, the activated B-cell-like (ABC) type and type 3. The latter two types can be collectively categorized as the non-GC (NGC) type. From the prognostic perspective, the GC type has a favorable clinical outcome when compared with the NGC type. The protein Fas induces apoptosis of lymphocytes by binding with the Fas ligand (FasL), and escape from such apoptosis is considered to lead to malignant transformation of the cells and unrestricted growth of lymphoma. We proposed a hypothesis that Fas/FasL expression could be possibly related with a better survival of GC type DLBCL and evaluated 69 DLBCL cases immunohistochemically with CD10, Bcl-6, MUM1, Fas and FasL. These lymphomas were classified as GC type (positive for CD10 or Bcl-6 and negative for MUM1) or NGC type. The GC type had a better overall survival rate than the NGC type (P = 0.0723). Among markers as given above, positive CD10 was the most significant prognostic factor for overall survival in total DLBCL (P < 0.05). In the GC type, Fas and FasL expressions were significantly associated with a favorable overall survival (Fas: P < 0.005; FasL: P < 0.05). Hence, Fas or FasL expression might contribute to a better prognosis of this type of DLBCL.

Adult↗

Late-onset neutropenia in patients treated with rituximab for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Late-onset grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 3 (5.6%) of 54 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated with rituximab between September 2001 and March 2004. Neutropenia appeared 5 to 25 weeks after administration of cytotoxic agents in combination with rituximab and recurred 4 and 17 weeks after the first onset in 2 patients. Five episodes occurred in a total of 332 cycles of rituximab therapy. Bone marrow findings at the time of late-onset neutropenia showed neutrophil maturation arrest with or without reversible myeloid dysplasia in 3 episodes and selective depletion of the myeloid series in 1 episode. Neither circulating immune complexes nor antineutrophil antibodies were detected during the 3 episodes that we evaluated. Bone marrow cells stained CD8- and CD57-. Late-onset neutropenia resolved 5 to 7 days after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy was started. Further studies are needed to determine how rituximab functions and to identify appropriate countermeasures.

Aged↗

Expression of survivin and of antigen detected by a novel monoclonal antibody, T332, is associated with outcome of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and its subtypes.

Although diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, it is both clinically and morphologically heterogenous. The present study investigates the significance of survivin and a novel monoclonal antibody (MAb), T332, immunohistochemically for predicting the prognoses of DLBCL and its subtypes classified as germinal center B-cell-like type (GCB) and non-GCB type (NGCB) based on the expression profiles of CD10, bcl-6, and MUM1. A total of 60 cases of DLBCL (GCB, n = 22; NGCB, n = 38) were examined for the expression of survivin and T332 antigen. Survivin(+) DLBCL had a significantly worse prognosis (P = 0.01) than survivin(-) cases, as already reported, while survivin(+) GCB or NGCB tended to have poor prognoses (P = 0.06 and 0.07, respectively). However, T332(+) DLBCL and NGCB had significantly more unfavorable prognoses than T332(-) cases (P = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively) while there was no significant survival difference between the T332(+) and T332(-) groups of GCB (P = 0.11). Interestingly DLBCL coexpressing survivin and T332 (n = 13) had a significantly worse prognosis (P = 0.009) than the remaining single positive and double negative cases (n = 31). In conclusion, survivin and the novel MAb, T332, might be a good predictor of DLBCL and its subtypes.

Adult↗

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infection in haematological malignancies and liver injury following chemotherapy.

The aim of this study was to determine the carrier rate of hepatitis virus in patients with haematological malignancies and the incidence of liver injury in these patients following chemotherapy. From January 1996 to September 2002, we studied 601 consecutive, unselected series of patients with haematological malignancies admitted in our hospital unit (Japan). They consisted of 246 cases of acute leukaemia, 218 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 13 adult T-cell leukaemia, and 124 multiple myeloma. Of these 601 patients, 373 were men and 228 were women; their mean age was 61 yr, with a range from 18 to 89 yr. The prevalences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were 7.3% and 10.1%, respectively, in NHL, both higher than those in acute leukaemia (1.7% and 2.9%, P < 0.005) and in general Japanese population (1.2% and 2.6%). The incidence of post-chemotherapy liver injury in 25 HBV carriers (36.0%) was significantly higher than that in 539 non-hepatitis virus carriers (12.6%, P = 0.003) and 37 HCV carriers (10.8%, P = 0.026). Liver injury in HBV carriers was more often present in patients who had been treated with steroids than in those without steroids (72.7% and 0%, P = 0.013). After lamivudine became available in our institution, the incidence of liver injury in HBV carriers was reduced from 53.3% to 10.0% (P = 0.041). The therapeutic strategy for haematological malignancies in hepatitis virus carriers should be further investigated.

