Is blood or bone marrow better?

Hematopoiesis that has been ablated with high-dose radiation-chemotherapy can be restored with either autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation (PSCT) or autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Characteristics unique to either type of transplant make one preferable to the other in certain clinical situations. When marrow metastases preclude ABMT, blood provides a suitable source of precursors for autografting. Peripheral cells are more time consuming to collect and more labor intensive to process and store. The peripheral autograft product can be manipulated with mobilization techniques (chemotherapy and/or cytokines) to provide more rapid recovery of granulocytes and perhaps red cells and platelets, while transplantation of manipulated marrow autografts has not yet been reported. Further advances in both ABMT and PSCT will provide additional opportunities to improve the outcome of patients treated with high-dose therapy.

Is our current strategy in manipulating hemopoiesis in autologous transplantation correct?

Autologous hemopoietic stem cell rescue following high-dose chemoradiotherapy is increasingly used in the treatment of lymphohemopoietic malignancy and selected solid tumors. While encouraging disease control has been reported in acute leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and breast carcinoma, such an approach suffers from a number of limitations. This review addresses a number of issues that may lead to better stem cells for transplant: which stem cell rescue provides the most rapid hemopoietic reconstitution, how can we get sufficient high quality stem cells for transplant to ensure complete and sustained reconstitution, what are the predictors of rapid and sustained hemopoietic reconstitution, what impact on hemopoietic reconstitution purging and positive selection technology may have, and how can we abrogate the obligatory delay to blood count recovery.

High-dose weekly intravenous immunoglobulin to prevent infections in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation or severe myelosuppressive therapy. A study of the American Bone Marrow Transplant Group

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) prevents severe infections during autologous bone marrow transplantation or equivalent high-dose myelosuppressive therapy.

DESIGN

Randomized, stratified, nonblinded study.

SETTING

Three tertiary care university hospitals.

PATIENTS

One hundred seventy patients entered the study; 82 received IVIG and 88 were untreated controls. The study groups were similar for parameters capable of influencing the likelihood of infection.

INTERVENTIONS

Intravenous immunoglobulin was given weekly at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight from the initiation of cytotoxic therapy to the resolution of neutropenia.

MEASUREMENTS

The development of bloodstream or other clinically proven infection, platelet use, and the development of alloimmunity to platelet transfusion.

RESULTS

Clinical infection, bacteremia, and fungemia occurred in 43%, 35%, and 6% of the IVIG-treated patients and in 44%, 34%, and 9% of the control patients. Gram-positive bacteremia and gram-negative bacteremia occurred in 28% and 11% of the IVIG group and in 23% and 13% of the control group. Death due to infection occurred in 4.9% of IVIG recipients and in 2.3% of controls. None of these observations was statistically significant (P > 0.2). Survival to hospital discharge was achieved in 86.6% of the IVIG group and in 96.6% of the control group. The survival difference (10%; 95% CI, 1.7% to 18.3%; P = 0.02) was due to a higher incidence of regimen-related toxic death in the IVIG-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of IVIG did not prevent infection. Fewer deaths occurred among controls due to a higher incidence of fatal hepatic veno-occlusive disease in patients receiving IVIG.

Bone marrow microenvironment of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

In an attempt to clarify the hematologic abnormality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we studied the bone marrow microenvironment of 8 women with this disease. The number of fibroblast colonies was similar to that of healthy control individuals. Culture supernatants of monocytes obtained from the patients with SLE showed a diminished production of the hemopoietic growth factor required to stimulate bone marrow fibroblasts. As the activity of the humoral factor released from SLE monocytes was diminished, such a reduction may play a role in the pathogenesis of the hematologic abnormality seen in SLE.

[Fanconi anemia syndrome as a predisposing factor for acquired bone marrow aplasia]

A 4-year old girl who received prophylactic therapy with oral cephalexin for 1 year because of a history of urinary tract infections, was referred for evaluation of short stature. On physical examination mildly dysmorphic features were observed. Blood counts disclosed pancytopenia, and bone marrow examination showed hypoplasia of all 3 cell lines. Chromosome analysis after exposure to a DNA cross-linking agent (diepoxybutane) showed a chromosomal breakage pattern consistent with Fanconi anemia. Discontinuation of cephalexin was followed by improvement in hematological values. This course of events supports the hypothesis that acquired bone marrow depression may be a manifestation of Fanconi anemia, warranting the appropriate diagnostic work up in every case of acquired bone marrow aplasia.

