Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors Research Articles

Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation: Exploring the Latest Advances and Gaps in Disparities, Psychosocial and Symptom Management Interventions, and Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease Care.

Although allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers a potential for cure for many patients with advanced hematologic malignancies and bone marrow failure or immunodeficiency syndromes, it is an intensive treatment and accompanied by short- and long-term physical and psychological symptoms requiring specialized care. With substantial advances in therapeutic approaches for HCT and supportive care, HCT survivors experience less morbidity and mortality. However, disparities in both HCT access and outcomes persist, and HCT survivors and their caregivers often lack access to much-needed psychosocial care. Additionally, more medical and psychosocial resources are needed to holistically care for HCT survivors with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Hence, this chapter focuses on three areas pertaining to advances and gaps in HCT care: disparities in access to and outcomes of HCT, psychosocial and physical symptom management with supportive care interventions, and GVHD prevention and management.

Psychoneurological symptoms, inflammatory biomarkers and gut microbiome richness and diversity in individuals receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).

e24053 Background: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for certain hematologic cancers. Although survival rates are markedly higher than in the past, there are a growing number of long-term HCT survivors who are at risk for short and long-term sequela, which can negatively affect quality of life. Psychoneurological (PN) symptoms are common occurrences associated with heightened inflammation in other cancers and chronic conditions. Emerging research links the gut microbiota to inflammatory biomarkers and suggests that gut-microbiota-brain crosstalk impacts the severity of psychoneurological symptoms among HCT recipients. Methods: This longitudinal descriptive study investigated the relationship among a cluster of PN symptoms (pain, fatigue, and depression), inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), and microbiota diversity measures (Shannon and Chao Beta diversity indexes) in 55 individuals receiving HCT for a hematologic malignancy. The time periods examined covered pre-transplant, 30-days, and 100-days following transplant. The PN symptoms were collected through self-reported questionnaires via computer with assistance from study staff, along with blood samples and stool specimens obtained at each study visit. Inflammatory marker values were log-transformed when used as dependent variables. Gut microbiota samples were analyzed using 16S ribosomal gene (V4 region) amplicons using Illumina MiSeq. Data analysis was performed using SAS 9.4, with PROC MIXED used for the mixed model analyses. Results: The analysis characterized mean changes in microbiota diversity over time for both Shannon and Chao indexes. IL6 levels were consistent over time, with an inverse association with Chao but not Shannon index. IL10 and CRP levels changed over time, but without associations with either Shannon or Chao. Pain severity and interference changed over time, but with no associations with inflammatory markers or gut microbiome beta diversity. Fatigue severity and interference changed over time and were positively associated with IL10. Depression did not change over time and was not associated with inflammatory markers or diversity. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary information related to associations between PN symptoms, inflammatory markers, and selected measures of gut microbiome diversity in HCT recipients. Further research is needed to explore and validate these findings to examine the implications for microbiota diversity on inflammatory factors and PN symptoms. Clinical trial information: NCT02398708 .

Outcomes of a Formal Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivorship Program on Screening for Late Effects

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) survivors may benefit from routine screening for post-transplant complications. However, the impact of formal survivorship efforts to promote screening adherence is uncertain. The effect of a formal HCT survivorship program to promote screening adherence was evaluated. We conducted a retrospective analysis of an academic formal HCT survivorship program with primary and specialty consult components. We included patients who underwent allogeneic HCT and were alive and relapse-free 1-year post-HCT. We excluded patients who died <2-year post-HCT or transferred care. We measured screening adherence to cardiovascular, pulmonary, ocular, secondary cancer, and endocrine evaluations. The primary outcome was proportion of patients completing ≥1 evaluation per screening domain prior to 2-year post-HCT. We examined screening adherence during 3 time periods: presurvivorship (2012 to 2014) and 2 postsurvivorship (2016 to 2018 and 2019 to 2021) using multivariate logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression. Four hundred ten patients (2012 to 2014: n = 136, 2016 to 2018: n = 153, 2019 to 2021: n = 121) were included. Compared to the presurvivorship period (16.9%), patients in 2016 to 2018 (47.7%, odds ratio [OR] = 4.9, P < .0001) and 2019 to 2021 (34.7%, OR = 2.7, P = .001) were more likely to complete ≥1 evaluation per screening domain. Except for pulmonary function tests in 2019 to 2021, median time to completion of survivorship evaluations was shorter in the survivorship periods compared to presurvivorship. Patients who completed a formal HCT survivorship consult in 2016 to 2018 and 2019 to 2021 were more likely to complete ≥1 evaluation per screening domain (OR = 5.1, P = .0004). Survivorship consult had similar effect on the primary screening outcome in 2016 to 2018 and 2019 to 2021 (consult × time interaction OR: 2.5, P = .2). However, patients who received a consult in 2019 to 2021 were more likely to complete all screenings (consult × time interaction: OR = 5.7, P = .03). Our HCT survivorship program with primary and specialty components improved screening adherence. Additional studies are needed to evaluate efficacy, dissemination, and implementation of formal HCT survivorship programs.

