Hematology 

About: Hematology is an academic journal published by Maney Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Transplantation & Myeloid leukemia. It has an ISSN identifier of 1024-5332. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 3455 publications have been published receiving 93491 citations. The journal is also known as: haematology & Hematology.

Iron deficiency anemia

Abstract: Iron is an essential mineral for oxygen transport and energy production. Increased requirements, as with pregnancy, or inadequate dietary intake of iron may lead to varying degrees of depletion. If iron depletion is severe, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) occurs. By World Health Organization standards, anemia during pregnancy is a hemoglobin (Hb) concentration ≤13.0 g/dl, and by this definition anemia may complicate over 50% of all gestations in the United States.1 Of pregnant women with an abnormally low Hb concentration and packed cell volume (PCV), 75–85% have IDA.2 Indeed, some degree of iron depletion appears to be almost universal during pregnancy. The problem is compounded by multiple gestations, successive pregnancies (<2–3 years apart), adolescent pregnancy, chronic blood loss, intravascular hemolysis, and poor iron absorption associated with certain medical conditions.

The 2008 WHO classification of lymphomas: implications for clinical practice and translational research

Abstract: The 4(th) edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues published in 2008 builds upon the success of the 2001 3(rd) edition; new entities are defined, and solutions for problematic categories are sought. Recent studies have drawn attention to the biological overlap between classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Similarly, there is a greater appreciation of the borderlands between Burkitt lymphoma and DLBCL. Strategies for the management of these borderline lesions are proposed. Additionally, age-specific and site-specific factors play an important role in the definition of several new entities, which also have biological underpinnings. Among the peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), more precise definitions were introduced for several entities, including anaplastic large cell lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma, and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma. Several new variants of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are proposed. Finally, the subclassification and categorization of the most common lymphoma subtypes, follicular lymphoma (FL) and DLBCL, were altered to enhance diagnostic accuracy and aid in clinical management. The 2008 WHO classification also draws attention to early events in lymphomagenesis. These lesions help delineate the earliest steps in neoplastic transformation and generally mandate a conservative therapeutic approach. The 2001 classification was rapidly adopted for clinical trials and successfully served as a common language for scientists comparing genetic and functional data. The modifications made in the 2008 classification are the result of this successful partnership among pathologists, clinicians, and biologists, but are only a stepping stone to the future.

Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Abstract: Despite overall improvements in outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), approximately one-third of patients will develop relapsed/refractory disease that remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Novel insights from gene-expression analyses have increased our understanding of chemotherapy resistance and yielded rational targets for therapeutic intervention to both prevent and treat relapsed/refractory DLBCL. The clinical approach to relapsed/refractory DLBCL should include high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HD-ASCT) with curative intent in patients without comorbidities. Results from the recently reported CORAL study suggest that patients refractory to rituximab-containing regimens have inferior outcomes with HD-ASCT. Ongoing efforts to improve ASCT include novel conditioning regimens and evaluation of maintenance approaches after ASCT. Unfortunately, because the majority of patients are not eligible for ASCT due to refractory disease or age/comorbidities, these approaches have limited impact. The large group of patients not eligible for ASCT have incurable disease and should be referred for clinical trials of rationally targeted agents.

