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Biomedical subjects

Ulrich Jaeger

Publications and source records attributed to Ulrich Jaeger.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Antibiotic treatment is not effective in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori suffering from extragastric MALT lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Apart from anecdotal reports implicating Helicobacter pylori (HP) in the development of extragastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, no large scale prospective studies have been performed on this topic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 77 patients with extragastric MALT lymphoma were prospectively studied. The presence or absence of HP was tested by histology, urease breath test, and serology. Patients were also tested for hepatitis A, B, and C and autoimmune conditions along with assessment of MALT lymphoma-specific genetic changes. RESULTS: Evidence for infection with HP was present in 35 of 77 patients (45%), and three of 75 patients tested (4%) were positive for hepatitis C and one for hepatitis B. All patients with HP-infection underwent eradication, 16 before initiation of further therapy. Apart from one patient with lymphoma involving parotid and colon, who achieved regression of the colonic lesions, none of these 16 patients showed regression of the lymphoma after a median follow-up of 14 months (range, 8 to 48+ months) before initiation of definitive treatment. No correlation between HP-status, localization, stage, autoimmune diseases, and genetic findings was seen. CONCLUSION: In our series, HP-eradication was ineffective for treatment of extragastric MALT lymphomas. This finding, along with an infection rate of 45%-as could also be expected in the general Austrian population-suggests that HP does not play a role in the development of these lymphomas. Antibiotic treatment targeting HP should, therefore, be discouraged in patients with extragastric MALT lymphomas.

Adult↗

Rituximab, Ara-C, dexamethasone and oxaliplatin is safe and active in heavily pretreated patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are either not suitable for stem cell transplantation or suffer from relapsed disease after standard second-line chemotherapy face a dismal prognosis. Most of them have a reduced performance status and do not tolerate intensive chemotherapy. METHODS: Twenty patients with relapsed DLBCL were given rituximab 375 mg/m(2) intravenously on day 1, Ara-C 2 x 1,000 mg intravenously on day 2, dexamethasone 40 mg intravenously on days 1-4, and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) intravenously over 2 h on day 3 (R-ADOx). RESULTS: Five patients (25%) achieved a complete remission, 9 (45%) had a partial response , 2 (10%) had stable disease with improvement in performance status, while 4 patients (20%) progressed. The median survival was 11 months (range 1-13). Despite extensive pretreatment, side effects were relatively mild and consisted of thrombocytopenia WHO grade III in 9 (45%) and grade IV in 2 (11%) patients, leukocytopenia WHO grade III in 10 (50%) cases (with infectious episodes in 2 patients), and transient peripheral neuropathy in 9 (45%) patients. CONCLUSION: R-ADOx is well tolerated in heavily pretreated patients with an impaired performance status. In addition, it displays impressive therapeutic activity given the highly unfavorable patient characteristics and should be further investigated for treatment of DLBCL.

Aged↗

CHOP-like chemotherapy plus rituximab versus CHOP-like chemotherapy alone in young patients with good-prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma: a randomised controlled trial by the MabThera International Trial (MInT) Group.

BACKGROUND: The role of rituximab in combination with different CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone)-like chemotherapy regimens in young patients with good-prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma remains to be defined. We aimed to compare CHOP-like chemotherapy and rituximab with CHOP-like chemotherapy alone in these patients. METHODS: 824 patients who were from 18 countries; aged 18-60 years; and who had no risk factors or one risk factor according to age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (IPI), stage II-IV disease, or stage I disease with bulk were enrolled. These patients were randomly assigned to six cycles of CHOP-like chemotherapy and rituximab (n=413) or to six cycles of CHOP-like chemotherapy alone (n=411). Bulky and extranodal sites received additional radiotherapy. The primary endpoint was event-free survival; secondary endpoints were response, progression under therapy, progression-free survival, overall survival, and frequency of toxic effects. Analyses were done by intention to treat and per protocol. This trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT 00064116. FINDINGS: After a median follow-up of 34 months (range 0.03-61), patients assigned chemotherapy and rituximab had increased 3-year event-free survival compared with those assigned chemotherapy alone (79% [95% CI 75-83] vs 59% [54-64]; difference between groups 20% [13-27], log-rank p<0.0001), and had increased 3-year overall survival (93% [90-95] vs 84% [80-88]; difference between groups 9% [3-13], log-rank p=0.0001). Event-free survival was affected by treatment group, presence of bulky disease, and age-adjusted IPI: after chemotherapy and rituximab, a favourable subgroup (ie, IPI=0, no bulk) could be defined from a less-favourable subgroup (ie, IPI=1 or bulk, or both). Groups did not differ in the frequency of adverse events. INTERPRETATION: Rituximab added to six cycles of CHOP is an effective treatment for young patients with good-prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. The definition of two prognostic subgroups allows for a more refined therapeutic approach for these patients.

