Higher Cumulative Incidence Of Relapse Research Articles

Cytology or Multiparameter Flow Cytometry Positivity in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Before Transplantation is Predictive of Poor Outcomes After Allotransplantation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients.

Central nervous system leukemia (CNSL) remains a serious complication in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and an ambiguous prognostic factor for those receiving allo-geneic hematopoiesis stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). It is unknown whether using more sensitive tools, such as multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC), to detect blasts in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) would have an impact on outcome. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of 1472 AML patients with or without cytology or MFC positivity in the CSF before transplantation. Abnormal CSF (CSF+) was detected via conventional cytology and MFC in 44 patients at any time after diagnosis. A control group of 175 CSF-normal (CSF-) patients was generated via propensity score matching (PSM) analyses according to sex, age at transplant, and white blood cell count at diagnosis. Compared to those in the CSF-negative group, the conventional cytology positive and MFC+ groups had comparable 8-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) (4%, 4%, and 6%, p=0.82), higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (14%, 31%, and 32%, p=0.007), lower leukemia-free survival (LFS) (79%, 63%, and 64%, p=0.024), and overall survival (OS) (83%, 63%, and 68%, p=0.021), with no significant differences between the conventional cytology positive and MFC+ groups. Furthermore, multivariate analysis confirmed that CSF involvement was an independent factor affecting OS and LFS. Our results indicate that pretransplant CSF abnormalities are adverse factors independently affecting OS and LFS after allotransplantation in AML patients.

Survival after allogeneic transplantation according to pretransplant minimal residual disease and conditioning intensity in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The measurement of minimal residual disease (MRD) by multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a powerful prognostic factor. The interaction of pretransplant MRD and the conditioning intensity has not yet been clarified. The aim of this study is to analyze the transplant outcomes of patients with AML who underwent HSCT in complete remission (CR), comparing patients with positive MRD (MRD+) and negative MRD (MRD-) before HSCT, and the interaction between conditioning intensity and pre-HSCT MRD. We retrospectively analyzed the transplant outcomes of 118 patients with AML who underwent HSCT in CR in a single institution, comparing patients with MRD+ and MRD- before HSCT using a cutoff of 0.1% on MFC, and the interaction between conditioning intensity and pre-HSCT MRD. Patients with MRD+ before HSCT had a significantly worse 2-year (2y) event-free survival (EFS) (56.5% vs. 32.0%, p = 0.018) than MRD- patients, due to a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) at 2 years (49.0% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.002), with no differences in transplant-related mortality (TRM) (2y-TRM, 19.0% and 25.0%, respectively, p = 0.588). In the analysis stratified by conditioning intensity, in patients who received MAC, those with MRD- before HSCT had better EFS (p = 0.009) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.070) due to lower CIR (p = 0.004) than MRD+ patients. On the other hand, the survival was similar in reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) patients regardless of the MRD status. Patients with MRD+ before HSCT have worse outcomes than MRD- patients. In patients who received MAC, MRD- patients have better EFS and OS due to lower CIR than MRD+ patients, probably because they represent a more chemo-sensitive group. However, among RIC patients, results were similar regardless of the MRD status.

Measurable residual disease monitoring by ddPCR in the early posttransplant period complements the traditional MFC method to predict relapse after HSCT in AML/MDS: a multicenter retrospective study

BackgroundDroplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is widely applied to monitor measurable residual disease (MRD). However, there are limited studies on the feasibility of ddPCR-MRD monitoring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), especially targeting multiple molecular markers simultaneously.MethodsOur study collected samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in complete remission after allo-HSCT between January 2018 and August 2021 to evaluate whether posttransplant ddPCR-MRD monitoring can identify patients at high risk of relapse.ResultsOf 152 patients, 58 (38.2%) were MRD positive by ddPCR within 4 months posttransplant, with a median variant allele frequency of 0.198%. The detectable DTA mutations (DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 mutations) after allo-HSCT were not associated with an increased risk of relapse. After excluding DTA mutations, patients with ddPCR-MRD positivity had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR, 38.7% vs. 9.7%, P < 0.001) and lower rates of relapse-free survival (RFS, 55.5% vs. 83.7%, P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS, 60.5% vs. 90.5%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, ddPCR-MRD positivity of non-DTA genes was an independent adverse predictor for CIR (hazard ratio [HR], 4.02; P < 0.001), RFS (HR, 2.92; P = 0.002) and OS (HR, 3.12; P = 0.007). Moreover, the combination of ddPCR with multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) can further accurately identify patients at high risk of relapse (F+/M+, HR, 22.44; P < 0.001, F+/M-, HR, 12.46; P < 0.001 and F-/M+, HR, 4.51; P = 0.003).ConclusionddPCR-MRD is a feasible approach to predict relapse after allo-HSCT in AML/MDS patients with non-DTA genes and is more accurate when combined with MFC.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06000306. Registered 17 August 2023 –Retrospectively registered (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06000306?term=NCT06000306&rank=1).

Flow cytometric and cytomorphological definition of remission achievement in children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The achievement of remission at the end of induction (EOI) chemotherapy in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the key parameter of treatment effectiveness evaluation. The aim of the study – defining complete remission by multicolor flow cytometry (MFC) and bone marrow (BM) cytomorphology (CM) at the EOI chemotherapy in children with B-lineage ALL. The study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee and the Scientific Council of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology. The study included patients of “ALL-MB 2008” and “ALL-MB 2015” trials for whom minimal residual disease (MRD) was evaluated by MFC at the EOI simultaneously with CM BM investigation. Less than 5% blasts in BM and MRD &lt; 1% were established as the remission achievement criteria for CM and MFC respectively. The study group included 1498 children aged from 1 to 18 years (median age was 4 years and 11 months) with B-cell precursor ALL. The overall concordance of MFC and CM was found to be 96.1% (1440 of 1498 patients). In 36 (2.4%) children with MRD ≥ 1%, M1 BM status was observed. In contrast, in 22 (1.5%) patients with M2/M3 BM status by CM, MRD value was below 1%. Treatment outcome was analyzed in 522 patients of “ALL-MB 2008” trial. Children with M2/M3 BM, as well as with MRD ≥ 1% demonstrated dramatically inferior outcome, in comparison to those who achieved remission. The presence of at least one of the mentioned criteria (M2/M3 status by CM or MRD ≥ 1% by MFC) defined a group of 23 (4.4%) patients with very low event-free survival (34.9%, standard error 11.0%) and very high cumulative incidence of relapse (56.4%, standard error 12.0%). For the evaluation of remission achievement, MFC and CM should be applied simultaneously at the EOI. High leukemic burden found by any of these methods is the clear definition of induction failure. MRD detection at the EOI should be implemented in any modern treatment protocol as an obligatory stage of treatment response monitoring and final risk group stratification. Considering the crucial importance of the MRD detection results, this study must be performed only in the reference laboratories of the study groups.

