Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (alanine aminotransferase)
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A pilot phase I/II study was conducted as a single-institute trial for evaluation of the feasibility and efficacy of a new salvage chemotherapy, CHASE, for patients with refractory or relapsed lymphoma . The CHASE regimen, consisting of cyclophosphamide, cytosine arabinoside, etoposide, and dexamethasone, was administered every 3 weeks in a maximum of 5 courses. A total of 16 patients were eligible and registered for this study. Myelosuppression was the major toxicity. Although grade 4 leukopenia and grade 3 thrombocytopenia were identified in 15 and 16 patients, respectively, duration of the nadir was brief (median, 3 days). Nonhematological grade 4 toxicity was not observed, and transient elevations of bilirubin and grade 3 aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) were observed in 2 and 3 courses, respectively, in a total of 57 courses. Complete and partial response rates were 71.4% (10/14) and 7.1% (1/14), respectively. The median percentage of maximal CD34+ cells was 6.1% on day 15, and a median number of 1.88 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg per apheresis were obtained. Thirteen patients received high-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. With a median follow-up time of 36 months from the start of CHASE, the overall survival rate for the 16 patients was 66.6%. These results indicated that CHASE is a safe and effective salvage regimen for malignant lymphoma, has sufficient mobilizing effect on peripheral blood stem cells, and warrants further phase II study.
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PMID:Pilot phase I/II study of new salvage therapy (CHASE) for refractory or relapsed malignant lymphoma. 1284 90

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) has rarely been documented in patients after splenectomy for gastric malignancy. We report a case of PVT that occurred after splenectomy as part of an en-bloc node dissection performed to treat gastric malignant lymphoma. A 38-year-old man underwent total gastrectomy and splenectomy with en-bloc D2 lymph node dissection. The spleen weighed 480 g. On postoperative day (POD) 31, the patient complained of abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant accompanied by fever. Moderate elevations of C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) were noted. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography disclosed thrombus in the portal vein and the splenic vein. There were no abnormalities in the levels of lupus anticoagulant, protein C antigen, protein S antigen, or antithrombin III (AT III). A diagnosis of PVT was made, and prompt treatment, including intravenous heparin combined with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was initiated, followed by longterm warfarin. This treatment resulted in clinical improvement, but failed to achieve thrombolysis in the portal vein. At follow-up after 6 months, the patient complained of postprandial abdominal pain with persistent peripheral edema and ascites. This case indicates that splenectomy for en-bloc node dissection in gastric malignancy is a possible cause of PVT. Because both the symptoms and the laboratory data in PVT are nonspecific, a high level of clinical suspicion and a low threshold for obtaining imaging examinations are important in the early diagnosis of PVT. Surgeons should remember PVT among several other complications whenever patients treated with radical gastrectomies are symptomatic and imaging studies are considered necessary.
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PMID:Portal vein thrombosis after splenectomy for gastric malignant lymphoma. 1471 20

