Background/Objectives: Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are challenging to treat. Reports on the ben... more Background/Objectives: Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are challenging to treat. Reports on the benefits of sildenafil for LM management have been mixed. This study evaluated long-term clinical outcomes of pediatric LM patients after sildenafil treatment. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on pediatric LM patients treated with sildenafil in the past 5 years. Patients were also contacted to complete a survey of comprehensive questions about their LM after sildenafil and subsequent interventions. Results: Of 12 patients identified, 10 (83.3%) participated in the follow-up survey. The average age was 8 years (range 4-16 yrs), median treatment duration was 9 months, and the average time of follow-up after sildenafil was 4 years; one patient is still taking sildenafil. Ten patients surveyed (83.3%) reported positive therapeutic response, with improvement in the size and compressibility of their LM during posttreatment clinical visits. Six received additional interventions (four sirolimus, one sclerotherapy, one surgery) after sildenafil was discontinued, with all but one reporting a positive response to subsequent interventions. Minor side effects at the time of sildenafil treatment included mild flushing, dizziness, and transient nausea, but no adverse effects were reported at the long-term follow-up. Conclusion: This is the first report of long-term follow-up of pediatric LM patients treated with sildenafil. Our findings suggest that sildenafil is beneficial for the symptomatic treatment of LMs. Additional analysis on the role of sildenafil as adjuvant therapy is necessary to optimize the use of this medication in the management of complex LMs.
SummaryWe identified four patients who presented with BCR‐ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neopla... more SummaryWe identified four patients who presented with BCR‐ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neoplasms and cytogenetically visible abnormalities of chromosome band 5q31‐35. Fluorescence in situ hybridization indicated that the platelet‐derived growth factor receptor β gene (PDGFRB) was disrupted in all four cases and 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends identified in‐frame mRNA fusions between PDGFRB and WDR48 (3p21), GOLGA4 (3p21) and BIN2 (12q13). Strikingly, all three genes encode proteins involving intracellular trafficking. Imatinib, a known inhibitor of PDGFRβ, selectively blocked the growth of t(3;5) myeloid colonies and produced clinically significant responses in all patients. We conclude that PDGFRB fuses to diverse partner genes in atypical myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Although very rare, identification of these fusions is critical for proper management of affected individuals.
Background: Little is known about the characteristics of older adults with cognitive impairment i... more Background: Little is known about the characteristics of older adults with cognitive impairment in Macao. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and the quality of life (QOL) of older adults living in the community and nursing homes. Methods: A consecutive sample of 413 subjects (199 from the community; 214 from nursing homes) was recruited and interviewed using standardized instruments. Cognition was measured with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and QOL with the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument. Results: Altogether 87 subjects (21.0%) had cognitive impairment. On multivariate analyses, advanced age (P < 0.001, OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.03-1.1) and depressive symptoms (P = 0.03, OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 0.005-1.1) were positively associated with cognitive impairment. Married marital status (P = 0.01, OR = 0.3, 95%CI: 0.1-0.7) and higher education level (P < 0.001, OR = 0.1, 95%CI: 0.06-0.3) were negatively associated with cognitive impairment. After the confounders were controlled for, cognitive impairment was significantly associated with the lower psychological (F (11,412) = 6.3, P = 0.01) and social relationship domains of QOL (F (11,412) = 4.0, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Cognitive impairment was found to be common in communitydwelling and nursing home resident older adults in Macao. Given cognitive impairment's negative impact on QOL, appropriate strategies should be implemented to improve access to treatment in this population.
Background: The indications for treating children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remain contr... more Background: The indications for treating children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remain controversial. A valid and reliable bleeding assessment tool could assist in objectively quantifying bleeding and influence treatment decisions. Both the ITP Bleeding Score (IBLS) and the ITP-Bleeding Assessment Tool (BAT) have been developed to assess bleeding severity in ITP. The IBLS scores bleeding severity using an 11-item tool with grading from 0 to 2 and the 18-item BAT grades from 0 to 3 or 4. The BAT includes some types of bleeding not represented on the IBLS, such has intramuscular hematomas. To date, no data describe how these two measures compare when measuring bleeding associated with ITP. Objective: To describe and compare bleeding as assessed by both the IBLS and BAT and to correlate bleeding severity with platelet counts in a cohort of children with ITP. Methods: A longitudinal observational cohort of children ages &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;1 and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 18 years with ITP, were enrolled from 2013-2015 in the Pediatric ITP Consortium of North America ICON1 trial. All children were enrolled prior to starting a new second line monotherapy (not IVIG, steroids or anti-D). At enrollment, bleeding was assessed using the IBLS in all children. A subset of children also underwent a BAT assessment. Grades of bleeding were described and compared between tools and agreement in grading was assessed. Severity was correlated with platelet count using…
Exposure to air pollution has been associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health ... more Exposure to air pollution has been associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health outcomes in both children and adults. In this study, we used geographic information systems (GISs) to explore possible associations between chromosomal damage in 65 African American children and their mothers from Oakland, California, and both proximity to traffic and regional ozone levels. Study participants were interviewed at the Healthy Child Clinic of Children&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Hospital, Oakland, and their blood and buccal cells were collected for assessment of chromosomal damage by the micronucleus (MN) assay. Regional ozone levels, which decreased from April to November with a secondary peak in late summer, were highly correlated with season by month (r=-0.84, P=0.02) and strongly associated with MN frequency (frequency ratio (FR): 3.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30-8.72) in both cell types of children and adults. Additionally, MN frequencies were modestly associated with individual measures of traffic density in children (FR=2.45, 95% CI=0.86-7.10), but not in adults; this suggests a greater vulnerability to traffic-related air pollution in children. Smoking in the household also increased MN frequency in the lymphocytes of children (FR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.01-1.24) and adults (FR: 1.06, 95%CI: 0.99-1.13), whereas vitamin use in adults decreased MN frequency in both lymphocytes and buccal cells (FR: 0.17, 95%CI: 0.02-1.31; FR: 0.18, 95%CI: 0.03-1.18, respectively). Our data indicate that GIS-generated measures of traffic density for individual households augment regional ozone monitoring data used to assess effects of air pollution. This approach helped to demonstrate elevated cytogenetic damage in exposed minority children.
