Antithymocyte Immunoglobulin Research Articles

Clinical analysis of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in 9 patients with hematological malignancies complicated by Gilbert's syndrome

From January 1, 2013, to March 1, 2024, nine patients with hematological malignancies complicated by Gilbert's syndrome in Peking University People's Hospital underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The patients comprised seven male and two female cases, with a median age of 38 (13-60) years old. Among them, three cases were acute myeloid leukemia, three cases were acute lymphocytic leukemia, two cases were myelodysplastic syndrome, and one case was chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. None of the patients had viral hepatitis. Of the nine cases, seven cases received the Bu-Cy+ATG regimen, while the other two cases received the TBI-Cy+ATG regimen (Bu, busulfan; Cy, cyclophosphamide; ATG, antithymocyte immunoglobulin; and TBI, total body irradiation). All patients achieved neutrophil engraftment, and eight received platelet engraftment. The median total bilirubin level was 45.4 (22.5-71.2) μmol/L before transplantation and 22.0 (18.0-37.2) μmol/L on -1d of preconditioning. The total bilirubin level on +20d after the transplantation of eight patients decreased compared with the baseline level before transplantation. Moreover, one patient had a transient increase in the total bilirubin level on +5d after transplantation, which was considered to be attributed to the toxicity of Bu. No patients were complicated by hepatic veno-occlusive disease. The median follow-up time was 739 (42-2 491) days. During the follow-up period, one patient died of recurrence, and the remaining eight patients had disease-free survival events.

885-P: IND-Enabling Assessment of Tolerance and Safety for SAB-142—A First-in-Class Fully Human Polyclonal Antithymocyte Immunoglobulin to Delay the Progression of Type 1 Diabetes

885-P: IND-Enabling Assessment of Tolerance and Safety for SAB-142—A First-in-Class Fully Human Polyclonal Antithymocyte Immunoglobulin to Delay the Progression of Type 1 Diabetes

Intravenous Human Immunoglobulin in the Treatment of BK Virus Nephropathy in Kidney Transplant: A Case Report

The BK virus infection is common in the immunocompetent population and is asymptomatic in the majority of cases. However, in renal transplant patients, reactivation and replication can occur, leading to the development of BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVN), which is associated with renal injury and graft loss. The objective of this case report was to demonstrate a case of BKVN that showed a good response to the use of human immunoglobulin. A 37-year-old man who underwent a second transplant received rabbit-derived anti-thymocyte human immunoglobulin at a dose of 6mg/kg intravenously as induction immunosuppressive therapy, and maintenance therapy with tacrolimus, prednisone, and mycophenolate sodium (MFS). At 3 months post-transplant, he presented sustained BK virus viremia (70,000-100,000 copies/mL), leading to a reduction in the dose of MFS and tacrolimus. A biopsy diagnosed BKVN class 2/B2, and viremia increased to over 1 million copies/mL at 22 months, prompting the discontinuation of tacrolimus without response. Intravenous human immunoglobulin (IVIG) was administered at 2g/kg at 22 months and again at 33 months, with viremia peaking at 2 million copies three months later. However, it steadily declined to 5,500 copies/mL at 52 months post-transplant. Currently, the only proven therapy for BKVN is the reduction of immunosuppression. However, in patients who do not respond, IVIG is considered as an option, with good results demonstrated in case reports, as shown here. Nevertheless, the data are based on case reports or case series, and the development of controlled clinical trials is necessary for confirmation of the efficacy.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pharmacological Treatment for Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients in Colombia

ObjectivesTo evaluate cost-effective pharmacological treatment in adult kidney transplant recipients from the perspective of the Colombian health system. MethodsA decision tree model for the induction phase and a Markov model for the maintenance phase were built. A review of the clinical literature was conducted to extract probabilities, and the life-years were used as the outcome. Costs were calculated using the administrative databases. The evaluating treatment schemes are organized by groups of evidence with direct comparisons. ResultsIn the induction phase, anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin+ methylprednisolone is dominant, more effective, and less expensive, compared with basiliximab+methylprednisolone. In the maintenance phase, azathioprine (AZA) is dominant in contrast to mycophenolate mofetil (MFM) both with cyclosporine (CIC)+ corticosteroids (CE); CIC is dominant relative to sirolimus (SIR) and tacrolimus (TAC) (both with MFM+CE or AZA+CE), and TAC is dominant compared with SIR (in addition with MFM+CE or mycophenolate sodium [MFS]+CE); MFM is dominant in relation to MFS and everolimus, and SIR is more effective MFM but it does not exceed the threshold (in sum with TAC+CE); MFS and MFM are dominant relative to everolimus, and SIR is more effective than MFM, but it does not exceed the threshold (in addiction with CIC+CE); MFM is dominant in relation to TAC (in sum with SIR+CE), and CIC+AZA+CE is dominant in relation to TAC+MFM+CE. ConclusionsThe base-case results for all evidence groups are consistent with the different sensitivity analyses.

Early Efficacy of IST in Combination with Hetrombopag and Rhtpo As First-Line Treatment for Naïve Severe Aplastic Anemia