HIV caregivers face many challenges following initiation of ART. The development of jaundice is uncommon but worrisome. In this case, two distinct and contrasting episodes of jaundice were observed. In the first instance, isolated elevation of the indirect bilirubin without elevation of the alkaline phosphatase was noted. The normal PT and serum aminotransferase levels indicate the absence of intrinsic liver dysfunction. Elevations in the indirect bilirubin may result from either impaired uptake/conjugation or excess production. The latter, usually from acquired hemolysis, may be a complication of an occult NHL. A work-up for this AIDS-related malignancy was not initiated since the caregivers recognized jaundice as a complication of IDV, which inhibits UDP-glucuronyl transferase and produces a Gilbert's-like syndrome. Physicians can expect to encounter this syndrome even more frequently with ATV. Experienced patients given RTV-boosted ATV have experienced elevations of unconjugated hyper-bilirubinemia in up to 45 percent of cases in clinical trials. However, such elevations do not reflect liver dysfunction and symptomatic jaundice requiring dosage reduction that occurred infrequently (7 to 8 percent of study patients). Counseling patients about this syndrome may promote adherence and prevent self-directed interruptions of ATV that compromise efficacy. The second case of jaundice provides a more formidable diagnostic challenge. The triad of LFT abnormalities (mild elevation of aminotransferases, normal PT, and marked cholestatic jaundice) implies an acute process that is mildly toxic to hepatocytes without affecting their synthetic function. The subacute nature of the patient's cholestatic jaundice suggests either intrahepatic infiltrative disease of the liver or extrahepatic obstruction of the biliary tree, most likely due to the patient's relatively modest level of pain and lack of fever. Despite LFT abnormalities occurring 17 months after a switch in his ART, cumulative drug-related toxicities must still be considered. Ritonavir can produce significant elevations in the AST/ALT, especially with pre-existing chronic liver disease as with hepatitis C virus coinfection. The NRTIs can produce hepatic steatosis, a result of mitochondrial toxicity and impaired fatty acid oxidation. However, jaundice and cholestasis are not typical of the latter syndrome. With a negative contrast CT that excludes parenchymal liver disease, investigation of the biliary tree to assess the presence of AIDS-related cholangitis was the next step. Performing a sphincterotomy or stent placement, and obtaining brushings or biopsy specimens to determine the extent of extrahepatic obstruction may help define a pathogen and be life-saving. The negative results of the ERCP justify the final diagnostic step, a liver biopsy to evaluate microscopic infiltrative disease that might not have been detected on contrast abdominal CT. Examples might include granulomatous disease (MAC), fungal etiologies (histoplasmosis), carcinomatosis (lymphoma, hepatoma, cholangiocarcinoma), and microvascular disease (bacillary angiomatosis). The failure to observe granulomatous inflammation in the liver does not exclude MAC infection, as MAC may involve other peri-aortic or mesenteric lymph nodes. This form of IRIS is unlikely given the abdominal CT findings, lack of systemic complaints, and extended persistence of liver aminotransferases. The nonspecific results of the liver biopsy are a common outcome in advanced AIDS patients with elevated alkaline phosphatase levels. Despite not having identified a pathogen, the biopsy establishes chronic liver disease and prompts re-evaluation and change of treatment to NFV. The subsequent normalization of the patient's aminotransferase levels suggests a prior adverse effect of LPV/r in the setting of unexplained, chronic liver disease. Most importantly, this case highlights the importance of HIV caregivers to review ART for safety when noting chronic liver dysfunction. Patients need to be counseled to minimize acetaminophen use, to consume alcohol in moderation, and to avoid behavior with risk for hepatitis C. Finally, all HIV patients should receive appropriate vaccination against hepatitis A and B if serology shows lack of protective immunity.
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PMID:Clinical vignette in antiretroviral therapy: jaundice. 1498 14

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation rate among hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients undergoing chemotherapy ranges from 21 to 35% with a mortality rate of 4-41%. The risk is significantly evident in patients with aggressive lymphoma, which is highly responsive to standard chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) achieving a complete response rate of 60-80% and 5-year survival rate of 30-50% with only 1% of treatment-related mortality. Alpha-Interferon and lamivudine were given as preemptive treatment for HBV reactivation in HBsAg-positive patients treated for aggressive lymphoma consecutively from 1994 to 1997 and 1998 to 2001, respectively, in our institution. The outcome of 77 HBsAg-positive patients treated for aggressive lymphoma at our institution from 1990 to 2001 was studied. Of these patients, 53 did not receive prophylaxis while 13 received subcutaneous alpha-interferon 3 x 10(6) U thrice weekly and 11 received oral lamivudine 100 mg/day simultaneously with chemotherapy. Seventeen patients in the non-prophylactic group experienced HBV reactivation (32%), seven of whom progressed to fatal fulminant hepatitis (41%), which is associated with 13.2% of the mortality rate among the non-prophylactic patients. None of the 24 patients in the prophylactic group had grade III or IV toxicity or elevated ALT level greater than fivefold exceeding 200 IU/l suggestive of clinical hepatitis that required dose reduction or delayed chemotherapy. Thus, preemptive use of alpha-interferon or lamivudine in HBsAg-positive lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy may be a promising approach to prevent HBV reactivation that carries a risk of delayed treatment or even fatal outcome.
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PMID:Preemptive use of interferon or lamivudine for hepatitis B reactivation in patients with aggressive lymphoma receiving chemotherapy. 1506 Jul 45

