Hematologic Response Rate Research Articles

Early dFLC response by C1D7 predicts complete hematologic response in systemic AL amyloidosis.

Daratumumab and bortezomib, the first-line drugs for AL amyloidosis, typically yield a complete hematologic response (CHR) rate of nearly 60% when used in combinations. An early achievement of CHR is crucial in amyloidosis. We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between dFLC (the difference between free light chain) reduction by Day 7 in Cycle 1 (C1D7) and CHR, organ response, and survival in 48 newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients receiving daratumumab, bortezomib, and dexamethasone. The CHR rate within six months was 66.7%. Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve curve analysis, we predicted CHR based on a dFLC reduction in C1D7 (67.0% change, optimal sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 81.3%). We introduce the novel concept of "rapid hematologic dFLC response", defined as a reduction in dFLC levels ≥ 67% in C1D7. The CHR rate in rapid responders' groups was higher than that in slow responders' group (90.3% vs. 23.5%, P<0.01). After a median follow-up of 19 months (range: 0.3-57), the renal response rate in rapid responders was higher than that in slow responders (72.0% vs. 27.5%, P = 0.025). The median major organ deterioration event-free survival in the rapid responders' group (not reached) was significantly superior to that in the slow responders' group (19m, 95% CI: 1.79-23.14m, P = 0.048). In conclusion, early dFLC reduction in C1D7 indicates a high possibility of CHR and organ response and may allow for early modification of therapy in selected patients.

Phase II trial of imatinib mesylate in patients with PDGFRA/B-negative hypereosinophilic syndrome.

The role of imatinib in PDGFRA/B-negative hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) is controversial because of the heterogeneity of HES and the scarcity of prospective studies. We conducted a phase II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of imatinib in PDGFRA/B-negative HES. Thirty-two patients were treated with imatinib (100-400 mg daily), and the molecular basis of their response was identified using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS). The haematological response rate was 46.9%, with a complete haematological response (CHR) rate of 18.8%. The median time to response was 1.5 months. Among the six patients who achieved CHR, five maintained it until the 24th cycle of imatinib and one lost response after 20 months. The median progression-free survival was 4.3 months. WES and WTS were conducted for 11 patients. The number of non-silent mutations did not differ between responders and non-responders. Nine differentially expressed genes, including SNORD15A, were downregulated in responders. STAT5B::RARA, PAK2::PIGX, and FIP1L1::CHIC2 fusions were identified in patients with sustained responses, and RNF130::BRAF and WNK1::KDM5A fusions were identified in non-responders. Imatinib, along with an appropriate biomarker, could be a promising option for PDGFRA/B-negative HES.

Belantamab Mafodotin in Relapsed/Refractory AL Amyloidosis: Real-World Multi-Center Experience and Review of the Literature

Introduction: Treatment for relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis (AL) is an unmet need. The safety and efficacy of belantamab mafodotin (BLM) in multiple myeloma are known, whereas in AL data are limited. Methods: We report a multi-center cohort of AL patients receiving BLM, and review all previous data on BLM therapy in AL. Results: Twelve patients with a median of 3 (range 2–9) prior lines of therapy were included. The overall hematological response rate (ORR) was 75% (9/12), including 5 complete responses. Six of the 10 evaluable patients had organ responses. The median event-free survivals/overall survivals were 22.3 and 28.8 months, respectively. Grade 3 toxicities were mostly infections and keratopathy, occurring in 7/12 (58%). Hematological toxicities were rare. No grade 4/5 toxicities occurred. The review of the previous series reveals BLM provides an ORR of 60–83% with similar rates of corneal toxicity. Conclusion: BLM, being an off-the-shelf therapy, with acceptable toxicity even in frail patients, may be a valuable option in AL, with a high ORR, and a signal for durable responses and high-quality organ responses.

Prognostic impact of cytogenetic abnormalities detected by FISH in AL amyloidosis with daratumumab-based frontline therapy