Returning to Work Following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: The Survivor's Perspective

While curing a patient's underlying disease is the primary goal of physicians performing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the ultimate objective is to provide patients with optimal post-HCT quality of life. For many survivors, this includes returning to work (RTW). We conducted a survey of 1- to 5-yr post-HCT survivors at our center to evaluate their perspective on facilitators and barriers to RTW as well as to gauge interest in potentially useful RTW support interventions. Survivors aged 18 to 65 yrs (n = 994) were sent an annual survey that included 36 supplementary questions about post-HCT RTW. Survey questions were selected from published national cancer survivor surveys and then modified specifically for HCT survivors. Three hundred forty-four (35%) survivors with a mean age of 53 yrs completed the survey, of whom 272 (79%) had worked prior to their diagnosis. Of those 272 patients, 145 (53%) were working currently and another 22 (8%) had attempted to go back to work following HCT but were not presently working. We found that having had an allogeneic versus autologous HCT (P = .006) was associated with a decreased likelihood of currently working, whereas frequent employer communication (>once a month) (P = .070) and having a more supportive employer (P = .036) were associated with a greater chance of currently working. Of survivors currently working, 45% reported that they had made one or more changes to their work schedule (e.g., flexible schedule or part-time work) or environment (e.g., work from home) upon RTW. Ninety-five percent of responders reported that they could have benefited from RTW support provided by the transplant center, but only 13% indicated that they had received it. Education on RTW challenges, information on disability benefits, and access to physical therapy were among the most requested support interventions. To improve post-HCT quality of life for survivors open to assistance, providers should address work status and goals, recognize barriers to successful return, and offer RTW support including working directly with employers. Allogeneic HCT survivors are particularly vulnerable to failing attempts to RTW and should be the target of retention interventions. A previously published manuscript on RTW guidance for providers of stem cell transplant patients endorsed by the American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapy is available in Open Access and can be used as a tool to counsel and support these patients.

International recommendations for screening and preventative practices for long-term survivors of transplantation and cellular therapy: a 2023 update.

As hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy expand to new indications and international access improves, the volume of HCT performed annually continues to rise. Parallel improvements in HCT techniques and supportive care entails more patients surviving long-term, creating further emphasis on survivorship needs. Survivors are at risk for developing late complications secondary to pre-, peri- and post-transplant exposures and other underlying risk-factors. Guidelines for screening and preventive practices for HCT survivors were originally published in 2006 and updated in 2012. To review contemporary literature and update the recommendations while considering the changing practice of HCT and cellular therapy, an international group of experts was again convened. This review provides updated pediatric and adult survivorship guidelines for HCT and cellular therapy. The contributory role of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) to the development of late effects is discussed but cGVHD management is not covered in detail. These guidelines emphasize special needs of patients with distinct underlying HCT indications or comorbidities (e.g., hemoglobinopathies, older adults) but do not replace more detailed group, disease, or condition specific guidelines. Although these recommendations should be applicable to the vast majority of HCT recipients, resource constraints may limit their implementation in some settings.

Return to school practices after hematopoietic cell transplantation: a survey of transplant centers in the United States.

To understand transplant center recommendations on return-to-school timing and related support for hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) survivors, we conducted a two-phase, cross-sectional, web-based survey: In Phase I, medical directors of pediatric HCT centers from the National Marrow Donor Program/ Be The Match Registry were asked regarding the availability of a return to school standardized operating procedure (SOP). In Phase II, HCT physician members of the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium were approached to study inter-physician practice variability regarding return to school post-HCT, factors affecting their decision-making, and support provided by HCT centers for return to school. Out of 46 respondents in Phase I (55% response rate), 28 (61%) reported having a SOP. Wide variations in recommendations were noted in 12 received SOPs. In Phase II, 122 physicians (60 centers) responded (30.6% response rate). The majority (60%) recommended autologous HCT recipients return to school within 6 months post-HCT but 65% recommended allogeneic HCT recipients return to school after 6 months or once off immunosuppression. Our findings indicate a lack of consensus within and across HCT centers regarding recommended return to school timing and underscore need for a guideline to standardize this process to ensure patient safety and re-integration into school.

Allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients surviving at least 2 years without relapse: outcome and risk factors.

Outcomes of 2-year survivours undergoing allo-haematopoietic stem cell transplantation at Oslo University Hospital were retrospectively assessed with the objectives of identification of risk factors for late death as possible means for precautionary measures and interventions to improve long-term survival. 421 patients with haematological malignancy, transplanted between 2005 and 2019, alive and free of disease after 2 years were included with data reported from The OUS-HSCT registry. Median follow-up was 6.2 years (2.016.1), and 232 patients (55%) were observed for minimum 5 years. The probability of being alive 5 and 10 years after HSCT was 86% and 76%. Primary risk factors for late death included initial diagnosis of age ≥ 60 years, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), previous blood stream- or invasive fungal infection (BSI, IFI), and chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Transplant-related mortality (TRM) and relapse at 5 years were 9.0% and 7.7%, respectively. Two factors were associated with the latter: cytomegalovirus (CMV) seronegative donor and CLL. Compared with the age- and gender-matched Norwegian general population, life expectancy was lower for each disease, except for CML. The prospect for the long-term survival is good for 2-year survivors of the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, life expectancy remains inferior to the age- and gender-matched general population. Optimising prophylaxis and treatment for chronic GVHD, BSI and IFI are needed along with the improved adherence to guidelines for early detection of secondary malignancies. Measures to improve immune reconstitution, possibly the microbiota, and the use of CMV seropositive donors regardless of recipient sero-status may be warranted and should be addressed in further studies.

