Objective: To describe the gene mutation profile of newly diagnosed pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and analyze its effect on minimal residual disease (MRD). Methods: A total of 506 newly diagnosed B-ALL children treated in Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from September 2018 to July 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The enrolled children were divided into MRD ≥1.00% group and <1.00% group according to MRD results on the 19th day since chemotherapy, and MRD ≥0.01% group and <0.01% group according to MRD results on the 46th day. Clinical characteristics and gene mutations of two groups were compared. Comparisons between groups were performed with chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Independent risk factors of MRD results on the 19th day and the 46th day were analyzed by Logistic regression model. Results: Among all 506 patients, there were 318 males and 188 females. On the 19th day, there were 114 patients in the MRD ≥1.00% group and 392 patients in the MRD <1.00% group. On the 46th day, there were 76 patients in the MRD ≥0.01% group and 430 patients in the MRD <0.01% group. A total of 187 gene mutations were detected in 487 (96.2%) of 506 children. The most common gene mutations were signal transduction-related KRAS gene mutations in 111 cases (22.8%) and NRAS gene mutations in 99 cases (20.3%). Multivariate analysis showed that PTPN11 (OR=1.92, 95%CI 1.00-3.63), KMT2A (OR=3.51, 95%CI 1.07-11.50) gene mutations and TEL-AML1 (OR=0.48, 95%CI 0.27-0.87), BCR-ABL1 (OR=0.27, 95%CI 0.08-0.92) fusion genes and age >10 years (OR=1.91, 95%CI 1.12-3.24) were independent influencing factors for MRD ≥1.00% on the 19th day. BCORL1 (OR=2.96, 95%CI 1.18-7.44), JAK2 (OR=2.99, 95%CI 1.07-8.42) and JAK3 (OR=4.83, 95%CI 1.50-15.60) gene mutations and TEL-AML1 (OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.21-0.87) fusion gene were independent influencing factors for MRD ≥0.01% on the 46th day. Conclusions: Children with B-ALL are prone to genetic mutations, with abnormalities in the RAS signaling pathway being the most common. Signal transduction related PTPN11, JAK2 and JAK3 gene mutations, epigenetic related KMT2A gene mutation and transcription factor related BCORL1 gene mutation are independent risk factors for MRD.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of decitabine combined with low dose chemotherapy (LDC) in the treatment of high-risk, refractory and relapsed pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Clinical data of 19 AML children treated with decitabine combined with LDC in the Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University from April 2017 to November 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The therapeutic response, adverse effects and survival status were analyzed,and the outcomes of patients were followed up. Results: Among 19 AML cases, there were 10 males and 9 females. Five cases were high-risk AML, 7 cases were refractory AML, and 7 cases were relapsed AML. After one course of decitabine+LDC treatment, 15 cases achieved complete remission, 3 cases got partial remission, and only 1 case didn't get remission. All patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as consolidation therapy. The follow-up time of all cases was 46 (37, 58) months, 14 children had survived. The cumulative three-year overall survival rate was (79±9) %, events free survival rates was (68±11) %, and recurrence free survival rate was (81±10) %. The most common adverse effects related to the induction treatment were cytopenia (19 cases) and infection (16 cases).There were no treatment-related death during the therapy. Conclusion: Decitabine combined with LDC is a safe and effective option for high-risk, refractory and relapsed AML children, which provides an opportunity for HSCT.
Objective: To systematically evaluate the correlation between prenatal steroid exposure and hypoglycemia in late preterm neonates. Methods: Eight databases in either Chinese or English, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Scopus, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP, were searched to extract the studies on the correlation between prenatal steroid exposure and hypoglycemia in late preterm neonates published from the establishment of each database to December 2022. The Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 14.0 statistical software. Results: A total of 9 studies were included in this Meta-analysis, including 6 retrospective cohort studies, 2 prospective cohort studies and 1 randomized controlled trial (RCT) study, involving 9 143 premature infants. The Meta-analysis showed that prenatal steroid exposure increased the risk of late preterm neonatal hypoglycemia (RR=1.55, 95%CI 1.25-1.91, P<0.001). The similar correlation between prenatal steroid exposure and hypoglycemia in late preterm neonates was all found in the following subgroups: North America (RR=1.57, 95%CI 1.37-1.80, P<0.001), enrolling pregnant women with gestational diabetes (RR=1.62, 95%CI 1.26-2.08, P<0.001), A-grade literature quality (RR=1.43, 95%CI 1.14-1.79, P=0.002), criteria for hypoglycemia ≤40 mg/dl (1 mg/dl=0.056 mmol/L, RR=1.49, 95%CI 1.28-1.73, P<0.001), sample size of 501-1 500 (RR=1.69, 95%CI 1.19-2.40, P=0.003) and >1 500 (RR=1.65, 95%CI 1.48-1.83, P<0.001), steroid injection dosage and frequency of 12 mg 2 times (RR=1.66, 95%CI 1.50-1.84, P<0.001), the time interval from antenatal corticosteroid administration to delivery of 24-47 h (RR=1.98, 95%CI 1.26-3.10, P=0.003), unadjusted gestational age (RR=1.78, 95%CI 1.02-3.10,P=0.043) and unadjusted birth weight (RR=1.80, 95%CI 1.22-2.66, P=0.003). Meta-regression results showed that steroid injection frequency and dose were the main sources of high heterogeneity among studies (P=0.030). Conclusion: Prenatal steroid exposure may be a risk factor for hypoglycemia in late preterm neonates.
