We analyzed 95 cases of MDS (n=78), CMML (n=8) and AML (n=9) with blast counts of <30%, treated by AZA since March 2011, for a possible association of hematological improvement (HI) and overall survival duration (OS). We defined four categories as follows: stable disease (SD): no exacerbation of disease even if HI was not achieved after nine cycles of AZA treatment; early and late response (ER, LR): achievement of HI within and beyond three cycles, respectively; and drop out (DO): termination of treatment within nine cycles due to disease progression or complication without obtaining HI. OS was significantly longer in the LR than in the ER. The OS of ER was significantly shorter than that of the SD group. Patients in ER group who relapsed had significantly shorter survival than those who were able to maintain HI. Additionally, 3 out of 11 SD cases achieved HI after 10 cycles. We conclude that AZA should be continued until disease progression besides an achievement of HI.

A 78-year-old man with anemia (Hb 9.6 g/dl) and elevated serum immunoglobulin M (IgM 3,577 mg/dl) levels was referred to our hospital. Bone marrow aspiration yielded a dry tap, and bone marrow biopsy revealed the infiltration of CD20 positive lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma cells and myelofibrosis. The patient was diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia complicated with myelofibrosis. TGF-β plasma concentration was elevated. Further, after chemotherapy with bendamustine and rituximab, remission of both Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and myelofibrosis was achieved, and TGF-β levels normalized. MYD88 L265P mutation was detected using highly sensitive digital PCR, which compared with currently used direct PCR product sequencing, has a superior sensitivity. The use of digital PCR has additional advantages toward MYD88 L265P detection, particularly when the available amount of sample DNA is limited owing to myelofibrosis.

A 72-year-old woman with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and cirrhosis complicated with blood blisters on her right upper arm and ascites was admitted. She presented with shock vital on admission. Initial gram staining of blood cultures showed gram-positive cocci in chains, suggesting streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). Amputation of the right upper arm was performed owing to necrotizing fasciitis. Despite continued antibiotic therapy and systemic management, the blood blisters rapidly spread to the skin of the whole body, and she died 41 h after admission. Blood and fluid cultures from the blisters showed group B streptococci. Reports of patients with leukemia complicated with STSS are rare, and all cases have followed fatal courses. Particularly in this case, various risk factors, such as neutropenia due to tyrosine kinase inhibitor, neutrophil dysfunction due to cirrhosis, and elderly CML, overlapped. In the future, we believe that the lives of patients with leukemia complicated with STSS may be saved by establishing treatment methods and determining the detailed pathogenesis of STSS.

A 83-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital due to hematological manifestation of juvenile granulocytes and macrocytic anemia. Bone marrow (BM) examination revealed erythroid dysplasia and cytoplasmic blasts, and hence the patient was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome with ring sideroblasts and with single lineage dysplasia (MDS-RS-SLD). Erythrocyte transfusion was performed as a supportive therapy, and there was a gradual increase in the number of blood cells. Therefore, BM re-examination was performed and it was confirmed that the number of megakaryocytes increased, so the patient's condition was determined as myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN with RS-T). Incidentally, gene mutation analysis showed CALR gene mutation. Thereafter, administration of hydroxycarbamide and anagrelide did not show adverse events and complications, and a good blood count control was obtained. Furthermore, it was also confirmed that an SF3B1 gene mutation is highly positive in MDS-RS. There was no report on CALR-mutant MDS/MPN in Japan, and it is a rare disease overseas.

A 29-year-old man was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at 20 years of age; he achieved a second complete remission at 22 years of age after an allogeneic unrelated bone marrow transplantation. After 14 months, he developed bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) due to chronic graft-versus-host disease. Home ventilator management was continuously performed for 3 years, but the patient required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after progression to type 2 respiratory failure. A matched brain-dead lung donor was found after 5 months of intensive care management on ECMO, and bilateral lung transplantation was successfully performed. BO is a progressive refractory respiratory disease with poor prognosis. Careful management of infection, monitoring organ function, and lung transplantation at the appropriate time of initiation of mechanical ventilation or ECMO may save a patient's life. However, it is crucial to collaborate with higher education institutions or medical professionals in other departments.