Vascular anomalies are a group of disorders divided into two distinct subtypes: vascular tumors a... more Vascular anomalies are a group of disorders divided into two distinct subtypes: vascular tumors and vascular malformations. Vascular tumors are proliferative in nature, while malformations are non-proliferative. Simple, localized vascular malformations refer to a group of malformations that are localized to a single area of involvement. These simple malformations include capillary, lymphatic, venous, and arteriovenous malformations. The pediatric hematologist and oncologist is becoming increasingly involved in the diagnosis and management of these disorders. This review presents four cases as a means to discuss the diagnosis, clinical and imaging features, and management strategies of simple, localized vascular malformations.
Chelation therapy for patients with transfusional hemosiderosis is guided by the degree of iron o... more Chelation therapy for patients with transfusional hemosiderosis is guided by the degree of iron overload and ongoing transfusion requirements; liver iron concentration (LIC) is one tool for measuring current iron burden. During the clinical development of the novel oral iron chelator deferasirox, LIC was measured in subcutaneous liver biopsy samples, but also non-invasively by biomagnetic liver susceptometry (SQUID-BLS) and magnetic resonance imaging (R2-MRI: FerriScan®). These methods were compared in a substudy of a large, open-label, randomized Phase III study in 586 β-thalassemia patients with transfusional hemosiderosis; the study evaluated the efficacy and safety of long-term deferasirox and deferoxamine treatment. 48 patients (aged 17–35 yrs) gave informed consent for adding BLS and MRI assessments (baseline, 6 and 12 months) to the biopsy assessments (baseline and 12 months) of the main study. At baseline, 47 patients were assessed by BLS and biopsy, 45 by R2-MRI; at 6 months, 42 by BLS and R2-MRI; at 12 months, 41 by BLS and R2-MRI, 39 by biopsy. BLS was performed and evaluated locally at 3 centers in Hamburg, Turin and Oakland. MR images were recorded at 4 centers in Hamburg, Turin, Stanford and Los Angeles and were analyzed centrally. Data from BLS and R2-MRI remained blinded until study completion. LIC from biopsies was determined by AAS from extracted paraffin blocks in a central laboratory and used as the standardized reference method. LIC was expressed as mg/g dry weight for all methods: for BLS, a wet-to-dry weight conversion factor of 3.3 was applied, while MRI was calibrated against fresh freeze-dried liver biopsies. The relationship between BLS or R2-MRI with biopsy measurements was modeled by linear regression after log-transformation of the data. To account for the correlation between baseline and post-baseline measurements of the same patient, mixed-effects models were fitted. On average, the LIC data obtained from BLS and biopsy were related by a factor of 0.46 (95% CI: 0.32, 0.67). With R2-MRI assessment of LIC vs biopsy, the factor was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.97). BLS and R2-MRI measurements could not be related appropriately by a factor. Overall, LIC from biopsy was generally larger than that obtained from BLS; R2-MRI measurements fell in-between biopsy and BLS. Differences are caused in part by the variability in the wet-to-dry weight ratio relating in vivo with in vitro methods. In conclusion, LIC data from 3 independent methods were correlated but not equivalent. It is therefore important that for an individual patient, a single method is consistently used under standardized conditions.
Background. Platelet transfusion is a critical therapy for hematology-oncology patients at risk o... more Background. Platelet transfusion is a critical therapy for hematology-oncology patients at risk of transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI) and pulmonary injury. Amotosalen-UVA pathogen reduction (PR) treatment of apheresis platelet components (PC) in plasma or additive solution (INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets, Cerus, Concord, CA) is FDA approved to reduce risk of TTI and transfusion associated graft vs. host disease (TA-GVHD). PRPC meet the FDA bacteria risk reduction guidance, and approximately 50% of U.S. PC are PRPC. Amotosalen-UVA PR replaces bacteria screening, gamma irradiation, and CMV serology. PR is performed within 24 hours of collection enabling early release of PRPC with 5-day storage. We tested the hypothesis that PRPC were not inferior to conventional PC(CPC) for the incidence of pulmonary injury. Methods. An open-label sequential cohort study in platelet transfusion dependent hematology-oncology patients was conducted under routine practice conditions in 15 clin...
Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a myeloid neoplasia characterized by inflamm... more Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a myeloid neoplasia characterized by inflammatory lesions with pathologic CD207+ myeloid dendritic cells (DC). Activation of ERK occurs in all patients with the most common somatic driver mutation being BRAF-V600E being found in up to 60% of patients.Mononuclear cells harboring the BRAF-V600E mutation have been found in peripheral blood of patients with involvement of the liver, spleen, or bone marrow, known as high risk organs. LCH involvement of the brain may include mass lesions in 25% of patients, most commonly the pituitary gland, or a progressive neurodegenerative syndrome (LCH-ND) that arises in approximately 5% of patients. LCH-ND may arise years after the initial LCH episode was presumed to have been cured and may lead to permanent neurologic deficits. The pathogenesis of LCH-ND is poorly understood, but is believed to be due to an autoimmune or paraneoplastic process. No standard approaches to surveillance or therapy exi...
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Background: The impact of second line... more <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Background: The impact of second line therapies on health related quality of life (HRQoL) and fatigue in pediatric patients with ITP is not well studied.</jats:p> <jats:p>Objective: To describe the impact of second line therapies on HRQoL and fatigue in North American pediatric patients with ITP.</jats:p> <jats:p>Methods: A longitudinal observational cohort of 120 children with ITP starting second line treatments was enrolled from 2013-2015 at 21 ICON centers. Enrollment requirements included age 1-17y and starting a second line treatment (not IVIG, corticosteroids or anti-D immunoglobulin) as monotherapy. HRQoL (Kids ITP Tool - KIT) and fatigue (Hockenberry Fatigue Scale - FS) surveys were completed prior to starting treatment (baseline) and 1 and 12 months after starting treatment by patient/caregiver. KIT is scored from 0 (worst) to 100 (best), and the FS scores were re-scaled so that 0 is no fatigue and 100 is highest fatigue. At the same time points as the patient/caregiver surveys, physicians assessed the perceived effect of treatment on patient HRQoL using a 7-point scale. ANOVA was used to compare the baseline means of the treatment groups. This study specifically compared change from baseline to 1 month in the KIT and FS using paired t-tests within each treatment group. The 12 month timepoint was not used in the paired analysis of individual treatments due to attrition between 1 and 12 months.</jats:p> <jats:p>Results: The median age at enrollment was 11.3 y (1.2-17.8), and 16% (19/120) had newly diagnosed ITP, 31% (37/120) had persistent ITP, and 53% (64/120) had chronic ITP. The median number of prior treatments was 3 (range: 1-9). Fifty-eight (48%) patients had received at least one prior second line treatment. Treatments selected for second line treatment included: rituximab (n=43), romiplostim (n=31), eltrombopag (n=20), oral immunosuppressants (n=19), splenectomy (n=4), and dapsone (n=3).</jats:p> <jats:p>The child and parent proxy KIT scores significantly improved on rituximab (p&amp;lt;0.001 for both), oral immunosuppressants (p=0.02, p=0.001), and eltrombopag (p=0.01 for both). Child KIT scores also significantly improved on romiplostim (p=0.003); however, there was no significant change in the parent proxy score (p=0.29). The parent impact KIT scores significantly improved from baseline to 1 month on all treatments (p&amp;lt;0.001), although the scores were not significantly different between treatment types (p=0.67). Child, parent proxy, and parent impact KIT scores significantly increased between 1 month and 12 months in paired analysis combining treatments (p&amp;lt;0.001).</jats:p> <jats:p>As previously described, at enrollment, physicians reported that ITP had impacted the patients' HRQoL severely in 15%, significantly in 45%, moderately in 38%, and almost not at all in 3%. Physicians reported that HRQoL improved in 68% (range: 64-75%) of patients while on treatment from baseline to 1 month with no significant difference by treatment group (p=0.46). The physician's assessment of the patient's baseline HRQoL significantly correlated with the child and parent proxy KIT report (p&amp;lt;0.0001); however, after 1 month of treatment, the physician's assessment no longer correlated with the child (p=0.26) or parent proxy KIT report (p=0.11).</jats:p> <jats:p>At enrollment, the median FS-Child score (n=54) was 18.5 (range 0-85), the median FS-Adolescent score (n=42) was 20.2 (0-73), and the median FS-Parent (n= 100) score was 35 (7-81). One month FS-Child improved for those who were treated with rituximab (p=0.03); there was no significant change in fatigue on the other treatments. One month FS-Parent significantly improved for those treated with rituximab (p=0.015) and eltrombopag (p=0.009).</jats:p> <jats:p>Conclusions: In this pediatric cohort, all second line treatments appear to significantly improve HRQoL in ITP. Rituximab had the greatest impact in decreasing fatigue at one month. Physician assessment of patient HRQoL did not correlate well with patient assessment after treatment was started, suggesting there may be challenges in ascertaining the effect of treatment on HRQoL. Future analysis of ICON1 will consider the impact of treatment on HRQoL and fatigue while also accounting for the treatment effect on bleeding and platelet count.</jats:p> <jats:p /> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Disclosures</jats:title> <jats:p>Grace: Agios: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Klaassen: Amgen: Consultancy; Hoffman-La Roche LTD: Consultancy; Octapharma: Honoraria; Baxalta: Honoraria; Biogen Canada LTD: Consultancy; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Despotovic: Sanofi: Consultancy; Schell Cooley LLP: Other: Expert witness. Bussel: Protalex: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Momenta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory…
BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is an abrupt debilitating psyc... more BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is an abrupt debilitating psychiatric illness. We anecdotally observed hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency in a subset of patients with PANS, prompting this study. METHODS: In this IRB-approved prospective cohort study, we included patients seen at the Stanford PANS Clinic who met study criteria. The prevalence of hypoferritinemia (using cutoffs of 7 ng/ml in children ≤ 15 years and 18 ng/ml in adolescents > 15 years) and iron deficiency was estimated. Differences in patients with and without hypoferritinemia during PANS flare were explored. RESULTS: Seventy-nine subjects (mean age of PANS onset of 8.7 years) met study criteria. Hypoferritinemia was observed in 27% and three quarters occurred during a PANS flare. Compared to patients without hypoferritinemia during PANS flare, patients with hypoferritinemia had worse global impairment, more comorbid inflammatory diseases, and exhibited a chronic course of PANS illness. The estimated prevalence of iron deficiency was 3-8% in the PANS cohort, 1.4-2.0-fold higher than in the age-and sexmatched U.S. population. More stringent ferritin level cutoffs than the comparison CDC dataset were used. CONCLUSION: Hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency appear to be more common in PANS patients. More research is needed to confirm and understand this association.
