Prognostic factors for response and survival in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome patients treated with azacitidine (AZA) remain largely unknown. Two hundred eighty-two consecutive high or intermediate-2 risk myelodysplastic syndrome patients received AZA in a compassionate, patient-named program. Diagnosis was RA/RARS/RCMD in 4%, RAEB-1 in 20%, RAEB-2 in 54%, and RAEB-t (AML with 21%-30% marrow blasts) in 22%. Cytogenetic risk was good in 31%, intermediate in 17%, and poor in 47%. Patients received AZA for a median of 6 cycles (1-52). Previous low-dose cytosine arabinoside treatment (P ‫؍‬ .009), bone marrow blasts > 15% (P ‫؍‬ .004), and abnormal karyotype (P ‫؍‬ .03) independently predicted lower response rates. Complex karyotype predicted shorter responses (P ‫؍‬ .0003). Performance status > 2, intermediate-and poor-risk cytogenetics, presence of circulating blasts, and red blood cell transfusion dependency > 4 units/8 weeks (all P < 10 ؊4 ) independently predicted poorer overall survival (OS). A prognostic score based on those factors discriminated 3 risk groups with median OS not reached, 15.0 and 6.1 months, respectively (P < 10 ؊4 ). This prognostic score was validated in an independent set of patients receiving AZA in the AZA-001 trial (P ‫؍‬ .003). Achievement of hematological improvement in patients who did not obtain complete or partial remission was associated with improved OS (P < 10 ؊4 ). In conclusion, routine tests can identify subgroups of patients with distinct prognosis with AZA treatment. (Blood. 2011; 117(2):403-411)

IC + HCR is an effective treatment for refractory and recurrent PCNSL.

Pivotal phase II studies in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) patients in first relapse have used gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) (Mylotarg) at a dose of 9 mg/m 2 on days 1 and 14. These studies showed a 26% response rate (13% complete remission (CR) and 13% CRp (complete remission with incomplete platelet recovery)) but with high degree of hematological and liver toxicities. Based on in vitro studies showing a re-expression of CD33 antigenic sites on the cell surface of blasts cells after exposure to GO, we hypothesized that fractionated doses of GO may be efficient and better tolerated. Fifty-seven patients with AML in first relapse received GO at a dose of 3 mg/m 2 on days 1, 4 and 7 for one course. Fifteen patients (26%) achieved CR and four (7%) CRp. Remission rate correlated strongly with P-glycoprotein and MRP1 activities. The median relapse-free survival was 11 months, similar for CR or CRp patients. Median duration of neutropenia o500/ll and thrombocytopenia o50 000/ll were, respectively, 23 and 21 days. No grade 3 or 4 liver toxicity was observed. No veno-occlusive disease occurred after GO or after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation given after GO in seven patients. Mylotarg administered in fractionated doses demonstrated an excellent efficacy/safety profile.

Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis (programmed cell death) overexpressed in various human cancers, but undetectable in normal differentiated tissues. A potential distribution and prognostic significance of survivin in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) was investigated. By immunofluorescence of bone marrow specimens and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, survivin was detected in 75 out of 125 interpretable AML cases (60%), with reactivity in 50-90% of AML cells. Survivin expression correlated with a lower white blood cell count (WBC) (P = 0.008 by the Mann-Whitney test) and was associated, in the 55 cases of FAB M0/M1/M2, with leukaemic granulocytic maturation (one out of five M/L0, 11 out of 22 M/L1 and 23 out of 28M/L2; P = 0.007 by the Fisher test). In 69 patients treated with the Acute Leukaemia French Association (ALFA) 9000 protocol, survivin expression was significantly associated with a lower WBC (P = 0.03 by the Mann-Whitney test) and favourable/intermediate cytogenetics (P= 0.03 by the Fisher test). There was no significant difference in complete remission rate or overall survival between survivin-positive and survivin-negative AML patients (P = 0.15 by the log-rank test). However, survivin expression became an independent negative prognostic factor for survival when adjusted with the Cox model for established prognostic factors in AML (cytogenetics, age and WBC) or for the ALFA 9000 treatment arm (RR = 2.8 and P = 0.026, by the likelihood-ratio test). These data suggest that survivin expression may be considered as a new unfavourable prognostic factor of de novo AML and suggest a role for apoptosis inhibition in influencing disease outcome.