Cognitive and psychosocial functioning in long-term survivors of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Cognitive and psychosocial functioning in long-term survivors of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Intensive care risk and long-term outcomes in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients

AbstractAllogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) can be complicated by life-threatening organ toxicity and infection necessitating intensive care. Epidemiologic data have been limited by single-center studies, poor database granularity, and a lack of long-term survivors. To identify contemporary trends in intensive care unit (ICU) use and long-term outcomes, we merged data from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and the Virtual Pediatric Systems databases. We identified 6995 pediatric patients with HCT aged ≤21 years who underwent first allogeneic HCT between 2008 and 2014 across 69 centers in the United States or Canada and followed patients until the year 2020. ICU admission was required for 1067 patients (8.3% by day +100, 12.8% by 1 year, and 15.3% by 5 years after HCT), and was linked to demographic background, pretransplant organ toxicity, allograft type and HLA-match, and the development of graft-versus-host disease or malignancy relapse. Survival to ICU discharge was 85.7%, but more than half of ICU survivors required ICU readmission, leading to 52.5% and 42.6% survival at 1- and 5-years post-ICU transfer, respectively. ICU survival was worse among patients with malignant disease, poor pretransplant organ function, and alloreactivity risk factors. Among 1-year HCT survivors, those who required ICU in the first year had 10% lower survival at 5 years and developed new dialysis-dependent renal failure at a greater rate (P<.001). Thus, although ICU management is common and survival to ICU discharge is high, ongoing complications necessitate recurrent ICU admission and lead to a poor 1-year outcome in select patients who are at high risk.

Disability Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs) As a Measure of the Changing Lifetime Disease Burden in Long-Term Survivors of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT)

Background: Although HCT is curative for many hematologic diseases, long-term survivors face a high burden of morbidity and premature mortality compared to the general population. Standard risk measures (prevalence, incidence, hazard, and standardized mortality ratios) do not convey a holistic picture of chronic disease burden because they do not account for degradation in quality of life associated with living with health conditions preceding death. DALY is an established risk measure that accounts for quality of life; it is the sum of years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLD) and years of life lost (YLL) to premature death. YLD weighs the years lived with a health condition by its disability weight (range: 0 for full health, 1 for death). Higher DALY, YLL, YLD indicate worse outcomes. We used microsimulation to estimate DALYs in 5-year survivors of HCT done over four decades, taking into consideration the changing practice of transplantation and the evolving burden of morbidity and mortality over time. Methods: The cohort included 1577 patients who underwent HCT at age ≥18 years (y) at City of Hope in 1976-2011, survived 5y, and were followed to December 31, 2016. Vital status and cause of death (COD) were determined using medical records and the National Death Index Plus. CODs were grouped into eleven broad categories used in a Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study ( Chang et al., Lancet Public Health, 2019). All cause and cause-specific mortality risks by attained age and other risk factors were estimated from deceased patients' data. These risks were applied in microsimulation to project age at death and COD for patients known to be alive. The onset age of COD was estimated for each patient using the age-specific disease incidence rates in GBD (https://www.healthdata.org/gbd). Life expectancy (LE) at time of death was determined from the US Life Tables. YLL was calculated as LE minus age at death. YLD was calculated as age at death minus disease onset age, weighted by disability weights of the COD available at Global Health Data Exchange (https://ghdx.healthdata.org). DALY was computed as YLL+YLD. Microsimulation, performed 1000 times, provided mean YLL, YLD, DALY for each patient. Results: Patient and treatment characteristics evolved over 35 years of HCT era ( Table). Patients who underwent HCT in the earliest era (1976-1989) had characteristics consistent with more favorable post-HCT outcomes compared to patients transplanted in later eras. From 1976-1989 to 2005-2011, there was an increase in patients who were older (median, 28y to 49y), had high relapse risk (26% to 42%), had an unrelated donor (0% to 45%), and developed chronic graft vs host disease (54% to 84%). Conversely, fewer patients received total body irradiation over time (88% to 36%). The proportion of patients transplanted for chronic myeloid leukemia declined from 24% to 5%, and there was a relative increase in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (4% to 17%). Sex and race/ethnicity remained steady. The most common causes of death were relapse (35%), subsequent malignant neoplasms (22%), cardiovascular disease (10%), diabetes, kidney disease (10%), and infection (8%). Despite more patients with higher risk features receiving HCT in recent eras, median DALY was projected to decline from 19.2y to 15.5y from the earliest to latest HCT era (p&amp;lt;0.0001) ( Figure). YLL also declined from a median of 18.0y to 14.2y across eras (p&amp;lt;0.0001). Although YLD constituted a small portion of DALY, patients were projected to lose a median of 1.6y (1976-1989) to 1.2y (2005-2011) of healthy life due to disease-related disability. The projected age at death for the cohort (median, 67.5y to 73.4y across era) adjusted for rising life expectancy (median, 85y to 88y) suggested that survival after HCT increased in more recent HCT eras: age at death / life expectancy ratio median, 0.79 (1976-1989) to 0.84 (2005-2011) (p&amp;lt;0.0001). Conclusion: Outcomes after HCT have improved during the past four decades in spite of the evolving pattern of higher risk disease and patient characteristics with time. There was notable reduction across all measures (DALY, YLL, YLD), suggesting improvements in both the quantity and quality of survival. Our results highlight the importance and utility of DALY when characterizing health outcomes after HCT, as it provides a more comprehensive assessment of the changing pattern of efficacy associated with transplantation.

