Independent Adverse Risk Factor Research Articles

Extramedullary infiltration in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: Results from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) initiative.

The outcome of extramedullary infiltration (EMI) in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is controversial, and little is known about the implications of stem cell transplantation (SCT) and gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) treatment on patients with EMI. We retrieved the clinical data of 713 pediatric patients with AML from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) dataset, and analyzed the clinical and prognostic characteristics of patients with EMI at diagnosis and relapse. A total of 123 patients were identified to have EMI at diagnosis and 64 presented with EMI at relapse. The presence of EMI was associated with age ≤2years, M5 morphology, abnormal karyotype, and KMT2A rearrangements. Hyperleukocytosis and complex karyotype were more prevalent in patients with EMI at relapse. Additionally, patients with EMI at diagnosis had a reduced incidence of FLT3 ITD-/NPM1+, whereas those with EMI at relapse displayed a lower frequency of FLT3 ITD+. Patients with EMI at diagnosis exhibited a lower complete remission (CR) rate at the end of Induction Course 1 and higher relapse incidence. Importantly, EMI at diagnosis independently predicted both shorter event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Regarding relapse patients, the occurrence of EMI at relapse showed no impact on OS. However, relapse patients with myeloid sarcoma (MS)/no central nervous system (CNS) exhibited poorer OS compared to those with CNS/no MS. Furthermore, regarding patients with EMI at diagnosis, SCT failed to improve the survival, whereas GO treatment potentially enhanced OS. EMI at diagnosis is an independent adverse prognostic risk factor for pediatric AML, and GO treatment potentially improves survival for patients with EMI at diagnosis.

Mechanisms of renal damage in patients with new coronavirus infection (literature review)

One in four people in the world currently has kidney problems to varying degrees. It is known that the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is primarily a respiratory disease, but the kidneys are the target organ. Coronavirus is tropic to renal tissue due to the presence in the organ of the angiotensin converting enzyme type 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2, which are considered the target of this virus. The presence of any stage of renal insufficiency is an independent adverse risk factor for coronavirus infection and results in high hospitalization rates in hospitals and a mortality rate. Kidney damage is caused by a variety of pathogenetic mechanisms: direct cytopathic effect of the virus on their structure (in the kidney body - podocytes, mesangial cells, in the vascular glomerulus - endothelium of capillaries, in the proximal tubules - epithelial cells); cytokine storm; damage to the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; immunothrombosis. In many patients with confirmed coronavirus infection, significant changes in urine analysis (hematuria, proteinuria) and an increase in serum creatinine levels have been observed in the laboratory since the first days of the disease. One of the main risk factors for mortality is the development of acute renal injury. More research is needed on the exact effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the kidneys. Understanding the main pathogenetic pathways of kidney damage in COVID-19 is necessary for the development of strategies and the development of effective treatment methods.

Somatostatin Receptor Targeted PET-CT and Its Role in the Management and Theranostics of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) agonist-based Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) imaging is nowadays the mainstay for the assessment and diagnostic imaging of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN), especially in well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET) (World Health Organization (WHO) grade I and II). Major clinical indications for SSTR imaging are primary staging and metastatic workup, especially (a) before surgery, (b) detection of unknown primary in metastatic NET, (c) patient selection for theranostics and appropriate therapy, especially peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), while less major indications include treatment response evaluation on and disease prognostication. Dual tracer PET-CT imaging using SSTR targeted PET tracers, viz. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-Tyr3-Octreotate (DOTA-TATE) and [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-NaI3-Octreotide (DOTA-NOC), and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), have recently gained widespread acceptance for better assessment of whole-body tumor biology compared to single-site histopathology, in terms of being non-invasive and the ability to assess inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity on a global scale. FDG uptake has been identified as independent adverse risk factor in various studies. Recently, somatostatin receptor antagonists have been shown to be more sensitive and specific in detecting the disease. The aim of this review article is to summarize the clinical importance of SSTR-based imaging in the clinical management of neuroendocrine and related tumors.