AbstractWe performed an international retrospective study on 283 patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis to investigate the prognostic impact of cytogenetic abnormalities by fluorescence in situ hybridization, when treated with frontline daratumumab–based therapy. The cytogenetic subgroups of interest were t(11;14), gain/amp(1q) (hereafter, +1q), hyperdiploidy, deletion(13q), del(17p), and myeloma high-risk (HR) translocations (t[4;14], t[14;16], or t[14;20]). The end points of interest were rate of hematologic complete response (heme-CR), very good partial response (VGPR) or better, and hematologic event-free survival (heme-EFS). The incidence of abnormalities was as follows: t(11;14), 53.4%; deletion (13q), 28.9%; +1q, 22.3%; hyperdiploidy, 19.4%; HR translocations, 6.6%; and deletion(17p), 4.5%. The heme-CR rate by cytogenetic subgroups were as follows: t(11;14) vs no t(11;14), 45.2% vs 41.8% (P=0.597); del(13q) vs no del(13q), 46.8% vs 42.8% (P=0.594); +1q vs no +1q, 30.2% vs 47.9% (P=0.022); hyperdiploidy vs no hyperdiploidy, 39.5% vs 44.9% (P=0.541); HR translocations vs none, 45.5% vs 43.1% (P=0.877); and del(17p) vs no del(17p), 50.0% vs 42.9% (P=0.658), respectively. Similarly, +1q was the only subgroup with a significantly lower VGPR or better rate (64.2% vs 79.0%; P=0.033). At a median follow-up of 19.8 months, the median heme-EFS was 49.6 months (95% CI, 24.7-not reached [NR]), and the 2-year overall survival (OS) was 80.98% (95% CI, 75.6-85.4). The presence of +1q was significantly associated with worse heme-EFS on multivariate analysis (HR 2.06, 95% CI, 1.14-3.71; P=0.017). Notably, there was no adverse prognostic impact of t(11;14) on heme-EFS or OS. In conclusion, +1q is associated with worse outcome in the daratumumab-era. Clinical trials testing novel frontline immunotherapies should be enriched in +1q to further improve outcomes in this subgroup.

An open-label, prospective trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ixazomib in combination with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome.

This open-label, prospective trial evaluated the combination of ixazomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (ICD) in 12 newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients. The study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2000030072). The treatment protocol consisted of 12 cycles of the ICD regimen compromising ixazomib (4 mg on Days 1, 8 and 15), oral cyclophosphamide (300 mg on Days 1, 8 and 15) and dexamethasone (20 mg weekly). A total of 12 patients received a median of 10 (range: 3-23) cycles of the ICD regimen. The haematological response could be evaluated in 10 patients. The overall haematological response rate was 80% (8/10), with 30% (3/10) achieving complete haematological response, and the overall serum VEGF response rate and neurological response were 100% and 83.3% respectively. Two patients experienced grade 3/4 AEs, including diarrhoea (n = 1) and leukopenia (n = 1). The combination of ixazomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone demonstrated both efficacy and safety in newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome, making it a viable treatment option.

Outcomes of therapeutic plasma exchange for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma cast nephropathy.

Current treatment guidelines of myeloma cast nephropathy (MCN) recommend the institution of plasma cell-directed therapy and consideration of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), with the goal of rapid reduction of the serum free light chain (sFLC). However, the role of TPE continues to remain a subject of debate. The goal of this retrospective bi-institutional study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of TPE in combination with systemic therapy. Eighty patients were included in this analysis, of whom 72.5% had ≥50% drop in their initial involved sFLC. At 3months from TPE initiation, the overall hematologic response rate (ORR) was 67.5% with a very good partial response or better (≥VGPR) rate of 40%. At 6months, ORR was 57.5%, with ≥VGPR rate of 49%. The renal response rate at 3 and 6months was 47.5% and 43.75%, respectively; the overall renal response rate was 48.75%. On multivariable analysis, every one unit increase in baseline creatinine (odds ratio [OR] 0.76, p=0.006), and achievement of ≥VGPR (OR 21.7 p<0.0001) were significantly associated with renal response. Also, a ≥50% drop in sFLC was favorably associated with renal response (OR 3.39, p=0.09). With a median follow-up of 36.4months, the median overall survival (OS) was 11months. On multivariable analysis, achievement of renal response (hazard ratio [HR]0.3, p<0.0001) and newly diagnosed disease (NDMM; HR 0.43, p=0.0055) were associated with improved OS. Among NDMM patients, those treated with daratumumab-based regimens had a trend for better OS (p=0.15), compared to other regimens, but the difference was not significant. At the end of follow-up, an estimated 40.4% of patients who were on dialysis were able to become dialysis independent. In conclusion, our study highlights the poor survival of patients with MCN. Achievement of early renal response is crucial for prolonged OS, with daratumumab-based therapies showing promise.

Options for Rescue Treatment of Patients with AL Amyloidosis Exposed to Upfront Daratumumab.

This review aims to assess the therapeutic strategies available for relapsed/refractory patients with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis who received upfront daratumumab-based regimens. The treatment landscape of AL amyloidosis has changed radically thanks to the introduction in the upfront setting of daratumumab in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (DaraCyBorD) which improved patients' outcomes increasing the rate of hematologic and organ responses. However, many patients eventually relapse or are refractory to daratumumab and the best salvage therapy is not well defined yet. In this contest, we reviewed the available therapeutic options after daratumumab failure, and we look towards the current advances in Bcl-2 inhibitors, novel immunotherapeutic agents as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) therapy and bispecific antibodies (bsAbs). Relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis represent an unmet clinical need and novel targeted drugs require urgent prospective assessment.