Use of Pre-Transplant Minicog Cognitive Impairment Screening and Validation of Frailty and Functionality Assessment Prior to Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background: We demonstrated that impaired functionality and frailty have a negative impact on survival after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) (Salas et al., 2019). This impact is independent of other predictive models including HCT comorbidity index (HCT-CI) and disease risk index (DRI). Cognitive changes are frequently reported among survivors of autologous and allogeneic HCT. However, impact of the presence of cognitive impairment prior to allogeneic HCT has not been studied. We hypothesized that the presence of cognitive impairment before transplantation could have a negative effect on the outcomes of allogeneic HCT. Patients and methods: We evaluated transplant outcomes of 277 patients who underwent our updated frailty assessment including the MiniCog scale, incorporated as standard of care in April 2020. The MiniCog assessment included recalling of three unrelated words, for a total of three points and drawing of a clock with the face, number and hands indicating a specific time, for a total of 2 points. We used the cutoff score of &amp;lt;3 as a marker of cognitive impairment and evaluated the effect of cognitive impairment on: overall survival (OS), relapse free survival (RFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM). We further sought to validate our previously described frailty scale in prediction of transplant outcomes, including OS, RFS, and NRM, in the new cohort and compare its performance in outcome prediction to the MiniCog scale. Our frailty evaluation included the following variables: Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Lawton's instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), timed to get up and go test (TUGT), grip strength (GS) using a hydraulic hand dynamometer, self-rated health questionnaire (SRH), a question on number of falls in the last year (F), C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum albumin (Alb) levels at the time of the consult. The frailty scale was calculated according to the following formula: 1.5×CFS + 1×IADL +1×GS + 1.5×TUGT +1×SRH+1×F+ 1.5×Alb+2×CRP. The frailty scale score ranged from 0-10.5. With these results we stablished 3 frailty cohorts for the patients being planned for alloHCT, fit (≤1), pre-frail (&amp;lt;1 to ≤5.5), and frail (&amp;gt;5.5), based on this risk model. Results: Median age at transplantation was 59 years and 85 (31%) patients were ≥ 65 years. Of all the patients, 36 (14%) had a Karnofsky Performance Scale Index (KPS) of &amp;lt;90%, 206 patients had a low-intermediate risk disease risk index (DRI). Median time of follow up was 9 months. Majority of the patients (46%) underwent transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Of all patients, 246 (88.8%) had a normal MiniCog score (&amp;gt;3). There was no difference in 2-y OS between patients with normal and low MiniCog score: 67% (95% confidence interval (CI): 59%-74%) vs 60% (95% CI: 36-78%), p=0.21. NRM at 24 months was 26% (95% CI 10-46%) for patients with an abnormal MiniCog vs 23% (95% CI 17-30%), p=0.80. There was no difference in 2-year RFS between patients with normal and low MiniCog score: 65% (95% CI 57-72%) vs 43.5% (95% CI 23-63%), p=0.09. Using the frailty scale, 144 (56%) patients were considered fit, 30 (12%) pre-frail and 81 (32%) frail. Using our original frailty scale, the 2-y OS among the fit, pre-frail and frail patients was: 78% (95% CI 65%-87%), 64% (95% CI 53%-74%) and 27% (95% CI 5.6%-55.6%) p=0.005. 2-year NRM was 19.2% (95% CI 9-31%), 23% (16-32%), and 41.6% (95% CI 11-70%) for the fit, pre-frail and frail patients respectively, p=0.12. Relapse free survival at 24 months was 72.5% (95% CI 58-83%), 60.5% (95% CI 50-70%), and 29% (95% CI 6-57%), p=0.003. Conclusions: In our cohort the sole presence of cognitive decline, based on the MiniCog assessment failed to be a predictor of outcomes after allogeneic HCT. However, ability of our preciously established frailty scale to predict transplant outcomes in this new cohort of patients further validates the results of our previous findings. The presence of frailty is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes after allogeneic HCT.