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) (anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CSA)) is the treatment of choice for patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who are ineligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which results in a hematological response (HR) in about 60-70% of SAA patients. TPO is a hepatic-secreted hematopoietic growth factor that specifically regulates platelet production, induces hematopoietic stem cell differentiation to megakaryocytes by binding to the TPO receptor (MPL), stimulates megakaryocyte proliferation and differentiation, and promotes platelet production and release. Several previous studies have shown that IST combined with rhTPO or hetrombopag can improve the early hematologic response of SAA patients, especially the proportion of good hematologic response (good HR) in the early stage. RhTPO and TPORA have different binding sites with thrombopoietin receptor (c-MPL) and do not have competitive binding, which may produce synergistic effect. A retrospective study showed that eltrombopag combined with rhTPO increased the IST HR and improved the quality of hematologic remission in SAA with mild adverse effects. Therefore the combination of TPORA and rhTPO in SAA patients undergoing IST treatment may result in faster and higher HR rates. Clinical studies have confirmed that hetrombopag, act similarly to eltrombopag in SAA, but there are no clinical studies of hetrombopag in combination with rhTPO in SAA. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early-efficacy and safety profile of IST in combination with hetrombopag, and rhTPO in patients with primary, severe aplastic anemia. METHODS: This study was designed for patients with primary aplastic anemia major aged 14-70 years after January 2023 from a single center. This group were planned to be get treat of IST combination with rhTPO 15000U/d for 8 weeks from the first day of ATG and hetrombopag 15mg/d for at least 6 months. The primary endpoint was to observe the good response rate, blood product transfusion and safety profile of the study regimen for the treatment of primary SAA for 3 months. Efficacy Criteria：Complete response (CR): HGB>100 g/L, PLT> 100×10 9/L and ANC>1.5×10 9/L; ② Good partial response (GPR): HGB>80g/L, PLT> 50×10 9/L and ANC>1.0×10 9/L; ③ Partial response (PR): withdrawal from blood product transfusion dependence (HGB>70g/L, PLT> 20×10 9/L), hematologic tests improved and no longer met the SAA criteria, but blood count did not meet the GPR criteria. ④No response to treatment (NR): Continuous transfusion dependency was classified as no response. and/or blood count still met SAA criteria. We defined CR+GPR+PR as HR and CR+GPR as good HR. RESULTS: The trial group proposes to enroll 39 patients and currently includes 8 patients who can be evaluated for 3-month efficacy of IST treatment. And the control group includes two groups of IST combined rhTPO group and IST combined HPAG group in our previous center, and the cohort study of the results of the three groups. In this study, the HR rate of 8 patients can be assessed at present as 75% (6/8), and the rate of good HR was 50% (4/8). The HR of 33 patients in the control IST+rhTPO group was 66.67% (22/33), and the rate of good HR was 36.4% (12/33); the HR rate of 32 patients in the control IST+HPAG group was 46.9% (15/32), and the rate of good HR was 21.9%. The HR rate and good HR rate of the trial group were higher than those of the IST+rhTPO group and the IST+HPAG group (75%v66.67%v46.9%; 50%v36.4%v21.9%). None of the 8 patients enrolled in the trial group had any transformation of myelofibrosis, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: HR was obtained at 3 months in 6 of the 8 patients with severe remodeling IST+rhTPO+ hetrombopag in this study, with a good HR rate of 50%, which is the highest good efficacy response we know of in a prospective study of Chinese SAA patients to date. This confirms that rhTPO combined with hetrombopag can synergize the recovery of bone marrow hematopoietic function in SAA patients treated with IST, and its clinical effect is superior to that of various TPO-Ras or rhTPO that have been widely used. It is expected that more cases will be included in the later stages and that better results will be obtained. 【Keywords】severe aplastic anemia; recombinant human thrombopoietin; hetrombopag ; immunosuppression treatment.

IST Combined with Full-Dose Rhtpo in the Treatment of Severe Aplastic Anemia -a Prospective Single-Center Clinical Study

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) (anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CSA)) is the treatment of choice for patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who are ineligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which results in a hematological response (HR) in about 60-70% of SAA patients, while 1/3 of patients fail to achieve a hematological response. TPO is a hepatic-secreted hematopoietic growth factor that specifically regulates platelet production, induces hematopoietic stem cell differentiation to megakaryocytes by binding to the TPO receptor (MPL), stimulates megakaryocyte proliferation and differentiation, and promotes platelet production and release. Previous retrospective studies have demonstrated that IST combined with rhTPO improves the early hematologic response in SAA patients, but efficacy reported by centers varied depending on the dose and duration of rhTPO. There are no prospective studies of rhTPO application in SAA to confirm its efficacy. So this study was designed to observe the early feeicacy and safety of the SAA patients who were treated with IST combination with full-dose rhTPO. METHODS: This study was a single-center, single-arm, prospective cohort clinical study, enrolling 33 naive SAA patients aged between 14-70 years who diagnosed after April 2021 in our study center. The patients treated with IST combined with full-dose rhTPO (300U/kg.d) for 8 weeks starting from the first day of ATG. The primary endpoint of the observational study protocol good response rate, blood product transfusion volume and safety profile at 3 months of treatment of initial SAA. The patients were also evaluated for total hematologic response rate and adverse effects of drug application, clonal shift rate, and recurrence rate at 3 and 6 months after treatment. Efficacy Criteria：Complete response (CR): HGB>100 g/L, PLT> 100×10 9/L and ANC>1.5×10 9/L; ② Good partial response (GPR): HGB>80g/L, PLT> 50×10 9/L and ANC>1.0×10 9/L; ③ Partial response (PR): withdrawal from blood product transfusion dependence (HGB>70g/L, PLT> 20×10 9/L), hematologic tests improved and no longer met the SAA criteria, but blood count did not meet the GPR criteria. ④No response to treatment (NR): Continuous transfusion dependency was classified as no response. and/or blood count still met SAA criteria. We defined CR+GPR+PR as HR and CR+GPR as good HR. RESULTS: The rhTPO group enrolled 33 patients, and the control group was 99 patients who applied the caliper value of 0.2 to match the previous unapplied TPO treatment of SAA. At 3 months after IST treatment efficacy, the HR rate of 33 patients in the rhTPO group was 66.67% (22 /33 ), and the rate of good HR was 36.4% (12/33). The HR rate in the control group was 32.32% (32 /99 ), and the rate of good HR was 12.12% (12/99). The HR rate and the good HR rate between the two group were significantly statistical differences (66.67% v 32.32%; 36.4% v 12.12%), (P value=0.001; 0.002). At 6 months after IST treatment, the HR rate and good HR rate in the rhTPO group had a significantly higher than those of the control group (66.67% v 32.32%; 36.4% v 12.12%), (P value=0.001; 0.002). No disease transformation such as myelofibrosis, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia occurred in all enrolled patients during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: 22 of the 33 SAA patients in this study achieved HR at 3 months after IST treatment, including 36.4% cases achived good HR , which is the highest good efficacy response in a prospective study of SAA patients in China known to us to date. This confirms that full-dose rhTPO, as a macromolecular peptide, can also promote the recovery of bone marrow hematopoietic function, significantly improved the rapidity and strength of HR in SAA patients. And its clinical effect is no less than that of the various TPO-Ras that have been widely used so far, and may even be higher. 【Keywords】severe aplastic anemia; recombinant human thrombopoietin; immunosuppression treatment.