ATRA did not seem to significantly improve the response to ATO in patients relapsing from APL. Other potential combinations, including ATO plus chemotherapy, have to be tested.

After failure of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), lenalidomide (LEN) yields red blood cell (RBC) transfusion independence (TI) in 20-30% of lower-risk non-del5q myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Several observations suggest an additive effect of ESA and LEN in this situation. We performed a randomized phase III study in 131 RBC transfusion-dependent (TD, median transfusion requirement six RBC units per 8 weeks) lower-risk ESA-refractory non-del5q MDS. Patients received LEN alone, 10 mg per day, 21 days per 4 weeks (L arm) or LEN (same schedule) + erythropoietin (EPO) beta, 60,000 U per week (LE arm). In an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, erythroid response (HI-E, IWG 2006 criteria) after four treatment cycles (primary end point) was 23.1% (95% CI 13.5-35.2) in the L arm and 39.4% (95% CI 27.6-52.2) in the LE arm (P=0.044), while RBC-TI was reached in 13.8 and 24.2% of the patients in the L and LE arms, respectively (P=0.13). Median response duration was 18.1 and 15.1 months in the L and LE arms, respectively (P=0.47). Side effects were moderate and similar in the two arms. Low baseline serum EPO level and a G polymorphism of CRBN gene predicted HI-E. Combining LEN and EPO significantly improves erythroid response over LEN alone in lower-risk non-del5q MDS patients with anemia resistant to ESA.

Limited data are available on azacitidine (AZA) treatment and its prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). One hundred and forty‐nine previously untreated AML patients considered ineligible for intensive chemotherapy received AZA in a compassionate patient‐named program. AML diagnosis was de novo, post‐myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), post‐MPN, and therapy‐related AML in 51, 55, 13, and 30 patients, respectively. Median age was 74 years, median white blood cell count (WBC) was 3.2 × 109/L and 58% of the patients had ≥30% marrow blasts. Cytogenetics was adverse in 60 patients. Patients received AZA for a median of five cycles (range 1–31). Response rate (including complete remission/CR with incomplete recovery/partial remission) was 27.5% after a median of three cycles (initial response), and 33% at any time (best response). Only adverse cytogenetics predicted poorer response. Median overall survival (OS) was 9.4 months. Two‐year OS was 51% in responders and 10% in non‐responders (P<0.0001). Adverse cytogenetics, WBC >15 × 109/L and ECOG‐PS ≥2 predicted poorer OS, while age and marrow blast percentage had no impact. Using MDS IWG 2006 response criteria, among patients with stable disease, those with hematological improvement had no significant survival benefit in a 7 months landmark analysis. Outcomes observed in this high‐risk AML population treated with AZA deserve comparison with those of patients treated intensively in prospective studies. Am. J. Hematol. 89:410–416, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder characterized by megakaryocyte hyperplasia and bone marrow fibrosis. Biologically, an autonomous megakaryocyte growth and differentiation is noticed, which contributes to the megakaryocyte accumulation. To better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in this spontaneous growth, we searched for genes differentially expressed between normal megakaryocytes requiring cytokines to grow and IMF spontaneously proliferating megakaryocytes. Using a differential display technique, we found that the immunophilin FKBP51 was 2 to 8 times overexpressed in megakaryocytes derived from patients' CD34 ؉ cells in comparison to normal megakaryocytes. Overexpression was moderate and confirmed in 8 of 10 patients, both at the mRNA and protein levels. Overexpression of FKBP51 in a UT-7/Mpl cell line and in normal CD34 ؉ cells induced a resistance to apoptosis mediated by cytokine deprivation with no effect on proliferation.