Project description:Various myeloid neoplasms, including the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), bear a certain risk of progression to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML). The evolution from low-risk to high-risk MDS and finally to sAML suggests that leukemogenesis is a multistep process. However, even before an overt neoplasm, such as an MDS, develops, "prediagnostic" clonal conditions may be identified. With the advent of large-scale genomic screens, such conditions may be detected quite frequently and early in apparently healthy individuals. Recent data suggest that these conditions increase with age and are indeed associated with an increased risk of the occurrence of MDS or another myeloid neoplasm. In other patients, unexplained cytopenia may be detected and may precede MDS. More recently, diagnostic criteria for potential pre-MDS conditions, including idiopathic cytopenia of uncertain significance and clonal hematopoiesis with indeterminate potential, have been proposed. The current article provides an overview of pre-MDS states and related criteria through which these conditions can be discriminated from each other and from MDS. In addition, the clinical implications and management of pre-MDS states are discussed.
Project description:BackgroundWhile molecular insights to diffuse lower-grade glioma (dLGG) have improved the basis for prognostication, most established clinical prognostic factors come from the pre-molecular era. For instance, WHO grade as a predictor for survival in dLGG with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation has recently been questioned. We studied the prognostic role of WHO grade in molecularly defined subgroups and evaluated earlier used prognostic factors in the current molecular setting.Material and methodsA total of 253 adults with morphological dLGG, consecutively included between 2007 and 2018, were assessed. IDH mutations, codeletion of chromosomal arms 1p/19q, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A/B (CDKN2A/B) deletions were analyzed.ResultsThere was no survival benefit for patients with WHO grade 2 over grade 3 IDH-mut dLGG after exclusion of tumors with known CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion (n=157) (log-rank p=0.97). This was true also after stratification for oncological postoperative treatment and when astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas were analyzed separately. In IDH-mut astrocytomas, residual tumor volume after surgery was an independent prognostic factor for survival (HR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.03; p=0.003), but not in oligodendrogliomas (HR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.03; p=0.15). Preoperative tumor size was an independent predictor in both astrocytomas (HR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00-1.05; p=0.02) and oligodendrogliomas (HR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09; p=0.01). Age was not a significant prognostic factor in multivariable analyses (astrocytomas p=0.64, oligodendrogliomas p=0.08).ConclusionOur findings suggest that WHO grade is not a robust prognostic factor in molecularly well-defined dLGG. Preoperative tumor size remained a prognostic factor in both IDH-mut astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas in our cohort, whereas residual tumor volume predicted prognosis in IDH-mut astrocytomas only. The age cutoffs for determining high risk in patients with IDH-mut dLGG from the pre-molecular era are not supported by our results.
Project description:Lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by the presence of dysplasia, low bone marrow blast percentage, low number and depth of cytopenia(s), and relatively good-risk karyotpic and molecular abnormalities. A score of ≤3.5 on the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System classifies patients as lower-risk MDS. Information from a mutational profile of the MDS at time of diagnosis (and over serial time points) can be reassuring for predicted behavior of lower-risk MDS compared with one expected to progress more rapidly (higher-risk MDS). Supportive care continues to be the crux of treatment, although the options to reduce transfusion needs have improved in 2020. Erythropoiesis stimulating agents, lenalidomide, and luspatercept address the most frequent (and symptomatic) cytopenia (anemia) and are started only when patients are transfusion dependent. Patients can derive long-term benefits (years) from these approaches but will often progress to higher-risk MDS. Interestingly, some patients with lower-risk MDS can present with an isolated thrombocytopenia for which thrombopoietin receptor analogs such as romiplostim and eltrombopag are options (as long as blast counts are low). The presence of pancytopenia and or intensifying and unremitting clinical symptoms are often treated with hypomethylating agents or (anti-thymocyte globulin if hypocellular MDS is of concern). Targeted therapies are emerging for small subsets of MDS patients with specific somatic mutations (ie, TP53, IDH1/2, FLT3), although currently, there are no approved, mutation-directed medications to treat MDS.
Project description:The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of malignant hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective growth and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors leading to peripheral blood cytopenias, dysplasia, and a variable risk of transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia. As most patients present with lower-risk disease, understanding the pathogenesis of ineffective hematopoiesis is important for developing therapies that will increase blood counts in patients with MDS. Various inflammatory cytokines are elevated in MDS and contribute to dysplastic differentiation. Inflammatory pathways mediated by interleukin (IL) 1b, IL-6, IL-1RAP, IL-8, and others lead to growth of aberrant MDS stem and progenitors while inhibiting healthy hematopoiesis. Spliceosome mutations can lead to missplicing of genes such as IRAK4, CASP8, and MAP3K, which lead to activation of proinflammatory nuclear factor κB-driven pathways. Therapeutically, targeting of ligands of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) pathway has led to approval of luspatercept in transfusion-dependent patients with MDS. Presently, various clinical trials are evaluating inhibitors of cytokines and their receptors in low-risk MDS. Taken together, an inflammatory microenvironment can support the pathogenesis of clonal hematopoiesis and low-risk MDS, and clinical trials are evaluating anti-inflammatory strategies in these diseases.