Impact of TP53 Allelic State on Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Myelodysplastic Neoplasm

Background : Tumor protein p53 ( TP53) mutations are associated with dismal outcomes in myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS). However, the impact of TP53 allelic state in the context of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for MDS has not been fully explored. Method: We conducted a multi-center study in 347 MDS patients undergoing allo-HSCT between January 2017 and October 2022, with the median follow-up time among survivors of 28.6 (range, 4.7 - 76.6) months, and 45 had TP53 mutations among them. Results: Twenty-one patients were detected with TP53 monoallelic mutations ( TP531mut), while 24 had multiple hits ( TP53multi). Complex karyotype was more common in patients with mutated TP53 (52.4% of patients with TP531mutand 75.0% of patients with TP53multi), whereas this proportion was only 10.6% in patients with wild-type TP53 ( TP53wt). The prognosis varied according to different TP53 state, showing the 2-year overall survival (OS) rates of 51.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 33.7% - 78.6%) for TP531mut group versus 15.8% (95% CI: 3.3% - 76.4%) for TP53multi group versus 73.5% (95% CI: 68.5% - 78.9%) for TP53wt group ( P&amp;lt;0.001), and the 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) rates of 28.6% (95% CI: 11.2% - 48.8%) for TP531mut group versus 47.3% (95% CI: 18.3% - 71.9%) for TP53multi group versus 10.8% (95% CI: 7.5% - 14.9%) for TP53wt group ( P&amp;lt;0.001). Similarly, the leukemia-free survival (LFS) and graft-versus-host disease-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) of patients with TP531mut or TP53multi were obviously lower than those with TP53wt (both P&amp;lt;0.001). However, there was no significant difference on non-relapse mortality among these three groups ( P=0.424). The adverse effects of TP53 mutationson OS, LFS, GRFS and CIR were also found in patients undergoing haploidentical HSCT or those with molecular International Prognostic Scoring System high- and very high-risk categories (all P&amp;lt;0.05). In the subgroup with complex karyotype ( n = 32 with non-mutated TP53 and n = 29 with mutated TP53), significantly inferior OS, LFS and GFRS and higher CIR were observed in patients with mutated TP53 while in the subgroup without complex karyotype ( n = 270 with non-mutated TP53 and n = 16 with mutated TP53), there were no differences in these prognostic indicators (all P&amp;gt;0.05). Notably, among patients who received conventional conditioning regime without hypomethylating agents (HMA) ( n = 264 with non-mutated TP53 and n = 38 with mutated TP53), the inferior 2-year OS, LFS and GRFS rates, and the higher 2-year CIR rate of patients still presented in TP53 mutant patients(all P&amp;lt;0.05), but among those receiving conditioning regime containing HMA, similar outcomes were found between mutated ( n = 7) and non-mutated ( n = 38) TP53 groups (all P&amp;gt;0.05). Multivariable cox proportional hazards models demonstrated that monoallelic TP53 state was an independent risk factor for survival and relapse (HR OS=2.859, 95% CI: 1.372 - 5.957, P=0.005; HR LFS=2.566, 95% CI: 1.342 - 4.905, P=0.004; HR GRFS=2.146, 95% CI: 1.106 - 4.163, P=0.024; HR CIR=2.507, 95% CI: 1.033 - 6.086, P=0.042), and multi-hit TP53 state also predicted worse outcomes (HR OS=3.038, 95% CI: 1.453 - 6.356, P=0.003; HR LFS=2.716, 95% CI: 1.383 - 5.336, P=0.004; HR GRFS=1.882, 95% CI: 1.002 - 3.535, P=0.049). C onclusions: Monoallelic and multi-hit TP53 state identify a high-risk group for poor outcomes in MDS patients undergoing allo-HSCT, complex karyotype could amplify the adverse prognostic effect of TP53, and these patients might benefit from receiving conditioning regime containing HMA.

Validation of ELN 2022 Risk Classification in Patients Diagnosed with AML Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Background: In 2022, the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) updated their guidelines (Döhner H et al., Blood 2022) for risk allocation of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on essential genetic features at diagnosis as defined in the newest classifications (Arber D et al., Blood 2022, Khoury JD et al., Leukemia 2022). Methods: Retrospective analysis of the 147 consecutive patients diagnosed with AML and available genetic information who underwent alloHCT in a complete morphological response (CR) between 2011 and 2021 in a single institution (HCB). Data was collected retrospectively and updated in July 2023. G-banding karyotype, FISH, qualitative and quantitative PCR and targeted Next Generation Sequencing were assessed at diagnosis to classify patients according to ELN 2022 risk classification. Our primary goal was to validate the ELN 2022 risk classification in patients undergoing alloHCT analyzing overall survival (OS). Secondary objectives were analyzing leukemia-free survival (LFS), 24-month cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and in the different molecular subgroups within the ELN2022 risk groups. Results: The main patient, disease-related and transplant characteristics are displayed in Figure 1. Overall, the median age was 52 years (range 18-70), 53.7% of the patients males, with 88% of the patients undergoing alloHCT in CR1. Twenty-two patients could not be classified through NGS assessment between 2011 and 2016 and included in the intermediate risk category due to normal karyotype and wildtype recurrent abnormalities measured by PCR. Patients in the adverse-risk group were older (p &amp;lt;0.001) and underwent alloHCT less often with undetectable measurable residual disease (p = 0.006). Moreover, patients in the favorable or intermediate risk group underwent alloHCT more often in CR2 or CR3 (p = 0.02). In addition, alloHCT characteristics were similar for all the patients included. With a 67-month median follow-up for LFS (95CI: 55-76), the median OS and LFS in patients classified into the favorable and intermediate risk groups were not reached (5-year OS and LFS rate in favorable risk group: 81% (95CI: 73-89) and 72% (95CI: 63-81). 5-year OS and LFS rate in intermediate risk group: 62% (95CI: 56-68) and 64% (95CI: 58-70). Patients included in the adverse risk group had an OS and LFS of 23.7 months (15.3-NR, p &amp;lt;0.001 between intermediate and adverse risk. Figure 1B) and 15.2 months (5.79-NR, p=0.015) respectively, with a significant lower 5-year OS rate (40%, 95CI: 34-46), LFS rate (38%, 95CI: 32-44) and a higher CIR (18% in the favorable risk group (95%CI: 11-26) vs. 20% in the intermediate risk group (95%CI: 18-23) vs. 40% in the adverse risk group (95%CI: 38-44), p = 0.024). Based on these results, a subanalysis was conducted in the patients classified into the adverse group. Those patients diagnosed with complex karyotype, inv(3), t(3;3), del(17p) and/or TP53 mutated were reassessed into a new risk category group called: Adverse-Plus (AdvP).No different baseline characteristics between the AdvP patients and the other subgroups were found. AdvP patients presented a shorter OS (NR in the rest of subgroups vs. 8.73 months in AdvP, p &amp;lt; 0.001 for AdvP vs. adverse risk. Figure 1C), LFS (NR in the rest of subgroups vs. 5.2 months, p &amp;lt; 0.001), and a higher CIR (62.5% in the AdvP group, p &amp;lt;0.001 between adverse risk and AdvP). Interestingly, using this four-group classification including AdvP, the other risk groups presented similar OS, LFS, and CIR without statistical differences in between them Summary/Conclussion: ELN2022 risk classification discriminates properly accurate in patients undergoing alloHCT. Reclassifying AML adverse risk patients diagnosed with complex karyotype, inv(3), t(3;3), del(17p) and/or TP53 mutated in a different subgroup should be considered due to a much worse prognosis after alloHCT, although it remains mandatory in first complete response.

