High fever, renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation and myelodysplasia accompanied with enhanced angiogenesis possibly due to overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor

Synchronized changes in serum vascular endothelial growth factor during the clinical course of chronic systemic capillary leak syndrome

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare disease characterized by leakage of plasma from blood vessels into the interstitial space due to increased capillary permeability. We describe a 24-year-old man who was hospitalized with systemic edema, hypoalbuminemia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. After extensive investigative procedures, he was diagnosed with chronic SCLS and made a gradual recovery after starting on prednisolone, terbutaline, and theophylline. We measured the patient's serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over time and found a relationship between serum VEGF and the clinical course.

Hepatosplenic αβ T-cell lymphoma with myelodysplastic syndrome

We describe a patient with hepatosplenic 33 T-cell lymphoma who showed pancytopenia and myelodysplasia. A 35-year-old man was admitted with fever, pancytopenia, and hepatosplenomegaly but with no lymphadenopathy. We also found trilineage myelodysplasia in the bone marrow on his first admission. The patient had high fever and anemia but no evidence of infection and was tentatively treated with prednisolone. This treatment resulted in a transient improvement of the cytopenia and a reduction of spleen size. However, 10 months after the first manifestation, progression of the splenomegaly and fever became apparent, and a splenectomy was performed. The pathologic findings for the spleen showed diffuse and disseminated infiltration of medium- to large-sized T-lymphocytes in the splenic red pulp. These cells were immunohistochemically positive for CD3, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD16, CD56,T-cell receptor 33 (TCR33),T-cell intracellular antigen 1, and granzyme B but were negative for CD4, CD30, CD57, and TCR33. These data suggested a diagnosis of hepatosplenic 33 T-cell lymphoma. A Southern blot analysis revealed gene rearrangement of the TCR 3-chain gene but not the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene in the spleen cells. An in situ hybridization analysis for the Epstein-Barr virus revealed negative results. The patient received 8 courses of combination chemotherapy and achieved a partial remission; however, the dysplastic features of the marrow cells persisted after the partial remission was obtained. Additional treatment with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation resulted in a transient complete remission; however, the patient relapsed 11 months later. Because he had experienced no lymphadenopathy and showed dysplastic features in the bone marrow, the diagnosis was highly dependent on the pathologic findings for the resected spleen.

Thromboembolic disease and cancer: possible new treatments

Hypoxia-induced endothelin (ET) and vascular endothelial growth or permeability factor (VEGF) play an important role in tumor biology by promoting angiogenesis. Angiogenesis alters hemostasis and promotes thromboembolic disease (TED). Therapeutic angiogenesis directed against ET and VEGF may reduce the incidence of TED in cancer patients.