Objective: To explore the clinical features and prognosis of children with histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL). Methods: The clinical data of 118 children with HNL diagnosed and treated in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2014 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical symptoms, laboratory examination, imaging examination, pathological findings, treatment and follow-up were analyzed. Results: Among the 118 patients, 69 were males and 49 were females. The age of onset was 10.0 (8.0, 12.0) years, ranging from 1.5 to 16.0 years. All the children had fever lymph node enlargement, blood system involvement in 74 cases (62.7%), skin injury in 39 cases (33.1%). The main manifestations of laboratory examination were increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 90 cases (76.3%), decreased hemoglobin in 58 cases (49.2%), decreased white blood cells in 54 cases (45.8%) and positive antinuclear antibody in 35 cases (29.7%). Ninety-seven cases (82.2%) underwent B-mode ultrasound of lymph nodes, showing nodular lesions with low echo in the neck; 22 cases (18.6%) underwent cervical X-ray and (or) CT; 7 cases (5.9%) underwent cervical magnetic resonance imaging. Lymph node biopsy was performed in all 118 cases, and the pathological results did not support malignant diseases such as lymphoma or Epstein-Barr virus infection, suggesting HNL. Fifty-seven cases (48.3%) recovered without treatment, 61 cases (51.7%) received oral steroid therapy, and 4 cases (3.4%) received indomethacin as anal stopper. The 118 cases were followed up for 4 (2, 6) years, ranging from 1 to 7 years, 87 cases (73.7%) had one onset and did not develop into other rheumatological diseases, and 24 cases (20.3%) had different degrees of recurrence, 7 cases (5.9%) had multiple system injuries, and all of the tested autoantibodies were positive for medium and high titers. All of them developed into other rheumatic immune diseases, among which 5 cases developed into systemic lupus erythematosus and 2 cases developed into Sjogren's syndrome; 7 cases were given oral steroid therapy, including 6 cases plus immunosuppressant and 2 cases receiving methylprednisolone 20 mg/kg shock therapy. Conclusions: The first-onset HNL portion is self-healing, hormone-sensitive and has a good prognosis. For HNL with repeated disease and multiple system injury, antinuclear antibody titer should be monitored during follow-up, and attention should be paid to the possibility of developing into other rheumatological diseases, with poor prognosis.
Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis ⅣA (MPS ⅣA). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 111 patients with MPS ⅣA in Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medcine from December 2008 to August 2020, confirmed by enzyme activity and genetic testing. General situation, clinical manifestations and enzyme activity test results were analyzed. According to the clinical manifestations, it can be divided into severe, intermediate and mild group. The independent sample t test was used to compare the birth body length and weight of children with that of normal boys and girls, and group comparisons of enzyme activities were evaluated by median test. Results: One hundred and eleven unrelated patients, 69 males and 42 females, were classified into 3 subtypes: severe (n=85), intermediate (n=14), and mild (n=12). The age at symptom onset were 1.6 (1.0, 3.0) years, and at diagnosis were 4.3 (2.8, 7.8) years. Skeletal manifestations were observed in all patients and consisted mainly of pectus carinatum (96/111, 86.5%), motor dysfunction (78/111, 70.3%), spinal deformity (71/111, 64.0%), growth retardation (64/111, 57.7%), joint laxity (63/111, 56.8%) and genu valgum (62/111, 55.9%). Eighty-eight patients (88/111, 79.3%) with MPS ⅣA were also along with non-skeletal manifestations, mainly including snoring (38/111, 34.2%), coarse faces (34/111, 30.6%), and visual impairment (26/111, 23.4%). The most common skeletal manifestation was pectus carinatum (79 cases), and non-skeletal manifestation was snoring (30 cases) and coarse faces (30 cases) in severe patients, pectus carinatum (13 cases) and snoring (5 cases) in intermediate type, motor dysfunction (11 cases) and snoring (3 cases) and visual impairment (3 cases) in mild patients. The height and weight of severe patients began to fall below -2 s at 2-<5 years and 5-<7 years, respectively. At the age of 10-<15 years, the standard deviation score of the height of severe patients reached (-6.2±1.6) s in males and (-6.4±1.2) s in females, and the score of weight got (-3.0±1.1) s in males and (-3.5±0.5) s in females. The height of intermediate patients began to fall below -2 s at the age of 7-<10 years, and the standard deviation score of height were -4.6 s and -3.6 s in 2 males, and -4.6 s and -3.8 s in 2 females at the age of 10-<15 years. The weight remained within -2 s in 72.0% (18/25) of intermediate patients compared to age-matched healthy children. In the mild patients with MPS ⅣA, the mean standard deviation score of height and weight was within -2 s. The enzyme activities of mild patients (2.02 (1.05, 8.20) nmol/(17 h·mg)) were both significantly higher than that of intermediate (0.57 (0.47, 0.94) nmol/(17 h·mg)) and severe (0.22 (0, 0.59) nmol/(17 h·mg)) patients (Z=9.91, 13.98, P