Clinical prognostic risk analysis and progression factor exploration of primary breast lymphoma

ABSTRACT Purpose : A primary breast lymphomais a rare form of extranodal lymphoma type. We aimed to analyze prognosticriskfactors and explore relapse factors in primary breast diffuse large B cell lymphoma (PB-DLBCL). Methods : From November 2003 to September 2020, sixty-three patients from two medical centers newly diagnosed with PB-DLBCL patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results : The median age was 52, and >50% of patients were post-menopausal. The international prognostics index (IPI) (0–1) was mainlyin the low-risk group (84%), and there were four patients with stage IV (6%) who had bilateral breast involvement. With a median follow-up time of 4.92 years (3.17–8.00), five-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 78.9% and 67.1%, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and B symptoms were independent adverse prognostic risk factors for OS, whereas bilateral breast involvement was unfavorable for PFS. Disease recurrence and relapse occurred in 40% (25/63) patients, mainly in the breast, followed by the central nervous system (CNS) and skin/soft tissue. Conclusion : This is the first study to explore the prognostic risk factors and relapse factorsof PB-DLBCL in a relatively large Chinese PBL cohort. Local breast and CNS recurrence after standard R-CHOP treatment were the main issues we are facing now.

Genetic Markers and Front Line FCR/BR Vs. Rve, Gve and Give Treatment - Outcome Results from the CLL13/GAIA Trial

BACKGROUND: Genomic aberrations, IGHV mutation status and recurrent mutations in genes such as TP53 are established prognostic factors in CLL in the context of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT). For time limited treatment with venetoclax in combination with Rituximab (RVe), Obinutuzumab (GVe) and Obinutuzumab and Ibrutinib (GIVe) the role of these factors is less-well established. METHODS: The phase 3 GAIA/CLL13 trial compared 3 different time-limited venetoclax-based combinations against CIT in fit, treatment-naïve patients with CLL without del(17p) or TP53 mutations detected via Sanger sequencing. Patients were randomized to receive CIT (FCR for patients ≤65y; BR for patients >65y), RVe, GVe or GIVe. Co-primary endpoints were PFS and MRD in peripheral blood at month 15 via 4-colour flow. Genomic aberrations were assessed at enrolment by FISH, IGHV by sequencing with a threshold of 98% homology and mutations via amplicon-based targeted NGS for TP53, NOTCH1, SF3B1, MYD88, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, EGR2, NFKBIE, RPS15, XPO1 and BIRC3 in 913 of 926 patients (98.6%) of the full trial cohort. RESULTS: The incidences of genomic aberrations based on the hierarchical model were del(11q) 17.5%, +12 16.2%, mono-allelic del(13q) 44.6% and normal karyotype 21.7%. IGHV was unmutated (U-IGHV) in 55.9% and mutated (M-IGHV) in 41.0% of patients (ITT). Subset#2 accounted for 50 patients equally distributed among U-IGHV and M-IGHV. The incidence of gene mutations was SF3B1 22.6%, NOTCH1 20.5% (exon 34 and 3'UTR), NFKBIE 13.6%, BIRC3 11.8%, BRAF/KRAS together 9.6%, XPO1 7.9%, EGR2 5.6%, RPS15 5.5% and MYD88 4.2%. Minor mutations with a variant allele fraction (VAF) of 1.5% to 10% were frequent in BIRC3 and NFKBIE (59.6% and 56.0% of all variants, respectively), while minor mutations in TP53 not previously detected by Sanger sequencing were rare (2.0%). Undetectable MRD (uMRD) was not associated with any genetic subgroup in the pooled analysis of GVe/RVe/GIVe. Single arm analysis revealed NOTCH1 mutation associated with lower rate of uMRD with GVe (74.4% vs 88.6%, p=0.02) and higher uMRD rate in +12 cases with RVe (73.5% vs. 52.2% in del(13q), p=0.03). With CIT a significantly lower uMRD rate was found in U-IGHV (42.0% vs. 66.3% in M-IGHV, p<0.01) and del(11q) (39.0% vs. 58.4% in del(13q), p=0.04) while mutated MYD88 associated with a higher uMRD rate (92.3% vs 50.2%, p=0.02). At a median follow-up of 38.8 months, there were 188 PFS events in the ITT population. For CIT U-IGHV (HR 4.47, p<0.01), del(11q) (HR 2.68, p<0.01) and mutated NOTCH1 with VAF>10% (HR 2.01, p=0.01) associated significantly with shorter PFS in univariate analysis. In the combined analysis for RVe/GVe/GIVe U-IGHV (HR 2.29, p<0.01), mutations in NOTCH1 (HR 1.76, p<0.01) and BRAF/RAS (HR 2.45, p<0.01) were associated with significantly shorter PFS and del(13q) (HR 0.67, p=0.03) with longer PFS. A separate analysis for each venetoclax arm identified mutated NOTCH1 (GVe: HR 2.2 p=0.04 and GIVe: HR 2.2, p=0.05), BIRC3 (GIVe: HR 3.6 p<0.01), BRAF/KRAS/NRAS (RVe: HR 3.6, p<0.01 and GIVe: HR 3.7, p<0.01) NFKBIE (GVe: HR 3.0, p<0.01), del(13q) (GVe: HR 0.4, p=0.01) and U-IGHV (GVe: HR 2.6, p=0.03 and GIVe: HR 2.7, p=0.03) as prognostic factors for PFS. Subset 2 was not associated with shorter PFS, also not among M-IGHV patients. In multivariable analysis including all clinical, laboratory and genetic markers significantly associated with PFS, treatment with GVe and GIVe were independent favorable factors (HR 0.42 and 0.33, respectively, both p<0.01) and U-IGHV (HR 2.43, p<0.01), and mutated NOTCH1 (HR 1.46, p=0.03) were confirmed as independent prognostic factors. In a separate multivariable analysis only for CIT, del(11q) (HR 1.89, p=0.03), U-IGHV (HR 3.08, p<0.01), and mutated NOTCH1 >10% VAF (HR 2.12, p=0.01) were verified as independent adverse genetic risk factors. For the combined RVe/GVe/GIVe group, mutated BRAF/RAS (HR 1.87, p=0.01), U-IGHV (HR 1.85, p<0.01), and mutated NOTCH1 (HR 1.54, p=0.04) were confirmed as independent adverse prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Early results from CLL13/GAIA show association of gene mutations with lower rate for uMRD and shorter PFS after CIT or venetoclax-based therapy. IGHV and NOTCH1 mutation retain their prognostic role with both treatment types. Mutations in the RAF/RAS pathway (9.6% overall) were associated with shorter PFS with venetoclax-based therapy, while with CIT an impact on outcome is not apparent at present. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide and Rituximab (FCR) As First Line Treatment in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): A Long-Term Analysis of the German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG) Registry