Adolescent↗

Phase II study of oxaliplatin for treatment of patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Various chemotherapeutic regimens have been applied for treatment of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, but no standard regimen has been identified to date. In view of the activity of oxaliplatin (L-OHP) in various types of lymphoma, we performed a phase II study to evaluate the activity of L-OHP for treatment of MALT lymphoma. The primary objective of this study was to determine the objective response rate according to WHO standard criteria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 16 patients with MALT lymphoma of various sites of origin (four of the ocular adnexa, five of the salivary glands, three of the stomach, two of the lung, and one of the colon and the breast) were administered L-OHP at a dose of 130 mg/m2 infused during 2 hours every 3 weeks. Restaging was performed every two cycles; treatment was continued until complete remission (CR) or for a maximum of six cycles in responders. RESULTS: Sixty-five cycles were administered (median, four; range, two to six); toxicity consisted of transient sensory neuropathy in eight patients and nausea/emesis WHO grade 2 in two patients, whereas hematologic adverse effects (thrombocytopenia and leukocytopenia grade 2) occurred in only one patient each. Fifteen patients responded to chemotherapy, with nine achieving CR (56%), six (37.5%) achieving partial response, and one achieving stable disease; the median time to response was 4 months (range; 2 to 4 months). CONCLUSION: These data suggest L-OHP is a highly active agent for treatment of MALT lymphoma. However, a longer follow-up is needed to judge whether these remissions are durable.

Adult↗

High relapse rate in patients with MALT lymphoma warrants lifelong follow-up.

BACKGROUND: B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is thought to be an indolent disease, with a good prognosis following various forms of treatment. Little, however, is known about the rate and pattern of relapse following successful treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have analyzed time to and pattern of relapse in patients with MALT lymphoma, along with investigation of t(11;18)(q21;q21), t(1;14)(p22;q32), and t(14;18)(q32;q21) involving IGH/MALT1, trisomy 3, and trisomy 18. Eighty-six patients achieving complete remission (CR) after initial therapy with sufficient follow-up data were available. Primary site of disease was the stomach (n = 36), salivary gland (n = 19), ocular adnexa/orbit (n = 12), lung (n = 8), thyroid (n = 5), breast (n = 3), liver (n = 2), and skin (n = 1). RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (37%) relapsed between 14 and 307 months (median 47 months) after initial CR. Ten relapses were local, whereas the remaining patients relapsed in a distant organ. Eight of 36 gastric versus 24 of 50 nongastric MALT lymphomas (P = 0.02) relapsed. Five patients had a second recurrence 26 to 56 months after a second CR. Relapse rates were not related to forms of initial treatment. Chromosomal aberrations were detected in 14 of 28 (50%) relapsing patients, and chromosomal alterations were identical at diagnosis and relapse. No significant association of any of the genetic changes investigated with relapse was found. Interestingly, patients with t(11;18)(q21;q21) had a significantly longer median time to relapse (76 months) than patients without this translocation (29 months; P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: In view of the late relapses seen in our series, lifelong observation of all patients treated for MALT lymphoma seems to be required.

Adult↗

Phase III study of chlorambucil versus fludarabine as initial therapy for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and related disorders.

The WM1 study is a prospective randomized open-label study that includes patients with previously untreated Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM), splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (SLVL), and nonimmunoglobulin (Ig) M lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) who have an indication for treatment. At registration, patients are categorized as having WM, SLVL, or LPL, and these cohorts are to be analyzed separately. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of oral chlorambucil at a dose of 8 mg/m(2) (6 mg/m(2) for those > 75 years of age) for 10 days every 28 days to a maximum of 12 cycles with oral or intravenous (I.V.) fludarabine at a dose of 40 mg/m(2) orally or 25 mg/m(2) I.V. (30 mg/m(2)orally or 20 mg/m(2)I.V. for those > 75 years of age) for 5 days every 28 days to a maximum of 6 cycles. Primary endpoints are response to therapy and duration of response; secondary endpoints are improvement in hematologic parameters, toxicity of therapy, quality of life, and survival. To detect a difference in response rate of patients with WM of 15%, assuming that the overall response rates will be 50% to chlorambucil and 65% to fludarabine, with a power of 80%, requires the sample size of each group to be 183, indicating the need for collaboration among a number of national investigator groups. As of February 2005, accrual to the study stands at 143. Registration, randomization, and data collection are entirely Internet-based (www.waldenstroms.org), and the study is organized by an international collaboration, with a planned interim analysis and an external data monitoring committee.

