Project description:Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic disorders. MDS is frequently associated with deletions on chromosome 5q as well as aberrant DNA methylation patterns including hypermethylation of key tumor suppressors. We have previously shown that hypermethylation and silencing of the non-coding RNA VTRNA2-1 are correlated with poor outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia patients. In this study, we find that VTRNA1-2 and VTRNA1-3, both located on chromosome 5q, can be regulated and silenced by promoter DNA methylation, and that the hypomethylating agent 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine causes reactivation these genes. In normal hematopoiesis, we find that vault RNAs (vtRNAs) show differential methylation between various hematopoietic cell populations, indicating that allele-specific methylation events may occur during hematopoiesis. In addition, we show that VTRNA1-3 promoter hypermethylation is frequent in lower risk MDS patients and is associated with a decreased overall survival.
Project description:Red blood cell transfusions remain one of the cornerstones in supportive care of lower-risk patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. We hypothesized that patients develop oxidant-mediated tissue injury through the formation of toxic iron species, caused either by red blood cell transfusions or by ineffective erythropoiesis. We analyzed serum samples from 100 lower-risk patients with myelodysplastic syndromes at six-month intervals for transferrin saturation, hepcidin-25, growth differentiation factor 15, soluble transferrin receptor, non-transferrin bound iron and labile plasma iron in order to evaluate temporal changes in iron metabolism and the presence of potentially toxic iron species and their impact on survival. Hepcidin levels were low in 34 patients with ringed sideroblasts compared to 66 patients without. Increases of hepcidin and non-transferrin bound iron levels were visible early in follow-up of all transfusion-dependent patient groups. Hepcidin levels significantly decreased over time in transfusion-independent patients with ringed sideroblasts. Increased soluble transferrin receptor levels in transfusion-independent patients with ringed sideroblasts confirmed the presence of ineffective erythropoiesis and suppression of hepcidin production in these patients. Detectable labile plasma iron levels in combination with high transferrin saturation levels occurred almost exclusively in patients with ringed sideroblasts and all transfusion-dependent patient groups. Detectable labile plasma iron levels in transfusion-dependent patients without ringed sideroblasts were associated with decreased survival. In conclusion, toxic iron species occurred in all transfusion-dependent patients and in transfusion-independent patients with ringed sideroblasts. Labile plasma iron appeared to be a clinically relevant measure for potential iron toxicity and a prognostic factor for survival in transfusion-dependent patients. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: 00600860.
Project description:Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an aggressive and genetically heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis. Cellular immune disorder is a common characteristic of this disease and is thought to be related to clinical outcome. Alterations in T cell clonal expansion and T cell dysfunction has been detected in MDS patients. Little is known about whether there are immune biomarkers to evaluate the T cell alterations with clinical outcome. Previous studies have demonstrated that B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 11B (BCL11B) plays an important role in regulating T cell development and proliferation. In this study, the prognostic value of BCL11B for MDS patients was explored by analyzing RNA-seq data from 270 patients in two datasets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and real-time quantitative PCR data (qRT-PCR) of 31 bone marrow (BM) samples of MDS and 6 BM samples of patients with MDS progress to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) from our clinical center. The results demonstrated that BCL11B is significantly down-regulated in MDS patients as compared with healthy individuals (HIs). Importantly, lower BCL11B expression was found in MDS patients who were of high/very high risk, older than 60 y, or male and patients with sAML. Furthermore, low BCL11B expression appeared to be associated with poor overall survival (OS) for MDS patients, though the data were not yet significant enough at this point. In addition, BCL11B low-expressing MDS patients had shorter restricted mean survival time (RMST) than those with high BCL11B expression. Interestingly, BCL11B positively correlated with naive and activated memory CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and the T cell receptor complex genes CD3E and CD3G, but it negatively correlated with regulatory T cells (Treg). Additionally, co-occurrence of low BCL11B expression and CD3E and CD3G was associated with poor OS and shorter RMST. In conclusion, lower BCL11B expression in BM samples of MDS patients was associated with adverse clinical outcome.
Project description:BackgroundApproximately 70% of all patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) present with lower-risk disease. Some of these patients will initially respond to treatment with growth factors to improve anemia but will eventually cease to respond, while others will be resistant to growth factor therapy. Eventually, all lower-risk MDS patients require multiple transfusions and long-term therapy. While some patients may respond briefly to hypomethylating agents or lenalidomide, the majority will not, and new therapeutic options are needed for these lower-risk patients. Our previous clinical trials with ezatiostat (ezatiostat hydrochloride, Telentra®, TLK199), a glutathione S-transferase P1-1 inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of low- to intermediate-risk MDS, have shown significant clinical activity, including multilineage responses as well as durable red-blood-cell transfusion independence. It would be of significant clinical benefit to be able to identify patients most likely to respond to ezatiostat before therapy is initiated. We have previously shown that by using gene expression profiling and grouping by response, it is possible to construct a predictive score that indicates the likelihood that patients without deletion 5q will respond to lenalidomide. The success of that study was based in part on the fact that the profile for response was linked to the biology of the disease.MethodsRNA was available on 30 patients enrolled in the trial and analyzed for gene expression on the Illumina HT12v4 whole genome array according to the manufacturer's protocol. Gene marker analysis was performed. The selection of genes associated with the responders (R) vs. non-responders (NR) phenotype was obtained using a normalized and rescaled mutual information score (NMI).ConclusionsWe have shown that an ezatiostat response profile contains two miRNAs that regulate expression of genes known to be implicated in MDS disease pathology. Remarkably, pathway analysis of the response profile revealed that the genes comprising the jun-N-terminal kinase/c-Jun molecular pathway, which is known to be activated by ezatiostat, are under-expressed in patients who respond and over-expressed in patients who were non-responders to the drug, suggesting that both the biology of the disease and the molecular mechanism of action of the drug are positively correlated.
