Journal List > Korean J Hematol > v.40(2) > 1032618

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Kim, Kim, Kim, Jeon, Kil, Lee, Kim, Rho, and Cho: Reversal of Marrow Fibrosis Following Imatinib Mesylate Therapy in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Who Was Refractory to Interferon-α
Case Report

Korean J Hematol 2005;40(2):124-128.

Published online: 21 June 2005

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5045/kjh.2005.40.2.124

Reversal of Marrow Fibrosis Following Imatinib Mesylate Therapy in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Who Was Refractory to Interferon-α

Yeon Seong Kim, M.D.1, Tae Hun Kim, M.D.1, Won Chul Kim, M.D.1, Youn Joo Jeon, M.D.1, Uk Hyun Kil, M.D.1, Hae Kyung Lee, M.D.2, Yeong Sik Kim, M.D.2, Sang Young Rho, M.D.1, Seok Goo Cho, M.D.1

1Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

2Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: Seok Goo Cho, M.D. Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea 62, Youido-dong, Youngdungpo-gu, Seoul 150-713, Korea Tel: +82-2-3779-1130, Fax: +82-2-780-3132 E-mail: chosg@catholic.ac.kr

Received 21 April 2005       Revised 20 May 2005       Accepted 25 May 2005

Copyright © 2005 Korean Society of Hematology

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Bone marrow fibrosis is associated with a poor prognosis in those patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). It is present at the initial diagnosis as well as during CML transformation. Although the effect of interferon-α therapy on marrow fibrosis has been controversial, imatinib mesylate has shown significant activity to reduce the CML-associated bone marrow fibrosis as well as the Philadelphia chromosome-positive cells. We report here on a case of the reversal of marrow fibrosis after imatinib mesylate therapy in a 67 year-old female patient suffering with CML that was refractory to interferon-α.

Keywords: Imatinib mesylate, Chronic myelogenous leukemia, Marrow fibrosis

REFERENCES

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Fig. 1.
(A) Bone marrow biopsy section at the time of diagnosis shows marked fibrosis (H-E stain, × 100). (B) Bone marrow biopsy at the time of diagnosis shows extensive reticulin fibrosis (reticulin stain, × 100). (C) After 12 months of imatinib therapy, bone marrow aspiration shows the normocellular marrow (H&E stain, × 40). (D) After 12 months of imatinib therapy, no reticulin fibrosis is found on biopsy section (reticulin stain, × 40).
kjh-40-124f1.tif
Table 1.
CBC findings
Date At initial dignosis 9 months after INF-α Tx∗ 12 months after Imatinib Tx∗
Hb (g/dL) 7.4 7.5 11.8
WBC (× 109/L) 130 5.8 8.2
Seg, Neutrophil (%) 53.0 46.0 57.9
Stab, Neutrophil (%) 3.0 0 0
Lymphocytes (%) 4.0 18.0 29.0
Immature cells (%) 33.0 0 0
Eosinophils (%) 7.0 1.0 0.1
Basophils (%) 0 18.0 0
Monocyte (%) 0 16.0 13.0
Platelet (× 109/L) 426 60 221

∗ Tx, treatment.

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