Administration, Oral↗

Rituximab plus infusional cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide in HIV-associated non-Hodgkin lymphoma: pooled results from 3 phase 2 trials.

Evidence suggests that infusional therapy is a more effective means for administering cytotoxic therapy than intravenous bolus therapy for lymphoma and offers greater potential for therapeutic synergy with rituximab, which has a long half-life. We pooled the results of 3 prospective phase 2 trials evaluating rituximab in combination with 96-hour infusion of cyclophosphamide (187.5-200 mg/m2 per day), doxorubicin (12.5 mg/m2 per day), and etoposide (60 mg/m2 per day) (R-CDE) plus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in 74 patients with HIV-associated, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, of whom 56 (76%) patients received concurrent highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The complete remission (CR) rate was 70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 59%-81%), and the estimated 2-year failure-free survival and overall survival rates were 59% (95% CI, 47%-71%) and 64% (95% CI, 52%-76%), respectively. Ten (14%) patients had opportunistic infections during or within 3 months of the end of R-CDE, and 17 (23%) patients developed nonopportunistic infections after that time. Six (8%) patients died because of infection; 2 (3%) of those infections were bacterial sepsis during R-CDE, and 4 (5%) were opportunistic infections that occurred between 2 and 8 months after the completion of R-CDE. R-CDE produced a 70% CR rate and a 59% 2-year failure-free survival rate in patients with HIV-associated lymphoma. Consistent with other reports, adding rituximab to cytotoxic therapy in this population may increase the risk for life-threatening infection. Further studies evaluating rituximab in combination with infusional chemotherapy are warranted, but caution is advised.

Adult↗

Burkitt lymphoma following splenic marginal zone lymphoma. evidence for two independent B-cell clones.

We report the progression of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) with circulating villous lymphocytes to Burkitt lymphoma with the presence of a t(8;14)(q24;q32) followed by a highly aggressive course. While the initial indolent lymphoma had an IgM lambda immunophenotype the Burkitt lymphoma was IgM kappa-positive. Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGH) sequence analysis showed no identity between the two clones. We conclude that Burkitt lymphoma can occur in patients with SMZL, although not necessarily of identical clonal origin.

Aged↗

V(D)J-mediated translocations in lymphoid neoplasms: a functional assessment of genomic instability by cryptic sites.

Most lymphoid malignancies are initiated by specific chromosomal translocations between immunoglobulin (Ig)/T cell receptor (TCR) gene segments and cellular proto-oncogenes. In many cases, illegitimate V(D)J recombination has been proposed to be involved in the translocation process, but this has never been functionally established. Using extra-chromosomal recombination assays, we determined the ability of several proto-oncogenes to target V(D)J recombination, and assessed the impact of their recombinogenic potential on translocation rates in vivo. Our data support the involvement of 2 distinct mechanisms: translocations involving LMO2, TAL2, and TAL1 in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), are compatible with illegitimate V(D)J recombination between a TCR locus and a proto-oncogene locus bearing a fortuitous but functional recombination site (type 1); in contrast, translocations involving BCL1 and BCL2 in B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL), are compatible with a process in which only the IgH locus breaks are mediated by V(D)J recombination (type 2). Most importantly, we show that the t(11;14)(p13;q32) translocation involving LMO2 is present at strikingly high frequency in normal human thymus, and that the recombinogenic potential conferred by the LMO2 cryptic site is directly predictive of the in vivo level of translocation at that locus. These findings provide new insights into the regulation forces acting upon genomic instability in B and T cell tumorigenesis.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Variable prognostic value of FLT3 internal tandem duplications in patients with de novo AML and a normal karyotype, t(15;17), t(8;21) or inv(16).

