Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may be more susceptible to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to age, disease, and treatment-related immunosuppression. We aimed to assess risk factors of outcome and elucidate the impact of CLL-directed treatments on the course of COVID-19. We conducted a retrospective, international study, collectively including 941 patients with CLL and confirmed COVID-19. Data from the beginning of the pandemic until March 16, 2021, were collected from 91 centers. The risk factors of case fatality rate (CFR), disease severity, and overall survival (OS) were investigated. OS analysis was restricted to patients with severe COVID-19 (definition: hospitalization with need of oxygen or admission into an intensive care unit). CFR in patients with severe COVID-19 was 38.4%. OS was inferior for patients in all treatment categories compared to untreated (p < 0.001). Untreated patients had a lower risk of death (HR = 0.54, 95% CI:0.41–0.72). The risk of death was higher for older patients and those suffering from cardiac failure (HR = 1.03, 95% CI:1.02–1.04; HR = 1.79, 95% CI:1.04–3.07, respectively). Age, CLL-directed treatment, and cardiac failure were significant risk factors of OS. Untreated patients had a better chance of survival than those on treatment or recently treated.

Polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) are classical myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), characterized by specific somatic mutations in JAK2, CALR or MPL genes. JAK2 46/1 and TERT rs2736100 polymorphisms are known to significantly predispose to MPN. This study aimed to establish the additional contribution of the recently described MECOM rs2201862, HBS1L‐MYB rs9376092 and THRB‐RARB rs4858647 polymorphisms to the occurrence of MPN. These three polymorphisms, along with JAK2 46/1 and TERT rs2736100 were genotyped in 939 MPN patients (454 with ET, 337 with PV and 148 with PMF) and 483 controls. MECOM rs2201862 associated significantly with each MPN entity, except for ET, and with all major molecular sub‐types, especially those CALR‐mutated (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1‐1.8; P‐value = .005). HBS1L‐MYB rs9376092 associated only with JAK2 V617F‐mutated ET (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1‐1.7; P‐value = .003). THRB‐RARB rs4858647 had a weak association with PMF only (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1‐2.1; P‐value = .04). Surprisingly, JAK2 46/1 haplotype was associated significantly not only with JAK2 V617F‐mutated MPN, but also with CALR‐mutated MPN (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1‐1.8; P‐value = .01). TERT rs2736100 was associated equally strong with all MPN, regardless of phenotype or molecular sub‐type. In conclusion, JAK2 46/1, TERT rs2736100 and MECOM rs2201862 are the chief predisposing polymorphisms to MPN.

Background and objectives: In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), extensive bleeding is one of the most frequent causes of death. Impaired activation and aggregation processes were identified in previous studies on platelet behaviour associated with this disease. This study’s aim was to examine platelet function in correlation with other haemorrhage risk factors (fever, sepsis, recent bleeding, uraemia, leucocytosis, haematocrit value, treatment). Design and methods: The analysis of platelet surface proteins (Glycoprotein Ib-IX (CD42b, CD42a), Glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (CD41, CD61), p-selectin (CD62P), granulophysin (CD63)) was conducted by flowcytometry from samples of whole blood in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia in different stages of diagnosis and therapy (n = 22) in comparison with healthy human controls (n = 10). Results and interpretations: Our results show a significant decrease in fluorescence level associated with platelet activation markers (CD63 (14.11% vs. 40.78 % p < 0.05); CD62P (15.26% vs. 28.23% p < 0.05)); adhesion markers (CD42b (69.08% vs. 84.41% p < 0.05)) and aggregation markers (CD61 (83.79% vs. 98.62% p < 0.001)) in patients compared to controls. The levels of CD41 (80.62% vs. 86.31%, p = 0.290) and CD42a (77.98% vs. 94.15%, p = 0.99) demonstrate no significant differences in the two groups. Conclusion: The AML patients present changes in adhesion receptors and activation markers, suggesting a functional defect or denatured intracellular signalling in platelets. The exposed data indicate that flow cytometry can effectively identify multiple functional platelet impairments in AML pathogenesis.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a rare and aggressive mature T-cell malignancy caused by the human T lymphoma virus I (HTLV-I) affecting 3–5% of HTLV-1 carriers and is usually diagnosed in endemic regions. Romania is a region with high prevalence of HTLV-1 infection and ATLL and with low median age at diagnosis for aggressive types. We performed a retrospective analysis of post-transplant outcome in the first Romanian patients with ATLL receiving hematopoietic stem cell allotransplant. The study population included eight patients (three males, five females), with median age of 39.5 (range 26–57), with acute (one case) and lymphoma type (seven cases) that received peripheral stem cells (PBSC) from matched related (MRD) and unrelated donors (MUD) after reduced intensity conditioning. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) developed in six patients. Relapse occurred in four cases (50%) at a median time of 5-months post-transplant. Six patients died: four cases with disease-related deaths and two patients with GVHD-related deaths. The median survival post-transplant was 19.5 months (range 2.3–44.2 months). The post-transplant survival at 1-year was 62.5%, at 2-years 50%, and at 3-years 37.5%. In our opinion allogeneic transplant improves outcome in aggressive type ATLL.

Introduction: Minimally invasive surgical techniques for hallux valgus have gained popularity, showing good results characterized by smaller postoperative scars, less pain, lower infection risk, and fewer wound complications. Given the lack of evidence available in our country regarding this subject, especially about this type of surgical technique, our paper aims to compare open and MIS approaches for chevron osteotomy. We evaluated the outcome and complications after 12 months. Materials and Methods: We undertook a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-center study between October 2017 and December 2020. The patients were randomized into two groups: one group that received percutaneous chevron osteotomy (MIS), and the other, open chevron osteotomy (OC). For clinical assessment, we determined the function and the level of pain using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery score (AOFAS). The VAS scale was measured before the surgical procedure, at discharge, and at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. The AOFAS score was calculated preoperatively and after 6 months. The hallux angle (HVA) and intramedullary angle (IMA) were measured preoperatively, and at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months. Results: We included 26 cases in the open chevron osteotomy group (24 female, 2 male) and 24 in the MIS group (24 female, 0 male). Both groups demonstrated improvements regarding the IMA and HVA at the last follow-up without any significant differences between the groups at the final assessment. The VAS showed significantly better post-operative results for the MIS group at discharge (p < 0.001) and 3 weeks (p < 0.001), 6 weeks (p < 0.001), and 6 months (p = 0.004) post-surgery. The AOFAS showed no significant differences either before or after surgery. Four cases with screw prominence were reported, three of which belonged to the MIS group. Only one case with metatarsalgia was found in the OC group. Conclusions: This paper demonstrates that minimally invasive chevron osteotomy has comparable results with open chevron osteotomy, even though surgical time and radiological exposure are significantly longer. More studies are required to evaluate the complications and the risk of recurrences.