A Novel and Cost-Efficient Measurable Residual Disease (MRD) Detection Assay Using a Single Molecule Molecular Inversion Probe-Based Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Assay Predicts Overall Survival in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction Relapse remains the main reason for poor outcomes of patients (pts) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the preferred post-remission treatment in pts at high risk of relapse. The presence of measurable residual disease (MRD) after intensive frontline treatment or before or after HSCT has emerged as an important predictor of relapse. Various methods are used for MRD detection, including flow cytometry and molecular assays detecting individual gene mutations (mut) such as NPM1mut. Next generation sequencing (NGS)-based assays covering multiple genes commonly mutated in AML may allow sensitive MRD detection in a broad range of pts with diverse genetic characteristics. Methods We established a targeted, error corrected NGS MRD assay utilizing single-molecule molecular inversion probes (smMIPs). The smMIP protocol uses a hybridization-capture approach to selectively enrich and amplify both DNA strands of 92 regions in 32 genes in a single reaction. Unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) facilitate computational correction of sequencing errors to enable reliable detection of variants ≥0.5% variant allele frequency (VAF), with the additional advantage of relatively low reagent and sequencing costs of &amp;lt; $100 per sample. The smMIP assay was used to evaluate MRD status on pre-HSCT bone marrow samples from 98 AML pts who received an HSCT in first (n=83) or second (n=15) complete remission with or without count recovery. Median age at HSCT was 59 (range 20-75) years, 42% were female; 70% had de novo AML, 19% had an antecedent myeloid neoplasm and 11% had AML post cytotoxic therapy. European LeukemiaNet (ELN)-2022 risk groups at diagnosis were favorable in 11%, intermediate in 33%, adverse in 20% and unknown in 22%. All pts had received intensive induction chemotherapy. Twenty-nine percent received a myeloablative conditioning regimen (MAC), while 23% received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) and 48% a non-myeloablative (NMA) conditioning regimen. Donors were matched related (18%), haploidentical (6%), or matched (55%) or mismatched (21%) unrelated. The median follow-up for pts alive was 34.8 months. Results Overall, we detected 190 variants in 71 (72%) of 98 pre-HSCT remission samples. The most commonly affected genes were DNMT3A (in 37% of pts), TET2 (21%), PPM1D (12%), IDH2 (10%) and TP53 (5%). Twenty-nine percent of pts had only variants affecting the clonal hematopoiesis-related genes DNMT3A, TET2 or ASXL1 (‘DTA‘), while 44% of patients had ≥1 variant involving a non-DTA gene. MRD-positive pts, defined as those with ≥1 non-DTA variant, had similar baseline and HSCT-related characteristics (includingage, sex, ELN risk group, de novo vs. secondary AML) compared to pts without non-DTA variants. Overall survival (OS) was significantly inferior in NGS MRD-positive pts compared to those with no non-DTA variant (Figure A, 5-year OS, 49% vs. 85%, P=.011). MRD-positive pts also had a non-significant higher cumulative incidence of relapse at 5 years (46% vs. 24%, P=.14), while non-relapse mortality was similar in both groups (P=.72). We next performed multivariable analyses, considering variables associated with OS at an univariable P&amp;lt;.10 (MRD status, patient sex, therapy-related AML, conditioning intensity), and using stepwise backward variable selection to identify factors significantly associated with OS (Figure B). In the final multivariable model, pre-HSCT MRD detection remained associated with inferior OS (hazard ratio 2.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 - 5.91; P=.035). Female sex associated with favorable OS, while myeloablative conditioning (MAC) showed a borderline significant association with superior OS. Of note, we did not detect an interaction between conditioning intensity and detection of MRD with regard to OS, i.e. the prognostic association of MRD detection was not different between pts receiving myeloablative or less-intensive conditioning. However, this analysis was limited by the small patient number. Conclusion Detection of MRD by targeted NGS using the smMIPs approach provides prognostic information in pts undergoing allogeneic HSCT, including those without established molecular markers such as NPM1mut. This method is applicable to a large proportion of AML pts and is cost-efficient for broad clinical use. S.M.K. and T.H., and M.J. and K.H.M. contributed equally to this abstract.