SCD Dyslipidemia Normalizes Long-Term Following Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Dyslipidemia is common in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Individuals with SCD have a unique type of dyslipidemia. This SCD dyslipidemia (hypocholesterolemia subtype) is characterized by low total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and normal triglycerides (TG). This SCD dyslipidemia state is theorized to be cardioprotective regarding atherosclerotic risk due to the hypolipidemic condition. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative therapy for SCD. Nonmyeloablative HCT has been employed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and internationally with good results. Long-term survivors of HCT, specifically for hematologic malignancies, are at increased risk for dyslipidemia (hypercholesterolemia subtype), thus increasing atherosclerotic risk long-term. There are no studies investigating the short or long-term effects of HCT on SCD dyslipidemia. Therefore, we report a novel study to characterize lipid profiles at baseline and after HCT for SCD. This cohort study analyzes data from patients who received their first nonmyeloablative HLA-matched sibling or haploidentical HCT for SCD at the NIH from May 2009 to December 2021. All patients received sirolimus as GVHD prophylaxis. Total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, and triglycerides were collected pre-HCT, one-year post-HCT, and annually thereafter via a fasting serum-based lipid panel (median follow-up of 4 years). Data were analyzed using linear generalized estimating equation regression models to measure the influence of factors such as year of HCT, sirolimus use, gender, age, and graft failure on TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, and TG levels. A total of 116 patients were included in this analysis. There were 72 male and 44 female patients. The median age was 31 (range 10 to 64) years. 90% of the patients had Hb-SS, 3% Hb-SC, 5% Hb-Sβ 0, and 2% Hb-Sβ +. Overall survival is 87%, and 19% experienced graft failure. The median time on sirolimus post-HCT was one year. Baseline, one-year, and two-year mean (25th, 75th percentile) values, respectively, for the TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, and TG are as follows: TC [130.7 (107.0, 147.0), 183.2 (144.5, 220.0), 175.2 (144.5, 209.0)], LDL-c [72.5 (50.0, 87.0), 109 (73.5, 130), 104.2 (75.5, 128.0)], HDL-c [32.3 (23.8, 39.3), 49.4 (38.0, 55.5), 49.2 (41.5, 58.0)] and TG [127.3 (88.5, 156.5), 125.9 (87.0, 153.5), 112.6 (72.0, 133.5)]. Generally, the first-year post-HCT changes were maintained annually thereafter. (Figure 1). According to linear regression modeling, the change in TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, and TG at one-year post-HCT was +50.3 mg/dL (p&amp;lt;0.0001), +36.4 mg/dL (p &amp;lt;0.0001), +20.4 mg/dL (p&amp;lt;0.0001) and -26.5 mg/dL (p&amp;lt;0.0001), respectively. For failed grafts, the estimated changes after one-year post-HCT in TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, and TG were +6.5 mg/dL (p=0.45), -2.1 mg/dL (p=0.78), +14.8 mg/dL (p&amp;lt;0.0001), and -28.0 (p=0.03), respectively. The use of sirolimus only resulted in a significant change in TG (+32.8 mg/dL (p = 0.004)). Age had statistically significant changes only on TC (+1.08 mg/dL for a one-year change in age, p=0.005) and LDL-c (+0.73 mg/dL for a one-year change in age, p=0.03). There were no significant differences in TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, and TG levels (p&amp;gt;0.05) based on gender and HCT type. To summarize, HCT with sustained grafts led to significant rises in TC, LDL-c, and HDL-c and a decline in TG from baseline to one-year post-HCT, resulting in the normalization of lipid profiles. These changes were maintained annually thereafter. Graft failure most notably resulted in TC and LDL-c level declines back to pre-HCT baseline (Figure 2), while HDL-c and TG levels did not completely revert to baseline values. Sirolimus effects were significant on TG levels alone. These findings suggest that the mechanism underlying SCD dyslipidemia is corrected with the reversal of SCD. Long-term follow-up studies are indicated to assess patients' risk for atherosclerosis and adverse cardiac outcomes.

Comparison of Vital Status, Cause of Death, and Follow-Up after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Linked Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and California Cancer Registry Data, 1991 to 2018

Assessing outcomes following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) poses challenges due to the necessity for systematic and often prolonged patient follow-up. Linking the HCT database of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) with cancer registry data may improve long-term outcome ascertainment, but the reliability of mortality data in death certificates from cancer registries among HCT recipients remains unknown. We compared the classification of vital status and primary cause of death (COD), as well as the length of follow-up between the CIBMTR and California Cancer Registry (CCR) to assess the possibility of supplementing the CIBMTR with cancer registry data. This retrospective study leveraged a linked CIBMTR-CCR dataset. We included patients who were California residents at the time of HCT and received a first allogeneic (allo) or autologous (auto) HCT for a hematologic malignancy diagnosed during 1991-2016. Follow-up was through 2018. We analyzed 18,450 patients (alloHCT, n = 8232; autoHCT, n = 10,218). The Vital status agreement was 97.7% for alloHCT and 97.2% for autoHCT. Unknown COD was higher in CIBMTR (12.9%) than in CCR (1.6%). After excluding patients with unknown COD information, the overall agreement of primary COD (cancer versus noncancer) was 53.7% for alloHCT and 83.2% for autoHCT. This agreement was lower within the first 100 days post-HCT (alloHCT, 31.0%; autoHCT, 54.6%). Compared with CIBMTR, deaths due to cancer were higher in CCR (alloHCT, 90.0%; autoHCT, 90.1% versus alloHCT, 47.3%; autoHCT, 82.5% in CIBMTR). CIBMTR reports more frequently noncancer-related deaths, including graft-versus-host disease and infections. The cumulative incidence of cancer-specific mortality at 20 years differed, particularly for alloHCT (CCR, 53.7%; CIBMTR, 27.6%). The median follow-up among alive patients was longer in CCR (alloHCT, 6.0 years; autoHCT, 4.7 years) than in CIBMTR (alloHCT, 5.0 years; autoHCT, 3.8 years). Our findings highlight the completeness of vital status data in CIBMTR but reveal substantial disagreement in primary COD. Consequently, caution is required when interpreting HCT studies that use only death certificates to estimate cause-specific mortality outcomes. Improving the accuracy of COD registration and follow-up completeness by developing communication pathways between cancer registries and hospital-based cohorts may enhance our understanding of late effects and long-term outcomes among HCT survivors.