Cyclosporine plus eltrombopag in the treatment of aplastic anemia with or without antithymocyte immunoglobulin: A multicenter real-world retrospective study.

To compare cyclosporine (CSA) combining eltrombopag (EPAG) with or without antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in aplastic anemia (AA) patients in the real world. AA patients who received ATG combining CSA and EPAG (Group A) and CSA + EPAG (Group B) as front-line treatment in 13 medical centers in China were enrolled. The efficacy and safety were compared. A total of 89 patients were enrolled with 51 patients in Group A and 38 patients in Group B. The 6-month overall response (OR)/complete response (CR) was 73.3%/24.4% and 60.6%/27.3% in Groups A and B (p > .1). For severe AA patients, the 6-month OR was 74.1% versus 50% and 6-month CR was 25.9% versus 20% in Groups A and B (p > 0.1). Multivariate analysis showed gender affects the 6-month OR with females better OR (p = .017, OR 6.045, 95% CI: 1.377-26.546) and time from disease onset to treatment affected the 12-month CR (p = .026, OR 0.263, 95% CI: 0.081-0.852). No difference was found in side effects except ATG infusion reaction and serum sickness. Mortality was 7.8% in Group A and no patient died in Group B. CSA + EPAG had a similar response and less side effects compared with standard immunosuppressive therapy + EPAG in newly diagnosed AA.

P478 HEART TRANSPLANT IN SARS–COV2 POSITIVE RECIPIENT: MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL OF WORLD‘S FIRST CASE

Abstract During SARS–CoV2 pandemic, transplant programs had to devise strategies to deal with the possibility of COVID–19–positive donors and recipients. In March 2022, a 60–year–old man with dilated cardiomyopathy on the transplant waitlist was admitted to our Unit as a possible donation was presented. On arrival, he tested positive for SARS–CoV2. The patient had no clinical evidence of COVID–19; he had completed the vaccination cycle; chest X–rays did not show interstitial pneumonia. Aware of the increased risk, we proceeded with the transplant. Sotrovimab, a novel anti–viral agent specific for COVID–19, was administered. Prophylactic antibiotics were started. He received anti–thymocyte immunoglobulins 125 mg for 2 days and methylprednisolone 1 g after aortic declamping and then 125 mg TID for 2 days for induction immunosuppression. Maintaining therapy included corticosteroids and tacrolimus. On the 7th day the patient tested negative at SARS–CoV2 swab. As kidney function worsened, hemodialysis was started. On the 17th day signs of cellulitis of the left thigh appeared, and inflammation indices (CRP, PCT) rose. A hemoculture positive for A. baumannii (MDR–AB) was obtained; hence the patient was treated with Cefiderocol and Colistine. A Cytosorb filter was added to the hemodialysis and Pentaglobin was started. After 3 weeks, hemodynamics started to improve, inotrope support was suspended, with reduction of inflammation indices, negative hemocultures, recovering kidney function. After two weeks, the patient abruptly presented fever, marked hypotension and dyspnea. He underwent intubation, inotrope therapy, broad–spectrum antibiotic therapy, intravenous Immunoglobulins and a cycle of Polymyxin B Hemoperfusion. Nevertheless, hemodynamics decidedly failed. Chest X–rays showed bilateral pneumonia. Hemocultures were positive for MDR–AB. Leukopenia developed (WBC 0,10). Three days after the first signs of a new infective episode, the patient had died. Notwithstanding the difficulties of SARS–CoV2 pandemic, tempestive diagnosis and treatment allow transplant programs to proceed unhindered.

Incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of HBV reactivation in non-liver solid organ transplant recipients with resolved HBV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Current guidelines do not recommend routine antiviral prophylaxis to prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in non-liver solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with resolved HBV infection, even in anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs)-negative recipients and those receiving intense immunosuppression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of HBV reactivation in non-liver SOT recipients. Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were systematically searched up to December 31, 2022. Clinical studies reporting HBV reactivation in non-liver SOT recipients were included. Case reports, case series, and cohort studies with a sample size of less than 10 patients were excluded. Random-effects analysis was used for all meta-analyses. We included 2,913 non-liver SOT recipients with resolved HBV infection from 16 retrospective cohort studies in the analysis. The overall HBV reactivation rate was 2.5% (76/2,913; 95% confidence interval [95% CI 1.6%, 3.6%]; I2 = 55.0%). Higher rates of reactivation were observed in recipients with negative anti-HBs (34/421; 7.8%; 95% CI [5.2%, 10.9%]; I2 = 36.0%) by pooling 6 studies, experiencing acute rejection (13/266; 5.8%; 95% CI [2.3%, 14.5%]; I2 = 63.2%) by pooling 3 studies, receiving ABO blood type-incompatible transplantation (8/111; 7.0%; 95% CI [2.9%, 12.7%]; I2 = 0%) by pooling 3 studies, receiving rituximab (10/133; 7.3%; 95% CI [3.4%, 12.6%]; I2 = 0%) by pooling 3 studies, and receiving anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG, 25/504; 4.9%; 95% CI [2.5%, 8.1%]; I2 = 49.0%) by pooling 4 studies. Among recipients with post-transplant HBV reactivation, 11.0% (7/52; 95% CI [4.0%, 20.8%]; I2 = 0.3%) developed HBV-related hepatic failure, and 11.0% (7/52; 95% CI [4.0%, 20.8%]; I2 = 0.3%) had HBV-related death. Negative anti-HBs (crude odds ratio [OR] 5.05; 95% CI [2.83, 9.00]; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%), ABO blood type-incompatible transplantation (crude OR 2.62; 95% CI [1.05, 6.04]; p = 0.040; I2 = 0%), history of acute rejection (crude OR 2.37; 95% CI [1.13, 4.97]; p = 0.022; I2 = 0%), ATG use (crude OR 3.19; 95% CI [1.48, 6.87]; p = 0.003; I2 = 0%), and rituximab use (crude OR 3.16; 95% CI [1.24, 8.06]; p = 0.016; I2 = 0%) increased the risk of reactivation. Adjusted analyses reported similar results. Limitations include moderate heterogeneity in the meta-analyses and that most studies were conducted in kidney transplant recipients. Non-liver SOT recipients with resolved HBV infection have a high risk of HBV-related hepatic failure and HBV-related death if HBV reactivation occurs. Potential risk factors for HBV reactivation include rituximab use, anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin use, anti-HBs negative status, acute rejection history, and ABO blood type-incompatible transplantation. Further research on monitoring and routine antiviral prophylaxis of non-liver SOT recipients at higher risk of HBV reactivation is required.