Selecting the Right Alternative Donor: Comparison of Outcomes of HLA-Mismatched Alternative Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantations in Adult Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Regarding KIR-Ligand Mismatch

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation from cord blood (CBT) or haploidentical donor (HIDT) has proved to be a viable option for patients unable to find a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched conventional donor. However, few single-centered studies have compared outcomes of the two alternative donor transplantations in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Aim: Our aim is to compare outcomes of adult ALL patients treated with CBT with those treated with HIDT. Secondly, we tried to find out factor that could be considered in selecting donor for alternative donor transplantation to improve clinical outcomes. Methods: We compare outcomes of adult ALL patients treated with CBT (n=134) between 2008 and 2022 with those treated with HIDT (n=47) between 2018 and 2022.Conditioning regimen for CBT consisted of total body irradiation (12Gy) plus cytarabine (9g/m 2) plus fludarabine (150mg/m 2). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was attempted using tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. For HIDT, we used reduced toxicity conditioning (RTC) regimen including fludarabine (150mg/m 2) plus busulfan (6.4mg/kg). GVHD prophylaxis was done with ATG 1.5mg for 4 days plus short course methotrexate (MTX) (15mg/m 2) plus tacrolimus. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligand mismatch was calculated in both GVH and HVG direction using HLA-KIR ligand database, and its effect on clinical outcomes of alternative donor transplantation was investigated. Results: In HIDT, CD34+ cell count (´10 6/kg) was significantly higher (7.4 vs. 0.1, P&amp;lt;0.001), and the patients were older (49 vs. 33.5, P&amp;lt;0.001) compared to CBT. Other characteristics, such as cytogenetic risk and leukocyte count at diagnosis, did not show significant difference between the two groups. Incidence of acute GVHD II-IV (51.1% vs. 50.0%), III-IV (25.5% vs. 17.9%), and moderate to severe chronic GVHD (10.8% vs. 11.0%) between HIDT vs. CBT were similar. After median follow-up of 39.4 months (range: 5.5-167.4), HIDT showed higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) compared to CBT (47.9% vs. 18.9%, P&amp;lt;0.001), which remained true even after stratifying by age subgroup (Age&amp;lt;40: P=0.033, Age≥40: P=0.002). Conversely, CBT showed higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) than HIDT (22.8% vs. 9.0%, P=0.038), but the same was true only in the older age subgroup (Age&amp;lt;40: P=0.484, Age≥40: P=0.002). These effects summed up to produce comparable results in estimated 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) of CBT and HIDT (58.4% vs. 43.5%, P=0.103), especially in the older subgroup (38.7% vs. 40.7%, P=0.897). Multivariate analysis also revealed that HIDT was related with higher relapse (HR 3.47; 95%CI 1.92-6.27, P&amp;lt;0.001), and CBT with higher NRM (HR 4.18; 95%CI 1.42-12.3, P=0.009). GVH direction KIR ligand mismatching worked for lower 3-year DFS in CBT (40.3% vs. 74.4%, P=0.007), although CIR and NRM did not show significant difference (27.8% vs. 15.6%, P=0.178; 35.0% vs 18.4%, P=0.057, respectively). On the other hand, the mismatch resulted in lower incidence of acute GVHD II-IV (32.0% vs. 54.2%, P=0.011). The trend remained when such effect was investigated separately in CBT and HIDT, but it was not statistically significant (33.3% vs. 53.1%, P=0.082; 28.6% vs. 57.6%, P=0.053, respectively). Conclusions: Our data shows higher NRM in CBT, and unexpected higher relapse rate in HIDT. Age of the patient should be considered when choosing CBT, because in older patients CBT showed notably worse NRM compared to HIDT. Higher incidence of relapse in HIDT may be attributable to ALL disease characteristics itself or insufficient elimination of leukemic cells by RTC regimen with stronger GVHD prophylaxis. Similar to what is known in acute myeloid leukemia, GVH direction KIR incompatibility showed protective effect against acute GVHD in ALL. However, the mismatch resulted in worse DFS in ALL patients treated with CBT, but not in those treated with HIDT. Possible explanation to this phenomenon is that the number of NK cells in cord blood was insufficient for mismatch-induced graft-versus-leukemia effect, while its immune response against infected cells was suppressed by the same mechanism that resulted in lower acute GVHD. Keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Cord blood transplantation, Haploidentical donor transplantation, HLA-mismatched transplantation, Killer-cell immunoglobulin like receptor

Prognostic Features of CD9 in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - a Retrospective Analysis of a Nation-Wide Multicenter Study in China

Background and objectives: The outcomes of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have been incrementally improved with risk-directed chemotherapy but therapy responses remain heterogeneous in clinically defined risk groups. Parameters with added prognostic values are therefore warranted to refine the current risk stratification system and inform appropriate management. CD9, a cell surface protein presented on malignant lymphoblasts, may have such predictive characteristics as shown by our previous single-center study conducted in Hong Kong (Leung et al, Leukemia, 2020). This study aims to determine the precise prognostic features of CD9 in a nation-wide, multicenter childhood ALL cohort in China, and deliver algorithms for identification of patients who may benefit from early interventions. Study design and outcome measures: This multicenter cohort study included childhood ALL patients (aged &amp;lt;18 years) enrolled into the Chinese Children Cancer Group (CCCG)-ALL-2015 study from January 2015 to December 2019, with 7,640 patients from 20 tertiary hospitals in China treated with a uniform protocol. A total of 3,781 subjects (49.5%) from 16 sites had flow cytometry data on lymphoblast CD9 at diagnosis. The final study cohort comprised 3,395 B-ALL and 386 T-ALL patients with a median follow-up of 53.9 months. The primary outcomes were 5-year overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) for patients with CD9 + or CD9 - phenotypes (positivity defined by the presence of ≥20% CD9 + blasts evaluated through a univariate analysis demonstrating the highest odds for adverse events or relapse at this cut-off). The secondary outcomes were 5-year OS, EFS, and CIR rates of CD9 + and CD9 - patients after inclusion of known prognostic factors, including risk assignment, cytogenetic anomalies, and minimal residual disease (MRD) status. Survival benefits of CD9 + subjects from treatment intensification or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were analyzed. Results: CD9 was expressed in 88.5% of B-ALL and 27.9% of T-ALL cases. It conferred a dismal EFS (82.1% vs. 89.3%, P=0.001) and a higher CIR (15.5% vs. 7.8%, P&amp;lt;0.001) in B-ALL but not T-ALL patients. The prognostic impact of CD9 is much more prominent in subjects with adverse presenting features or poor early treatment responses, as best exemplified in those assigned to the intermediate/high-risk arms (EFS: 72.8% vs. 83.2%, P=0.028; CIR: 23.1% vs. 10.2%, P=0.003) or those with positive MRD at day 19 (EFS: 65.2% vs. 82.0%, P=0.053; CIR: 30.3% vs. 9.7%, P=0.007). The adverse impact of CD9 is confined to specific cytogenetics, including BCR-ABL1 (CIR: 39.5% vs. 0%, P=0.019) and normal karyotype (CIR: 15.0% vs. 6.8%, P=0.034). In multivariate analyses, CD9 remains an independent factor predicting event-free survival (HR=1.917, P=0.001) and relapse (HR=2.208, P&amp;lt;0.001). The time to and site of relapse did not differ between CD9 + and CD9 - patients. For CD9 + patients with MRD at the end of induction, treatment upstaging only benefited initial low-risk subjects. HSCT at first remission did not improve the outcomes of high-risk subjects with a CD9 + phenotype. Conclusions: This is the largest study to evaluate the significance of CD9 in childhood ALL. We confirmed the results of our previous single-center study with this multicenter national study. CD9 positivity is definitively associated with a higher relapse probability particularly for patients with intermediate/high risk diseases, MRD positivity or specific cytogenetic background. BCR-ABL1 + patients with a CD9 - phenotype had excellent outcomes and HSCT may not be required. Whereas MRD + patients who were CD9 + had poor outcomes, and therefore should have early interventions with innovative treatments to reduce the risk of relapse. With these, we propose to incorporate CD9 into the diagnostic immunophenotyping panel to inform risk stratification and management of childhood ALL.