Impact of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Insulin Sensitivity

The use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for treating malignant conditions in children has increased over the past five decades, leading to a growing population of long-term survivors.This population of childhood HCT survivors faces increased risks of adverse medical effects due to cancer treatments, including adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance. but the impact of exposure to HCT preparative conditioning regimen has not been clearly delineated. These risk factors, including obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance (IR), are significant contributors to premature cardiovascular disease and represent a leading cause of non-relapse deaths in childhood cancer and HCT survivors. This study aimed to assess the early development of CVD risk factors and their relationship to insulin resistance in a large population of pediatric and young adult HCT survivors of childhood hematologic malignancies. The study compared their cardiovascular risk profiles, insulin resistance (measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp studies), and body composition (determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry - DXA) with a cohort of sibling controls. We enrolled 151 HCT recipients (26.36 ±0.90 years at study enrollment; time since HCT of 2.6-31.5 years) and 92 sibling controls to complete at cardiovascular risk assessment including insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, anthropometry, body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry, blood pressure, and serum biomarkers. We used linear models to test for mean differences in all continuous outcomes between survivors and siblings, accounting for intra-family correlations with generalized estimating equations. Recipients of HCT were found to have lower insulin sensitivity and more likely to have adverse CVD risk factors in comparison to their healthy siblings. Significantly higher percent fat mass and visceral adipose tissue, and significantly lower lean body mass were noted in HCT recipients than sibling controls despite having a similar body mass index between the two groups. Total body irradiation in the conditioning regimen was one of the strongest factors associated with lower insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia and abnormal body composition leading to sarcopenic obesity. This study reveals that pediatric and young adult HCT survivors are more insulin resistant and have a higher prevalence of adverse cardiovascular risk factors compared to sibling controls. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors at a relatively young age raises concerns about an escalating trajectory of cardiovascular disease in this population. Therefore, regular monitoring of HCT survivors for cardiometabolic risk factors and early intervention will be crucial for preventing cardiovascular-related complications in the future. The findings underscore the importance of survivorship care for pediatric and young adult HCT survivors, with a focus on managing cardiovascular risk factors and promoting a healthy lifestyle to mitigate long-term adverse effects. Early identification and targeted interventions can significantly improve the long-term health outcomes of this vulnerable population, reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease and related complications.

Quality of Life and Comorbidities of Adult Survivors of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Versus Their Siblings

Background: Survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) are at risk of developing chronic health conditions. Prior studies have shown that survivors of allo-HCT in childhood/young adulthood who mainly received high dose total body irradiation (TBI)-based conditioning experience excess health conditions and more distress vs. their siblings. In recent years, allo-HCT is offered to adults of increasing age and there has been increasing use of chemotherapy +/- low dose TBI conditioning rather than high dose TBI. We set out to describe and compare the QoL and comorbidities of adults who underwent allo-HCT with chemotherapy +/- low dose TBI conditioning vs. their siblings. Methods: Allo-HCT recipients attending 1 of 2 survivorship clinics at ≥2 years post-HCT without active cGVHD or relapse, were enrolled. Beginning in 2023, participants were asked to forward an electronic version of the study survey to their biological sibling(s). The survey includes the PROMIS-Global Health instrument: raw scores are converted to a mental (MH) and physical health (PH) subscale T-score (population mean 50/SD 10). Comorbidities were scored with a published post allo-HCT morbidity index. Associations between MH and PH-related QoL, comorbidities, and patient/transplant-related variables were investigated with linear regression. Patient and sibling comparisons were made with paired sample and chi-square tests. A significance level of &amp;lt;0.05 was statistically significant &amp; a difference in QoL T-score of 5 was clinically significant. Results: Of 330 patients approached during their clinic visit, 320 consented to participate (97%). To date, 105 siblings of 57 recipients have been sent surveys and 47 siblings (45%) of 32 recipients (56%) have completed the survey. Among all recipients, median age at HCT is 47 (IQR 35-57) with 21% ≥60 years old, 48% are female, 78% are Caucasian, 69% are college educated or more &amp; 51% are working full/part-time. Median time post-HCT is 9 years (IQR 6-14). The mean PH T-score is 48.5 (SD 8.6). In the multivariable model, total number of comorbidities (p&amp;lt;0.01) and a work status of disability (p&amp;lt;0.01) are associated with inferior PH QoL. The mean MH T-score was 49.1 (SD 8.4). In the multivariable model, total number of comorbidities (p&amp;lt;0.01) and a work status of disability (p&amp;lt;0.01) are associated with inferior MH QoL. HCT characteristics, including history of moderate-severe cGVHD, and demographic characteristics are not associated with either QoL subscale. Among all recipients, the median number of comorbidities is 3 (IQR 1.5-4). The most common comorbidities include hyperlipidemia (39%), hypertension (25%) &amp; hypothyroidism (24%). At least one severe comorbidity (vascular disease, chronic heart/lung/liver/kidney disease or subsequent malignancy) is present in 23% of patients. In multivariable analysis, a greater number of years post-HCT is associated with a greater number of comorbidities (p=0.03) and full/part-time work status is associated with fewer comorbidities (p=0.01). In the sibling-recipient comparison, median age of siblings and recipients is 55 (IQR 37-66) &amp; 54 (IQR 40-64), respectively. The MH QoL of recipients is statistically, but not clinically, better than their siblings: T-score 52.9 (SD 7.1) versus 49.9 (SD 6.9), respectively, p=0.04. The PH QoL of recipients was not significantly different than their siblings: T-score 52.6 (SD 5.6) versus 50.7 (SD 8.2), respectively, p=0.23. Recipients are suffering from significantly more comorbidities vs. their siblings: median 2.5 (IQR 1.8-4) versus 1 (IQR 0-3), respectively, p=0.03. The prevalence of ≥1 severe comorbidity is greater in recipients vs. siblings, but not statistically significant (13% vs. 2%, p=0.06). Conclusion: Adult recipients of allo-HCT, living without cGVHD or relapse and conditioned without high dose TBI, in aggregate experience similar QoL but suffer excess chronic health conditions as compared to their siblings. One in 4 recipients are suffering from ≥1 severe chronic health condition(s). Time post-HCT is associated with comorbidities, suggesting that recipients continue to accumulate health conditions in the years post-HCT. Number of comorbidities, rather than transplant and demographic factors (including prior cGVHD), is associated with impaired MH and PH QoL. Preventative care after allo-HCT is critical, even in those receiving HCT in adulthood without high dose TBI.