Project description:Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) are a heterogenous group of clonal hematologic disorders characterized by morphologic dysplasia, ineffective hematopoiesis, and cytopenia. In the past year, the classification of MDS has been updated in the 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours and the International Consensus Classification (ICC) of Myeloid Neoplasms and Acute Leukemia with incorporation of morphologic, clinical, and genomic data. Furthermore, the more comprehensive International Prognostic Scoring System-Molecular (IPSS-M) allows for improved risk stratification and prognostication. These three developments allow for more tailored therapeutic decision-making in view of the expanding treatment options in MDS. For patients with lower risk MDS, treatment is aimed at improving cytopenias, usually anemia. The recent approval of luspatercept and decitabine/cedazuridine have added on to the current armamentarium of erythropoietic stimulating agents and lenalidomide (for MDS with isolated deletion 5q). Several newer agents are being evaluated in phase 3 clinical trials for this group of patients, such as imetelstat and oral azacitidine. This review provides a summary of the classification systems, the prognostic scores and clinical management of patients with lower risk MDS.
Project description:The complexity of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) cannot be characterized by acquired somatic mutations alone. Individual genetic background is thought to contribute to the development of MPNs. The aim of our study was to assess the association between the TET2 rs1548483 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and the susceptibility to polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), primary myelofibrosis (PMF) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We evaluated the TET2 rs1548483 SNP through real-time PCR in 1601 MPN patients out of which 431 with PV, 688 with TE, 233 with PMF, 249 with CML and 197 controls. We included only patients with a molecularly proven driver mutation, such as JAK2 V617F, CALR or BCR-ABL1. Significant association between TET2 rs154843 variant allele and JAK2 V617F-positive PV and PMF (OR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.01-2.91; p-value = 0.046, and OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.10-3.77; p-value = 0.024, respectively), and type 2 CALR-positive PMF (OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.12-7.93; p-value = 0.035) was noted. The TET2 rs1548483 SNP is associated with the susceptibility to molecularly annotated PV and PMF.
Project description:Serum ferritin (SF) has been identified as a potential prognostic factor for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation, but the prognostic value of SF in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients and the impact of iron chelation therapy (ICT) on MDS patients are controversial. The present meta-analysis aimed to better elucidate these relationships.Three electronic databases were searched systematically to identify reports on the prognostic role of SF in MDS and AML patients, and those investigating the impact of ICT on prognosis of MDS patients. The hazard ratios (HRs) and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were extracted from the identified studies using Cox proportional hazard regression model for overall survival (OS) and progression of MDS to AML.Twenty reports including 1066 AML patients and 4054 MDS patients were included in present study. The overall pooled HRs for OS of AML and MDS patients with elevated SF prior to transplantation was 1.73 (1.40-2.14), subgroup analyses stratified by the cut-off value of SF ≥1400/1000 ng/mL showed that the pooled HRs were 1.45 (0.98-2.15) and 1.65 (1.30-2.10), respectively. The pooled HRs for ICT in MDS patients was 0.30 (0.23-0.40). For ICT, the pooled HRs for the progression of MDS to AML was 0.84 (0.61-1.61).SF has a negative impact on the OS of AML and MDS patients when it is higher than 1000 ng/mL. ICT can improve the OS of MDS patients with iron overload but it is not associated with the progression of MDS to AML.
Project description:The implementation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has influenced diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic decisions in myeloid malignancies. However, the clinical relevance of serial molecular annotation in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) undergoing active treatment is unknown. MDS or secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) patients who had at least two NGS assessments were identified. Outcomes according to mutation clearance (NGS-) on serial assessment were investigated. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to evaluate the prognostic impact of NGS trajectory on overall survival (OS). A total of 157 patients (MDS [n = 95]; sAML [n = 52]; CMML [n = 10]) were identified, with 93% of patients receiving treatment between NGS assessments. Magnitude of VAF delta from baseline was significantly associated with quality of response to treatment. Patients achieving NGS- had significantly improved OS compared to patients with mutation persistence (median OS not reached vs. 18.5 months; P = 0.002), which was confirmed in multivariate analysis (HR,0.14; 95%CI = 0.03-0.56; P = 0.0064). Serial TP53 VAF evaluation predicts outcomes with TP53 clearance representing an independent covariate for superior OS (HR,0.22; 95%CI = 0.05-0.99; P = 0.048). Collectively, our study highlights the clinical value of serial NGS during treatment and warrants prospective validation of NGS negativity as a biomarker for treatment outcome.