Biological and Therapeutic Implications of NPM1-Mutated AML Receiving Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Background: The nucleophosmin 1( NPM1) gene mutations are the most common gene alteration in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, occurring in approximately 30%-35% of adult AML cases. However, molecular and response to therapy heterogeneity are existed in this distinct group. Response to therapy, differing patterns of co-mutation and the prognosis of NPM1-mutated AML patients receving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) treatment were unknown. Aims: To evaluate prognostic factors in the NPM1-mutated AML who underwent allo-HSCT treatment. Methods: A total of 115 consecutive NPM1-mutated AML patients who underwent allo-HSCT from 2016 to 2022 were enrolled in this study. The primary endpoint was the cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). Results: The median patient age was 46 (IQR: 36-50) years. The most frequent co-mutations were FLT3-ITD(58.3%) and DNMT3A (40.0%), followed by IDH2(18.3%), NRAS (13.9%) and IDH1 (11.3%). The overall 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 17.3% and 77.2%. The 3-year CIR of patients with FLT3-ITD was significantly higher than that without FLT3-ITD (24.3% vs. 7.0%; P=0.023). The 3-year CIR of patients with DTA mutations ( DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1) was significantly higher than that without DTA mutations (24.7% vs. 11.2%; P=0.030). Patients who received matched sibling donor (MSD) allo-HSCT had the highest CIR compared with unrelated donor (URD) allo-HSCT and haploidentical (HRD) allo-HSCT (46.2%, 10.0% and 11.2%, P=0.002). The 3-year CIR in patient with pre-HSCT measurable residual disease negative (MRD-), MRD+ and non-remission was 10.9%, 30.0% and 72.2%(P&amp;lt;0.001). After multivariable adjustment, DTA mutations, pre-MRD+ or non-remission, MSD allo-HSCT remained statistically significantly associated with higher CIR as well as lower LFS and OS. In univariate and multivariate analyses, the cell of origin of AML did not impact the outcomes of NPM1-mutated AML patients accept allo-HSCT treatment . Conclusion: The DTA mutations ( DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1) were identified a distinct group of patients with adverse prognosis in NPM1-mutated AML patients who received allo-HSCT. Our results indicate that NPM1-mutated patients accept HRD/URD donors can achieve lower CIR than MSD donors in transplantation. HRD allo-HSCT may suitable for high risk patients within this group.

Identifying Targeted Therapies for CBFA2T3- GLIS2 Acute Myeloid Leukemia

CBFA2T3- GLIS2 fusion positive pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains one of the worst prognostic AML subgroups. Children with this subtype of AML frequently experience upfront chemoresistance with a high cumulative incidence of relapse (42-83%) and a dismal overall survival (~20%) even with intensive therapy. New treatment approaches are urgently needed. By interrogating the Broad Institute's Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap), a data set composed of genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screens in over 1000 cancer cell lines, we discovered that the CBFA2T3- GLIS2 AML model M-07e was highly dependent on the kinase JAK2. Indeed, M-07e was one of the most JAK2 dependent models in the data set. Using the same genome-scale library, we next performed CRISPR-Cas9 screens in WSU-AML and CMS, two additional AML cell lines harboring this fusion, and revealed JAK2 as a strong dependency shared by the 3 cell lines. Using a doxycycline-inducible knockout (KO) system, we validated JAK2 KO by western blot in three AML cell lines and cells from a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) harboring the fusion. Using two different sgRNAs targeting JAK2 (sgJAK2) and a non-targeting (sgNT) control, we validated JAK2 dependency in all 4 AML models in competitive growth assays. We also observed impaired proliferation and induced apoptosis upon JAK2 KO. To evaluate a role for JAK2 dependency in vivo, we intravenously injected NSGS mice with WSU-AML either transduced with doxycycline-inducible sgJAK2 or sgNT. After confirmation of engraftment by bone marrow evaluation, doxycycline chow was initiated. After 2 weeks of doxycycline treatment, we observed a significantly decreased tumor burden in mice with JAK2 KO AML compared to sgNT as measured by a decrement in human CD45% cells: peripheral blood (2.8% versus 12.9%), bone marrow (37.4% versus 56.3%,) and spleen (19% versus 79.5%). We next assessed chemical inhibitors of JAK2. Both the type I JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib and the type II JAK2 inhibitor CHZ868 exhibited strong activity in vitro in CBFA2T3- GLIS2 cell lines and PDX cells, many resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Because ruxolitinib is FDA-approved for other indications, we evaluated this drug in a cell line and PDX model of CBFA2T3- GLIS2 AML in vivo. As previously reported in myeloproliferative neoplasms, JAK2 target inhibition with ruxolitinib treatment was incomplete, and accordingly, in vivo response was modest with leukemia ultimately progressing. Evaluation of CHZ868 in vivo is ongoing. Because single agent targeted therapy is typically insufficient for durable response in the treatment of most cancers, we utilized CRISPR-Cas9 anchor screening to identify candidate resistance mechanisms and potential synergistic combinations with JAK2 inhibitors in CMS and WSU-AML cells. We compared the changes in abundance of sgRNAs in the cells either treated with ruxolitinib (IC 50) or vehicle for 14 days. The correlation of hits between the two cell lines was strong, and we found that sgRNAs targeting multiple negative regulators of the MAPK pathway were significantly enriched in the ruxolitinib-treated arm. In parallel, we generated resistant CMS sublines by chronic exposure to ruxolitinib. Ruxolitinib-resistant CMS cells were found to have a pathogenic NRAS missense mutation and an associated increase in levels of phosphorylated MEK. Accordingly, they were responsive to the MEK inhibitor trametinib. Both approaches converge on activation of the MAPK pathway as a resistance mechanism to JAK2 inhibitors in CBFA2T3- GLIS2 AML. We next hypothesized that targeting the MAPK pathway could overcome resistance to JAK2 inhibitors in this disease context. Indeed, treatment with ruxolitinib and the MEK inhibitor trametinib exhibited a synergistic effect when used in combination in cell lines and PDX cells harboring the fusion in vitro with in vivo testing as a next step. In summary, we validated JAK2 as a strong dependency in CBFA2T3- GLIS2 fusion positive pediatric AML. We demonstrated that JAK2 KO or small molecule inhibitors impaired cell viability and induced apoptosis in vitro, and JAK2 KO was highly efficacious in decreasing leukemia burden in vivo. Activation of the MAPK pathway renders resistance to JAK2 inhibitors and the combination of a JAK2 with MEK inhibitor is highly synergistic.

Clinical Effects of Tacrolimus Blood Concentrations Early after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Tacrolimus (TAC) plus short-term methotrexate (stMTX) is used for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). TAC blood concentrations are frequently adjusted to enhance the graft-versus-leukemia/lymphoma effect or attenuate severe GVHD. Limited information is available on the clinical impact of these adjustments and the optimal time to perform them in order to achieve good clinical outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed 211 patients who underwent allo-HSCT at our institutes. Higher TAC concentrations in week 3 correlated with a significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (p=0.03) and lower non-relapse mortality (p=0.04). The clinical impact of high TAC concentrations in week 3 on CIR was detected in the refined disease risk index: low/intermediate (p=0.04) and high (p&amp;lt;0.01), and conditioning regimens other than cyclophosphamide/total body irradiation and busulfan/cyclophosphamide (p=0.07). Higher TAC concentrations in week 1 correlated with a lower grade 2-4 acute GVHD rate (p=0.01). Higher TAC concentrations in weeks 2 and 3 correlated with slightly lower (p=0.05) and significantly lower (p=0.02) grade 3-4 acute GVHD rates, respectively. Higher TAC concentrations in weeks 1 and 3 were beneficial for severe acute GVHD in patients with a human leukocyte antigen-matched donor (p=0.03 and p&amp;lt;0.01, respectively), not treated with anti-thymocyte globulin (p=0.02 and p=0.02, respectively), and receiving three stMTX doses (p=0.03 and p=0.02, respectively). The clinical impact of TAC concentrations varied according to patient characteristics, including disease malignancy, conditioning regimens, donor sources, and GVHD prophylaxis. These results suggest that TAC management needs to be based on patient profiles.

Prognostic significance of persisting DNMT3A, ASXL1, and TET2 mutation burden in acute myeloid leukemia patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation during complete remission

We retrospectively analyzed 155 AML patients with DAT mutations at diagnosis who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) at complete remission. Of the 155 AML patients with DAT mutations at diagnosis, 59 (38.1%) patients had persisting DAT mutations pretransplantation. Compared to patients with pretransplant DAT transitions, patients with persisting DAT mutation burden were shown to be older (p = 0.004), and fewer patients had TET2 mutations at diagnosis (p = 0.033). Patients with persistent DAT mutation burden had shorter overall survival (OS) (3-year OS: 59.3% vs. 83.0%, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (3-year DFS: 56.1% vs. 83.0%, p < 0.001) with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (24.6% vs. 17.4%, p = 0.002) than those with DAT transitions. Additionally, multivariate analysis confirmed that persisting DAT mutations were an independent adverse factor for relapse, OS, and DFS. Collectively, persisting DAT mutations prior to allo-HSCT at complete remission for AML correlated with negative outcomes.

A Novel Scoring System Using Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, C-Reactive Protein, and Disease Status Predicts Survival after Second Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction: Second allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT2) is generally associated with poorer overall survival (OS) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) than first SCT (SCT1). However, some patients survive long after SCT2, and the number of SCT2 cases increases yearly. Thus, a prognostic stratification system is required to select optimally eligible patients for SCT2. We have previously shown that the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) predicts OS and NRM for SCT2 (Ann Haematol. 2020;99:1655). In this study, using a multicenter database, we aimed to validate the importance of the GNRI and establish a scoring system that can more accurately stratify the prognosis after SCT2. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with hematopoietic malignancies who underwent SCT2 between 2004 and 2020 at transplant centers of the Kanto Study Group for Cell Therapy (KSGCT), using the KSGCT database. The primary endpoint was 3-year OS. The secondary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS), NRM, and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). The GNRI was defined as 1.489×albumin(g/L) + 41.7×(weight/ideal weight) (Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82:777). We chose a GNRI cutoff value of 92.0 according to our previous report. We defined acute leukemia and malignant lymphoma in the first or second complete remission, CML in the 1st or 2nd chronic phase, and MDS with refractory anemia as standard risk, and other malignant diseases as high risk. Results: Among 722 patients who underwent SCT2, we were able to calculate the GNRI and perform a detailed analysis for 376. The median patient age was 44 years (range: 16-69). The underlying diseases were AML (n=207, 55.1%), ALL/LBL (n=107, 28.5%), MDS (n=33, 8.8%), CML (n=11, 2.9%), and other (n=18, 4.8%). The median follow-up period for survivors was 1375 days (range: 223-4213). Three years after SCT2, the OS, DFS, NRM, and CIR were 26.6%, 21.7%, 40.4%, and 37.9%, respectively. Based on previous research, we divided patients into two groups: low GNRI ( ≤92) (n=162, 43.1%) and high GNRI (&amp;gt;92) (n=214, 56.9%). In the low GNRI group, OS was better, NRM was lower, and CIR was comparable to that in the high GNRI group (3y-OS 36.0% vs. 14.3%, p&amp;lt;0.001; 3y-NRM 29.5% vs. 55.2%, p&amp;lt;0.001; 3y-CIR 33.4% vs. 41.3%, p=0.146). Through univariate analysis and stepwise multivariate regressions on the dependent variables for OS, low GNRI (hazard ratio [HR] 1.39, 95%CI 1.05-1.85, p=0.024), high C-reactive protein (CRP) (&amp;gt;0.5 mg/dl; HR 1.96, 95%CI 1.16-2.63, p&amp;lt;0.001), and disease status at SCT2 (HR 1.54, 95%CI 1.16-2.04, p=0.003) were associated with poor OS. Likewise, low GNRI (HR 1.71, 95%CI 1.18-2.47, p=0.0045), high CRP (HR 1.69, 95%CI 1.20-2.38, p=0.0029), high HCT-CI (≥3) (HR 1.58, 95%CI 1.12-2.23, p=0.0092) were unfavorable factors for NRM, while the shorter interval from SCT1 to SCT2 (HR 1.53, 95%CI 1.10-2.13 p=0.011) and high-risk disease status at SCT2 (HR 1.62, 95%CI 1.16-2.27, p=0.0046) were associated with high CIR. To predict OS after SCT2, we developed a scoring system consisting of three factors: low GNRI, high CRP level, and high-risk disease status. As the HRs for OS were comparable, a score of 1 was assigned to each factor. OS at 3 years was 50.7%, 29.5%, and 11.1% for patients with low (score 0, n=89), intermediate (score 1, n=106), and high (scores 2 and 3, n=174), respectively (p&amp;lt;0.001, Fig 1). Differences between groups were revealed using the Holm-Bonferroni correction. Conclusion: Low GNRI, high CRP level, and high-risk disease status were significantly associated with inferior OS after SCT2. The scoring system with these factors stratified the entire cohort into three risk groups including low risk with over 50% OS, and high risk with a very limited chance of survival.

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with Sequential-Based Conditioning in Refractory / Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Experience from a Single Institution

INTRODUCTION: Despite improvements in the treatment and outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in nearly 10-20% of the cases, a morphological remission (CR) after administrating induction regimens is not achieved. In other cases, and despite initial CR, early disease relapse may occur, with only a minority of patients durably benefiting from salvage regimens. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a potentially curative strategy for patients with relapsed / refractory (R/R) AML. However, the prognostic of these patients after allo-HCT remains dismal, with reported survival rates ranging from 20% to 35% in different publications. Allo-HCT using peripheral blood and sequential-based conditioning regimens has been the transplant platform used at our institution for R/R AML during the last decade. During the study period the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) combined with tacrolimus (TK) has been implemented on this allo-HCT setting. This study evaluates the results obtained from a single institution obtained from using sequential allo-HCT for patients with R/R AML, and the effectiveness of having implemented the use of PTCY in this type of transplant. Very few studies have evaluated the safety of including PTCY-based in sequential-based conditioning allo-HCTs. METHODS: This study includes the 21 patients with R/R AML who underwent allo-HCT with sequential-based conditioning regimens at our institution between 2011 and 2022. Retrospective data were collected during June 2023. Sequential regimens combined fludarabine (150 mg/m2), cytarabine (2 g/m2 x 5 days), and idarubicin (12 mg/m2 x 3 days) chemotherapy with low doses of Bu (n=3), melphalan (n=17), or treosulfan (n=1). Six adults transplanted after November 2016 received PTCY (50mg/kg/24h) on day +3 and +4 followed by TK from day +5 to day +90 for GvHD prevention. RESULTS: The main baseline characteristics of the study cohort and according to the GVHD prophylaxis are shown in Table 1 . The median age was 53 years (range 31-68), 11 (52%) patients were males, and all patients had R/R AML after having received at least one line of induction chemotherapy with curative intent. Fourteen (66.7%) patients received grafts from HLA-matched donors, and 7 (33.3%) from 9/10 HLA mismatched unrelated donors (MMUD). Baseline characteristics between patients who received PTCY and those who did not were balanced, except for the proportion of allo-HCT performed from MMUD which was higher in the PTCY group (66.7% vs. 20.0% p=0.03). Post-transplant results are shown in Table 2. All patients engrafted (100%). Patients who received PTCY experienced similar median of days to neutrophil engraftment (18 vs. 15 days, P=0.103) and a longer median of time to platelet engraftment (25 vs. 13 days, P=0.046). The day +100 cumulative incidences (CI) of grade II-IV and III-IV aGVHD, and 2-year CI of moderate/severe cGVHD were 33.3%, 0% and 0% for patients who received PTCY-TK, and 40% (p=0.823), 33% (p=0.118), and 40.4% (p=0.099) for those who did not. During the first 2-years after allo-HCT, 8 (38%) out of 21 patients died and 7 (21%) relapsed. The main causes of death were relapse (n=4, 19%) and infection (n=2, 9.5%), and the 2-year OS, PFS, NRM and CIR were 61.5%, 51.9%, 14.3%, and 33.3%. As shown in Table 2 patients who received PTCY had comparable rates of OS (2-y: 50.0% vs. 66.7%, p=0.903) and RFS (2-y: 50.0% vs. 53.3%, p=0.873) and those who did not. In addition, and although no patient who received PTCY died secondary to transplant-related toxicity (2-y 0 vs. 20%, p=0.254), a non-significant trend to higher cumulative incidence of relapse (2-y: 50.0% vs. 26.7%, p=0.282) was observed in this group of patients. Lastly, a non-significant trend to higher GRFS was documented in patients who received PTCY (2-y: 50.0% and 25.0%, p=0.266). CONCLUSIONS: At our institution, 50% of the patients with R/R AML going thought allo-HCT performed using sequential-based conditioning regimens survived after two years. The implementation of PTCY as part of the GVHD prophylaxis results decreased rates clinically relevant GVHD and NRM, resulting on a trend to better GRFS. Although the results provided by this analysis suggest that using PTCY in this allo-HCT is safe and effective, caution is still recommended considering the trend to higher relapse rates observed among these patients and the limited sample size.

The salvage role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma

To clarify the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy era, we analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 52 patients treated with allo-HSCT with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Most enrolled patients had previously undergone intensive treatments, the median number of chemotherapy lines was 4, and the median time from diagnosis to allo-HSCT was 27.1 months. Patients were divided into remission-achieved (n = 30) and active-disease (n = 22) groups before allo-HSCT. Over a median follow-up period of 38.3 months, overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 38.4% and 30.6%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and the non-relapsed mortality (NRM) were 36.7% and 32.7%, respectively. OS, EFS, and graft-versus-host disease-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) outcomes were significantly superior in the remission-achieved group with lower CIR. In a multivariate analysis, a shorter interval from diagnosis to allo-HSCT reflected relatively rapid disease progression and showed significantly poor OS and EFS with higher CIR. Patients with active disease had significantly lower EFS, GRFS, and higher CIR. Previous autologous stem-cell transplantation was associated with better GRFS. Allo-HSCT is an established modality with a prominent group of cured patients and still has a role in the CAR T-cell era, particularly given its acceptable clinical outcomes in young patients with chemo-susceptible disease.

Evaluation of prognostic prediction ability of the novel Japanese risk factor scoring system in a Japanese cohort of resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Japanese patients with very high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs), based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, have been reported to display a higher cumulative incidence of relapse and disease-specific death (DSD) than those with high-risk cSCC. Therefore, prognosis prediction is crucial for Japanese patients with very high-risk cSCCs. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic prediction ability of our novel Japanese Risk Factor Scoring Systems (JARF scoring) in a Japanese cohort of cSSC patients. Data of 424 Japanese patients with resectable very high-risk cSCCs were analysed. We compared the prognostic ability of the following three staging systems: Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) tumour staging, number of NCCN very high-risk factors, and JARF scoring, including recurrent tumour, high-risk histological features, deep tumour invasion and lymphatic or vascular involvement as risk factors. The prognostic ability of these staging systems was evaluated according to the cumulative incidence of local recurrence (LR), regional lymph node metastasis (RLNM), DSD, and overall survival (OS). When BWH staging was used, high T stage led to significantly poor outcomes only in the cumulative incidence of RLNM (p = 0.01). The presence of very high-risk NCCN factors led to significantly poor outcomes in terms of RLNM (p = 0.03) and OS (p = 0.02). Meanwhile, a high number of risk factors in the JARF scoring system clearly led to poor outcomes in terms of LR (p = 0.01), RLNM (p < 0.01), DSD (p = 0.03), and OS (p < 0.01). The JARF scoring system may accurately predict the risk of recurrence and death in very high-risk cSCC patients in Japan.

Effects of isolated central nervous system involvement evaluated by multiparameter flow cytometry prior to allografting on outcomes of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains a major strategy to cure patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether isolated flow cytometry (FCM)-positive central nervous system (CNS) involvement before allo-HSCT is clinically significant. The effects of isolated FCM-positive CNS involvement prior to transplantation on the outcomes of 1406 ALL patients with complete remission (CR) were retrospectively investigated. Patients were classified into isolated FCM-positive CNS involvement (n=31), cytology-positive CNS involvement (n = 43), and negative CNS involvement (n = 1332) groups. Among the three groups, the 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) values were 42.3%, 48.8%, and 23.4%, respectively (P<0.001). The 5-year leukemia-free survival (LFS) values were 44.7%, 34.9%, and 60.8%, respectively (P<0.001). Compared with the negative CNS group (n=1332), the 5-year CIR of the pre-HSCT CNS involvement group (n=74) was higher (46.3% vs. 23.4%, P<0.001], and the 5-year LFS was inferior (39.1% vs. 60.8%, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that four variables, T-cell ALL, in second complete remission or beyond (CR2+) at HSCT, pre-HSCT measurable residual disease positivity, and pre-HSCT CNS involvement, were independently associated with a higher CIR and inferior LFS. A new scoring system was developed using the following four variables: low-risk, intermediate-risk, high-risk, and extremely high-risk groups. The 5-year CIR values were 16.9%, 27.8%, 50.9%, and 66.7%, respectively (P<0.001), while the 5-year LFS values were 67.6%, 56.9%, 31.0%, and 13.3%, respectively (P<0.001). Our results suggest that ALL patients with isolated FCM-positive CNS involvement are at a higher risk of recurrence after transplantation. Patients with pre-HSCT CNS involvement had higher CIR and inferior survival outcomes.

Outcomes of allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplantation followed by maintenance chemotherapy in adult patient with B-ALL in CR1 with no detectable minimal residual disease.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) as a treatment for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) has been rigorously debated in recent years. We retrospectively analysed the outcomes of 355 adult patients with B-ALL in first complete remission who had received auto-HSCT or allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) in our centre. The treatment efficacy was evaluated from a model stratified on the risk classification and minimal residue disease (MRD) status after three chemotherapy cycles. Auto-HSCT demonstrated comparable 3-year overall survival (OS) (72.7% vs. 68.5%, p = 0.441) and leukaemia-free survival rates (62.8% vs. 56.1%, p = 0.383) compared to allo-HSCT for patients with negative MRD, while the advantage of lower non-relapse mortality (1.5% vs. 25.1%, p < 0.001) was offset by a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) rates (35.7% vs. 18.9%, p = 0.018), especially in high-risk patients. For patients at high risk and with positive MRD, there was a lower trend of 3-year OS (50.0% vs. 66.0%, p = 0.078) and significantly higher CIR rates (71.4% vs. 39.1%, p = 0.018) in auto-HSCT. However, no significant interaction was observed in the tests. In conclusion, auto-HSCT appears to be an attractive treatment for patients with negative MRD after three chemotherapy cycles. For MRD-positive patients, allo-HSCT may be a more effective treatment.

Prognosis and long-term outcomes in type I cryoglobulinemia: A multicenter study of 168 patients.

Type I cryoglobulinemia (CG) accounts for 10%-15% of all cryoglobulinemias and are exclusively seen in clonal proliferative hematologic conditions. In this multicenter nationwide cohort study, we analyzed the prognosis and long-term outcomes of 168 patients with type I CG (93 (55.4%) IgM and 75 [44.6%] IgG). Five- and 10-year event-free survivals (EFS) were 26.5% (95% CI 18.2%-38.4%) and 20.8% (95% CI 13.1%-33.1%), respectively. In multivariable analysis, factors associated with poorer EFS were renal involvement (HR: 2.42, 95% CI 1.41-4.17, p = .001) and IgG type I CG (HR: 1.96, 95% CI 1.13-3.33, p = 0.016), regardless of underlying hematological disorders. IgG type I CG patients had higher cumulative incidence of relapse (94.6% [95% CI 57.8%-99.4%] vs. 56.6% [95% CI 36.6%-72.4%], p = .0002) and death at 10 years (35.8% [19.8%-64.6%] vs. 71.3% [54.0%-94.2%], p = .01) as compared to IgM CG, respectively. Overall, complete response of type I CG at 6 months was 38.7%, with no significant difference between Igs isotypes. In conclusion, renal involvement and IgG CG were identified as independent poor prognostic factors of type I CG.