2509 Background: Chronic pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) has an incidence of 1–2/100,000.... more 2509 Background: Chronic pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) has an incidence of 1–2/100,000. Due to its low incidence, large studies in pediatric chronic ITP are difficult. This registry includes patients from 16 sites in the US and Canada and represents one of the largest longitudinal datasets of children/adolescents with chronic ITP. Objective: To describe the North American Chronic ITP Registry (NACIR) study population and evaluate univariate predictors of platelet count response to therapies, including IVIG, anti-D globulin (anti-D), steroids (5–14 day course), and splenectomy. Registry methods and patient characteristics: After local IRB approval, 550 patients with chronic ITP enrolled in the NACIR between January 2004 and June 2010. Eligibility included: ages 6 months-18 years at ITP diagnosis, clinical diagnosis of ITP, and ITP duration >6 months. Primary ITP was defined as isolated thrombocytopenia without associated conditions. Secondary ITP included those patients ...
Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an inflammatory myeloid neoplasia characteri... more Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an inflammatory myeloid neoplasia characterized by the accumulation of CD1a+ CD207+ histiocytes. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a non-malignant histiocytic disorder, is typified by the accumulation and activation of CD8+ T cells and macrophages, which secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The co-existence of LCH and HLH has been reported, albeit rarely, and is believed to be associated with a poorer outcome. To better understand the relationship between these two conditions, in this study we sought to describe the incidence, risk factors for development, and outcome of HLH when it develops in children and young adults with multisystem-LCH (MS-LCH). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study involving 14 centers and collected data on 384 MS-LCH patients aged less than 30 years and who were diagnosed between year 2000 and 2015. Data collected on the eligible patients included clinical information at the time...
Introduction: Central venous access devices (CVADs) are used in the care of paediatric haemophili... more Introduction: Central venous access devices (CVADs) are used in the care of paediatric haemophilic patients with difficult peripheral access, but their use is limited by complications such as infection. We previously published our experience with monthly recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) administration to CVADs of haemophilic patients as an intervention for infection prophylaxis, which suggested a 10-fold decrease in infection rate compared to published rates without r-tPA. Aim: This study was conducted to assess the CVAD infection rate in an expanded haemophilia cohort receiving r-tPA over an extended period. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on patients with haemophilia who
Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC; basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, i.e. BCC and SCC)... more Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC; basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, i.e. BCC and SCC) is the most common cancer in the United States and throughout the world's lightskinned population, with over 5 million cases per year in the US alone, and its incidence is increasing. Topical 5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used for decades for the treatment of actinic keratosis, a known precursor of SCC. We sought to test whether topical application of 5-FU could be an effective regimen for the prevention of BCC and SCC of the face and ears that require surgery. We recruited a high-risk population of 932 veterans at 12 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers who had a history of at least 2 KCs during the prior 5 years, at least one of which was on the face or ears. They were randomized to apply a standard course of 28 to 56 applications (twice daily for 2 to 4 weeks) of 5-FU 5% cream or vehicle control cream to the face and ears. Investigators were blinded to randomization group and did not examine study participants during the first 6 months after initiating application of the study cream. All lesions biopsied from the face or ears were reviewed by a board-certified study dermatopathologist who was blinded to group assignment. During this 4 year trial (median follow-up 2.6 years), 299 participants developed a BCC on the face or ears requiring surgery and 108 developed an SCC that met the same criteria. Over the 4 year trial period, there was no difference in risk of KC, BCC, or SCC. However, during the first year of follow-up, there was a 74% reduction in SCCs requiring surgery in the 5-FU group compared to vehicle control (HR¼0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.68, p¼0.003), whereas there was no difference in BCC or overall KC. These data demonstrate that a conventional course of 5-FU to the face and ears substantially reduces surgery for SCC on the face and ears for at least 1 year without affecting the corresponding risk for BCC.