Correction to: A real‑world experience of eltrombopag plus rabbit antithymocyte immunoglobulin–based IST in Chinese patients with severe aplastic anemia

Correction to: A real‑world experience of eltrombopag plus rabbit antithymocyte immunoglobulin–based IST in Chinese patients with severe aplastic anemia

Prolonged use of eltrombopag in patients with severe aplastic anemia in the real world.

Eltrombopag (EPAG) can improve the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy (IST) consisting of antithymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporin in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients. This study explored whether patients with SAA could benefit from continuous usage of EPAG beyond 6months.Seventy-four treatment-naive Chinese patients with SAA were administrated with rabbit ATG-based IST plus EPAG for 6months. Patients not achieving complete remission (CR) at 6months were treated with EPAG for another 6months.At 1, 3, 6 and 12months after IST, the cumulative response rates were 31%, 61%, 82% and 90%, and the cumulative CR rates were 0, 14%, 27% and 45%, respectively. The cumulative effect curve showed that 93% and 53% of all remission and CR occurred within 6months, while 98% and 83% of all remission and CR occurred within 12months. Thirty-seven percent of patients (11 of 30) with partial remission (PR) at 6months continuously exposed to EPAG improved to CR within 3 (1-5) months of the extended median time. Six patients failing at 6months continued to use EPAG. Three patients showed improved responses with an extended median time of 6 (1-6) months. The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) was better in those continuing with EPAG (89% vs. 49%, P = 0.006) for patients with PR or non-remission at 6months.Continuous administration with EPAG could improve the hematologic response and EFS in patients without achieving CR at 6months.This trial has been registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100045895).

Prolonged Use of Eltrombopag in Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia without Complete Response at 6 Months after Immunosuppressive Therapy

Background Eltrombopag (EPAG) could improve the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy (IST) consisted by antithymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporin (CsA) in untreated severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients. This study explored whether patients with SAA could benefit from continuous use of EPAG beyond 6 months. Methods From February 2018 to October 2021, 92 Chinese patients who were 2 years of age or older with a new diagnosis of acquired SAA and were not eligible for front-line hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation were collected in the China Eastern Cooperation Group for Anemia (CECGA). Patients were treated with rabbit ATG (r-ATG) based IST consisting of CsA. Patients over 12 years old and aging 6-11 years old took EPAG orally at dose of 75mg and 37.5mg once daily, respectively; EPAG was administered with 1.25 mg per kilogram per day for patients with age distribution between 2 and 5 years. Generally, all patients were treated with EPAG at least 6 months. The lack of response at 6 months, relapse, HSCT, development of a clonal hematologic disease including myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute myelogenous leukemia, or disease- or treatment-related death are regarded as events in event free survival (EFS). Results The median age was 38 (2-78) years, with 18 patients (20%) under 18 years old and 21 patients (43%) over 60 years old. In the whole cohort, 61 patients (66%) were diagnosed as SAA and 31 patients (34%) with very severe aplastic anemia (vSAA). At 3, 6 and 12 months, the actuarial overall response rates (ORR) were 55% (51 of 92), 73% (67 of 92) and 81% (60 of 74) and complete response (CR) rates were 11% (10 of 92), 20% (18 of 92) and 34% (25 of 74), respectively. 18 patients (20%) who achieved CR within 6 months were under steady state. In 49 patients with PR at 6 months, 14 (35%) of 40 patients who were continuously exposed to EPAG improved to CR within 6.5 (3 ~ 10) months of median time after 6 months. Among 25 patients who failed at 6 months, 11 patients continued to use EPAG, and 5 patients (45%) improved responses with extended median time of 3 (1 ~ 6) months after 6 months (Figure 1). The cumulative effect curve showed that 93% and 58% of all 12 months remission and CR occurred within 6 months. In patients with PR and NR at 6 months, the better 2-year event free survival (EFS) was found in whom continued to use EPAG (75% vs. 26%, P=0.001) (Figure 2). Discussion EPAG plus IST were used to treat previously untreated SAA patients in prospective studies. The ORR and CR rate at 6 months were 68% ~ 94% and 26% ~ 58%, respectively [1, 2]. We found that 93% of all 12 months remission occurred within 6 months for patients treated with IST and EPAG. It is suggested that EPAG should be used in sufficient dosage at least 6 months. It has been reported that patients with CR and PR were present with better OS of 100% and 92%, while OS of non-responders was 47% (P=0.0016), effect was demonstrated as a predictor for 4-year OS [3]. For patients with PR and NR at 6 months in our study, it was found that not only the response rates, but also the 2-year EFS were improved by continuous usage of EPAG, compared to them discontinued EPAG. In conclusion, additional EPAG to IST mainly take effect within 6 months. Continuous administration of EPAG could improve the hematologic response and EFS in patients without achieving CR at 6 months. REFERENCE [1]. Townsley DM, Scheinberg P, Winkler T, et al., Eltrombopag Added to Standard Immunosuppression for Aplastic Anemia. N Engl J Med, 2017. 376(16): p. 1540-1550. [2]. Peffault de Latour R, Kulasekararaj A, Iacobelli S, et al., Eltrombopag Added to Immunosuppression in Severe Aplastic Anemia. N Engl J Med, 2022. 386(1):11-23. [3]. Assi R, Garcia-Manero G, Ravandi F, et al., Addition of Eltrombopag to Immunosuppressive Therapy in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Aplastic Anemia. Cancer, 2018. 124(21):4192-4201. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Clinical characteristics and prediction model of early death in severe/very severe aplastic anemia with immunosuppressive therapy