Role of haematological, pulmonary and renal complications in the long-term prognosis of patients with lysinuric protein intolerance

Three patients with lysinuric protein intolerance are reported. The first patient displayed severe haemolytic anaemia, bone marrow erythroblastophagocytosis, renal tubular disease and interstitial lung disease. Despite treatment with citrulline and low-protein diet, this child died at the age of 18 months. The second patient is now 24 years old and has chronic interstitial lung disease and focal renal glomerulosclerosis. The third patient, now 5 years old, has severe chronic interstitial lung disease. A 6-month treatment with prednisone was ineffective in the second and third patients.

Haematological changes associated with miliary tuberculosis of the bone marrow

The peripheral blood and bone marrow findings in 25 patients found to have tuberculous granulomata on bone marrow examination were examined to determine whether specific haematological findings are associated with tuberculous infiltration of the bone marrow. All the patients had one abnormality or more on their full blood count. The presence of a peripheral lymphopaenia was the single factor common to all 25 patients studied. The peripheral lymphopaenia was only associated with bone marrow lymphopaenia in 14% of patients. Other findings of note were an association of peripheral monocytopaenia and absence of giant cells in the granulomata, and decreased iron stores in almost a third of the total number of patients. The relevance of the lymphopaenia, monocytopaenia and decreased iron stores are discussed and we propose that the absence of a peripheral lymphopaenia makes it very unlikely that there will be tuberculous localization in the bone marrow.

[Diagnostic imaging of acute leukemia in childhood. Description of 5 cases with unusual onset]

The authors, after reviewing the main features of the so called "leukemic osteopathy", remark how the natural history of leukoses has changed thanks to progress in both diagnosis and treatment. Indeed, the condition is now diagnosed early and its remission is quick. Thus, the cases with X-ray-evident bone involvement are quite uncommon: hence the need to use, at AL onset, imaging techniques which are more sensitive to bone marrow changes. To this purpose, MR imaging has proved a valuable technique which can demonstrate even the early stages of pathologic conditions affecting bone marrow.

Pancytopenia in children with brucellosis: clinical manifestations and bone marrow findings

Among 276 paediatric cases of brucellosis seen over a 7-year period, 16 patients (5.8%) with pancytopenia were identified. The most frequent presentations were fever, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, arthralgia, and hepatosplenomegaly. Fourteen patients (87.5%) had positive blood and/or bone marrow cultures for Brucella melitensis. Bone marrow aspiration specimens showed hypercellularity in 14 patients and normocellularity in 2. Histiocytes, eosinophils and plasma cells were increased in every marrow aspirate, and haemophagocytosis was observed in 14 patients (87.5%). Non-caseating granulomas were present in the bone marrow biopsy of 11 patients (68.8%). The pancytopenia was transient, and resolved on treatment of the Brucella infection.

Case report: diagnosis of thyroid cancer by bone marrow biopsy in a patient with lymphoma and goiter

Metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed by bone marrow biopsy performed during the staging evaluation in a patient with large-cell lymphoma and diffuse goiter who showed lung and bone lesions upon radiologic examination. After thyroidectomy, both sites concentrated radioactive iodine, confirming their thyroid origin and allowing for the appropriate treatment.

The therapeutic potential of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor on hematopoietic stem cells

Dose intensity is emerging as a crucial determinant of success in cytotoxic cancer therapy; however, myelosuppression presents as one of the major complications encountered with increased dose intensity. Therefore, investigators are looking at the use of cytokine administration in combination with cytotoxic therapy to overcome this problem. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) have been shown to be beneficial in protecting the hematopoietic system from radiation and chemotherapy. In this report, we give an overview of studies using IL-1 and TNF-alpha as protective agents and discuss possible mechanisms involved in their protective action. Mice pretreated with IL-1 and/or TNF-alpha were shown to be protected from the lethal effects of radiation and it has been suggested that the mechanism for this protection may be through the production of the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase. Similarly, aldehyde dehydrogenase, an enzyme important in the metabolic pathway of cyclophosphamide compounds, has been implicated as being important in the protection of hematopoietic cells from 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide. While IL-1 and TNF-alpha stimulate both of these enzymes, other mechanisms are probably also operative for other forms of chemotherapy, i.e. IL-1 and TNF-alpha were shown to protect hematopoietic progenitors from phenylketophosphamide, a cyclophosphamide derivative that is not metabolized by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase. Furthermore, malignant as well as normal cells may possess receptors for these cytokines; therefore, IL-1 and TNF-alpha will have to be selective in their protection. They must be capable of protecting normal hematopoietic cells while rendering malignant cells susceptible to the toxic actions of the chemotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Two cases of transfusion-associated graft-vs-host disease after open heart surgery