A real-life study of daratumumab combinations in newly diagnosed patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis.

Daratumumab-based regimens are the new standard of care for newly diagnosed patients with AL amyloidosis based on the results of the ANDROMEDA study. However, real-world data on daratumumab efficacy in upfront therapy in unselected patients are scanty. In the framework of a prospective observational study, we investigated the efficacy and safety of daratumumab in 88 newly diagnosed patients, including subjects with IIIb cardiac stage (26%) or myeloma defining events (29%). Daratumumab was administered with bortezomib in 50 (56%) patients, lenalidomide in 31 (35%), and monotherapy in 7 (8%). The rate of serious adverse events was low (16%). The overall hematologic response rate was 75% with 52 (59%) patients attaining at least a very good partial response (VGPR) at six months. Amongst patients evaluable for organ response, the rate of cardiac and renal responses at 6months was 31% and 21%, respectively. Comparing stage IIIb patients with the remaining ones, the rate of profound hematologic response was not significantly different (≥VGPR 57% vs. 59%, p 0.955) likewise the rate of cardiac (33% vs. 30%, p 0.340) and renal (40% vs. 16%, p 0.908) responses. Daratumumab-based regimens demonstrated to be safe and effective in treatment-naïve AL amyloidosis even in advanced stage disease.

The Real-World Data on Patients With Cardiac Stage IIIb AL Amyloidosis

BackgroundMorbidity and mortality of patients with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis are strongly associated with the severity of cardiac involvement, especial in patients with cardiac stage IIIb, but the real-world data on these patients is still limited. Patients and MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 77 patients diagnosed with cardiac stage IIIb AL amyloidosis at our center. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of the patients. ResultsThe median age of patients was 57 years and 49.4% were male. Median serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) were 13,384 ng/L and 0.166 ug/L, and 42 (54.5%) patients had heart failure at diagnosis. Fifty-seven (74.0%) patients received antiplasma cell treatment, and the main treatment options include bortezomib or thalidomide combined with dexamethasone. The hematologic overall response rate was 70% (28/40), and at 6-month landmark analysis, patients with hematologic responses had a higher survival rate. Cardiac and renal responses were achieved in 14 (37.8%) and 13 (32.5%) patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 10 months (range 1-115 months), median overall survival (OS) was 18 months, and the estimated survival rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 79.9%, 75.6%, and 54.5%, respectively. In Cox regression models, age, hypotension and cTnT were independently predictive of mortality after adjusting for heart failure. ConclusionThe hematologic, cardiac and renal responses were relative lower in patients with cardiac stage IIIb AL amyloidosis. The overall prognosis of patients was poor, and age, hypotension, and cTnT can be used to predict mortality.

Chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosed in pregnancy: management and outcome of 87 patients reported to the European LeukemiaNet international registry

The management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosed during pregnancy is a rare and challenging situation. We report the treatment and outcome of 87 cases diagnosed in chronic phase from 2001–2022 derived from the largest international observational registry, supported by the European LeukemiaNet (ELN), of 400 pregnancies in 299 CML women. Normal childbirth occurred in 76% without an increased rate of birth abnormalities or life-threatening events, including in patients untreated or treated with interferon-α and/or imatinib in 2nd–3rd trimester. The low birth weight rate of 12% was comparable to that seen in the normal population. Elective and spontaneous abortions occurred in 21% and 3%, respectively. The complete hematologic response rate before labor was 95% with imatinib and 47% with interferon only. No disease progression during pregnancy was observed, 28% of the patients switched their therapy at varying times after delivery. Treatment options balance the efficacy and safety for mother and infant: interferon-α can commence in the 1st trimester and continued throughout in cases of good disease control and tolerability. Because of limited placental crossing, selected tyrosine kinase inhibitors (imatinib and nilotinib) seem to be safe and effective options in 2nd and 3rd trimester while hydroxycarbamide offers few benefits.

The Role of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in the Therapy of Systemic AL Amyloidosis