Adolescent↗

Prevention of second primary tumors by an acyclic retinoid in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Updated analysis of the long-term follow-up data.

Oral administration with acyclic retinoid, a synthetic vitamin A analog, for a limited period of 12 months (48 weeks) prevented the development of second primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and also improved the survival of patients who underwent curative treatments of the initial tumor. Following that randomized controlled study reported in 1996 and 1999, we have continued to follow up the patients by medical imaging and blood chemical analyses, and found that the preventive effect of acyclic retinoid lasted up to 199 weeks after randomization (or 151 weeks after completion of retinoid administration). The retinoid's effect was not mediated by reduction in hepatic necro-inflammation since no significant decrease in serum aminotransferase activity was seen in the retinoid group. Such observation seems quite distinct from the cancer-preventive mechanism of interferon, a potent immunopreventive agent for HCC. We have also shown here the reduction by the retinoid in serum levels of lectin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II), both of which indicate the presence of latent HCC cells. These results suggest that acyclic retinoid may delete such malignant clones before they expand to clinically detectable tumors and thereby inhibited second primary HCC. Once such latent clones are eradicated, it may well take at least several years for the next cancer clone to arise clinically. This may possibly explain a reason for the long-term effect of the retinoid even after the limited period of administration.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

CD20-negative pyothorax-associated B cell lymphoma.

We describe an 86-year-old male who developed CD20-negative pyothorax-associated B cell lymphoma 64 years after he had suffered from tuberculous pleuritis. Therapy with 8 courses of THP-COP at 2-week intervals was followed by involved-field radiotherapy of 30 Gy. Uncertain complete remission was achieved. Thereafter, local recurrence of pyothorax-associated lymphoma (PAL) at the primary site was seen. The patient received salvage radiotherapy of 50 Gy. The patient died of pneumonia during a second uncertain complete remission. The progression-free survival and overall survival of this patient were 10 and 15 months, respectively. When compared with the median survival of 9 months reported in the literature, the adverse effect of CD20 negativity on prognosis may not apply to PAL patients with an occasional aberrant phenotype.

Aged↗

Prevention of rat hepatocarcinogenesis by acyclic retinoid is accompanied by reduction in emergence of both TGF-alpha-expressing oval-like cells and activated hepatic stellate cells.

We investigated the preventive effects of a synthetic acyclic retinoid, NIK-333, on the early and late events of hepatocarcinogenesis in male F344 rats treated with 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-MeDAB). NIK-333 was administered once a day on consecutive days at a dose of 10, 40, or 80 mg/kg body weight along with the supplementation with 3'-MeDAB-containing diet for 16 wk. Animals from each group were sacrificed at 4 and 16 wk after the commencement of the experiment to determine the effect of NIK-333 on the early and late stages of carcinogenesis, respectively. NIK-333 suppressed the emergence of both oval-like cells expressing transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha, putative progenitors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and activated hepatic stellate cells, major matrix-producing cells of the liver, in the early stage and inhibited the incidence of HCC in the late phase. These results suggest that NIK-333 is a promising drug for the chemoprevention of HCC by uniquely suppressing the early events of hepatocarcinogenesis, that is, development of both oval-like cells and fibrogenesis.

Actins↗

Low-dose granulocyte colony-stimulating factor overcomes neutropenia in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with higher cost-effectiveness.

To facilitate more economical medical care, we carried out a prospective study of whether a THP-COP regimen (cyclophosphamide, pirarubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone) with low-dose granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) would effectively treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). From April 2003 through March 2004, we enrolled 19 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed NHL treated at our hospital. The patients were divided into young and elderly groups. Each patient underwent chemotherapy with 8 courses of a THP-COP regimen with a 50-microg dose of lenograstim. Age- and sex-matched historical control patients (n = 141) received NHL diagnoses between 1998 and 2003. Each patient in the control group underwent the same chemotherapy and received a 100-microg dose of lenograstim. The mean (+/-SD) total amounts of G-CSF per cycle of chemotherapy were 332 +/- 103 microg (young patients) and 345 +/- 128 microg (elderly patients) in the low-dose group and 594 +/- 439 microg (young) and 730 +/- 551 microg (elderly) in the control group. The duration of fever in 1 cycle of chemotherapy was 0.3 +/- 1.0 days (young) and 0.1 +/- 0.8 days (elderly) in the low-dose group and 0.5 +/- 1.3 days (young) and 0.8 +/- 2.0 days (elderly) in the control group. A THP-COP regimen with low-dose G-CSF could be administered to NHL patients with safety. Administration of a 50-microg dose of lenograstim is sufficient and recommended for the treatment of NHL.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

[Early transformation from follicular lymphoma to Burkitt lymphoma].