Update on Cobalamin, Folate, and Homocysteine

Abstract: Three topics affecting cobalamin, folate, and homocysteine that have generated interest, activity, and advances in recent years are discussed. These are: (I). the application of an expanded variety of tools to the diagnosis of cobalamin deficiency, and how these affect and are affected by our current understanding of deficiency; (II). the nature of the interaction between homocysteine and vascular disease, and how the relationship is affected by vitamins; and (III). the improved understanding of relevant genetic disorders and common genetic polymorphisms, and how these interact with environmental influences. The diagnostic approach to cobalamin deficiency now allows better diagnosis of difficult and atypical cases and more confident rejection of the diagnosis when deficiency does not exist. However, the process has also become a complex and sometimes vexing undertaking. Part of the difficulty derives from the lack of a diagnostic gold standard among the many available tests, part from the overwhelming numerical preponderance of patients with subclinical deficiency (in which isolated biochemical findings exist without clinical signs or symptoms) among the cobalamin deficiency states, and part from the decreased availability of reliable tests to identify the causes of a patient's cobalamin deficiency and thus a growing deemphasis of that important part of the diagnostic process. In Section I, Dr. Carmel discusses the tests, the diagnostic issues, and possible approaches to the clinical evaluation. It is suggested no single algorithm fits all cases, some of which require more biochemical proof than others, and that differentiating between subclinical and clinical deficiency, despite their overlap, may be a helpful and practical point of departure in the evaluation of patients encountered in clinical practice. The arguments for and against a suggested expansion of the cobalamin reference range are also weighed. The epidemiologic data suggest that homocysteine elevation is a risk factor for vascular and thrombotic disease. In Section II, Dr. Green notes that the interactions of metabolism and clinical risk are not well understood and a causative relationship remains unproven despite new reports that lowering homocysteine levels may reduce vascular complications. Genetic and acquired influences may interact in important ways that are still being sorted out. The use of vitamins, especially folate, often reduces homocysteine levels but also carries potential disadvantages and even risks. Folate fortification of the diet and supplement use have also markedly reduced the frequency of folate deficiency, and cobalamin deficiency is now the more common deficiency state, especially among the elderly. Although genetic disorders are rare, they illuminate important metabolic mechanisms and pose diagnostic challenges, especially when clinical presentation occurs later in life. In Section III, Drs. Rosenblatt and Watkins use selected disorders to illustrate the subject. Imerslund-Grasbeck syndrome, a hereditary disorder of cobalamin absorption at the ileal level, demonstrates genetic heterogeneity. Finnish patients show mutation of the gene for cubilin, the multiligand receptor for intrinsic factor. Surprisingly, Norwegian and other patients have been found recently to have mutations of the AMN (amnionless) gene, mutations that are lethal in mice at the embryonic stage. Two disorders of cobalamin metabolism, cblG and cblE, are now known to arise from mutations of the methionine synthase and methionine synthase reductase genes, respectively. These disorders feature megaloblastic anemia and neurologic manifestations. The folate disorder selected for illustration, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency, paradoxically causes neurological problems but no megaloblastic anemia. This rare deficiency is the most common inborn error of folate metabolism. It is distinct from the very common MTHFR gene polymorphisms, mutations that cause mild to moderate reductions in MTHFR activity but no direct clinical manifestations. The MTHFR polymTHFR polymorphisms, especially the 677C-->T mutation, may contribute to vascular and birth defect risks, while reducing the risk of certain malignancies, such as colon cancer. These polymorphisms and those of genes for other enzymes and proteins related to cobalamin, folate, and homocysteine metabolism may be important role players in frequent interactions between genes and the environment.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Abstract: The treatment options for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) continue to evolve rapidly. Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec, Glivec, formerly STI571) has continued to show remarkable clinical benefits and the updated results with this agent are reviewed. As relapses using single agent imatinib have occurred, particularly in advanced phase patients, the issue of whether combinations of other antileukemic agents with imatinib may yield improved results is addressed. In addition, data on new agents that have potential in the treatment of CML are reviewed. These agents are presented in the context of their molecular mechanism of action. The most recent data for stem cell transplantation, along with advances in nonmyeloablative transplants, are also reviewed. In Section I, Drs. Stephen O'Brien and Brian Druker update the current status of clinical trials with imatinib and review ongoing investigations into mechanisms of resistance and combinations of imatinib with other agents. They also present their views on integration of imatinib with other therapies. In Section II, Dr. Jorge Cortes describes the most recent data on novel therapies for CML, including farnesyl transferase inhibitors, arsenic trioxide, decitabine, and troxatyl, among others. These agents are discussed in the context of their molecular mechanism of action and rationale for use. In Section III, Dr. Jerald Radich updates the results of stem cell transplants for CML, including emerging data on nonmyeloablative transplants. He also presents data on using microarrays to stratify patients into molecularly defined risk groups.