Aim. To assess the outcomes of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) in systemic AL Amyloidosis patients treated at the R.M. Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Transplantation.&#x0D; Materials &amp; Methods. In the period from 2005 to 2022, auto-HSCT was performed in 33 patients with systemic AL Amyloidosis. In 7 of them, auto-HSCT was not preceded by the induction therapy “upfront”. From 2012 all patients received induction therapy prior to transplantation. The median age of patients was 54 years (range 38–68 years); among them there were 17 women and 16 men.&#x0D; Results. The 3-year follow-up period showed hematological response rate of 76 % (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 50–90 %), heart response rate of 27 % (95% CI 6–55 %), renal response rate of 76 % (95% CI 41–93 %), and hepatic response rate of 26 % (95% CI 8–50 %). The 5-year overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survivals were 71 % (95% CI 49–85 %) and 53 % (95% CI 32–71 %), respectively. The OS parameters in the group with delayed auto-HSCT, i.e., after induction therapy, were better than in the “upfront” group: 82 % (95% CI 60–93 %) vs. 43 % (95% CI 10–73 %) (p = 0.03). The OS parameters were affected by health status (p = 0.03), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction &lt; 60 % (p = 0.006), stage of heart disease (p = 0.016), and stage III kidney disease (p = 0.007). The PFS parameters depended on ECOG performance status (p = 0.004) and stage of heart disease (p = 0.041).&#x0D; Conclusion. The presented data confirm the results of the studies emphasizing the importance of induction therapy prior to auto-HSCT in the treatment of systemic AL Amyloidosis. More stringent parameters of renal function, left ventricular ejection fraction, and ECOG performance status can be used as criteria for auto-HSCT eligibility. Reduced melphalan doses, as conditioning regimen, can be administered to patients with pronounced comorbidity.

Эффективность и токсичность индукционной терапии у пациентов с впервые диагностированным системным AL-амилоидозом: результаты проспективного одноцентрового клинического исследования

Aim. To assess the outcomes of induction therapy in patients with newly diagnosed systemic AL Amyloidosis (AL-А).&#x0D; Materials &amp; Methods. The prospective single-center clinical study enrolled 60 patients (32 women and 28 men) with newly diagnosed systemic AL-A stage I/IIIA. The median age was 59 years (range 34–74 years). In 57 patients, BorСyDex (bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone) was used as first-line therapy. RCd regimen (lenalidomide, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone) was administered to 3 patients. Patients with the lack of efficacy or pronounced toxicity (n = 24) received second-line induction therapy with lenalidomide or melphalan combined with dexamethasone. High-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) was administered to 11 (18 %) patients.&#x0D; Results. Hematologic targeted response (complete remission [CR] and very good partial remission [VGPR]) to BorCyDex was achieved in 62 % of patients. As a result of all lines of induction therapy, including auto-HSCT, targeted response increased to 69 %, specifically in 7/51 (14 %) patients with stringent CR (sCR), 8/51 (16 %) patients with CR, and 20/51 (39 %) patients with VGPR. Renal response after BorCyDex was registered in 10/38 (26 %) patients, 6/31 (19 %) patients showed heart response, and in 4/5 (80 %) patients liver response was reported. All therapy lines with auto-HSCT led to organ response (in ≥ 1 organ) in 15/46 (32 %) patients. Clinical response was shown by all patients with achieved sCR, by 67 % of patients with CR, and 47 % with VGPR (p = 0.04). With lower hematologic response rates, no clinical improvement was observed. With follow-up duration of 36 months, the median disease-free survival (without signs of hematologic and clinical progression) was not achieved. The 3-year overall survival was 80 %. Mortality during induction therapy was 10 % (6 patients died, including 2 patients with COVID-19). The planned 6 courses of BorCyDex could be completed only in 13 (23 %) out of 55 patients. During the induction therapy using BorCyDex, 4 patients died. The treatment was discontinued in 7/55 (12 %) patients due to its inefficacy and in 22/55 (39 %) patients because of severe peripheral and autonomic polyneuropathy. Nine (16 %) out of 55 patients with the achieved hematologic response showed excessive NT-proBNP elevation, which was accompanied by cardiovascular complications and provided ground for chemotherapy withdrawal.&#x0D; Conclusion. Low organ recovery rate remains the most challenging issue for AL-A treatment. Hematologic response depth (achieved CR) is a critical factor in achieving clinical effect. The obtained data confirmed high toxicity of BorCyDex regimen in AL-A patients. Despite the advances in AL-А therapy which are associated with the use of proteasome inhibitors, treatment of this disease calls for new and more effective approaches.

Activity and safety of eltrombopag in combination with cyclosporin A as first‑line treatment of adults with severe aplastic anaemia (SOAR): a phase 2, single-arm study