We report a rare case of follicular lymphoma which rapidly showed transformation to the Burkitt type of lymphoma after a treatment consisting of chemotherapy and irradiation. A 51-year-old male visited our hospital in August 2000 because of bilateral neck lymphadenopathy. He was diagnosed as having follicular lymphoma (grade 2) (clinical stage IIIA) with complex karyotypic abnormalities involving t(14 ; 18)(q32 ; q21) and CD20 expression. Initially he was followed as an outpatient without chemotherapy. Six months later, he was admitted because of hydronephrosis due to an intrapelvic tumor. He underwent chemotherapy with 4 courses of CHOP regimen following irradiation therapy and a partial response was obtained. Four months after initiation of the treatment, his disease recurred with numb chin syndrome. Bone marrow aspiration revealed bone marrow involvement by lymphoma cells which had a Burkitt-like appearance. A cytogenetic study using bone marrow blood showed complex abnormalities involving t(8 ; 22)(q24 ; q11) in addition to t(14 ; 18). In spite of salvage chemotherapy, the patient died in September 2001.

Burkitt Lymphoma↗

[Myelodysplastic syndrome with der (1;7) transformed from aplastic anemia 42 years after onset].

A 51-year-old man had been diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia (AA) at the age of 9 years. He was treated with occasional transfusions for the next 35 years. Following initiation of cyclosporin A (CsA), the patient became transfusion-independent at 44-years-old. Anemia improved after cessation of CsA and no therapy was required for the next 5 years. However, severe pancytopenia suddenly developed at the age of 51. Bone marrow aspiration revealed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with der (1;7). The ineffectiveness of CsA for MDS led to resumed dependence on transfusion. This case suggests that the appearance of MDS clones might have contributed to transient hematological improvement. Bone marrow aspiration should be considered in patients with AA if unexpected hematological improvement appears.

Anemia, Aplastic↗

Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) level determines clinical outcome in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: in combination with the International Prognostic Index.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic significance of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS: One hundred and thirteen consecutive patients with previously untreated aggressive NHL (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 96; peripheral T-cell lymphoma, 17) prospectively participated in this study between 1995 and 2001. The patients were treated with 6-8 cycles of a CHOP or THP (pirarubicin)-COP regimen. RESULTS: A high serum sIL-2R level (2,000 U/ml and over) at onset was associated with a low complete remission rate. Patients with high sIL-2R had significantly lower survival rates (5-year, 24%) than those with low sIL-2R (under 2,000 U/ml) (74%) (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis employing sIL-2R levels and conventional prognostic factors demonstrated that high sIL-2R, presence of B-symptoms, and advanced age (60 years and older) were significantly unfavorable variables for overall survival. In addition, we attempted to use sIL-2R in combination with the International Prognostic Index (IPI). The patients in the high (H) risk group and those with high sIL-2R in the low-intermediate (LI)/high-intermediate (HI) risk group had significantly lower survival rates than the patients in the low (L) risk group and those with low sIL-2R in the LI/HI risk group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a high serum sIL-2R level predicts a poor prognosis in aggressive NHL and may be a useful biomarker for selecting appropriate treatment when used in combination with the IPI.

Age Factors↗

The RING finger protein, RNF8, interacts with retinoid X receptor alpha and enhances its transcription-stimulating activity.

Retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR alpha) is a member of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily. Using yeast two-hybrid screening, beta-galactosidase assays, and pull-down assays, we show that RNF8, a RING finger protein recently isolated as a protein binding to a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, binds to RXR alpha through the N-terminal regions of both proteins. In COS7 cells, overexpressed RNF8 colocalized and interacted with RXR alpha in the nucleus, as shown by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. A point mutation of RNF8, Cys-403 to Ser (C403S), which disrupts the RING finger structure, or deletion of the N-terminal region (Delta N) of RNF8 prevented localization of RNF8 to the nucleus without affecting nuclear localization of RXR alpha. Although transient overexpression of RNF8 had little effect on RXR alpha ubiquitination, RNF8 dose-dependently enhanced RXR alpha-mediated transactivation of the RXR-responsive element (RXRE)-bearing gene promoter without the addition of its ligand, 9-cis-retinoic acid (RA), and up-regulated the expression of the genes downstream of RXRE as well as an RA-response element. This transactivation-enhancing activity was not seen with either the C403S point mutant or the Delta N deletion mutant of RNF8. These results suggest a novel function of RNF8 as a regulator of RXR alpha-mediated transcriptional activity through interaction between their respective N-terminal regions.