Clonal Hematopoiesis Is Common in Long-Term Survivors of Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Including Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation

Background 1. Approximately 20.000 to 200.000 hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) contribute to steady-state adult hematopoiesis. During ageing, the overall diversity of the HSPC pool decreases, which is in part driven by the selective expansion of HSPC clones with driver mutations, a process called clonal hematopoiesis (CH). CH is an age-related condition that predisposes to hematologic malignancy, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are at increased risk of CH, but the mechanisms driving the emergence and expansion of CH clones are largely unknown. Furthermore, the prevalence of CH in pediatric HCT recipients, in whom the long-term consequences of CH are particularly relevant, remains to be defined. Aim To determine the prevalence and risk factors of CH in long-term survivors of HCT at pediatric age. Methods We included survivors of HCT at pediatric age, with a minimum survival of 5 years after HCT. CH was assessed by targeted, error-corrected sequencing of mutations in 27 cancer driver genes in whole blood, at a variant allele frequency detection threshold of 1%. HSC age was calculated by the sum of the age of the donor and the interval after HCT. In case the age of a donor was unknown (n=53), the median age for donors of the same donor relation were used (i.e., 12.6 years for sibling donors and 28.7 for matched unrelated donors). Clinical characteristics were compared using the Wilcoxon signed ranked test for continuous variables and Chi-squared or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Results Here, we report the interim results of the first 120 HCT survivors in this study. The median age of the survivors was 20.4 years (range 6.7-51.8), and the median interval after HCT was 11.8 years (range 5.2-38.2). Indications for HCT were hemato-oncology (n=95), bone marrow failure (n=22), or immune deficiency (n=3). The median calculated age of the HSCs was 31 years (range 5.2-61.8). CH was present in 13.3% of survivors (n=16). Mutated genes were DNMT3A (n=15), TET2 (n=4) and MPL (n=1), with three individuals having more than one driver mutation. The median variant allele frequency of the CH clones was 2.2%, but allele frequencies up to 30% were found. No differences were observed in recipient age or interval after HCT between individuals with or without CH (Figure 1A). However, the age of the HSCs was significantly higher in individuals with CH compared to those without (38.6 versus 26.3 years, p = 0.01, Figure 1B). Surprisingly, we detected CH in two recipients of umbilical cord blood grafts, at an interval of 11 and 15 years after HCT. Conclusion Clonal hematopoiesis is common in long-term survivors of pediatric HCT. After HCT, the prevalence of CH is related to the age of the transplanted HSCs, rather than the age of the survivor. The presence of CH in cord blood HSCs within two decades after HCT suggests that HCT-related factors may drive the de novo emergence and/or outgrowth of donor-derived CH. Ongoing research is aimed at investigating how factors such as stem cell source and post-transplant complications affect clonal expansion after HCT. Furthermore, we are investigating the prevalence of CH in an age-matched control cohort using the same detection pipeline, enabling direct comparison of the prevalence of CH in HCT survivors compared to the general population.

Speckle tracking echocardiography-derived left ventricular global longitudinal strain in ex-thalassaemics.

Long term survivors of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for β-thalassemia major are designated "ex-thalassaemics". Whether ex-thalassaemics continue to harbour residual myocardial dysfunction and thereby stand the risk of heart failure-related morbidity and mortality is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and predictors of subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in an apparently normal ex-thalassaemic population. We conducted a single centre cross-sectional study among 62 ex-thalassaemic patients, who had undergone HSCT for β-thalassaemia major at our centre. The primary outcome variable was LV systolic dysfunction, as assessed by 1) LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) derived by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography and 2) LV ejection fraction (EF) derived by 2D Simpsons Biplane method. Among the 62 patients included in the study, 7 [11.3%] were found to have LV systolic dysfunction, all of which were subclinical. Of these, 4 [6.5%] had abnormal GLS and LVEF, 2 [3.2%] had abnormal GLS with normal LVEF, and 1 [1.6%] had abnormal LVEF with low normal mean GLS. There were no statistically significant predictors of LV dysfunction in this cohort. There was a high prevalence of subclinical myocardial dysfunction in the ex-thalassaemic population reiterating the need for close follow up of these patients. 2D Speckle tracking echocardiography-derived LV global longitudinal strain is an effective tool in detecting subclinical myocardial dysfunction in this cohort.

