NDT Plus Advance Access originally published online on September 1, 2008
NDT Plus 2008 1(6):414-416; doi:10.1093/ndtplus/sfn144
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Pathologic improvement after high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation for primary systemic amyloidosis
1 Nephrology Center
2 Department of Pathology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence: Correspondence and offprint requests to: Junichi Hoshino, 2-2-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8470, Japan. Tel: +81-3-3588-1111; Fax: +81-3-3560-7785; E-mail: hoshino{at}toranomon.gr.jp
| Abstract |
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Although primary systemic amyloid light-chain amyloidosis was considered intractable, recent advances in therapy have been reported to result in better clinical outcomes including remission of nephrotic syndrome. However, changes in renal pathologic findings after high-dose chemo- therapy have not been characterized. We describe a patient who underwent serial renal biopsies and had complete remission after high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation for this form of amyloidosis. Successive renal biopsy specimens showed reduction in amyloid staining mainly in interlobular arterial and arteriolar walls. Thus, amyloid light-chain amyloidosis resolved both clinically and pathologically after high-dose chemotherapy.
Key Words: AL amyloidosis autologous stem cell transplantation high-dose melphalan pathologic improvement
Received for publication July 4, 2008. Accepted for publication August 7, 2008.