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG)-based immunosuppression is standard in front-line treatment for people with severe aplastic anaemia without a histocompatible donor or who are 40 years or older. However, ATG requires in-hospital administration, is associated with infusion-related toxicities and has limited availability worldwide. In this study, we investigated the activity and safety of an ATG-free regimen of eltrombopag with cyclosporin A as a potential treatment for patients with severe aplastic anaemia who might not have access to or cannot tolerate horse-ATG. SOAR was a multicentre, single-arm phase 2 trial investigating eltrombopag and cyclosporin in adult (≥18 years) patients with severe aplastic anaemia who were treatment-naive and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of less than 2. Participants were recruited from 20 hospitals in ten countries. Eltrombopag was initiated at 150 mg (100 mg in patients of Asian ethnicity) and cyclosporin at 10 mg/kg per day (adjusted to a trough of 200-400 μg/L) orally from day 1 to 6 months. The primary outcome was an overall haematological response rate by 6 months in the intention-to-treat population. This is the final report of the primary analysis period. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02998645, and has been completed. 54 patients were enrolled between May 11, 2017, and March 23, 2020. 34 (63%) patients were male and 20 (37%) were female. 22 (41%) were Asian, 22 (41%) were White, one (2%) was Native American or Alaska Native, one (2%) was Black or African American, and eight (15%) were other race or ethnicity. 35 patients (65%) completed 6 months of treatment with eltrombopag and cyclosporin and six (11%) completed the cyclosporin tapering period up to month 24. Overall haematological response rate by month 6 of treatment was 46% (25 of 54; 95% CI 33-60). The most reported adverse events were increased serum bilirubin (in 22 patients [41%]), nausea (16 [30%]), increased alanine aminotransferase concentration (12 [22%]), and diarrhoea (12 [22%]). Eight patients died on-treatment, but no deaths were considered related to the treatment. Eltrombopag and cyclosporin was active as front-line treatment of severe aplastic anaemia, with no unexpected safety concerns. This approach might be beneficial where horse-ATG is not available or not tolerated. Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Infusional fluorouracil and weekly docetaxel as first-line therapy for gastric cancer with bone marrow metastasis and disseminated intravascular coagulation: A multi-center, phase II trial (Zhen Long).

337 Background: Gastric cancer (GC) with bone marrow metastasis (BMM) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) constitute a highly aggressive GC (HAGC) sub-type with distinctive features. The prognosis is poor and most HAGC patients die in weeks without effective treatment. Undue concerns about the myelosuppression mitigate against the application of cytotoxics in HAGC which is characterized by thrombocytopenia. Retrospective analysis showed low dose chemotherapy might relieve the DIC and bring with survival benefit but the standard of care (SOC) has not yet been established without a prospective study available. We completed a multi-center phase II trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of infusional fluorouracil and weekly docetaxel as first-line (1L) treatment for HAGC. Methods: This was a single-arm trial. A Simon's two-stage optimal design was applied. Eligible cases were: 18-75 years old, histologically confirmed GC, established BMM, overt DIC, platelet ≤ 50*109/L and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) ≤ 3. Fluorouracil 200mg/m2/d continuous infusion on days 1-21 and docetaxel 25mg/m2/d on days 1, 8, 15 were given every four weeks. Hematological response (HeR) was defined as the platelet restored to normal range. The primary end point was HeR rate. Secondary end points were time to HeR (TTHeR), one month mortality (OMM), overall survival (OS), adverse events (AEs) and quality of life (QoL). Results: From Jan 2021 to Sep 2022, 24 HAGC cases from three Chinese centers were enrolled (details shown in table below). 20 HeRs were achieved and the HeR rate was 83.3%. Median TTHeR was 13 days and OMM was 12.5%. Till the data cut-off date (Jul 31, 2023), 3 patients were still alive with a median follow-up of 403 days. The median OS was 242 days. Totally, twelve Grade 3 AEs were recorded in 7 (29.2%) patients, among which stomatitis (4, 16.7%) and aminotransferase elevation (3, 12.5%) were the most frequent. No drug-related grade 4 or 5 AEs were observed. QoL outcomes were significantly improved both during and after the treatment. Conclusions: Anti-cancer treatment is the key point to control DIC of HAGC. The Zhen Long regimen was well tolerated and showed promising efficacy in the 1L setting. It should be considered as the SOC in current practice, but further randomized trials are still needed. Clinical trial information: NCT04547153 . [Table: see text]

Real-world efficacy of single-agent belantamab mafodotin in relapsed systemic AL amyloidosis.

Systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a relapsing plasma cell disorder. Therapy is limited, particularly for triple-class refractory disease. We report the use of belantamab mafodotin, a BCMA-directed drug-antibody conjugate, for relapsed AL amyloidosis, including patients traditionally excluded from clinical trials. Thirty-one patients were reviewed, with a median of three prior lines of therapy. The median follow-up was 12 months (95% CI 4-19), and a median of five doses were delivered. The best haematological overall response rate was 71%, and the complete/very good partial response was 58%. Sixty-eight percent had keratopathy and improved in all. Belantamab mafodotin has high efficacy and good tolerability in patients with relapsed AL amyloidosis.

Efficacy of bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone for newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients.