In recent years preclinical and clinical studies have been undertaken with selected monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) either alone or coniugated to toxins in patients with several lymphoid malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) and hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Two MoAbs, directed against CD20 antigen (Rituximab, RIT) and CD52 antigen (Campath-1H, alemtuzumab, ALT) demonstrate significant activity in CLL. The most notable success to data has been achieved with ALT, both in previously treated and untreated patients with CLL. ALT is a humanized rat IgG1 antibody that binds to the cell membrane of virtually all normal as well as malignant lymphocytes. In the vast majority of CLL patients ALT causes constant reduction of abnormal blood lymphocytes, usually in less than 4 weeks, and disappearance of CD5/CD19 co-expression cells from blood. The regression of lymphoid infiltration from other sites is less clear. ALT is also highly active in patients with CLL in progression, even refractory to fludarabine (FA). Hematological toxicity, especially long-lasting lymphocytopenia, was noted in the majority of patients. The most important clinical side effects of ALT treatment were infections, mainly herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus reactivation. RIT is also active in CLL in conventional doses. However some studies suggest that higher doses are more effective than standard doses, used routinely in other lymphoid malignancies. The activity of ALT and RIT in CLL patients resistant to FA and their synergistic interactions with cytotoxic drugs suggests that a combination of these agents may lead to further progress in the treatment of this disease. The T-cell variant of PLL has demonstrated impressive responses to ALT in several trials even if the patients were refractory to deoxycoformycin (DCF) and other agents. However, this MoAb is not curative, because all patients eventually relapsed. Consequently, treatment with ALT may need to be associated with stem cell transplantation to consolidate and maintain long-term remissions. Recently anti-CD22 and anti-CD25 immunotoxins have been investigated in purine analogues refractory or relapsed HCL. The presented results indicate that these agents are highly active and well tolerated even if the patients were resistant to 2-CdA or DCF.
Leuk Lymphoma 2004 Feb
PMID:Monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of chronic lymphoid leukemias. 1510 4

Preemptive lamivudine in lymphoma patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy can effectively prevent chemotherapy-related HBV reactivation. Nevertheless, the safety profile after withdrawal of lamivudine and the impact of rituximab-containing chemotherapy on HBV reactivation has not been defined. To illustrate the necessity of prolonged surveillance after cessation of preemptive lamivudine in lymphoma patients treated with rituximab and chemotherapy, four patients with B-cell NHL carrying HBV received rituximab plus CHOP. Preemptive lamivudine therapy was administered 1 week before chemotherapy until 4 weeks after completion of chemotherapy. Serial serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, and HBV-DNA levels were prospectively monitored in three patients. The fourth patient was closely monitored for ALT. The HBV DNA was checked after development of clinical overt hepatitis. The peripheral blood CD20+ B-lymphocyte counts were analyzed periodically in two patients. All of the three patients studied prospectively had virological relapses with surgence of HBV DNA 6-8 months after completion of rituximab-plus-CHOP (R+CHOP) therapy. Two of the three patients had biochemical relapses and one of them developed severe hepatitis. Sequencing for HBV polymerase gene in these patients failed to show evident emergence of lamivudine-resistant mutations. The fourth patient developed a hepatitis flare-up 6 months after completion of chemotherapy. The CD2+ lymphocytes were totally depleted when HBV DNA started to increase. Delayed HBV reactivation can occur in lymphoma patients receiving R+CHOP after withdrawal of preemptive lamivudine. More protracted lamivudine therapy may be an alternative to close monitoring following chemotherapy, and further studies are needed to define optimal duration of lamivudine therapy.
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PMID:Delayed hepatitis B virus reactivation after cessation of preemptive lamivudine in lymphoma patients treated with rituximab plus CHOP. 1533 94

This study's objective was to determine the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine in patients with relapsed or chemotherapy-refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). Twenty-nine patients were enrolled. Eight of the first 10 patients received intravenous gemcitabine (1250 mg/m2) days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. Two patients withdrew consent before treatment. Because of toxicity, the remaining 19 patients received 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. Of the 29 treated patients, 16 (55.2%) were male, the median age was 43 years (range, 20.9-77.3), and 89.7% of them were white. Twelve patients (41.4%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) of 0, 14 (48.3%) had a PS of 1, and 3 (10.3%) had a PS of 2. All patients had >/= 2 prior chemotherapy regimens. Eighteen patients (62%) had a relapse following bone marrow transplantation. Of 27 evaluable patients, 6 (22%) had partial response, 14 (52%) had stable disease, and 7 (26%) had progressive disease. The median time to progression for all patients was 6.4 months (range, 1.1-21.9). The median survival for all patients was 26.9 months (range, < 1-28.4). All patients have discontinued treatment because of disease progression or relapse. Grade >/= 3 toxicity occurred in 14 patients (48.3%): thrombocytopenia (33.3%), neutropenia (29.6%), anemia (7.4%), increased alanine aminotransferase, reduced cardiac function, and fever (3.7% for each event). This study confirms the activity of gemcitabine in relapsed and highly refractory HL. Dose and schedule may be modified in the future to optimize responses. As gemcitabine is active in highly refractory/relapsed HL, future studies should consider incorporating gemcitabine in combination regimens as first-line therapy for patients with high-risk HL.
Clin Lymphoma 2004 Sep
PMID:Results of a phase II multicenter trial of single-agent gemcitabine in patients with relapsed or chemotherapy-refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. 1545 26