Introduction: Large randomized trials investigating targeted agents have resulted in a markedly improved progression-free survival (PFS) when compared to standard chemoimmunotherapy. However, for small subgroups with a favorable risk profile, overall survival was not consistently superior for targeted agents. Long-term follow up on FCR suggested that favorable risk patients (pts) benefit significantly from this therapy and can expect an exceptionally long PFS. In addition, targeted first line (1L) therapies for favorable risk pts are reimbursed only in a minority of countries. Here, we report long-term efficacy data of FCR treatment obtained from pts documented within the GCLLSG registry. Methods: Documentation within the GCLLSG registry started in 2013 and included both pts from prospective trials (29.7%), most importantly of the CLL8 trial (22.6%) and CLL10 trial (62.1%) as well as retrospective data. Pts with confirmed diagnosis of CLL who received FCR as 1L treatment were included. Patient characteristics were reported in median, interquartile ranges or frequencies and percentages. Response was reported as response or non-response. Event-free survival (EFS), which was defined as the time from start of (first) FCR treatment to disease progression, initiation of subsequent treatment for CLL or death. EFS was chosen as an endpoint for this report due to concerns that PFS might give unrealistically good results due to lack of documentation. However, PFS and TTNT data will be presented at the meeting. Overall survival was calculated from initiation of 1L treatment for all pts who received 1L treatment after 2013. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by Cox proportional hazards regression. Variables that were significantly associated with EFS in univariate analyses (significance level was set at 5%) were considered as candidates for the multivariate modelling to identify independent prognostic risk factors. Results: As of September 2021, a total of 5922 pts were enrolled in the registry of which 417 received FCR as 1L treatment between 2003 and 2021. 223 pts (53.5%) received treatment before 2013 and 194 (46.5%) after 2013. Median observation time from 1L treatment was 95.8 (interquartile range 58.7-126.8) months. Patient characteristics showed a median age of 58 (range 24-83) years. Unmutated IGHV (U-CLL) was present in 61.4% of the pts. Regarding genomic aberrations based on the hierarchical model, del(17p) was found in 1.9%, del(11q) in 15.2%, trisomy12 in 15.5%, mono-allelic del(13q) in 34.3% and none of these changes in 33.0% of the pts. 88.8% of the pts responded to first line therapy, 11.2% were documented as non-responder. Median EFS was 71.1 month, for 188 pts no event was documented at the time point of data cut-off. Age group (≤ 65 years, >65 years), del(11q), IGHV mutational status, TP53 status, and serum thymidine kinase (TK) were associated with EFS in univariate analyses. Overall, 116 pts with 67 events were included in the final multivariable model for EFS. U-CLL (HR 1.949 (95%CI: 1.170-3.247; p=0.010) and TK >10 U/l (HR 2.107 (95%CI: 1.153-3.849; p=0.015) were independent adverse prognostic risk factors for EFS. When low TK and M-CLL were combined, the median EFS was not reached, with a 5-year survival rate of 95.8%. In contrast, median EFS was 84.1 months for pts with U-CLL and high TK. In U-CLL pts, median EFS was 87.0 months for pts with TK ≤ 10 U/l, and 58.9 months for pts with TK > 10 U/l. Median overall survival was not reached with a 5-year survival rate of 92.7%. Conclusion: Within this cohort of pts with a long follow up in the GCLLSG registry, FCR treatment was associated with a long EFS especially in pts with a low risk profile exhibiting a mutated IGHV status und low TK. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