Objective: Early death (ED) characteristics and predictive factors analysis in patients with severe/very severe aplastic anemia (SAA/VSAA) treated with intensive immunosuppression therapy and establish an ED prediction model. Methods: The clinical data of 232 patients with SAA/VSAA treated with Antithymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from August 2003 to August 2021 were collected. The characteristics and causes of ED within 90 days were analyzed retrospectively. Cox proportional hazards model was used to screen the ED risk factors and build a prediction model. Results: Only 19 patients (8.2% ) developed ED with a median time of 24 (3-85) days among the 232 patients with SAA/VSAA who received ATG treatment. The main cause of ED was infection (84.2% ) , followed by cerebral hemorrhage (10.5% ) . Multivariate analysis showed that VSAA (HR=15.359, 95% CI 1.935-121.899, P=0.010) , fungal infection prevention by posaconazole (HR=0.147, 95% CI 0.019-1.133, P=0.066) , lymphocyte count (LYM) ≤ 0.5×10(9)/L (HR=3.386, 95% CI 1.123-10.206, P=0.030) , and PLT ≤ 5×10(9)/L (HR=8.939, 95% CI 1.948-41.019, P=0.005) were ED's independent influencing factors. To build a clinical prediction model, VSAA, fungal infection prevention by posaconazole, LYM ≤ 0.5×10(9)/L, and PLT ≤ 5×10(9)/L were scored with 3, -2, 1, and 2, respectively. The integral model AUC=89.324 (95% CI 80.859-97.789) . The ED risk in patients with a score ≥ 3 was 23.1 (95% CI 5.3-100.2) times that in patients with a score<3. Conclusion: ED caused by infection and cerebral hemorrhage is an important challenge for SAA/VSAA to be treated with ATG. VSAA, LYM ≤ 0.5×10(9)/L, and PLT ≤ 5×10(9)/L patients who did not use posaconazole to prevent fungal infection had a high ED risk.

PB1941: PRELIMINARY EXPLORATION OF PROLONGED USE OF ELTROMBOPAG IN PATIENTS WITH NAÏVE SEVERE APLASTIC ANEMIA IN THE REAL WORLD: DURATION AND EFFICACY

Background: Eltrombopag (E-PAG) plus the immunosuppressive therapy (IST) consisted by antithymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporin (CsA) has been reported with better efficacy in both refractory and naïve severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients than IST alone. E-PAG was used up to 6 months in clinical trials. Patients with refractory SAA who remained on E-PAG with a median duration of 12 months showed further hematological improvement. Aims: To explore whether patients with naïve SAA could benefit from continuous use of E-PAG beyond 6 months and when E-PAG should be withdrawn in patients with no response. Methods: From February 2018 to November 2021, we collected 57 Chinese adult patients with naïve SAA who were treated with rabbit-ATG based IST (r-ATG, 3.5mg/kg/d × 5d and CsA 3-5 mg/kg/d) combining with E-PAG at dose of 75mg per day in the China Eastern Cooperation Group for Anemia (Clinical trials: ChiCTR2100045895). All patients were treated with E-PAG at least 6 months, and then whether to continue treatment was decided by the attending doctor according to patients’ situation. The dosage of E-PAG would be tapered gradually at 3 months after complete remission (CR) or 6 months after stable partial remission (PR). Results: Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients were listed in Table 1. The median time from diagnosis to treatment was 3 weeks (1 week to 291 weeks). The median follow-up time was 17 months (1 month to 44 months) and overall survival rate was 98%. The overall response rates were 35% (20 of 57), 67% (36 of 54), 84% (42 of 50) and 95% (41 of 43) at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and CR rates were 17% (9 of 54), 24% (12 of 50) and 35% (15 of 43) at 3, 6 and 12 months. The first response was observed at 2 weeks after treatment, and the median time to remission during the first 6 months was 11 weeks (2 weeks to 25 weeks). 11% of patients achieved efficacy between 7 and 12 months. In patients with NR after continuous use of E-PAG for 12 months, no more patients met criteria for PR by extending the treatment of E-PAG. The cumulative effect curve showed that 88 percent of all 12 months responses occurred within 6 months, and the efficacy reached a peak at 6 months (Figure 1). 11 patients (22%, 11 of 50) who achieved CR within 6 months were under steady state with the exception of 1 patient converting to paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria at 12 months after treatment. In 30 patients achieved PR at 6 months, 5 patients (17%, 5 of 30) discontinued E-PAG after 6 months and 25 patients had a continuous exposure to E-PAG, while the efficacy of 13 patients (52%, 13 of 25) were improved to CR within median extended usage time of 9 months (2 to 31 months) of E-PAG, and the dose of E-PAG was tapered gradually in 6 patients (24%, 6 of 25), maintained at 75mg per day in 7 patients (28%, 7 of 25). The other 12 patients (48%, 12 of 25) were in stable PR. In 8 patients (16%, 8 of 50) were ineffective at 6 months, 1 patient died early at 1 month; 2 patients achieved PR at 12 months by E-PAG continuously; 5 patients treated with CsA alone latter; and 2 patients achieved CR at 12 months, 3 patients still were in NR in CsA alone group. Image:Summary/Conclusion: It was suggested that E-PAG was used at least 6 months. Continuous administration of E-PAG could improve the hematological response of PR patients to CR. No patient with NR taking effect after 12 months, new options should be considered with caution for them.