We report here on a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in which liver involvement was the predominant clinical manifestation. A healthy 44-year-old man presented with upper abdominal pain, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, elevated AST, ALT and bilirubin, and marked elevation of lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase. The abdominal CT scan showed only diffuse hepatosplenomegaly and uneven contrast enhancement of the spleen without any definite mass of the liver and spleen. US-guided aspiration biopsy of liver and the histologic examination confirmed a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the diffuse large B cell type. Bone marrow biopsy showed the infiltration of malignant lymphoma cells. PET-CT showed an increased FDG uptake of the liver, spleen and long bones. The patient was treated with combination regimen of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone chemotherapy. Even in the absence of a mass lesion or lymphadenopathy, primary hepatic or hepatosplenic lymphoma should be considered in differential diagnosis of hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, especially for patients with diffuse hepatosplenomegaly and markedly elevated LDH.
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PMID:[A case of primary hepatic lymphoma mimicking hepatitis]. 1617 55

A 48-year-old man was referred to Sakai Municipal Hospital with nasal discharge and right facial swelling. The pathological findings of a nasal cavity tumor revealed stage IIB NK/T-cell lymphoma. He was admitted to our hospital and received CHOP therapy, resulting in progressive disease. Irradiation therapy combined with DeVIC chemotherapy also could not shrink his lymphoma. Then, two courses of L-asparaginase(L-Asp) were administered, resulting in partial improvement of the nasal and pharynx lesions, resolution of the fever and improvement of his performance status. On the day before a third course of L-Asp, he again developed a lowgrade fever. Although L-Asp was administered for several days, marked elevation of serum LDH, AST, ALT level, and thrombocytopenia persisted, and he died. Post-mortem examinations revealed hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow and liver, and infiltration of lymphoma cells into multiple organs including left lower lung, liver, spleen and kidneys. Although L-Asp was effective against nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma resistant to combination chemotherapy and irradiation therapy, the effectiveness of the single agent with L-Asp was only transient. L-Asp based regimen should be used as first-line therapy if asparagine synthetase protein expression is low using an immunohistochemical method.
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PMID:[Temporary effective treatment with L-asparaginase for a patient with refractory nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma]. 1628 43

A German Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) study group designed the BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisolone) regimen. In the BEACOPP regimen, treatment intervals were shortened and the dose-intensity was increased compared with those in the ABVD regimen (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and darcarbacine), resulting in a long-term disease-free survival rate of approximately 75-80%. In the present study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of the BEACOPP regimen. Between April 2001 and February 2004, 20 patients with HL of stage IIB or higher who had received no previous treatment were enrolled. The patients were aged 17-69 years (median 22 years). The histologic types were mixed cellularity in four cases and nodular sclerosis in 16 cases. The stages were stage IIB in four cases, stage III in 12 cases, and stage IV in four cases. Nineteen (95%) of the 20 patients achieved complete remission. The 3-year survival rate was 100% and the 3-year progression-free survival rate was 89.7%. Adverse drug reactions were grade 4 neutropenia in 12 patients, grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia in seven patients, and grade 3 or higher non-hematologic toxicities in two patients (stomatitis in one patient and ALT/AST elevation in one patient). The BEACOPP regimen for advanced-stage HL showed an excellent complete remission rate and high efficacy even in stage III/IV patients. However, a long-term risk of the BEACOPP regimen is the development of secondary leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. Therefore, long-term follow-up of these patients, including monitoring for toxicities, is necessary.
Leuk Lymphoma 2006 Sep
PMID:Multicentre phase II study of the baseline BEACOPP regimen for patients with advanced-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma. 1706 5


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