Pankhi Dutta

Impact of FLT3 internal tandem duplications on Indian acute promyelocytic leukemia patients: prognostic implications.

Abstract Despite recent advances in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), early mortality and relapses still occur. With the view to evaluate the role of FLT3 mutation in APL, 54 patients (median age 28 years, range 11–57 years, male to female ratio 1.2:1, median TLC 8.4 × 109/l, range 1–170 × 109/l) were studied by reverse transcriptase-PCR. Forty-two patients (77%) achieved first remission (CR1). Ten (18.5%) of the 54 patients had internal tandem duplication of exons 11 and 12 of the FLT3 gene. The median TLC count was significantly higher in FLT3 positive cases (Median TLC 55.0 × 109/l) as compared to FLT3 negative cases (Median TLC 6.8 × 109/l) (p = 0.001). Induction CR was much lower (40%) in FLT3/ITD positive cases as compared to 86% of FLT3/ITD negative cases (p = 0.005). Early deaths too were significantly associated with FLT3/ITD positive cases (50 vs. 16% p = 0.033). The difference in the occurrence of bcrl and bcr3 isoforms was not statistically significant between the two groups. The data suggest that the presence of FLT3/ITD in APL patients confers a poor prognosis.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in childhood and adolescence-a retrospective analysis of 18 cases

ObjectiveTo assess the clinical and hemotological profile of PNH in children.MethodsClinical and laboratory features of children with PNH diagnosed in the past six years at our centre were reviewed. Various investigations done included a complete blood count and peripheral smear examination, plasma hemoglobin, urine hemosiderin, acid ham test, sucrose lysis test, immunophenotyping of erythrocytes by sephadex column gel card and of granulocytes by flow cytometry. There were 18 children with a marked male predominance (M 14: F 4).ResultsPallor, jaundice, dark urine and bleeding manifestations were the major presenting complaints. One girl suffered an arterial stroke. All children had cytopenia in at least one cell line. Children were treated with danazol, stanazolol, prednisolone and cyclosporin A variously. Overall response rate was 61%. Children with classical PNH performed slightly better with response rates of 66% (6/9) as compared to aplastic anemia-PNH group which has a response rate of 55% (5/9). Amongst various variables only danazol correlated with better response (p=0.029).ConclusionPNH is an uncommon disease in children and should be included in the differential diagnosis of children presenting with cytopenia.

Does acute promyelocytic leukemia in Indian patients have biology different from the West

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML) is a well-characterized malignancy with typical clinico-hematological and molecular features. However, Indian data on this malignancy are limited. This study was conducted to determine the clinico-hematological profile of APML in India. Thirty-five patients with APML presenting to Hematology Department, AIIMS, New Delhi, between July 2003 and June 2005 were evaluated for presenting clinical features, hemogram, peripheral smear, bone marrow morphology and cytochemistry. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) for PML-RARalpha was done in all cases. Male-to-female ratio was 0.9:1 (males--17 and females--18) with median age 25 years (range 11-57 years). Presenting features included anemia, bleeding, fever, gum hypertrophy and scrotal ulceration. All cases showed hypergranular abnormal promyelocytes. Median hemoglobin was 6.3 g/dL (range - 3.0-9.0 g/dL), total leukocyte count (TLC) was 33.88 x 10(9) /L (range - 1-170 x 10(9) /L). Platelet count was 28 x 10(9) /L (range - 4-170 x 10(9) /L). All cases were positive for myeloperoxidase and sudan black (SB), whereas 60% cases also showed non specific esterase (NSE) positivity with 40% cases being fluoride sensitive. RT-PCR showed PML-RARalpha in 33/35 cases with the bcr3 isoform being present in 24/33 positive cases (72.7%). The two cases negative for PML-RARalpha showed typical morphology and responded to ATRA. On statistical analysis, no correlation was found between bcr isoform and TLC, platelet count, age sex and early death. Unusual features included gum hypertrophy and scrotal ulceration at presentation and high median presenting TLC (33.8 x 10(9) /L). There was, however, no microgranular variant. Another interesting feature was a high incidence of NSE positivity (60%), which was fluoride sensitive in 40%. Moreover, the bcr3 isoform was significantly overexpressed (72.7%) in comparison to other studies. APML in India has certain unusual features, which may reflect a different biology.

Primary myelodysplastic syndrome in children—clinical, hematological and histomorphological profile from a tertiary care centre in India

Abstract We describe the clinical, hematological and histomorphological features in children of primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) seen at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences over three years (Jan 2001–Jan 2004). Twenty-one patients of primary MDS aged 17 year or less were classified using the latest proposed WHO classification for Pediatric MDS. The median age was 9 years with male predominance (80%). Pallor was present in all the cases while fever and bleeding diathesis was present in more than 50% of the cases. Morphological assessment of the peripheral blood showed macrocytosis in 50%, pancytopenia in 15% and blast cells in 45% of cases. A complete analysis of clinical features in conjunction with the bone marrow profile revealed 8 cases of refractory cytopenia (RC), 3 cases of refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB), 5 cases of refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-T), 4 cases of Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) and a solitary cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Downs syndrome. These children were followed up from 1–36 months (mean 15 months). Three patients of RAEB-T progressed to AML within 3–4 months. RC had the best prognosis and all are alive and under regular follow up. The solitary case of AML of Downs syndrome died 1.5 months after initial diagnosis. All 3 cases of RAEB are under regular follow-up and doing well. Three cases of RAEB-T died (all had progressed to AML); the remaining 2 cases were lost to follow up. Of the 4 cases of JMML 1 died within 6 months of diagnosis; the other 3 cases are under regular follow up of whom 1 has a progressively increasing blast count. We conclude that the latest proposed WHO classification for Pediatric MDS can be successfully applied to all cases of primary MDS.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation as an Unusual Presentation of Kala-azar: Report of Two Cases

Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) is a common problem in various well-defined areas of India. It is characterized by fever of long duration, enlarged liver and spleen, anaemia and leucopoenia. Bleeding is an uncommon manifestation of kala-azar. We report 2 cases, in which disseminated intravascular coagulation was an unusual complication.

Over-representation of bcr3 subtype of PML/RARα fusion gene in APL in indian patients

Thirty six patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were studied by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR. There was concordance between the results achieved by both the methods except in one case, which was negative by RT-PCR but positive by real-time PCR. The prevalence of bcr3 (short isoform) was found to be significantly higher than that of bcr1 (long isoform ) (64 vs. 36%, P=0.03). No correlation was found between age, sex, and white blood cell (WBC) count at diagnosis. Molecular remission was achieved in 66.6% of patients with bcr3 isoform. Median WBC count at presentation was found to be higher than that in the West.