A 32-year-old woman was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) at 12 weeks of a pregnancy examination and followed up closely without treatment. At 40 weeks of gestation, she underwent emergency caesarean section because of premature rupture. On postoperative day one, the patient exhibited worsening hemolysis and tachycardia and developed high-output heart failure; she was diagnosed with Basedow disease based on the tachycardia pattern and thyroid storm based on the presence of hyperthyroidism, fever, tachycardia, and heart failure. She was administered thiamazole and potassium iodide, which improved her thyroid function, hemolytic anemia, and heart failure. AIHA is rarely associated with Basedow disease, and hemolytic anemia can be aggravated by hyperthyroidism. In pregnant women with AIHA, management of hyperthyroidism is crucial as delivery can lead to thyroid storm.

A 51-year-old man was diagnosed with stage IV mantle cell lymphoma based on terminal ileum biopsy and treated with the R-CHOP regimen. Abdominal CT to assess continuous fever after three courses of R-CHOP revealed three low-density areas in the liver. PCR of the fluid obtained by percutaneous drainage revealed Entamoeba histolytica positivity, although the cultures were negative. Metronidazole treatment achieved cure. The patient was not a homosexual but had an 8-month stay in Lesotho 21 years ago, leading to the possibility that E. histolytica infection at the time continued as an asymptomatic colonization until the initiation of corticosteroid-containing chemotherapy.

Methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders (MTX-LPD) is categorized into other iatrogenic immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders, developing LPD in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs) under low dose MTX administration. Two-thirds of MTX-LPDs regresses after MTX withdrawal with the higher incidence in Japanese patients, MTX-LPDs consist of various subtypes of LPDs, the feature of each LPD such as the regressive rate, relapse/regrowth rate, and prognosis, widely varies. The absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) in peripheral blood is suggested to influence LPD development, regression, and relapse/regrowth events. Because various factors might effect the pathogenesis and clinical features of MTX-LPD, careful attention should be paid to assess MTX-LPD.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) presents with mononucleosis-like symptoms such as chronic persistent or recurrent pyrexia, lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly because of the reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as demonstrated by the recurrence of EBV-infected cells. The mechanism of CAEBV remains obscure, and CAEBV can lead to fatal conditions such as hemophagocytic syndrome and malignant lymphoma by clonal expansion of EBV-infected T- or NK-cells. Without hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, CAEBV has a poor prognosis. CAEBV is listed in the revised 2016 World Health Organization classification as a chronic active EBV infection of T- and NK-cell types, systemic form, among EBV-positive T- and NK-cell lymphoproliferative diseases of childhood. However, similar clinical conditions have been reported in adult patients. Therefore, we investigated the clinical features of adult patients with CAEBV-like features (adult-onset CAEBV) in a relatively small number of cases. Additionally, genetic alterations related to CAEBV development have also been reported. Along with these results, we reviewed the clinical characteristics of adult-onset CAEBV.

Graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD) is a major complication and leading cause of non-relapse mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Corticosteroids remain the standard initial therapy for GvHD; however, patients frequently become steroid-refractory (SR) or remain steroid dependent. Cytokine inhibition appears to be a potential option; however, blockade of any single cytokine may not be sufficient probably because of the redundant effects of multiple cytokines. The Jak1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib can simultaneously inhibit the signaling pathway of multiple cytokines with relevance for GvHD, such as interferon (IFN-γ), IL-2, and IL-6. A recent retrospective survey reported that ruxolitinib produced a high response rate for SR-GvHD, leading to better survival odds. A prompt and sustained ruxolitinib response contributes to the steroid-sparing effect; however, accumulating evidence showed that ruxolitinib exerts substantial myelosuppression and immunosuppressive activity in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). Additionally, serious adverse events following discontinuation of ruxolitinib treatment, characterized by acute relapse of the disease and/or GvHD, have been recognized. Herein we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of ruxolitinib as treatment for GvHD in patients with MF.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) constitute a group of heterogeneous disorders of hematopoietic stem cells, characterized by defective hematopoiesis and multilineage dysplasia. While low-risk subtypes normally exhibit a relatively chronic clinical course, high-risk subtypes harbor unfavorable prognosis in which hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is the only curative therapy. Nevertheless, transplantation-related mortality is relatively high and should be weighed against the potential benefits of HCT. Hence, it is vital to precisely stratify the prognostic risks before HCT for predicting and enhancing their prognosis. Recently, our understanding of the genetic basis of MDS has substantially advanced, through which a full spectrum of major mutational targets was delineated. Moreover, its effects in the setting of HCT have also been assessed besides the conventional predictive factors. While clinical factors account for as much as 70% of the total hazard of MDS cases treated with HCT, the remaining 30% is explicated by genetic factors. The integration of genetic test and conventional clinical factors could be useful for precise stratification of the prognostic risks and, therefore, treatment decision in MDS.

Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is a peripheral T-cell lymphoma caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I. Patients with aggressive ATL exhibit poor outcomes, even with dose-dense intensive chemotherapy. Thus, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is considered in all patients eligible for transplant. However, patients with aggressive ATL often have chemo-refractoriness or experience early relapse during chemotherapy. Allo-HSCT is often ineffective in patients with active disease status. Mogamulizumab (Moga) was approved in 2012 in Japan as a potent treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory ATL. However, there is a major concern that the use of Moga before allo-HSCT could increase the risk of post-transplant complications, such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), because Moga depletes regulatory T cells. Here, we would like to describe the possible effects of pre-transplant Moga on post-transplant complications, such as acute GVHD, and to discuss how Moga could be efficiently incorporated in the treatment regimen of patients with aggressive ATL to maximize the expected clinical benefit.

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a plasma cell disorder characterized by the deposition of insoluble fibrillary protein derived from misfolded immunoglobulin light chains in several organs, resulting in organ failure and death. However, little information is available about the prevalence and demographic characteristics of AL amyloidosis and the treatment strategy for the condition in Japan. The Amyloidosis Research Committee, Intractable Disease Division, of the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, retrospectively conducted a nationwide survey of Japanese patients with AL amyloidosis who visited affiliated hospitals from January 2012 to December 2014. The number of patients with AL amyloidosis who visited the hospitals during the study period was 3170, and its incidence was estimated to be 4.2 per million person-years in Japan. For the second questionnaire, we collected 741 patients with AL amyloidosis (median age, 65 years; 59% males). The most commonly affected organ was the kidneys, followed by the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and autonomic nervous system. Only 53% of patients were accurately diagnosed by immunohistochemistry using an anti-light chain antibody. Cardiac amyloidosis was diagnosed at later stages. The leading non-transplant regimen was the bortezomib-combined regimen.

POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic disorder characterized by polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, λ-type monoclonal protein derived from only two germlines (IGLV1-40 or IGLV1-44), skin changes, extravascular volume overload, and serum vascular endothelial growth factor elevation. To understand the molecular pathophysiology of the disease, comprehensive genetic analyses of bone marrow plasma cells was performed in 20 patients with the syndrome. Although a median of 14.5 mutated genes were identified per patient, none of the driver gene mutations frequently found in multiple myeloma were detected. RNA sequencing revealed a transcription profile specific to POEMS syndrome, which suggested that the genetic and transcriptional profiles of plasma cells in POEMS syndrome are distinct from multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Treatment strategies for the devastating disease have been developed by targeting monoclonal plasma cells with novel agents, mainly thalidomide, followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Moreover, the 5-year overall survival after ASCT has improved to as high as 90% with dramatic improvement in symptoms and activities of daily living. However, the 5-year progression-free survival during long-term follow-up has dropped to 60%. Therefore, identifying novel therapeutic targets are imperative for further improvement of disease outcomes.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare low-grade B-cell lymphoma. This report focuses on WM in Japan. Regarding epidemiology, per the 2016 registry data by the Japanese Society of Hematology, WM and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) cases were 229 and 125, respectively (1.97% of 17,957 mature lymphoid malignancies), with the annual incidence of WM/LPL in Japan 2.8 per million. In addition, 6q deletion (6q del) is the leading aberration and one of the poor prognostic factors in WM. Our findings suggested that the serum IgM level was higher in WM with 6q del compared with those without, and the B-cell receptor signaling pathway and IL-21 receptor expression were activated in WM with 6q del. Hence, these findings might be attributed to the aggressiveness of the WM with 6q del. Regarding treatment, recent studies investigating the epidemiological treatment pattern for WM have reported rituximab (R) monotherapy and alkylating regimen (±R) as the leading initial treatment. Nevertheless, ideal treatment algorithm in Japan warrants further investigation.