INTRODUCTION: Internal tandem duplication of the FLT3 gene (FLT3/ITD) has been linked to poor outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the prognostic value of FLT3/ITD in various cytogenetic risk groups is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance in patients with de novo AML and a normal karyotype or a t(15;17), t(8;21) or inv(16) (good risk group). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Diagnostic samples of 100 patients were investigated by single-step PCR of exons 11 and 12 of the FLT3 gene in a single center retrospective analysis. Subgroups included 53 patients with normal karyotype, 21 patients with t(15;17), 9 patients with t(8;21) and 17 patients with inv(16). RESULTS: FLT3/ITD was found in 26 out of 100 patients: 30% of patients with a normal karyotype and 38% of t(15;17) patients tested positive. The complete remission (CR) rates for the ITD(+) or ITD(-) groups were 50 vs 76% in normal karyotypes, and 100 vs 53% in t(15;17) patients, while the relapse rates were 75 vs 25% in normal karyotypes and 50 vs 42% in t(15;17) patients. Overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) at 5 years were significantly different in patients with normal cytogenetics: ITD(+) vs ITD(-): OS 6 vs 28% (P<0.003); DFS 13 vs 41% (P<0.02) Interestingly, FLT3/ITD had no significant effect on the outcome of t(15;17) patients: ITD(+) vs ITD(-): OS 85 vs 53% (P=0.056), DFS 45 vs 60% (P=0.6) at 50 months. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest a high prognostic value of FLT3/ITD in patients with normal cytogenetics. However, we find no evidence that FLT3/ITD is a predictive marker for patients with t(15;17).

Acute Disease↗

The immunophenotype of 325 adult acute leukemias: relationship to morphologic and molecular classification and proposal for a minimal screening program highly predictive for lineage discrimination.

Bone marrow cells of 325 adults with acute leukemia were immunophenotyped using a panel of monoclonal antibodies proposed by the European Group for the Immunological Characterization of Leukemias (EGIL). Of these, 97.2% could be assigned clearly to myeloid or lymphoid lineage (254 acute myeloid leukemias [AMLs], 48 B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemias [ALLs], 14 T-cell lineage ALLs), 1.8% as biphenotypic, and less than 1% as undifferentiated. Immunologic subtyping of ALLs revealed an association between early precursor phenotypes and coexpression of myeloid antigens, particularly CD15/CD65s coexpression and pre-pre-B cell-specific phenotypes and genotypes. The common ALL phenotype was associated with BCR-ABL translocation. Among AMLs, CD2 coexpression was almost exclusively restricted to French-American-British subtypes M3 variant and M4Eo and related molecular aberrations. The most valuable markers to differentiate between myeloperoxidase-negative AML subtypes M0 and ALLs were CD13, CD33, and CD117, typical of M0, and intracytoplasmic CD79a, intracytoplasmic CD3, CD10, and CD2, typical of B cell- or T cell-lineage ALL. Our results confirm excellent practicability of the EGIL proposalfor immunologic classification of acute leukemias. For myeloperoxidase-negative AMLs, we suggest a scoring system based on markers most valuable to distinguish between AML-M0 and ALLs.

Acute Disease↗

Cyclin D3 is a predictive and prognostic factor in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Cyclin D3 is an important regulator for transition from G(1) to the S phase of the cell cycle. Cyclin D3 expression is associated with cell proliferation in lymphoid tissues, but its impact on clinical outcome in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas has not been studied. Therefore, we determined the clinical relevance of cyclin D3 expression in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We examined the relation between cyclin D3 expression at diagnosis and response to conventional polychemotherapy and overall survival in 81 previously untreated patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Cyclin D3 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Cyclin D3 immunostaining ranged from 0-100% (median, 30%) of the lymphoma cells. Patients with high (>or=50% cyclin D3-positive lymphoma cells) cyclin D3 expression had a more advanced clinical stage (P = 0.003) and more often had extranodal disease in more than one site (P = 0.007) than patients with low cyclin D3 expression. Patients with high cyclin D3 expression had a significantly lower complete response rate (17% versus 74%; P < 0.001) and a shorter overall survival (3-year survival rate, 18% versus 74%; P < 0.001) than those with low cyclin D3 expression. Multivariate analyses that included cyclin D3 and the International Prognostic Index demonstrated that cyclin D3 expression had independent effects on the complete response rates and overall survival of the patients. In conclusion, high cyclin D3 expression is an independent predictive and prognostic factor associated with poor clinical outcome in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