Animals↗

Excessive production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha by bone marrow T lymphocytes is essential in causing bone marrow failure in patients with aplastic anemia.

Aplastic anemia (AA) is regarded as an immunological disorder because of the clinical effect of immunosuppressive therapy. Recent studies have reported that cytokines play an important role in the development of AA. In the present study, we measured levels of T-cell derived intracellular cytokine production in peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) of patients with AA. We demonstrated that BM lymphocytes, particularly CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, in patients with AA produced significantly higher amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), compared with lymphocytes in normal controls. We have previously reported that expression of TNF receptor (R)1 and TNFR2 in the CD34(+) CD38(-) and CD34(+) CD38(+) fractions of patients with AA is significantly higher than those in normal control. These results indicate that BM stem cells in patients with AA may possess high sensitivity to TNF-alpha. This in turn suggests that TNF-alpha affects hematopoiesis at an earlier stage in AA patients than in normal controls. We strongly support the hypothesis that a simultaneous increase in TNF-alpha production by BM lymphocytes and sensitivity of stem cells to TNF-alpha leads to BM failure in AA.

Adult↗

Retinoids in cancer chemoprevention.

We review the therapeutic and preventive applications of a retinoid analog (vitamin A and its derivatives) for human cancers. Chemoprevention of cancer is an intervention in the carcinogenic process by chemical agents that block or reverse the malignant transformation of cells. Retinoids are prime candidates for cancer chemoprevention since cancer is characterized by abnormal growth with a lack of differentiation, which could be modified by retinoids. Retinoids exert their biological functions through nuclear receptors, retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR). A number of experimental and clinical studies have been performed in the past two decades with retinoids showing that they inhibit or reverse the carcinogenic process in some organs, including hematological malignancy as well as premalignant and malignant lesions in the oral cavity, head and neck, breast, skin and liver. We particularly focus upon the therapeutic application of all-trans RA (atRA) to acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and on the preventive approach to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by a synthetic retinoid analog, acyclic retinoid. In both malignancies, malfunction of retinoid nuclear receptors is closely related to their carcinogenic process. In APL, a chromosomal translocation produces a chimeric protein between RAR alpha and a protein called promyelocyte leukemia protein (PML). PML-RAR alpha works as a dominant negative receptor in the leukemic cells, interfering with the normal function of RAR alpha and/or PML, which in turn results in the arrest of cell maturation at the stage of promyelocytes. Oral administration of atRA induces differentiation of promyelocytic leukemic cells to mature neutrophils, and leads to a high rates (over 90%) of complete remission. AtRA therapy has become standard in the treatment of APL. In the case of HCC, post-translational modification of RXR by phosphorylation impairs its function, which leads to uncontrolled cell growth. Acyclic retinoid suppresses the phosphorylation of RXR alpha, restores its function in the presence of its endogenous ligand, 9-cis RA, and thereby induces apoptosis of the cancer cells. Acyclic retinoid given orally successfully suppresses the development of second primary tumors in cirrhotic patients who undergo curative removal of preceding HCC. Eradication of (pre)malignant clones ('clonal deletion') from the liver is suggested as a mechanism of the chemopreventive effect. Further development of more effective retinoids as well as their use in combination with other classes of anticancer agents including immunopreventive drugs like interferons may provide strategies for cancer prevention.

Animals↗

[Diagnosis of adult type of Niemann-Pick disease (type C) in two brothers by filipin staining of bone marrow smears].

Niemann-Pick disease, type C (NPC) is a neurometabolic genetic disorder that is distinguished from other types of Niemann-Pick disease by its later onset, more insidious progression, variable visceromegaly, and abnormalities of intracellular cholesterol metabolism. We report cases in 18-year-old and 20-year-old brothers who presented with disinhibition and involuntary movement of their hands. Both brothers presented various signs such as dementia, vertical supranuclear ophthalmoplegia (VSO), dysarthria, axial and limb dystonia, hyperreflexia, pathologic reflex, cerebellar ataxia, as reported. They also presented startle response. Brain MRI showed diffuse cerebral atrophy and abdominal CT reveals hepato-splenomegaly in both patients. These cases were suspected to be NPC based on dementia, VSO, cerebellar ataxia, hepato-splenomegaly and foam cells in the bone marrow. Generally, the diagnosis of NPC is based on deficient cholesterol esterification and excessive lysosomal filipin staining in cultured skin fibroblasts. However, culture of fibroblasts obtained from a biopsied skin samples is slow. We have rapidly made the diagnosis of NPC in our patients by filipin staining of foam cells from bone marrow. This diagnostic process using a bone marrow smear is more convenient and rapid than previous methods using cultured skin fibroblasts.

Adolescent↗