Z. Berneman MD, PhD

P35 PD-1 blockade in a patient with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma post-allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant: complete metabolic response without graft-versus-host-disease

O.5 Sequential administration of 5-azacytidine (AZA) and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT): an interim analysis from the Belgian Hematology Society (BHS)

P1.02 Hypercalcemia and osteolytic bone lesions in adult B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia: a rare but potentially life-threatening presentation

P4.10 The Ponatinib Named Patient Programme (NPP): Real-life Data from Belgian Patients

Systemic capillary leak syndrome as a prodrome of extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma

Summary

We present the case of a 58-year-old male patient with a long-standing, intermittent oedema of the lower extremities and significant spontaneous variations in haematocrit values. Repeated examinations failed to reveal a clear etiology until the patient suffered from a severely painful exacerbation of leg oedema and hypotension. Laboratory analysis showed hypoalbuminemia. The combination of oedema, hypotension, hypoalbuminemia and hemoconcentration was indicative of a systemic capillary leak syndrome. This condition is known to be associated with monoclonal gammopathy, as was the case in our patient. New investigations showed suspicious lesions in the nasopharynx, scrotum and breast. Biopsies of this breast mass as well as bone marrow biopsy showed the presence of an extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. Polychemotherapy was administered according to the SMILE schedule leading to a remission after two cycles. The patient then underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The patient is currently without signs of systemic capillary leak syndrome. This report illustrates that systemic capillary leak syndrome may occur as a prodrome of haematological malignancies, such as natural killer/T-cell lymphoma and documents that it is responsive to chemotherapy.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2014;5(4):148–53)

P4.09 A novel HLA-C null variant allele (C*05:XXN) generated by single nucleotide deletion and premature stop codon in exon 3

Therapeutic vaccination against acute myeloid leukaemia using dendritic cells

Summary

The prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) remains dismal, with a five year overall survival rate of only 5.2% for the continuously growing subgroup of AML patients older than 65 years. These patients are generally not considered eligible for intensive chemotherapy and/or allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, emphasising the need for novel, less toxic treatment alternatives for the older-age category of AML patients. It is within this context that immunotherapy has gained attention in recent years. In this review, we focus on the use of dendritic cell (DC) vaccines for immunotherapy of AML. DCs are the central orchestrators of the immune system bridging innate and adaptive immunity and are critical to the induction of anti-leukaemia immunity. Here, we discuss the rationale and basic principles of DC-based therapy for AML and review the clinical experience that has been obtained so far with this form of immunotherapy in patients with AML.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2013;4(2):58–65)