Background/Objectives: Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are challenging to treat. Reports on the ben... more Background/Objectives: Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are challenging to treat. Reports on the benefits of sildenafil for LM management have been mixed. This study evaluated long-term clinical outcomes of pediatric LM patients after sildenafil treatment. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on pediatric LM patients treated with sildenafil in the past 5 years. Patients were also contacted to complete a survey of comprehensive questions about their LM after sildenafil and subsequent interventions. Results: Of 12 patients identified, 10 (83.3%) participated in the follow-up survey. The average age was 8 years (range 4-16 yrs), median treatment duration was 9 months, and the average time of follow-up after sildenafil was 4 years; one patient is still taking sildenafil. Ten patients surveyed (83.3%) reported positive therapeutic response, with improvement in the size and compressibility of their LM during posttreatment clinical visits. Six received additional interventions (four sirolimus, one sclerotherapy, one surgery) after sildenafil was discontinued, with all but one reporting a positive response to subsequent interventions. Minor side effects at the time of sildenafil treatment included mild flushing, dizziness, and transient nausea, but no adverse effects were reported at the long-term follow-up. Conclusion: This is the first report of long-term follow-up of pediatric LM patients treated with sildenafil. Our findings suggest that sildenafil is beneficial for the symptomatic treatment of LMs. Additional analysis on the role of sildenafil as adjuvant therapy is necessary to optimize the use of this medication in the management of complex LMs.
SummaryWe identified four patients who presented with BCR‐ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neopla... more SummaryWe identified four patients who presented with BCR‐ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neoplasms and cytogenetically visible abnormalities of chromosome band 5q31‐35. Fluorescence in situ hybridization indicated that the platelet‐derived growth factor receptor β gene (PDGFRB) was disrupted in all four cases and 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends identified in‐frame mRNA fusions between PDGFRB and WDR48 (3p21), GOLGA4 (3p21) and BIN2 (12q13). Strikingly, all three genes encode proteins involving intracellular trafficking. Imatinib, a known inhibitor of PDGFRβ, selectively blocked the growth of t(3;5) myeloid colonies and produced clinically significant responses in all patients. We conclude that PDGFRB fuses to diverse partner genes in atypical myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Although very rare, identification of these fusions is critical for proper management of affected individuals.
Background: Little is known about the characteristics of older adults with cognitive impairment i... more Background: Little is known about the characteristics of older adults with cognitive impairment in Macao. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and the quality of life (QOL) of older adults living in the community and nursing homes. Methods: A consecutive sample of 413 subjects (199 from the community; 214 from nursing homes) was recruited and interviewed using standardized instruments. Cognition was measured with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and QOL with the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument. Results: Altogether 87 subjects (21.0%) had cognitive impairment. On multivariate analyses, advanced age (P < 0.001, OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.03-1.1) and depressive symptoms (P = 0.03, OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 0.005-1.1) were positively associated with cognitive impairment. Married marital status (P = 0.01, OR = 0.3, 95%CI: 0.1-0.7) and higher education level (P < 0.001, OR = 0.1, 95%CI: 0.06-0.3) were negatively associated with cognitive impairment. After the confounders were controlled for, cognitive impairment was significantly associated with the lower psychological (F (11,412) = 6.3, P = 0.01) and social relationship domains of QOL (F (11,412) = 4.0, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Cognitive impairment was found to be common in communitydwelling and nursing home resident older adults in Macao. Given cognitive impairment's negative impact on QOL, appropriate strategies should be implemented to improve access to treatment in this population.
Background: The indications for treating children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remain contr... more Background: The indications for treating children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remain controversial. A valid and reliable bleeding assessment tool could assist in objectively quantifying bleeding and influence treatment decisions. Both the ITP Bleeding Score (IBLS) and the ITP-Bleeding Assessment Tool (BAT) have been developed to assess bleeding severity in ITP. The IBLS scores bleeding severity using an 11-item tool with grading from 0 to 2 and the 18-item BAT grades from 0 to 3 or 4. The BAT includes some types of bleeding not represented on the IBLS, such has intramuscular hematomas. To date, no data describe how these two measures compare when measuring bleeding associated with ITP. Objective: To describe and compare bleeding as assessed by both the IBLS and BAT and to correlate bleeding severity with platelet counts in a cohort of children with ITP. Methods: A longitudinal observational cohort of children ages &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;1 and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 18 years with ITP, were enrolled from 2013-2015 in the Pediatric ITP Consortium of North America ICON1 trial. All children were enrolled prior to starting a new second line monotherapy (not IVIG, steroids or anti-D). At enrollment, bleeding was assessed using the IBLS in all children. A subset of children also underwent a BAT assessment. Grades of bleeding were described and compared between tools and agreement in grading was assessed. Severity was correlated with platelet count using…
Exposure to air pollution has been associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health ... more Exposure to air pollution has been associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health outcomes in both children and adults. In this study, we used geographic information systems (GISs) to explore possible associations between chromosomal damage in 65 African American children and their mothers from Oakland, California, and both proximity to traffic and regional ozone levels. Study participants were interviewed at the Healthy Child Clinic of Children&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Hospital, Oakland, and their blood and buccal cells were collected for assessment of chromosomal damage by the micronucleus (MN) assay. Regional ozone levels, which decreased from April to November with a secondary peak in late summer, were highly correlated with season by month (r=-0.84, P=0.02) and strongly associated with MN frequency (frequency ratio (FR): 3.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30-8.72) in both cell types of children and adults. Additionally, MN frequencies were modestly associated with individual measures of traffic density in children (FR=2.45, 95% CI=0.86-7.10), but not in adults; this suggests a greater vulnerability to traffic-related air pollution in children. Smoking in the household also increased MN frequency in the lymphocytes of children (FR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.01-1.24) and adults (FR: 1.06, 95%CI: 0.99-1.13), whereas vitamin use in adults decreased MN frequency in both lymphocytes and buccal cells (FR: 0.17, 95%CI: 0.02-1.31; FR: 0.18, 95%CI: 0.03-1.18, respectively). Our data indicate that GIS-generated measures of traffic density for individual households augment regional ozone monitoring data used to assess effects of air pollution. This approach helped to demonstrate elevated cytogenetic damage in exposed minority children.
