Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T cell lymphoma, nasal type, is a recently recognized distinct entity and the most common type of non-B cell extranodal lymphoma in Asia. This retrospective analysis studied the potential survival benefits of hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) compared with a historical control group. A total of 47 patients from 3 previously published series of HSCT were matched according to NK/T cell lymphoma International Prognostic Index (NKIPI) risk groups and disease status at transplantation with 107 patients from a historical control group for analysis. After a median follow-up of 116.5 months, the median survival time was not determined for the HSCT group, but it was 43.5 months for the control group (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.7 to 80.3 months; P = .127, log-rank test). In patients who were in complete remission (CR) at the time of HSCT or at surveillance after remission, disease-specific survival rates were significantly higher in the HSCT group compared with the control group (disease-specific 5-year survival rate, 87.3% for HSCT vs 67.8% for non-HSCT; P = .027). In contrast, in subgroup analysis on non-CR patients at the time of HSCT or non-HSCT treatment, disease-specific survival rates were not significantly prolonged in the HSCT group compared with the control group (1-year survival rate, 66.7% for HSCT vs 28.6% for non-HSCT; P = .141). The impact of HSCT on the survival of all patients was significantly retained at the multivariate level with a 2.1-fold (95% CI =1.2- to 3.7-fold) reduced risk of death (P = .006). HSCT seems to confer a survival benefit in patients who attained CR on postremission consolidation therapy. These findings suggest that, in particular, patients in CR with high NKIPI risk scores at diagnosis should receive full consideration for HSCT.

A novel and simple procedure for the controlled-rate cryopreservation of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) was introduced. A freezing bag housed in a protective aluminum canister was placed on top of a styrene foam box in the -85˚C electric freezer. A second set of samples was kept in cryotubes placed in a double styrene foam box in the same electric freezer. Measurement of the freezing rate in the PB bags and cryotubes demonstrated that this simple method for PBPC cryopreservation provided optimal conditions for both large-scale and small-scale cryopreservation. Within several days after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, we thawed the cells in the small sample tubes and evaluated the cell viability, the cell recovery, and the recovery rates of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), such as CD34 + cells and colonyforming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) colonies. The median duration of cryopreservation was 59 days (range, 14 -365 days). According to our analysis, infusions of more than 2 × 10 6 CD34 + cells/kg body weight and 0.5 × 10 6 CFU-GM colonies/kg body weight after thawing had favorable influences on the neutrophil engraftment. We have therefore established a simple freezing method for cryopreservation of human PBPCs, which ensures the transplantability of hematopoietic progenitors even after thawing. In vitro HPC assay after thawing is important to evaluate the quality of cryopreservation procedures.peripheral blood progenitor cell; CD34 + cell; CFU-GM colony; cryopreservation

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In summary, we report the first paediatric case of MF. It is likely that MF is often misdiagnosed and underreported. Similar to ordinary MC infection of the skin, we suggest that MF can be divided into two subtypes. Rupture of follicle by expanding molluscum bodies lead to different clinical presentation. In cases of refractory folliculitis, viral folliculitis, especially MF should always be kept in mind regardless of patient's age. When eruptive skin tumour is encountered, even without central umbilication, MC still should be suspected, especially MF. Aggressive treatment may not be necessary as spontaneous remission is possible.

Although three subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), are now well recognized as independent categories, their biological behavior has not been fully compared. One of the reasons for this may be that subclassification by histological examination alone is often difficult since they all have a common variant of a "nodular" growth pattern and occasionally show similar cytological morphology. Recently, we reviewed patients with FL, MCL and MZL, who were prospectively diagnosed, using multiparameter analyses with unfixed fresh biopsy materials. Of 407 NHL patients, 101 (24.8%) belonged to these three categories and 80 could be followed; FL (n=27), MCL (n=27) and MZL (n=26). Twenty eight cases with diffuse large B-cell (DL-B) lineage lymphoma were selected as control at random. The frequency of the MCL patients with performance status (PS) 2 to 4 (41%) was significantly higher than MZL patients (4%) [P< 0.001]. The 3 year survival rate with FL, MCL, MZL and DL-B was 71.5%, 57.4%, 93.3% and 53.1%, respectively. The survival rate for MZL was significantly better than both FL (p = 0.048) and MCL (p = 0.0085). Significant differences were also found in the overall survival rates among the four risk groups as defined by the International Index [I2](low, low-intermediate, high-intermediate and high; 97.4%, 79.6%, 39.4% and 18.2%, respectively). A multivariate analysis revealed that the International Index may be a significant predictor for short survival (p=0.0001) in the patients with FL, MCL or MZL. These results suggest that MZL shows an apparently better prognosis than FL and MCL and is found to be a prognostically independent category. In contrast, the clinical outcome in MCL is the worst among the three subtypes and was closer to that of DL-B. The International Index can be applied to a wide spectrum of NHL, including MCL, MZL and FL, to and can predict prognosis in these cases.