BACKGROUND

Some cases of blood transfusion-associated (TA) graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) in immunocompetent patients have been reported, but those dermatologic findings were not precisely mentioned. We describe patients with clinicopathologically TA-GVHD and compare TA-GVHD and acute GVHD after bone marrow transplantation.

OBSERVATIONS

Two cases of TA-GVHD after open heart surgery are reported. In both immunocompetent patients, severe erythema multiformelike skin rash developed over the entire body, followed by fever, diarrhea, jaundice, transaminitis, pancytopenia, and marrow alpasia approximately 10 days after operation. The rash in one patient changed from erythema multiformelike to toxic epidermal necrolysis at death. Skin biopsy specimens revealed eosinophilic bodies, basal vacuolation, and exocytosis in the epidermis. Eosinophilic bodies tend to appear in the upper epidermis. Immunohistochemistry studies revealed that infiltrating cells were CD4 and CD8. While acute GVHD in immunosuppressed patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantations often shows lichenoid histologic features, TA-GVHD in our patients who were immunocompetent may resemble severe erythema multiforme or toxic epidermal necrolysis. The difference in TA-GVHD may be related to lack of host modification by immunosuppression.

CONCLUSIONS

Irradiation of the blood products should be required in open heart surgery, for TA-GVHD in immunocompetent patients is almost always fatal.

[Bone marrow edema in MRT]

Like other vascularized organs, bone can react with increasing interstitial fluid to disturbances in permeability caused by various noxae. Signs of bone marrow edema recognizable in magnetic resonance imaging are described for conditions such as trauma, stress, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, ischemia, and infection. A bone marrow edema may be an early or the only sign of a disease entity visible solely on MR images. We made a retrospective study of musculoskeletal MR examinations conducted over a period of 3 months to estimate the incidence of bone marrow edema.

Paraneoplastic marrow alterations in patients with cancer

BACKGROUND

Bone marrow abnormalities may be found in patients with cancers even without marrow metastases. We have seen that patients with non-hematologic neoplasias may show bone remodelling, stromal modifications, reactive changes and myelodysplastic alterations of erythro-, granulo- and megakaryocytic series comparable to those found in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

At the beginning of the study 58 bone marrow biopsies (BMBs), performed in 40 patients with previously diagnosed cancer from different primary sites but without marrow metastasis (group A), were evaluated. Osseous and stromal modifications, marked reactive changes, quantitative and qualitative alterations of erythro-, granulo- and megakaryopoiesis were observed. Afterwards, 30 BMBs from 20 patients without a previous diagnosis of neoplasia (group B) were found to have features similar to those discovered in group A. Further investigations detected malignant tumors in all these cases. The findings of the two groups were compared with our former observations on myelodysplastic syndromes. The main differences between groups A-B and MDSs regarded bone remodelling, stromal modifications and reactive changes.

CONCLUSION

These marrow alterations linked to a neoplasia may be considered paraneoplastic. They may cause problems for a differential diagnosis with some proliferative diseases and, above all, with primary MDSs. The reported features should prompt the pathologist to suggest a search for possible occult cancer.

Dose fractionation of radiolabeled antibodies in patients with metastatic colon cancer

Twelve patients with metastatic colon cancer were treated with 131I-chimeric B72.3 (IgG-4) at total doses of 28 or 36 mCi/m2 in two or three weekly fractions. Bone marrow suppression was the only significant side effect. The degree of bone marrow suppression adjusted for whole-body dose was modestly but statistically significantly (p = 0.04) less than that seen with identical doses given as a single infusion for the total dose of 36 mCi/m2. Nine of twelve patients developed an antibody response to ch B72.3, which altered the kinetics of radiolabeled antibody in four patients given a second course of therapy. One patient had a minor response that lasted 4 mo. Fractionation of this particular radiolabeled antibody at the dose schedule used produced a modest increase in the therapeutic window in regard to administered dose.