Vascular anomalies are a group of disorders divided into two distinct subtypes: vascular tumors a... more Vascular anomalies are a group of disorders divided into two distinct subtypes: vascular tumors and vascular malformations. Vascular tumors are proliferative in nature, while malformations are non-proliferative. Simple, localized vascular malformations refer to a group of malformations that are localized to a single area of involvement. These simple malformations include capillary, lymphatic, venous, and arteriovenous malformations. The pediatric hematologist and oncologist is becoming increasingly involved in the diagnosis and management of these disorders. This review presents four cases as a means to discuss the diagnosis, clinical and imaging features, and management strategies of simple, localized vascular malformations.
Chelation therapy for patients with transfusional hemosiderosis is guided by the degree of iron o... more Chelation therapy for patients with transfusional hemosiderosis is guided by the degree of iron overload and ongoing transfusion requirements; liver iron concentration (LIC) is one tool for measuring current iron burden. During the clinical development of the novel oral iron chelator deferasirox, LIC was measured in subcutaneous liver biopsy samples, but also non-invasively by biomagnetic liver susceptometry (SQUID-BLS) and magnetic resonance imaging (R2-MRI: FerriScan®). These methods were compared in a substudy of a large, open-label, randomized Phase III study in 586 β-thalassemia patients with transfusional hemosiderosis; the study evaluated the efficacy and safety of long-term deferasirox and deferoxamine treatment. 48 patients (aged 17–35 yrs) gave informed consent for adding BLS and MRI assessments (baseline, 6 and 12 months) to the biopsy assessments (baseline and 12 months) of the main study. At baseline, 47 patients were assessed by BLS and biopsy, 45 by R2-MRI; at 6 months, 42 by BLS and R2-MRI; at 12 months, 41 by BLS and R2-MRI, 39 by biopsy. BLS was performed and evaluated locally at 3 centers in Hamburg, Turin and Oakland. MR images were recorded at 4 centers in Hamburg, Turin, Stanford and Los Angeles and were analyzed centrally. Data from BLS and R2-MRI remained blinded until study completion. LIC from biopsies was determined by AAS from extracted paraffin blocks in a central laboratory and used as the standardized reference method. LIC was expressed as mg/g dry weight for all methods: for BLS, a wet-to-dry weight conversion factor of 3.3 was applied, while MRI was calibrated against fresh freeze-dried liver biopsies. The relationship between BLS or R2-MRI with biopsy measurements was modeled by linear regression after log-transformation of the data. To account for the correlation between baseline and post-baseline measurements of the same patient, mixed-effects models were fitted. On average, the LIC data obtained from BLS and biopsy were related by a factor of 0.46 (95% CI: 0.32, 0.67). With R2-MRI assessment of LIC vs biopsy, the factor was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.97). BLS and R2-MRI measurements could not be related appropriately by a factor. Overall, LIC from biopsy was generally larger than that obtained from BLS; R2-MRI measurements fell in-between biopsy and BLS. Differences are caused in part by the variability in the wet-to-dry weight ratio relating in vivo with in vitro methods. In conclusion, LIC data from 3 independent methods were correlated but not equivalent. It is therefore important that for an individual patient, a single method is consistently used under standardized conditions.
Background. Platelet transfusion is a critical therapy for hematology-oncology patients at risk o... more Background. Platelet transfusion is a critical therapy for hematology-oncology patients at risk of transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI) and pulmonary injury. Amotosalen-UVA pathogen reduction (PR) treatment of apheresis platelet components (PC) in plasma or additive solution (INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets, Cerus, Concord, CA) is FDA approved to reduce risk of TTI and transfusion associated graft vs. host disease (TA-GVHD). PRPC meet the FDA bacteria risk reduction guidance, and approximately 50% of U.S. PC are PRPC. Amotosalen-UVA PR replaces bacteria screening, gamma irradiation, and CMV serology. PR is performed within 24 hours of collection enabling early release of PRPC with 5-day storage. We tested the hypothesis that PRPC were not inferior to conventional PC(CPC) for the incidence of pulmonary injury. Methods. An open-label sequential cohort study in platelet transfusion dependent hematology-oncology patients was conducted under routine practice conditions in 15 clin...
Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a myeloid neoplasia characterized by inflamm... more Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a myeloid neoplasia characterized by inflammatory lesions with pathologic CD207+ myeloid dendritic cells (DC). Activation of ERK occurs in all patients with the most common somatic driver mutation being BRAF-V600E being found in up to 60% of patients.Mononuclear cells harboring the BRAF-V600E mutation have been found in peripheral blood of patients with involvement of the liver, spleen, or bone marrow, known as high risk organs. LCH involvement of the brain may include mass lesions in 25% of patients, most commonly the pituitary gland, or a progressive neurodegenerative syndrome (LCH-ND) that arises in approximately 5% of patients. LCH-ND may arise years after the initial LCH episode was presumed to have been cured and may lead to permanent neurologic deficits. The pathogenesis of LCH-ND is poorly understood, but is believed to be due to an autoimmune or paraneoplastic process. No standard approaches to surveillance or therapy exi...
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Background: The impact of second line... more <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Background: The impact of second line therapies on health related quality of life (HRQoL) and fatigue in pediatric patients with ITP is not well studied.</jats:p> <jats:p>Objective: To describe the impact of second line therapies on HRQoL and fatigue in North American pediatric patients with ITP.</jats:p> <jats:p>Methods: A longitudinal observational cohort of 120 children with ITP starting second line treatments was enrolled from 2013-2015 at 21 ICON centers. Enrollment requirements included age 1-17y and starting a second line treatment (not IVIG, corticosteroids or anti-D immunoglobulin) as monotherapy. HRQoL (Kids ITP Tool - KIT) and fatigue (Hockenberry Fatigue Scale - FS) surveys were completed prior to starting treatment (baseline) and 1 and 12 months after starting treatment by patient/caregiver. KIT is scored from 0 (worst) to 100 (best), and the FS scores were re-scaled so that 0 is no fatigue and 100 is highest fatigue. At the same time points as the patient/caregiver surveys, physicians assessed the perceived effect of treatment on patient HRQoL using a 7-point scale. ANOVA was used to compare the baseline means of the treatment groups. This study specifically compared change from baseline to 1 month in the KIT and FS using paired t-tests within each treatment group. The 12 month timepoint was not used in the paired analysis of individual treatments due to attrition between 1 and 12 months.</jats:p> <jats:p>Results: The median age at enrollment was 11.3 y (1.2-17.8), and 16% (19/120) had newly diagnosed ITP, 31% (37/120) had persistent ITP, and 53% (64/120) had chronic ITP. The median number of prior treatments was 3 (range: 1-9). Fifty-eight (48%) patients had received at least one prior second line treatment. Treatments selected for second line treatment included: rituximab (n=43), romiplostim (n=31), eltrombopag (n=20), oral immunosuppressants (n=19), splenectomy (n=4), and dapsone (n=3).</jats:p> <jats:p>The child and parent proxy KIT scores significantly improved on rituximab (p&amp;lt;0.001 for both), oral immunosuppressants (p=0.02, p=0.001), and eltrombopag (p=0.01 for both). Child KIT scores also significantly improved on romiplostim (p=0.003); however, there was no significant change in the parent proxy score (p=0.29). The parent impact KIT scores significantly improved from baseline to 1 month on all treatments (p&amp;lt;0.001), although the scores were not significantly different between treatment types (p=0.67). Child, parent proxy, and parent impact KIT scores significantly increased between 1 month and 12 months in paired analysis combining treatments (p&amp;lt;0.001).</jats:p> <jats:p>As previously described, at enrollment, physicians reported that ITP had impacted the patients' HRQoL severely in 15%, significantly in 45%, moderately in 38%, and almost not at all in 3%. Physicians reported that HRQoL improved in 68% (range: 64-75%) of patients while on treatment from baseline to 1 month with no significant difference by treatment group (p=0.46). The physician's assessment of the patient's baseline HRQoL significantly correlated with the child and parent proxy KIT report (p&amp;lt;0.0001); however, after 1 month of treatment, the physician's assessment no longer correlated with the child (p=0.26) or parent proxy KIT report (p=0.11).</jats:p> <jats:p>At enrollment, the median FS-Child score (n=54) was 18.5 (range 0-85), the median FS-Adolescent score (n=42) was 20.2 (0-73), and the median FS-Parent (n= 100) score was 35 (7-81). One month FS-Child improved for those who were treated with rituximab (p=0.03); there was no significant change in fatigue on the other treatments. One month FS-Parent significantly improved for those treated with rituximab (p=0.015) and eltrombopag (p=0.009).</jats:p> <jats:p>Conclusions: In this pediatric cohort, all second line treatments appear to significantly improve HRQoL in ITP. Rituximab had the greatest impact in decreasing fatigue at one month. Physician assessment of patient HRQoL did not correlate well with patient assessment after treatment was started, suggesting there may be challenges in ascertaining the effect of treatment on HRQoL. Future analysis of ICON1 will consider the impact of treatment on HRQoL and fatigue while also accounting for the treatment effect on bleeding and platelet count.</jats:p> <jats:p /> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Disclosures</jats:title> <jats:p>Grace: Agios: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Klaassen: Amgen: Consultancy; Hoffman-La Roche LTD: Consultancy; Octapharma: Honoraria; Baxalta: Honoraria; Biogen Canada LTD: Consultancy; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Despotovic: Sanofi: Consultancy; Schell Cooley LLP: Other: Expert witness. Bussel: Protalex: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Momenta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory…
BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is an abrupt debilitating psyc... more BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is an abrupt debilitating psychiatric illness. We anecdotally observed hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency in a subset of patients with PANS, prompting this study. METHODS: In this IRB-approved prospective cohort study, we included patients seen at the Stanford PANS Clinic who met study criteria. The prevalence of hypoferritinemia (using cutoffs of 7 ng/ml in children ≤ 15 years and 18 ng/ml in adolescents > 15 years) and iron deficiency was estimated. Differences in patients with and without hypoferritinemia during PANS flare were explored. RESULTS: Seventy-nine subjects (mean age of PANS onset of 8.7 years) met study criteria. Hypoferritinemia was observed in 27% and three quarters occurred during a PANS flare. Compared to patients without hypoferritinemia during PANS flare, patients with hypoferritinemia had worse global impairment, more comorbid inflammatory diseases, and exhibited a chronic course of PANS illness. The estimated prevalence of iron deficiency was 3-8% in the PANS cohort, 1.4-2.0-fold higher than in the age-and sexmatched U.S. population. More stringent ferritin level cutoffs than the comparison CDC dataset were used. CONCLUSION: Hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency appear to be more common in PANS patients. More research is needed to confirm and understand this association.
