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Complete molecular remission of chronic eosinophilic leukemia complicated by CNS disease after targeted therapy with imatinib

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Abstract

Many cases of hypereosinophilia, formerly classified as hypereosinophilic syndrome, can now be characterized as chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL) based on the demonstration of characteristic genetic markers indicating clonality of hematopoiesis. Here we report on a 33-year-old male patient with central nervous system manifestations of CEL and an excellent response to low-dose imatinib (Glivec). Molecular analysis demonstrated a constitutive activation of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFR-A) as the mechanism of responsiveness to imatinib.

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Abbreviations

BM:

Bone marrow

CEL:

Chronic eosinophilic leukemia

CML:

Chronic myeloid leukemia

CNS:

Central nervous system

HES:

Hypereosinophilic syndrome

FIP1L1:

FIP1-like gene

PB:

Peripheral blood

PDGFR-A/B:

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha/beta

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank PD Dr. Claudia Schoch, Munich and Dr. Schwab, Wiesbaden for performing cytogenetics, FISH, and PCR analysis to exclude classic CML.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Dr.-Horst-Schmidt-Kliniken GmbH, Ludwig-Erhard-Str. 100, 65199, Wiesbaden, Germany

    Norbert Frickhofen & Bernd Jung

  2. Department of Rheumatology/Clinical Immunology/Nephrology, Dr.-Horst-Schmidt-Kliniken GmbH, Wiesbaden, Germany

    Elisabeth Märker-Hermann & Heidi Bauer

  3. III. Medizinische Klinik, Fakultät für Klinische Medizin Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany

    Andreas Reiter, Christoph Walz & Andreas Hochhaus

Authors
  1. Norbert Frickhofen
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  2. Elisabeth Märker-Hermann
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  3. Andreas Reiter
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  4. Christoph Walz
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  5. Bernd Jung
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  6. Heidi Bauer
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  7. Andreas Hochhaus
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Correspondence to Norbert Frickhofen.

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Frickhofen, N., Märker-Hermann, E., Reiter, A. et al. Complete molecular remission of chronic eosinophilic leukemia complicated by CNS disease after targeted therapy with imatinib. Ann Hematol 83, 477–480 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-004-0845-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-004-0845-z

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