Due to the rarity of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome, the best first-line treatment has not been established, although there are several options in guidelines. The preferred treatments vary according to the preference of the physician and anecdote. First, to analyze the efficacy of a new treatment mode in POEMS syndrome that uses the four-cycle treatment as the induction regimen, followed by sequential transplantation as the consolidation regimen for transplantation-eligible patients, or received another two-cycle treatment for transplantation-ineligible patients. Second, to compare the efficacy and safety of regimens with a proteasome inhibitor (bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone, BCD) or without a proteasome inhibitor (cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone ± thalidomide, CD ± T). We conducted a retrospective study using real-world data from Capital Medical University, Xuanwu Hospital. A total of 34 newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients met Dispenzieri's diagnostic criteria, and those who completed at least four cycles of treatment from July 2013 to March 2021 were included. The overall vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) response rate of this new treatment mode was 100%. The cumulative VEGF complete remission (CRV) rate was 67.9%, and the cumulative complete hematological response (CRH) rate was 55.6%. During the median 49-month follow-up, the 5-year-overall survival (OS) rate was 90.7%, the 3-year-progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 78.4%, and the 5-year-PFS rate was 73.8%. The BCD regimen achieved a 75% CRV rate (median time from diagnosis to CRV = 130 days) and 66.7% CRH rate (median time from diagnosis to CRH = 218 days). In addition, the VEGF response was less than the partial remission (PRV) after four-cycle induction treatment, which, together with a decrease on the Overall Neurological Limitation Scale of less than three points 1 year after consolidation treatment, was an independent poor prognostic factor. Bortezomib was well-tolerated by patients with POEMS syndrome. Compared with CD ± T regimen, BCD as the induction regimen achieved better VEGF response and earlier hematological remission. Autologous stem cell transplantation used as consolidation therapy further improved the neurological and hematological remission rates, resulting in better OS and PFS.

Molecular markers as possible efficacy predictors of targeted therapy for myelofibrosis: single-center study

Background. Targeted therapy is the most promising in the treatment of myelofibrosis, but it is necessary to search for the reasons limiting its effectiveness. There are known factors negatively affecting the development of myelofibrosis, but data on their negative impact in the context of targeted therapy are scarce.Aim. Assessing the impact of cytogenetic and genetic abnormalities on the course and therapy results for primary and secondary myelofibrosis during ruxolitinib therapy.Materials and methods. The prospective study included 106 patients with myelofibrosis in the chronic phase (53 (50 %) men and 53 (50 %) women) who received ruxolitinib at the Moscow City Hematology Center, S.P. Botkin City Clinical Hospital. The median age of patients was 62 (18–84) years. The median disease duration before initiation of ruxolitinib therapy was 79 (1–432) months. Before therapy, genetic studies were performed, including next-generation sequencing. The median duration of ruxolitinib therapy was 33 (1–111) months. The influence of the cytogenetic landscape, driver mutations, allele burden of JAK2 (over time) and CALR, additional mutations on the dynamics of symptoms, spleen size, achievement of hematological response, overall survival, progression-free survival, survival without blast crisis and without progression of myelofibrosis with targeted therapy was assessed.Results. The studied genetic factors did not have a significant correlation with hemogram parameters. The hematological response in patients with JAK2 and CALR mutations compared favorably with the response in the groups with the MPL mutation and triple negative status (TNS). Higher hematological response rate was obtained in the group with initially low allele burden &lt;50 % of JAK2 or CALR. Significant differences in 5-year overall survival were found between groups of patients with TNS and JAK2 and CALR mutations (p &lt;0.05); with CALR allele burden &lt;50 % and ³50 % before initiation of ruxolitinib therapy (p = 0.01); the presence or absence of positive dynamics of the JAK2 allele burden during treatment (p &lt;0.05); additional mutations assigned to different pathogenicity groups (p &lt;0.05); with different number of pathogenic mutations (1 or ³2), the presence or absence of pathogenic mutations in the ASXL1 (p = 0.002) and SETBP1 (p = 0.00001) genes. The 5-year progression-free survival was significantly different in cohorts of patients with or without positive dynamics of the JAK2 allelic load during treatment (p &lt;0.05); additional mutations assigned to different pathogenicity groups (p &lt;0.05); with a different number of pathogenic mutations (1 or ³2), the presence or absence of a pathogenic mutation of the SETBP1 gene (p = 0.003). Progression-free survival did not correlate with the type of driver mutation or its absence; however, all patients with TNS died from myelofibrosis progression. Significant differences in 5-year blast crisis-free survival were observed between groups with JAK2 and MPL mutations (p = 0.001), JAK2 and TNS (p = 0.002); difference in 5-year survival without progression of fibrosis – between groups with pathogenic and benign (p = 0.031); uncertain and benign (p = 0.001) mutations.Conclusion. The study identified genetic markers associated with decreased efficacy of ruxolitinib therapy.

Efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon alpha-2b for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon alpha-2b (PEG-IFN-α2b) in the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Methods: Thirty-four MPN patients receiving PEG-IFN-α2b treatment in the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from August 2019 to October 2022 were prospectively included. Among the patients, 9 were male and 25 were female, and the median age [M (Q1, Q3)] was 57 (19, 78) years. Patients' clinical characteristics were collected and the follow-up was performed. As of January 30, 2023, the follow-up period [M(Q1, Q3)] was 24 (16, 33) months. The efficacy, safety and changes in immune cell and cytokine levels after 12 and 24 months of treatment were analyzed. Results: During the follow-up period, 4 patients dropped out, and the efficacy was evaluable in 30 patients. Following 12 and 24 months of treatment, the complete hematologic response (CHR) rates were 57.1% (16/28) and 75.0% (18/24), respectively. The complete molecular response (CMR)+partial molecular response (PMR) rates were 27.3% (6/22) and 55.0% (11/20), respectively. The bone marrow histopathological overall response rates (ORR) were 34.6% (9/26) and 47.6% (10/21), respectively. At 12 and 24 months of treatment, the proportions of CD8+HLA-DR+T cells, effector T cell subpopulations, CD56bright natural killer (NK) cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) were higher than the pre-treatment levels, while the proportion of CD56dim NK cells was lower than the pre-treatment level (all P<0.05). The levels of motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and TNF-β in bone marrow all increased from those prior to treatment, while the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL-4) decreased from those prior to treatment (all P<0.05). Among hematological adverse reactions, white blood cells decrease [47% (16/34)] was observed with high incidence. Among non-hematological adverse reactions, asthenia [44.1% (15/34)] and transaminases increase [32.3% (11/34)] were observed with high incidences. Conclusions: PEG-IFN-α2b has high hematologic, molecular, and bone marrow histopathological response rates in the treatment of MPN. It can reduce malignant clone loads and regulate the immune microenvironment and is safe and well tolerated overall.

Efficacy and Safety of Recombinant Thrombopoietin Combined with Immunosuppressive Therapy for Primary Treatment of Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Single-Center, Open-Label, Randomized, Clinical Trial

Standard immunosuppressive therapy (IST) combined with eltrombopag is the first-line treatment regimen for severe aplastic anemia patients who are ineligible for allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, there was no second-generation TPO receptor agonist available in China before 2019, and only a first-generation TPO preparation was available for clinical treatment. Although rhTPO and eltrombopag act on different receptor binding sites, the differentiation pathways are similar, so rhTPO can theoretically also stimulate hematopoietic stem cells and promote hematopoietic recovery in AA. In 2015, we used rhTPO combined with IST as the first-line treatment for SAA. The results showed that the OR and quality of response in the rhTPO group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Multivariate analysis showed that the application of rhTPO was an independent prognostic factor affecting the efficacy of IST. Based on these results, we performed a single-center, randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled clinical trial to assess the hematologic response rate and long-term safety 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. The study was conducted between 2015 and 2019 with 188 patients with primary SAA who were randomly assigned to the control or rhTPO group (95 with IST alone and 93 with rhTPO). For rhTPO, 15000 IU was administered subcutaneously starting on day 14 after p-ATG administration and then once every other day for a total of 14 injections. The median age of the 93 patients in the rhTPO group was 33 years (range 16-67). These included 58 patients with SAA and 35 patients with very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA), which were comparable to the control group. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical parameters between groups. No significant differences were observed in the overall hematologic response rates at 3, 6, and 12 months between the rhTPO and control groups (3 months: 40.9% vs 41.1%, P = 0.979; 6 months: 52.7% vs 52.6%, P = 0.994; 12 months: 65.6% vs 63.2%, P = 0.782, respectively). The median time of platelet transfusion independent was 49 (0-376) days in the rh-TPO group and 47 (0-195) days in the control group, which was not different between the two groups ( P = 0.757). The median time of RBC transfusion independence was 47 (5-404) days and 49 (0-295) days, respectively ( P = 0.592). The median follow-up time was 64 (1.3-86.2) months. The 5-year overall survival was 86.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77.2-92.0%) in the rh-TPO group and 84.1% (95% CI, 74.5-90.3%, P = 0.898) in the control group. The 5-year event-free survival was 51.7% (95% CI, 41.0-61.5%) and 54.1% (95% CI, 43.5-63.6%, P = 0.947) in the two groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the relapse rate and clonal evolution rate between the two groups (11.5% vs. 11.7%, 4.3% vs.3.2%, repectively). Subcutaneous rhTPO injection was well tolerated by patients, with no significant adverse effects other than mild localized pain at the injection site. The patients in the rhTPO group did not have concomitant thrombotic or embolic complications; moreover, reticulo-fibrillary or collagen fibrillary hyperplasia in bone marrow was not detected in any patients at three and six months after IST. Ten patients had anti-TPO antibodies at the end of TPO treatment, with no positive anti-TPO antibodies. In conclusion, our study is the only prospective randomized controlled clinical trial in China of rhTPO combined with IST for the treatment of SAA, with no difference in the hematologic response rate of the 28-day rhTPO combination regimen compared to standard IST; however, we did confirm the safety of rhTPO at this dose. Further clinical studies are required to determine the most effective dosage and duration of rhTPO treatment.