Project description:Del(5q) myelodysplastic syndromes defined by the International Prognostic Scoring System as low- or intermediate-1-risk (lower-risk) are considered to have an indolent course; however, recent data have identified a subgroup of these patients with more aggressive disease and poorer outcomes. Using deep sequencing technology, we previously demonstrated that 18% of patients with lower-risk del(5q) myelodysplastic syndromes carry TP53 mutated subclones rendering them at higher risk of progression. In this study, bone marrow biopsies from 85 patients treated with lenalidomide in the MDS-004 clinical trial were retrospectively assessed for p53 expression by immunohistochemistry in association with outcome. Strong p53 expression in ? 1% of bone marrow progenitor cells, observed in 35% (30 of 85) of patients, was significantly associated with higher acute myeloid leukemia risk (P=0.0006), shorter overall survival (P=0.0175), and a lower cytogenetic response rate (P=0.009), but not with achievement or duration of 26-week transfusion independence response. In a multivariate analysis, p53-positive immunohistochemistry was the strongest independent predictor of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (P=0.0035). Pyrosequencing analysis of laser-microdissected cells with strong p53 expression confirmed the TP53 mutation, whereas cells with moderate expression predominantly had wild-type p53. This study validates p53 immunohistochemistry as a strong and clinically useful predictive tool in patients with lower-risk del(5q) myelodysplastic syndromes. This study was based on data from the MDS 004 trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00179621).
Project description:BackgroundTo estimate real-world outcomes in East Asian populations, we conducted a nationwide retrospective analysis of the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide for del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with transfusion-dependent anemia in Korea.MethodsPatients aged ≥19 years who had received lenalidomide for the treatment of lower-risk, red blood cell (RBC) transfusion-dependent del(5q) MDS were selected. A filled case report form (CRF) with information from electronic medical records was requested from members of the acute myeloid leukemia (AML)/MDS Working Party of the Korean Society of Hematology. All the CRFs were gathered and analyzed.ResultsA total of 31 patients were included in this study. Of 28 evaluable patients, 19 (67.9%) achieved RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI). Female sex and the development of thrombocytopenia during treatment were associated with achieving RBC-TI. The most common non-hematologic toxicities were pruritus, fatigue, and rashes. All non-hematologic toxicities of grades ≥3 were limited to rash (12.9%) and pruritus (6.5%). Dose reduction was required in 15 of the 19 responders (78.9%). The most common final stable dosing schedule for the responders was 5 mg once every other day (31.6%).ConclusionLenalidomide efficacy and tolerability were similar in the Asian del(5q) MDS patients and western patients. Dose reduction during treatment was common, but it was not associated with inferior outcomes.
Project description:Lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes are defined using prognostic scoring systems that incorporate data on bone marrow blast percentage, degree and numbers of cytopenias, and cytogenetic abnormalities. Increasingly, these are incorporating molecular abnormalities to further refine risk. Therapy is geared toward predominating cytopenias, with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents luspatercept and lenalidomide used to ameliorate anemia, romiplostim and eltrombopag tackling thrombocytopenia, and hypomethylating agents and antithymocyte globulin palliating pancytopenia. Newer agents on the horizon are abrogating the downstream sequelae of specific molecular mutations. One challenge for the future is in further modifying response criteria to align with improvements that are clinically meaningful to patients.
Project description:Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis with abnormal blood cell development (dysplasia) leading to cytopenias and an increased risk for progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Patients with MDS can generally be classified as lower- (LR-MDS) or higher-risk (HR-MDS). As treatment goals for patients with LR-MDS and those with HR-MDS differ significantly, appropriate diagnosis, classification, and follow-up are critical for correct disease management. In this review, we focus on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options, as well as the prediction of the disease course and monitoring of treatment response in patients with LR-MDS. We discuss how next-generation sequencing, increasing knowledge on mechanisms of MDS pathogenesis, and novel therapies may change the current treatment landscape in LR-MDS and why structured assessments of responses, toxicities, and patient-reported outcomes should be incorporated into routine clinical practice.
Project description:Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematological disorders. Treatment options are classified and defined by prognostic risk based on the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and, more recently, the revised IPSS (IPSS-R). The treatment goal for lower-risk MDS is to correct cytopenias or their consequences, with the goal of maintaining or improving quality of life. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) play an important role in treating anemia. Individuals with MDS who have a 5q deletion are particularly sensitive to treatment with lenalidomide; however, this comprises the minority of patients with MDS. Luspatercept was recently approved in the United States and the European Union for the treatment of ESA-refractory MDS with ring sideroblasts. Research into new treatment options, especially after ESA failure, is needed. In this review, we will focus on the current therapeutic options for MDS-related anemia.
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.