Predictors of Efficacy in Chinese Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia Treated with Eltrombopag and Intensive Immunosupressive Therapy

Prospective trials showed the clinical efficacy of eltrombopag in refractory/relapsed aplastic anemia (AA), with up to 40% hematologic improvement [1]. Moreover, eltrombopag was combined with frontline immunosupressive therapy (IST) consisited of antithymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporin (CsA), with an overall response rate exceeding 80% [2]. The metabolism of eltrodopag is different in disparate population. Currently, the recommended dose is 75 mg/d for East Asian populations [2], Pretreatment clinical and laboratory characteristics predicting eltrombopag response are still unclear in severe AA (SAA) patients of real-world in East Asian.From May 2014 to December 2020, 59 adult SAA patients were treated with IST (r-ATG, 3.5mg/kg/d × 5d and CsA 3-5 mg/kg/d) in conjunction with eltrodopag at the dose of 75 mg/d from day 1 until 6 months. We used Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve to predict the factors of the efficacy of eltrombopag.Median follow-up was 13 months (6 month to 29 months). Overall 45 patients (76%) responded to eltrombopag, including 16 patients (27%) who achieved complete response (CR) and 29 patients (49%) who achieved partial response (PR), whist 14 patients were non-remission (NR) according to the criteria of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) [3].The severity (P=0.032), infection (P=0.039) and lymphocyte count (P=0.021), as well as reticulocyte percentage (P=0.002) were different significantly between groups before the treatment (Table 1). Yet, the median age (38 years and 50.5 years) and median time from diagnosis to treatment (16 d and 27.5 d) are comparable. There was no significant difference in the count of platelet and T cell subsets of peripheral blood.ROC curve was used as one model to predict factors linked to the effects of eltrodopag in 6 months. The lymphocyte count (P=0.042, AUC=0.721, 95%CI 0.537-0.904), the percentage of reticulocyte (P=0.007, AUC=0.793, 95%CI 0.631-0.955), and red cell distribution width - coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) (P=0.042, AUC=0.721, 95%CI 0.493-0.948) were positively correlated with the efficacy of eltrombopag (Table 2, Figure 1).DiscussionIt has been reported that moderate diseaseand lymphoid marrow infiltration were related with the response to eltrombopag in older AA patients [4]. Scheinberg et al. has showed that predictive factors related to IST of 6th month were including the age, lymphocyte count and reticulocyte count [5]. We found that the lymphocyte count, the percentage of reticulocytes and RDW-CV were related with response. The increase of RDW-CV is related to production of reticulocyte. A higher lymphocyte count, the percentage of reticulocytes and RDW-CV may indicate better residual marrow function. Lymphocyte count is also associated with abnormal immunity. Hematopoietic recovery of SAA depends on IST involving elimination of autoreactive T cells that target progenitor cells in the bone marrow, and sufficient residual stem cells to support blood cell production after IST. IST combined with eltrombopag could eradicate autoreactive T cells and promote hematopoiesis simultaneously, thereby, the relevant indicators for predicting efficacy also reflect this related status.This study was limited by its retrospective nature, small cohorts, an absence of randomization a treatment comparator, and IST was based on r-ATG and CsA. In preliminar conclusion, the pretreatment lymphocyte count, the percentage of reticulocytes and RDW-CV together serve as a simple predictor of response following IST combined with eltrombopag for Chinese patients with SAA.Reference[1] Olnes MJ, et al. Eltrombopag and improved hematopoiesis in refractory aplastic anemia. N Engl J Med. 2012;367(3):11-19.[2] Townsley DM, et al. Eltrombopag Added to Standard Immunosuppression for Aplastic Anemia [J]. N Engl J Med, 2017, 376 (16): 1540-1550.[3] de Latour, RP, et al. Results of the EBMT SAAWP Phase III Prospective Randomized Multicenter RACE Study of Horse ATG and Ciclosporin with or without Eltrombopag in naive SAA patients. EBMT 2020 abstract O018.[4] Fattizzo B, et al. Clinical and morphological predictors of outcome in older aplastic anemia patients treated with eltrombopag. Haematologica. 2019 Nov;104(11): e494-e496.[5] Scheinberg P,et al. Predicting response to immunosuppressive therapy and survival in severe aplastic anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2009 Jan;144(2):206-16. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Intensive Immunosupressive Therapy Combining with Eltrombopag for Adult Chinese Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia

In sight of different pharmacokinetics between races, the recommended dose is 75mg/d for Asian using eltrombopag [1]. However, the efficacy and safety of antithymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) and cyclosporin A (CsA) with eltrombopag are still largely unknown for adult Asian patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA).From May 2014 to March 2021, 121 Chinese adult patients with SAA were treated with IST (r-ATG, 3.5mg/kg/d × 5d and CsA 3-5 mg/kg/d) or in conjunction with eltrombopag (75mg/d, from day 1 to 6 months) prospectively and non-randomly. The adverse events (≥3 grades) referring to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version (CTCAE) 5.0 within 6 months.In pretreatment evaluation of clinical and laboratory characteristics. Median age (39 years and 40 years) was comparable. The complete blood count with differential and quantification of CD4/CD8 T-cell subsets were similar in both groups, but median time from diagnosis to treatment (16 d and 28 d, P=0.038) was different significantly (Table 1).The Chi-Squared test was used to compare the efficacy. The overall response rates (ORR) of IST alone or in combination with eltrombopag in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after IST were 12% vs 35% (P=0.002), 44% vs 64% (P=0.028), 61% vs 85% (P=0.006) and 73% vs 91% (P=0.031), respectively. The complete response (CR) rates in the 3rd, 6th and 12th month after IST are 7% vs 17% (P=0.069), 14% vs 27% (P=0.11) and 33% vs 32% (P=0.92) (Table 2).We analyzed factors associated with the efficacy at 6 months by the Binary-Logistic regression model. Elements would be listed in multivariate analysis whether the factors might impact on the efficacy or had P value lower than 0.2 in univariate analysis. It was suggested that ORR was significantly related with the use of eltrombopag (P=0.011, OR=3.600, 95%CI 1.345-9.638) (Table 3).The overall survival (OS) and factors related to survival were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. The OS in IST combined with eltrombopag group was 98% compared to 88% for IST alone (P=0.078). No significant intergroup differences were noted in multivariate analysis of OS.The nonhematologic adverse events (≥3 grades) were infrequent, occurring in 16% patients. 8 in IST plus E-PAG cohort and 11 in IST alone cohort (15% vs 16%, P=0.80). Hepatic injury was prevalent complication (6% vs 8%, P=0.96), relatively. But none showed significant difference between two groups.DiscussionIt has been reported that eltropopag promoted the response of megakaryocytic or even three lineages in refractory SAA [2]. The 6th month CR rate and ORR of our study are lower than the results of Townsley's research with 35% and 94% in the cohort of IST plus eltrombopag [1]. But the CR rate ORR is comparable to De Latour's results with 21.9% and 59.4% in the 3rd month [3]. Median age and dosage of eltrombopag needs to be considered with caution between different researchs, whist the efficacy of horse ATG (hATG) and rATG remained a subject of some debate [4]. Townsley et al. had reported that hepatic impairment (≥3 grades) was 18% [1], but our research showed lower rate of liver impairment with 6%. We should increase the sample volume to analyze the adverse events.Reference[1] Townsley DM, et al. Eltrombopag Added to Standard Immunosuppression for Aplastic Anemia [J]. N Engl J Med, 2017, 376 (16): 1540-1550.[2] Desmond R, et al. Eltrombopag restores trilineage hematopoiesis in refractory severe aplastic anemia that can be sustained on discontinuation of drug [J]. Blood, 2014, 123 (12): 1818-1825.[3] De Latour, RP, et al. Results of the EBMT SAAWP Phase III Prospective Randomized Multicenter RACE Study of Horse ATG and Ciclosporin with or without Eltrombopag in naive SAA patients. EBMT 2020 abstract O018.[4] Vallejo, C., et al., Rabbit antithymocyte globulin versus horse antithymocyte globulin for treatment of acquired aplastic anemia: a retrospective analysis. Annals of Hematology, 2015. 94(6): p. 947-954. [Display omitted] DisclosuresHe: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.: Consultancy; LongBio Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis after heart transplantation

Objective: to assess the incidence, determine the peculiarities of the course of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and identify risk factors for IPA in heart transplant recipients.Materials and methods. From January 2010 to December 2019, 137 heart transplantations (HT) were performed: mean age 46 ± 14 years; male 102 (74%) and female 35 (26%). All patients received a three-component immunosuppressive therapy: calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and Glucocorticoid (GCs). Induction therapy consisted of Basiliximab (81%, n = 111) and antithymocyte immunoglobulin (15%, n = 20). A retrospective analysis of patients with identified post-HT invasive IPA was performed; risk factors for IPA were assessed. In patients with early IPA, the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), the duration of mechanical ventilation, and the initial severity of the condition were studied. All patients with suspected pneumonia underwent bronchoscopy with examination of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and chest computed tomography (chest CT scan).Results. During the follow-up, there were 58 episodes of pneumonia, of which 16 (28%) were IPA (age 33 to 64 years). All patients had a target level of immunosuppressive drugs concentration in blood; basiliximab was used as induction therapy in 15 of 16 patients. Half of the recipients developed IPA in the early post-HT period (less than 3 months after HT), in the rest (n = 8) – at a later date (3 months to 1 year after HT). The diagnosis was verified: 14 out of 16 patients showed an increase in the Aspergillus antigen positivity in the BAL to 7.2 (2.8 ± 1.6); chest CT scan revealed specific changes. In two patients, there were no diagnostic criteria for IPA, but the diagnosis was made based on the results of histological examination after resection of the left lower lobe of the lung. All patients received voriconazole therapy for 2 to 6 months, their immunosuppressive therapy was adjusted (tacrolimus and MMF dose adjustment) and their white blood cell count was monitored. Complete cure of the disease was achieved in 13 (81%) patients. Two patients died within 30 days after HT in the intensive care unit, one died from urogenital diseases caused by bacterial flora and leading to urosepsis, 4 months after IPA treatment was initiated. All patients had risk factors for IPA: taking immunosuppression, including GCs (n = 16), prolonged ICU stay (n = 14), inotropic support exceeding 2 days in the early post-transplant period (n = 10), cachexia during HT (n = 6), leukopenia (n = 9) and neutropenia (n = 14).Conclusion. In heart transplantat recipients, the incidence of IPA among respiratory tract infections is 28%. The risk of developing IPA was highest during the first year following HT. In the majority of recipients, the disease was detected at the early stages; diagnosis required surgical intervention in 12% of cases. A decrease in the risk of developing IPA was associated with correction of the following risk factors for this disease in all patients: volume of immunosuppressive therapy during the first year after transplantation and prevention of the development of neutropenia as a marker of infectious complications or immunosuppression overdose. Early diagnosis of IPA allowed for initiation of timely specific therapy in most recipients and achievement of a positive effect in 80% of them.