A Three Gene Leukemic Stem Cell Signature Score Is Robustly Prognostic in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Introduction Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) possess biological properties shared with normal hematopoietic stem cells. They confer resistance to chemotherapy and mediate relapse in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) as well as in myelodysplastic syndromes (Ho et al., Blood 2016; Wang et al., Blood Advances 2020). A 17-gene stemness score ("LSC17") was predictive of treatment response and overall survival (OS) in AML (Ng et al., Nature 2016). Whilst chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) is regarded as a myeloid stem cell neoplasm, the biological impact and prognostic implications of LSCs in CMML have not been explored. To this end, we evaluated the prognostic potential of these 17 genes in CMML patients. Methods We performed mRNA sequencing on bone marrow (BM) samples from 44 CMML patients at presentation, each with extensive clinical and laboratory correlates and longitudinal outcome data. CMML diagnosis was based on The International Consensus Classification (Arber et al., Blood 2022). The expression of each LSC17 gene was evaluated and integrated with clinical and outcome metadata. Results We identified three genes (MMRN1, ADGRG1, and DNMT3B) whose expression correlated significantly with overall survival (OS). An LSC-3 score was constructed based on the weighted sums derived from Cox regression analysis. Patients were divided into high and low LSC-3 score groups, with cut point determined by maximally selected rank statistics. Higher LSC-3 scores were associated with higher age (p=0.016), lower hemoglobin levels (p=0.011), and higher incidence of IDH1/2 mutations (p=0.009). High-score patients had significantly shorter leukaemia-free survival (LFS; median 7.4 months vs 30.5 months, p<0.001) and OS (10.5 months vs 33.9 months, p<0.001, Figure 1A). In subgroup analyses, LSC-3 score retained strong LFS and OS significance in both CMML-1 and CMML-2 stages as well as across dysplastic and proliferative CMML subgroups. Mutations in ASXL1 have been consistently associated with poor prognosis in CMML and incorporated into several existing prognostic systems (Patnaik, Haematologica2022). In patients with unmutated ASXL1, high LSC-3 score robustly correlated with inferior LFS and OS (p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). In multivariable analysis, higher LSC-3 score remained an independent adverse risk factor for LFS and OS, irrespective of CPSS and CPSS-Molecular risk status. Time-dependent ROC curve analysis suggested potential for LSC-3 score to improve current risk stratification systems, increasing area under curve when incorporated (Figure 1B). We validated the prognostic performance of the LSC-3 score in three independent CMML cohorts. Remarkably, LSC-3 score retained strong discriminatory performance even in a CMML monocyte RNA-seq dataset, suggesting potential application on peripheral blood samples. GSEA revealed enriched oxidative stress, altered metabolism, and aberrant immune and T-cell functions in LSC-3 high BM samples. CIBERSORTx analysis (Newman et al., Nature Biotechnology 2019) also indicated significantly lower fractions of activated NK-cells (p=0.026) and borderline significant fewer CD8 T-cells (p=0.06) in the BM from high-score CMML patients. Finally, single-sample GSEA highlighted differences in drug sensitivity profiles, including resistance signatures for hypomethylating agents and venetoclax in LSC-3-high patients, which might partially explain the dismal prognosis in this population. Discussion We describe a simple yet powerful three gene expression signature ("CMML-LSC3") as an independent and robust prognostic factor for LFS and OS in CMML patients. We validated this signature in three independent CMML cohorts with linked transcriptomic data, comprising both bone marrow mononuclear and sorted peripheral blood monocytes. We propose that LSC3 could be incorporated to complement existing scoring systems to improve prognostic performance and aid management decisions. Biologically LSC3 stratifies CMML patients by apparent differences in metabolism, immune microenvironment composition and drug resistance, raising the prospect of personalized therapeutic approaches mandating further study. The LSC3 score is being validated prospectively in a UK multicentre phase 2 trial (AMMO trial EudraCT 2021-004585-35). Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