Daratumumab-Based Regimens Versus Cybord in Newly Diagnosed Patients with AL Amyloidosis and IIIb Cardiac Stage: A Matched Case-Control Study

Background: Improving the outcomes of light chain (AL) amyloidosis patients and advanced heart involvement, IIIb Mayo cardiac stage, is an unmet need. The standard front-line treatment has been cyclophosphamide-bortezomib-dexamethasone (CyBorD) until the approval of daratumumab with CyBorD (Dara-CyBorD) in 2021, which significantly improved the rate of hematologic response (HR) as reported by the ANDROMEDA trial. However, stage IIIb patients were excluded from the study and the best upfront treatment strategy in these patients remains to be clarified. For this reason, daratumumab was not licensed for use in stage IIIb patients in many countries. Preliminary data of the ongoing EMN22 phase II multicenter study (NCT04131309), that specifically addresses this issue using daratumumab monotherapy, are promising. Chakraboty et al. reported that Dara-CyBorD is effective in inducing profound hematologic response, at least a very good partial response (VGPR), in treatment-naïve patients with IIIb AL amyloidosis. Similar results were reported by Theodorakakou et al. using different daratumumab combinations. Finally, in a study conducted by Oubari et al. daratumumab-based regimens were associated with better clinical outcomes compared to others treatments. However, all available data on daratumumab in stage IIIb patients derive from uncontrolled studies or lacked a matched or stratified control group. We designed the present retrospective case-control study to assess the efficacy of daratumumab-based therapies versus CyBorD regimens as upfront treatment for newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis with IIIb cardiac stage. Methods:the whole study population comprises 62 matched newly diagnosed patients with IIIb stage AL amyloidosis evaluated in our center between 2012 and 2022. The daratumumab cohort is composed of all the 31 consecutive subjects treated with daratumumab-based regimens between 2021 and 2022. Thirteen patients (41%) received daratumumab in combination with bortezomib [11 (35%) associated with melphalan and dexamethasone; 2 (6%) Dara-CyBorD], 11 (35%) with lenalidomide and 7 (22%) were treated with daratumumab monotherapy. They were matched with 31 controls selected from a total of 71 subjects treated with CyBorD. Patients and controls were matched for age, estimated glomerular filtration rate, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, free light chain and bone marrow plasma cell. Hematologic response was assessed according to the International Society of Amyloidosis criteria. The analysis of response was by intent-to-treat: patients who died before response evalutation were considered non responders . PFS is defined as the time from diagnosis to any one of the following events, whichever comes first: death, starting a second line of therapy, organ or hematologic progression as per consensus guidelines. Results:Patients' characteristics are listed in Table 1. Median follow-up of living patients was 20.5 months (95% CI: 14.3 - 55.9 months). Median OS was 4.6 months (95% CI: 3 - 6.3 months), and patients of the daratumumab cohort had a significantly prolonged OS (6.7 vs 4 months; p=0.032, Fig. 1). No differences in early mortality rate, within 3 months from diagnosis, were observed between the two cohorts (32% vs 35%, p=0.796). At three months, the overall HR rate to daratumumab was 50% [complete response (CR) 12%, VGPR 29%, partial response (PR) 9%] as compared with 21% (CR 6%, VGPR 9%, PR 6%) of the control group, p=0.021. A higher proportion of ≥VGPR was observed in the daratumumab cohort (41% vs 16%; p=0.029). Cardiac response rate was significantly more frequent in patients treated with daratumumab [8 (25%), 3 cardiac VGPR and 5 cardiac PR] compared to controls [1 (3%) cardiac PR], p=0.014. A significantly prolonged PFS was observed in patients receiving daratumumab compared to CyBorD (5 vs 2.4 months; p=0.017). Conclusions: This matched case-control study shows that even in stage IIIb patients the addition of daratumumab to CyBorD results in higher rates of deep hematologic response. This is associated with higher cardiac response rates and prolonged OS and PFS. Although the outcome of stage IIIb patients remains dismal, Dara-CyBorD was able to improve response rate and survival in these severely compromised subjects. Taken together these observations encourage the use of daratumumab combinations also in stage IIIb patients with AL amyloidosis.