2509 Background: Chronic pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) has an incidence of 1–2/100,000.... more 2509 Background: Chronic pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) has an incidence of 1–2/100,000. Due to its low incidence, large studies in pediatric chronic ITP are difficult. This registry includes patients from 16 sites in the US and Canada and represents one of the largest longitudinal datasets of children/adolescents with chronic ITP. Objective: To describe the North American Chronic ITP Registry (NACIR) study population and evaluate univariate predictors of platelet count response to therapies, including IVIG, anti-D globulin (anti-D), steroids (5–14 day course), and splenectomy. Registry methods and patient characteristics: After local IRB approval, 550 patients with chronic ITP enrolled in the NACIR between January 2004 and June 2010. Eligibility included: ages 6 months-18 years at ITP diagnosis, clinical diagnosis of ITP, and ITP duration >6 months. Primary ITP was defined as isolated thrombocytopenia without associated conditions. Secondary ITP included those patients ...
Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an inflammatory myeloid neoplasia characteri... more Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an inflammatory myeloid neoplasia characterized by the accumulation of CD1a+ CD207+ histiocytes. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a non-malignant histiocytic disorder, is typified by the accumulation and activation of CD8+ T cells and macrophages, which secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The co-existence of LCH and HLH has been reported, albeit rarely, and is believed to be associated with a poorer outcome. To better understand the relationship between these two conditions, in this study we sought to describe the incidence, risk factors for development, and outcome of HLH when it develops in children and young adults with multisystem-LCH (MS-LCH). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study involving 14 centers and collected data on 384 MS-LCH patients aged less than 30 years and who were diagnosed between year 2000 and 2015. Data collected on the eligible patients included clinical information at the time...
Introduction: Central venous access devices (CVADs) are used in the care of paediatric haemophili... more Introduction: Central venous access devices (CVADs) are used in the care of paediatric haemophilic patients with difficult peripheral access, but their use is limited by complications such as infection. We previously published our experience with monthly recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) administration to CVADs of haemophilic patients as an intervention for infection prophylaxis, which suggested a 10-fold decrease in infection rate compared to published rates without r-tPA. Aim: This study was conducted to assess the CVAD infection rate in an expanded haemophilia cohort receiving r-tPA over an extended period. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on patients with haemophilia who
Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC; basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, i.e. BCC and SCC)... more Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC; basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, i.e. BCC and SCC) is the most common cancer in the United States and throughout the world's lightskinned population, with over 5 million cases per year in the US alone, and its incidence is increasing. Topical 5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used for decades for the treatment of actinic keratosis, a known precursor of SCC. We sought to test whether topical application of 5-FU could be an effective regimen for the prevention of BCC and SCC of the face and ears that require surgery. We recruited a high-risk population of 932 veterans at 12 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers who had a history of at least 2 KCs during the prior 5 years, at least one of which was on the face or ears. They were randomized to apply a standard course of 28 to 56 applications (twice daily for 2 to 4 weeks) of 5-FU 5% cream or vehicle control cream to the face and ears. Investigators were blinded to randomization group and did not examine study participants during the first 6 months after initiating application of the study cream. All lesions biopsied from the face or ears were reviewed by a board-certified study dermatopathologist who was blinded to group assignment. During this 4 year trial (median follow-up 2.6 years), 299 participants developed a BCC on the face or ears requiring surgery and 108 developed an SCC that met the same criteria. Over the 4 year trial period, there was no difference in risk of KC, BCC, or SCC. However, during the first year of follow-up, there was a 74% reduction in SCCs requiring surgery in the 5-FU group compared to vehicle control (HR¼0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.68, p¼0.003), whereas there was no difference in BCC or overall KC. These data demonstrate that a conventional course of 5-FU to the face and ears substantially reduces surgery for SCC on the face and ears for at least 1 year without affecting the corresponding risk for BCC.
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