HigherRUNX1 expression levels are associated with worse overall and leukaemia-free survival in myelodysplastic syndrome patients.

RUNX1 mutations are frequently detected in various myeloid neoplasms and implicate unfavourable clinical outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). On the other hand, high expression of RUNX1 is also correlated with poor prognosis in AML patients. However, the clinical relevancy of RUNX1 expression in MDS patients remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic and biologic impacts of RUNX1 expression in MDS patients. We recruited 341 MDS patients who had sufficient bone marrow samples for next-generation sequencing. Higher RUNX1 expression occurred more frequently in the patients with Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) higher-risk MDS than the lower-risk group. It was closely associated with poor-risk cytogenetics and mutations in ASXL1, NPM1, RUNX1, SRSF2, STAG2, TET2 and TP53. Furthermore, patients with higher RUNX1 expression had significantly shorter leukaemia-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) than those with lower expression. Subgroups analysis revealed that higher-RUNX1 group consistently had shorter LFS and OS than the lower-RUNX1 group, no matter RUNX1 was mutated or not. The same findings were observed in IPSS-R subgroups. In multivariable analysis, higher RUNX1 expression appeared as an independent adverse risk factor for survival. The prognostic significance of RUNX1 expression was validated in two external public cohorts, GSE 114922 and GSE15061. In summary, we present the characteristics and prognosis of MDS patients with various RUNX1 expressions and propose that RUNX1 expression complement RUNX1 mutation in MDS prognostication, wherein patients with wild RUNX1 but high expression may need more proactive treatment.

Prognostic factors in elderly patients after an intra-tympanic steroid injection for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BackgroundIdiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) presents with emergent hearing impairment and is mainly treated with steroids. However, limited data exist regarding the prognostic factors among elderly patients (>65 years old) who receive an intra-tympanic steroid injection (ITSI). Therefore, we investigated the prognostic factors in these patients. MethodsBetween July 2016 and March 2022, we retrospectively enrolled 105 elderly patients (>65 years old) with unilateral ISSNHL who were treated with an ITSI, and recorded their clinical and audiological variables. ResultsThe patients had a mean age of 72.03 ± 6.33 years and mean hearing level gain of 22.86 ± 21.84 dB, speech reception threshold (SRT) gain of 15.77 ± 35.27 dB, and speech discrimination score (SDS) gain of 19.54 ± 27.81 %. According to Siegel's criteria, 5 (4.76 %), 44 (41.91 %), 46 (43.81 %), and 10 (9.52 %) patients had complete recovery, partial recovery, slight improvement, and no improvement, respectively. In the univariate analysis, vertigo (odds ratio [OR] = 0.290, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.130–0.651, p = 0.002) and profound hearing loss on pure tone audiometry (PTA; OR = 0.233, 95 % CI: 0.101–0.536, p = 0.004) were negative prognostic factors among elderly ISSNHL patients. In the multivariate analysis, vertigo (OR = 0.300, 95 % CI: 0.128–0.705, p = 0.005) and profound pure tone audiometry (OR = 0.240, 95 % CI: 0.101–0.570, p = 0.001) were independent adverse prognostic factors among elderly ISSNHL patients. ConclusionsWe demonstrated the treatment outcomes of 105 elderly ISSNHL patients after an ITSI. Vertigo and profound PTA are independent adverse risk factors among elderly ISSNHL patients, and patients with these risk factors require active treatment.