Severity of Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease and Late Effects Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Adults with Hematologic Malignancy

The study aimed to determine the association of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) diagnosis and severity with the development of subsequent neoplasms (SN) and nonmalignant late effects (NM-LE) in 2-year disease-free adult survivors following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for a hematologic malignancy. To do so, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 3884 survivors of HCT for hematologic malignancy in the Center of International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research database. We conducted a landmark analysis at the 2-year post-transplantation date, comparing first SN and NM-LE in survivors with and without cGVHD. The cumulative incidence (CuI) of SN and NM-LE were estimated through 10 years post-HCT in both groups, with death or disease relapse as a competing risk. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the associations of cGVHD and its related characteristics with the development of SN and NM-LE. The estimated 10-year CuI of SN in patients with GVHD (n=2669) and patients without cGVHD (n=1215) was 15% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14% to 17%) versus 9% (7.2% to 11%) (P < .001). cGVHD by 2 years post-HCT was independently associated with SN (hazard ratio [HR], 1.94; 95% CI, 1.53 to 2.46; P < .0001) with a standardized incidence ratio of 3.2 (95% CI, 2.9 to 3.5; P < .0001). Increasing severity of cGVHD was associated with an increased risk of SN. The estimated 10-year CuI of first NM-LE in patients with and without cGVHD was 28 (95% CI, 26% to 30%) versus 13% (95% CI, 11% to 15%) (P < .001). cGVHD by 2 years post-HCT was independently associated with NM-LE (HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.81 to 2.76; P < .0001). Multivariate analysis of cGVHD-related factors showed that increasing severity of cGVHD, extensive grade, having both mucocutaneous and visceral involvement, and receiving cGVHD treatment for >12 months were associated with the greatest magnitude of risk for NM-LE. cGVHD was closely associated with both SN and NM-LE in adult survivors of HCT for hematologic malignancy. Patients identified as having more severe involvement and both mucocutaneous and visceral organ involvement may warrant enhanced monitoring and screening for SNs and NM-LEs. However, caution is warranted when interpreting these results, as patients with cGVHD may have more vigilant post-transplantation health care and surveillance for late effects.

Outcomes and Management of the SARS-CoV2 Omicron Variant in Recipients of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) recipients who develop Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can have decreased overall survival (OS), likely due to disease-inherent and therapy-related immunodeficiency. The availability of COVID-19-directed therapies and vaccines have improved COVID-19-related outcomes, but immunocompromised individuals remain vulnerable. Specifically, the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant infections, including Omicron and its sublineages, particularly in HCT recipients, remain to be defined. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infections in HCT/CAR-T recipients with outcomes previously reported for ancestral SARS-CoV-2 infections early in the pandemic (March to June 2020). This was a retrospective analysis of adult HCT/CAR-T recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between July 2021 and July 2022. We identified 353 patients (172 autologous HCT recipients [49%], 152 allogeneic HCT recipients [43%], and 29 CAR-T recipients [8%]), with a median time from HCT/CAR-T to SARS-CoV-2 infection of 1010 days (interquartile range, 300 to 2046 days). Forty-one patients (12%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the delta wave, and 312 patients (88%) were diagnosed during the Omicron wave. Risk factors associated with increased odds of COVID-19-related hospitalization were the presence of 2 or more comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4 to 10.7; P < .001), CAR-T therapy compared to allogeneic HCT (OR, 7.7; 95% CI, 3.0 to 20.0; P < .001), hypogammaglobulinemia (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.06 to 6.40; P=.027), and age at COVID-19 diagnosis (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.05; P=.04). In contrast, infection during the Omicron variant BA5/BA4-dominant period compared to variant BA1 (OR, .21; 95% CI, .03 to .73; P=.037) and more than 3 years from HCT/CAR-T therapy to COVID-19 diagnosis compared to early infection at <100 days (OR, .31; 95% CI, .12 to .79; P=.011) were associated with a decreased odds for hospitalization. The OS at 12 months from COVID-19 diagnosis was 89% (95% CI, 84% to 94%), with 6 of 26 deaths attributable to COVID-19. Patients with the ancestral strain of SAR-CoV-2 had a lower OS at 12 months, with 73% (95% CI, 62% to 84%) versus 89% (95% CI, 84% to 94%; P < .001) in the Omicron cohort. Specific COVID-19 treatment was administered in 62% of patients, and 84% were vaccinated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinated patients had significantly better OS than unvaccinated patients (90% [95% CI, 86% to 95%] versus 82% [95% CI, 72% to 94%] at 12 months; P=.003). No significant difference in OS was observed in patients infected with the Omicron and those infected with the Delta variant (P=.4) or treated with specific COVID-19 treatments compared with those not treated (P=.2). We observed higher OS in HCT and CAR-T recipients infected with the Omicron variants compared to those infected with the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV2. The use of COVID-19 antivirals, mAbs, and vaccines might have contributed to the improved outcomes.

Reduced-intensity conditioning mitigates risk for primary ovarian insufficiency but does not decrease risk for infertility in pediatric and young adult survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Reduced-intensity conditioning mitigates risk for primary ovarian insufficiency but does not decrease risk for infertility in pediatric and young adult survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation