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Biomedical subjects

R Gajera

Publications and source records attributed to R Gajera.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Cytogenetic studies in 77 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlations with clinical, immunologic, and phenotypic data.

Cytogenetic analyses by G-banding and/or Q-banding techniques of polyclonal B cell mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes in 77 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were carried out in the present study. Adequate metaphases were obtained in 65 patients (84%). Of 29 patients with abnormal karyotypes, ten (34%) had trisomy 12 as the sole abnormality, eight (28%) had trisomy 12 in combination with other karyotypic changes, and the remaining 11 had various karyotypic changes other than trisomy 12. There was a significant relationship between the abnormal karyotype and disease status, clinical stage, lymphocyte count, bone marrow infiltration pattern, monoclonal IgM gammopathy, and urinary monoclonal-free light chain status. Six of seven patients (87%) with trisomy 12 only had stage 0-11 disease, whereas all eight patients with trisomy 12 with other changes had stage III or IV disease (P less than .02). However, of nine patients with other karyotypic changes without trisomy 12, five had stage 0-II and four had stage III or IV disease. These observations suggest that trisomy 12 may be the primary or the earliest karyotypic change in a majority of aneuploid patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and that other karyotypic changes in addition to trisomy 12 may develop as a result of clonal evolution, dedifferentiation, or therapy. Of nine patients in whom autopsy studies were carried out, four were found to have diffuse histiocytic lymphoma or Richter's syndrome (three with trisomy 12 in combination with other chromosome changes and one with normal karyotype). Our findings clearly demonstrate that cytogenetic study may be of value in the clinical and prognostic evaluation of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

B-Lymphocytes

Bone marrow infiltration patterns and their prognostic significance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlations with clinical, immunologic, phenotypic, and cytogenetic data.

Bone marrow biopsies were prospectively performed on 75 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). There was a highly significant relationship (p less than 0.002) between clinical stages and bone marrow infiltration patterns. Ten (50%) of 20 patients with diffuse patterns died; the estimated median survival time for these patients was 87 months. In contrast, only six (11%) of 55 patients with nondiffuse patterns died; the estimated median survival time for these patients could not be computed. When both clinical stage and infiltration pattern were evaluated for survival, a highly significant association between clinical stage and survival time was still observed (p less than 0.003) whereas bone marrow infiltration pattern was no longer significant. A significant association was also observed between bone marrow infiltration patterns and absolute lymphocyte counts (p less than 0.0005), Fc-receptor-positive cells (p less than 0.002), 3H-thymidine uptake of leukocytes (p less than 0.01), serum alkaline phosphatase levels (p less than 0.05), monoclonal urinary-free light chain status (p less than 0.05), and cytogenetics of leukemic cells (p less than 0.05). These observations lead to the conclusion that in an overall prognostic evaluation of patients with CLL, although bone marrow histopathology may have no additional value over a well-established clinical staging system, as a whole, it may be of clinically predictive value in disease progression of patients with stage I and II.

Adult

Benign monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis--a benign variant of CLL: clinical, immunologic, phenotypic, and cytogenetic studies in 20 patients.

From 1951 through 1978, we have seen 20 cases of stage O chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) without disease progression for 6.5-24 years. The cohort included 7 males and 13 females, aged 48-77 years at the time of diagnosis. None presented with anemia, thrombocytopenia, or neutropenia nor developed cytopenias during follow-up. Mean total lymphocyte count in these patients was 20,100/microL, with ranges from 10,000 to 43,700 at the time of diagnosis, and was 20,600, with ranges from 1,000 to 47,200, at last follow-up. Of 12 patients studied, 8 and 4 were phenotyped as heavy chain mu delta- and mu-type, respectively, with 7 kappa- and 4 gamma-type (no light chain was detectable in one patient). Of 13 patients studied, one had a slightly elevated IgG level and two had slightly depressed serum IgA and IgM levels. All patients had positive delayed hypersensitivity responses to at least one of five skin test antigens. Each of seven patients studied for an in vitro leukocyte thymidine uptake had a low level of [3H]thymidine incorporation. Nine of 12 patients studied had elevated total T cells, and the remaining 3 had normal T cell counts. In vitro unseparated lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin showed normal kinetics of DNA synthesis, with a peak response on day 3 or 4 of culture in 4 and slightly or moderately depressed and/or delayed kinetics in 8 patients studied. Cytogenetic analyses by Q- or G-banding techniques of polyclonal B cell mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes in all six patients studied showed normal karyotypes. These data are consistent with a previously undescribed syndrome involving a monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis, a prolonged asymptomatic or benign clinical course, and essentially normal humoral and cellular immunity and normal karyotype. Our observations indicate that these 20 patients with stage O CLL have a benign clinical course and that they may also be designated as benign monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis ( BMBL ), a benign variant of CLL.

Aged

Association of thyroid carcinoma with malignant lymphoma.

Radiation-associated thyroid carcinoma is of clinical importance in modern radiation therapy of both Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), because anatomically the thyroid is often in the radiation field. We have reviewed the records of HD and NHL patients seen at Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) between 1910 and 1960 to determine associated occurrence of thyroid cancer. Radiation therapy was the major therapeutic modality with the occasional use of single agent chemotherapy with nitrogen mustard, triethylene melamine (TEM), chlorambucil and prednisone. There were 519 patients with HD and 863 with NHL. The thyroid glands of 439 (84%) HD and 544 (63%) NHL patients were included in the field of radiation. The mean age of patients with HD was 39 yr while for those with NHL, it was 53 yr. The mean survival in HD was 4.2 yr and in NHL 3.8 yr. There were three cases of thyroid cancer among the HD patients occurring 31, 44 and 48 yr, respectively, after radiation therapy. When compared with the number of thyroid cancers expected to develop, the incidence was significantly greater (p less than 0.005). In contrast, three NHL patients were found to have thyroid cancer at the time of surgery or postmortem examination. This number is again greater than expected in such a population (p less than 0.005); however, in only two cases could the cancer be considered as a sequela to NHL treatment. In all three cases the cancer turned out to be subclinical thyroid carcinoma, incidentally found at surgery or autopsy. One of the patients is still alive without evidence of either disease. The reason for this difference between patients with HD and NHL treated with a similar principle is unclear. Some of the factors contributing to this difference may include: the younger age of HD patients at diagnosis; the longer survival of patients with HD as compared with those with NHL; differences in the sites of radiation and type of treatment given; and possible differences in immunological status between the two groups.

Adolescent