Pathological features related to onco-immunity and their clinical significance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Objective: To investigate the tumor immunity-related pathologic features and clinical significance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: All pathologic materials and clinical information of 192 PDAC patients from the Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences from January 2010 to December 2020 were collected. The onco-immune microenvironment associated morphologic features were evaluated, and MHC-Ⅰ, PD-L1, CD3, and CD8 expression were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Then the correlation between the factors and their influence on prognosis was analyzed. Results: There were 163 cases of non-specific adenocarcinoma (163/192, 84.90%), 18 cases of adeno-squamous carcinoma (18/192, 9.37%), and 11 cases of other rare subtypes (11/192, 5.73%). Perineural invasion was observed in 110 cases (110/192, 57.29%) and vascular invasion in 86 cases (86/192, 44.79%). There were 84 cases (84/182, 46.15%) with severe chronic inflammation. Tumor infiltrating immune cell numbers (TII-N) were increased in 52 cases (52/192, 27.08%). Lymphocytes and plasma cells were the main infiltrating immune cells in 60 cases (60/192, 31.25%), whereas in 34 cases (34/192, 17.71%) the tumors were mainly infiltrated by granulocytes, and 98 cases (98/192, 51.04%) showed mixed infiltration. CD3+T cells were deficient in 124 cases (124/192, 66.31%). CD8+T cells were deficient in 152 cases (152/192, 79.58%). MHC-Ⅰ expression was down-regulated in 156 cases (156/192, 81.25%), and PD-L1 was positive (CPS≥1) in 46 cases (46/192, 23.96%). Statistical analysis showed that TII-N was negatively correlated with vascular invasion (P=0.035), perineural invasion (P=0.002), stage (P=0.004) and long-term alcohol consumption (P=0.039). The type of immune cells correlated positively with chronic pancreatic inflammation (P=0.002), and negatively with tumor differentiation (P=0.024). CD8+T cells were positively correlated with CD3+T cells (P=0.032), MHC-Ⅰ expression (P<0.001) and PD-L1 expression (P=0.001), and negatively correlated with long-term smoking (P=0.016). Univariate analysis showed that histological nonspecific type (P=0.013) and TII-N (P<0.001) were the factors for good prognosis. Vascular invasion (P=0.032), perineural invasion (P=0.001), high stage (P=0.003) and long-term alcohol consumption (P=0.004) were adverse prognostic factors. COX multivariate risk analysis found that TII-N was an independent favorable factor for PDAC, while perineural invasion was an independent adverse risk factor. Conclusions: TII-N is an independent superior prognostic factor for PDAC, and significantly correlated with many factors; chronic alcohol consumption and smoking may inhibit onco-immunity in PDAC patients.

Monosomal karyotype as an adverse risk factor for inferior survivals in children with acute myeloid leukemia

BackgroundAlthough monosomal karyotype (MK) has been recognized as an adverse risk factor in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), its impact on pediatric AML outcomes remains unclear. MethodsClinical characteristics, cytogenetic and molecular profiling, and prognostic impact of MK were analyzed in a cohort of 284 children with AML in a Chinese population. ResultsMK was present in 14 (4.5%) cases of the study cohort. MK-AML showed low prevalence of TP53 mutant and 17p13 aberrations. Children with MK-AML had shorter overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) compared to those with intermediate-risk features (OS: 26 ± 9.7% vs. 2 ± 1.5%, p < 0.001; EFS: 20 ± 7.4% vs. 1 ± 0.3%, p < 0.001) as well as adverse risk (OS: 15 ± 1.4% vs. 2 ± 1.5%, p = 0.012; EFS: 12 ± 1.6%, p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis demonstrated MK as an independent adverse risk factor for reduced survival (OS: HR 2.09, 95% CI 1.12–3.88, p = 0.02; EFS: HR 5.24, 95% CI 1.55–17.54, p = 0.08). ConclusionsThe results show MK as an independent adverse risk factor for inferior survivals.

Outcomes for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Secondary AML Are Inferior to De Novo AML and Are Independent of the Disease Risk Index