Transient diaphyseal tibial Tc-99m MDP uptake and bone marrow edema in acute rheumatic fever

The authors describe a patient with acute rheumatic fever and polyarthritis in whom scintigraphy unexpectedly identified Tc-99m MDP uptake in the diaphyses of both tibiae. A dramatic rise in antistreptolysin-O titer and rapid resolution of tibial abnormalities paralleled marked articular improvement. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a pattern consistent with marrow edema in the area of abnormal Tc-99m MDP accumulation. This finding has not been previously described in acute rheumatic fever, and it was suspected that the changes in the tibiae resulted from subclinical diaphyseal hyperemia from the inflammatory process observed in the contiguous joints.

Successful treatment of bone marrow failure in Gaucher's disease with low-dose modified glucocerebrosidase

We report the beneficial effects of enzyme replacement therapy with mannose-terminated human glucocerebrosidase ('Ceredase') in a patient suffering from transfusion-dependent bone marrow failure due to Gaucher's disease. Treatment with low-dose enzyme infusions, given twice weekly, rapidly reversed the haematopoietic failure and incapacitating skeletal disease. It appears likely that prior splenectomy favourably influenced the response to this therapy.

Peripheral blood stem cell transfusion for marrow replacement

A patient is presented who was treated with ablative therapy for Hodgkin's disease and rescued by reinfusion of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). The PBSC were used because previous therapy (chemotherapy and radiation to the pelvis) had resulted in fatty hypocellular marrow which was inadequate for marrow transplantation. The PBSC were collected by leukapheresis before and after recovery of the marrow from suppression with cyclophosphamide to bring the stem cells into cohort cycle and to increase the proportion of stem cells in the peripheral blood for collection. The patient showed a successful recovery on a time scale somewhat longer cells administered, the absence of stimulation by granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor or other cytokine, or potential damage done to stromal elements during previous radiation and chemotherapy. The patient remains in clinical complete remission, fully engrafted, more than one year since his autologous transplant.

[The diagnosis of bone marrow lesions in the MR tomogram in children with diseases of the hematopoietic system with special reference to post-therapy changes]

119 MR-examinations of both tibiae, knees and the lower part of both femur were performed in 41 children suffering from bone marrow disease (27 ALL, 4 AML, 3 NHL, 1 agranulocytosis, 6 anaemia). T1- and T2-spin-echo sequences and a T2-gradient-echo sequence were used. Bone marrow changes in leukaemia were diffuse before therapy and patchy after therapy. Due to their different signal in T2-weighted images, differentiation of the post-therapeutic patchy findings into infiltrations, fibrosis, necrosis and siderosis seems to be possible. In future, MRI will be the method of choice for screening and controlling bone marrow disease if the examination time is shortened by using only a T1-spin-echo sequence and a T2-gradient-echo sequence.

[Peripheral and bone marrow hematological modifications in infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in central Africa. Diagnostic and prognostic significance]

From the 24 March 1988 to the 15 June 1989, we noticed the peripheric and medullar haematologic modifications of 46 patients infected by HIV, classified in the group IV of CDC. The haematologic modifications found are: a peripheric cytopenia with a constant anemia often serious, a leuconeutropenia, a mild or missing lymphopenia. In comparison: the bone marrow is often rich in the different lineage with more often a sharp lymphoplasmocytal reaction, sometime very characteristic on the cytological side. 2 myeloid leukemia were diagnosed by participation of the myelogram. At least, the proteinogram showed a major polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemy sometimes monoclonal.

Bone marrow eosinophilia as a prognostic indicator in acute myelogenous leukemia with 8;21 translocation

The pretreatment characteristics of nine acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients with 8;21 translocation were evaluated to assess their value as prognostic indicators. All patients had AML-M2 according to French-American-British classification. The percentage of eosinophils in the bone marrow (EO/BM) correlated negatively with the percentage of blast cells in the peripheral blood (BL/PB) (p less than 0.05) and positively with complete remission duration (p less than 0.01). Three of the six patients with EO/BM under 5% showed aggressive clinical courses complicated with extra marrow lesions, while the patient with the highest EO/BM was the only one who survived for 5 years. These findings suggest that bone marrow eosinophilia could be useful as a prognostic indicator in AML patients with t(8;21).