POS-782 INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Gaining long-term graft function and patient survival remain a critical challenge following kidney transplantation. Infectious Complications are associated with complications in kidney allograft recipients. Therefore, we conducted a study in a kidney transplant population which aimed to delineate the risk factors associated with infectious complications and could affect the allograft outcome. We conducted a cross sectional study carried out by the nephrology department in the university hospital of Sousse Sahloul from November 2007 to September 2015. We included in our study patients who received tacrolimus in maintenance therapy. Over the study period, 170 kidney transplant were performed and 81 patients (47%) were included in the study of the total transplanted patients. The average age of the adults was 32.84±9,176 [17 - 55] years while the mean age of the children was 12.95±2.91 [7 - 16] years. The sex ratio was 1.5. The average age of kidney donors was 38.68 ± 10.607 years. Renal transplantation was performed from a cadaveric donor in 4 cases and in 77 cases it was from a living donor. The induction therapy for kidney transplant recipients was based on the antithymocyte immunoglobulin in 60% of cases and the anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibodies in 40 % of cases. The mean initial dose of tacrolimus was 8.52 ± 1.9 mg/d which corresponds to 0,17 ± 0.065 mg/kg/d. Infectious complications were observed in 66 patients (82.7%). Among our patients, 52 patients had urinary tract infection, 23 patients had BK virus infections,16 patients had gastrointestinal infection, 14 patients had cytomegalovirus infection, 6 patients had Candidiasis and 5 patients had a common germ pulmonary infection. In our series, 11 patients (13.6%) presented allograft dysfunction during their follow-up, 5 patients (6.2%) had lost their allograft and 5 patients (6.2%) have died. The comparative analysis revealed that dose weight of tacrolimus at the first year was significantly associated with the infectious complications. In fact, the patients who had infectious complications required higher doses of tacrolimus at first year (p=0.028). We found that patients who had two or more infections were exposed to more risk of allograft rejection (p=0.006). We found that patients who had at least two infections presented an unfavourable outcome (p=0.026). We noted that the antithymocyte immunoglobulin was associated with a higher risk of infections (p=0.035) than basiliximab (p=0.026). Renal transplantation is an effective treatment for an end-stage kidney disease, however, post-transplant complications remain its major challenge. A deeper understanding of the different infectious complications can help clinic to connect the organ outcomes, including graft survival, inflammation, infection, rejection, alloreactivity and fibrosis.

Efficacy and safety of porcine ALG compared to rabbit ATG as first‐line treatment for children with acquired aplastic anemia

To assess the outcomes of children with acquired aplastic anemia (AA) treated in China with first-line porcine anti-lymphocyte immunoglobulin (p-ALG)/rabbit anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (r-ATG) combined with cyclosporine A (CSA). We performed a single-center, non-randomized, retrospective cohort study to assess the outcomes of 189 children with AA treated in China with first-line p-ALG/r-ATG combined with CSA between 2014 and 2018. No significant differences were observed in the overall response rates at 3, 6, 12, or 24months (3months: 61.9% vs 67.4%, P=.5; 6months: 70.9% vs 73.9%, P=.69; 12months: 77.3% vs 73.3%, P=.58; 24months: 81.6% vs 78.6%, P=.59) after either p-ALG- or r-ATG-based immunosuppressive therapy. No significant differences were observed in overall survival or failure-free survival between the p-ALG group and the r-ATG group. Our results reveal that the therapeutic efficacy and safety of p-ALG combined with CSA did not differ significantly from those of r-ATG combined with CSA as first-line therapy for pediatric patients with AA. Moreover, p-ALG has the advantage of significantly lower cost compared with r-ATG.

SUN-363 GUT MICROBIOTA DISTURBANCE IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Gaining long-term graft function and patient survival remain a critical challenge following kidney transplantation. Recently, it is reported that microbiota is associated with complications in kidney allograft recipients. Therefore, we conducted a study in a kidney transplant population which aimed to: To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of our population, to identify the factors that could influence the microbiota and to delineate the risk factors associated with microbiota and could affect the allograft outcome We conducted a cross sectional study carried out by the nephrology department in the university hospital of Sousse Sahloul from November 2007 to September 2015. We included in our study patients who received tacrolimus in maintenance therapy. In the absence of the current possibility of direct study of the microbiota we considered that infectious complications requiring the use of several antibiotics were responsible for microbiota change in renal transplant patients. Over the study period, 170 kidney transplant were performed and 81 patients (47%) were included in the study of the total transplanted patients. The average age of the adults was 32.84±9,176 [17 - 55] years while the mean age of the children was 12.95±2.91 [7 - 16] years. The sex ratio was 1.5. The average age of kidney donors was 38.68 ± 10.607 years. Renal transplantation was performed from a cadaveric donor in 4 cases and in 77 cases it was from a living donor. The induction therapy for kidney transplant recipients was based on the antithymocyte immunoglobulin in 60% of cases and the anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibodies in 40 % of cases. The mean initial dose of tacrolimus was 8.52 ± 1.9 mg/d which corresponds to 0,17 ± 0.065 mg/kg/d. Infectious complications were observed in 66 patients (82.7%). Among our patients, 52 patients had urinary tract infection, 23 patients had BK virus infections,16 patients had gastrointestinal infection, 14 patients had cytomegalovirus infection, 6 patients had Candidiasis and 5 patients had a common germ pulmonary infection. In our series, 11 patients (13.6%) presented allograft dysfunction during their follow-up, 5 patients (6.2%) had lost their allograft and 5 patients (6.2%) have died. The comparative analysis revealed that dose weight of tacrolimus at the first year was significantly associated with the infectious complications. In fact, the patients who had infectious complications required higher doses of tacrolimus at first year (p=0.028). We found that patients who had two or more infections were exposed to more risk of allograft rejection (p=0.006). We found that patients who had at least two infections presented an unfavourable outcome (p=0.026). We noted that the antithymocyte immunoglobulin was associated with a higher risk of infections (p=0.035) than basiliximab (p=0.026). Renal transplantation is an effective treatment for an end-stage kidney disease, however, post-transplant complications remain its major challenge. A deeper understanding of the function and composition of microbiota can help clinic to connect the microbiota features with the organ outcomes, including graft survival, inflammation, infection, rejection, alloreactivity and fibrosis.