BackgroundPatients with secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (sAML), defined as AML that follows a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative neoplasm, are known to have a poor prognosis with conventional chemotherapy alone, when compared to de novo AML (dnAML). Allogeneic stem cell transplant offers the best chance of cure due to the often chemo-resistant nature of sAML, although there are limited studies assessing the outcome of allografting in this patient population. The Disease Risk Index (DRI) is a clinical decision tool which assists in determining the balance of transplant risk versus benefit, however validation studies to date have not evaluated the DRI in patients with sAML.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 211 patients with dnAML or sAML who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplant between 1 st January 1998 and 31 st July 2015 at St Vincent's Hospital or Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney Australia, was undertaken. Cases were identified from the Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Registry, with additional data collected by medical record review.Overall survival (OS) probability was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Non-relapse mortality (NRM) and relapse incidence (RI) were estimated by cumulative incidence with “death without relapse” and “relapse” as competing risks. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate regression, with results expressed as hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsOf the 211 eligible patients, 63 (30%) had a diagnosis of sAML, compared to 148 with dnAML. Of those with sAML, 74% had antecedent MDS and 26% an MPN. Patients with sAML had an older median age (55 vs 44 years, p<0.001), more often had HCT-CI >3 (p=0.003), and more commonly had at least one cytogenetic abnormality (p=0.026). A myeloablative conditioning regimen was used in 35.3% and 66.0% of s- and dn- AML respectively. Grade II or greater acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in 39.7% of sAML and 29% of dnAML, with chronic GVHD reported in 60.3% and 64.5% respectively. OS at 1 year was 48.5% in sAML and 71.6% in dnAML (HR 1.93 [95%CI 1.32-2.97, p=0.0001]). Multivariate analysis accounting for disease risk index (DRI) as a co-factor identified sAML as an independent adverse risk factor for OS (HR 2.13 [95%CI 1.31-3.45], p=0.002). Compared to dnAML, sAML was associated with higher rates of disease relapse (HR 2.21 [95%CI 1.20-4.05], p=-0.011).Figure 1: Transplant outcomes (A) Overall survival dnAML vs sAML (B) Cumulative incidence of relapse at 1 year dnAML vs sAMLConclusionsPatients with sAML experience poorer outcomes following allogeneic stem cell transplant than those with dnAML. Whilst the DRI stratifies AML based on cytogenetic risk and stage, our study identifies sAML as a prognostic marker independent of risk ascribed by the DRI. This has not been reported previously and if replicated, suggests the need for development of an independent prognostic model to capture the adverse risk in the sAML patient cohort. Importantly, despite poor outcomes, the lack of alternate management strategies still makes allogeneic stem cell transplant the only potential curative therapy. [Display omitted] DisclosuresHamad: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Greenwood: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Non-Classical Monocyte Abundance Is an Independent Adverse Risk Factor for Relapse in Pediatric B-ALL

BackgroundAcute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer and while curable in the majority of cases, 15%-20% of children will relapse with only 50% surviving long-term. Treatment failures arise from the outgrowth of pre-existing or acquired sub-clones that are genetically or epigenetically primed to resist treatment. In addition, the bone marrow microenvironment is known to provide a protective niche. We performed the first mapping of the human B-cell ALL (B-ALL) immune bone marrow (BM) microenvironment at single cell resolution at diagnosis, remission and relapse (Witkowski, 2020). We uncovered a striking rewiring of the myeloid compartment during B-ALL progression with significant over-representation of a leukemia-associated monocyte subpopulation expressing high levels of the Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (M-CSFR/CSF1R). Using both peripheral blood (PB) complete blood count analysis and RNA-seq data, we demonstrated that high monocyte abundance at B-ALL diagnosis is predictive of inferior pediatric and adult overall survival in two large independent clinical cohorts. To determine the association of non-classical monocyte abundance in BM and PB with risk of relapse, we examined a cohort of clinical samples from children enrolled on Children's Oncology Group (COG) protocols.MethodsUsing an unmatched case-control design, we established a preliminary cohort of PB and BM samples collected at diagnosis from 24 B-ALL patients with eventual relapse and 24 patients in long-term remission. Four remission samples from an NYU Langone cohort were used to validate the expansion of this population in the presence of B-ALL. We applied a customized flow cytometry based assay to identify CD115-expressing human monocyte subsets: classical (CD45 +CD56 -CD14 +CD16 -), non-classical (CD45 +CD56 -CD14 -CD16 +), as well as B-cells (CD19, CD22, CD10) and T/NK cells (CD3, CD56). We then performed univariate and multivariable analysis of outcome (relapse versus long-term remission) compared to monocyte subset abundance, adjusting for potential confounding factors (age, gender, CNS status, NCI risk, genetic subtype, WBC at diagnosis, and end of induction minimal residual disease).ResultsWe observed a significantly higher percentage of non-classical monocytes in the diagnostic BM from the COG cohort when compared to remission samples (COG diagnostic B-ALL BM non-classical percentage mean 52.19% vs NYU B-ALL remission BM non-classical percentage mean 1.775%, P = 0.0001). We also observed a strong correlation between the percentage of non-classical monocytes in the PB when compared to their matched BM specimens (r = 0.6, P = 0.0001). Multivariable analysis revealed a significant association between PB non-classical monocyte percentage at diagnosis and patient outcome (remission cohort non-classical monocyte percentage [mean, range]: 52.4%, 33.3-68.1%, n = 24, relapse cohort non-classical monocyte percentage: 65.9%, 56.4-84.7%, n = 24, P = 0.021). Similarly, a strong trend was observed in the BM, although it did not reach statistical significance. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed CD115 (M-CSFR/CSF1R) expression in this non-classical monocyte population, thereby validating a novel target for intervention.ConclusionsThese findings validate the presence of a unique monocyte subpopulation associated with childhood B-ALL and suggests that assessing this population in PB at diagnosis may be of prognostic significance. The availability of small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies targeting CSF1R-expressing monocytes may offer a novel approach to treating B-ALL. [Display omitted] DisclosuresRaetz: Pfizer: Research Funding; Celgene: Other: DSMB member. Teachey: Sobi: Consultancy; NeoImmune Tech: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; BEAM Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Aifantis: AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Foresite (FL2020-010) LLC: Consultancy.

RUNX1 Expression Can be Complementary to RUNX1 Mutation in MDS Prognostication

▪RUNX1 is a member of the core-binding factor family of transcription factors and is imperative for establishing definitive haematopoiesis. Mutated RUNX1 is an adverse risk factor for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Meanwhile, high expression of RUNX1 is correlated with dismal prognosis in cytogenetically normal AML patients and critical for maintaining leukemic stem cells across AML genetic subgroups. However, the clinical relevancy of RUNX1 expression in MDS patients remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic and biologic impacts of RUNX1 expression in MDS patients. We recruited 341 primary MDS patients who had enough bone marrow (BM) samples for RNA and next-generation sequencing. We first examined the difference in RUNX1 expression among patients with wild RUNX1 and N-terminal or C-terminal RUNX1 mutation. Among the 341 patients, 54 (15.8%) harboured RUNX1 mutation, 15 (27.8%) in N-terminal and 39 (72.2%), C-terminal. Patients with C-terminal RUNX1 mutant had higher RUNX1 expression than those with N-terminal RUNX1 mutant or wild RUNX1 (p<0.001 ). Patients were then divided into two groups with higher- and lower-RUNX1 expression (median as cut-off). Higher RUNX1 expression was closely associated with lower platelet counts, higher blast percentages in the BM and peripheral blood and complex karyotypes at diagnosis. Patients with higher-RUNX1 expression were more frequently categorized into higher-risk groups based on the revised international prognosis scoring system (IPSS-R). Higher RUNX1 expression was intimately associated with ASXL1, NPM1, RUNX1, SRSF2, STAG2, TET2, TP53, and ZRSR2 mutations, whereas lower RUNX1 was associated with SF3B1 mutation.Regarding survival, we first examined the impact of RUNX1 mutation on survival in this cohort. As expected, patients with mutated RUNX1 had significantly inferior leukaemia-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) than those with unmutated RUNX1 (p=0.007, and p=0.008, respectively). We then explored the effects of RUNX1 expression on patients' survival. Patients with higher RUNX1 expression had significantly inferior LFS and OS than those with lower expression (both p<0.001, Figure 1a and 1b). We further interrogated RUNX1 expression and mutation statuses for risk stratification. The higher-RUNX1 group consistently had shorter LFS and OS than the lower-RUNX1 group no matter RUNX1 was mutated or not (Figure 1c-1f). Subgroups analysis revealed the same findings in IPSS-R lower-risk (very low, low, and intermediate-risk) and IPSS-R higher-risk (high and very high risk) subgroups (all p<0.05). Moreover, time-dependent ROC curves indicated that RUNX1 expression had better predictive power for LFS and OS than RUNX1 mutation. In multivariate analysis, higher RUNX1 expression appeared as an independent adverse risk factor for LFS and OS irrespective of age, IPSS-R, and mutations in ASXL1, EZH2, RUNX1, SF3B1, SRSF2, STAG2, TET2, and TP53 (Table). The prognostic significance of RUNX1 expression was further validated in two external public cohorts, GSE 114922 and GSE15061. Patients with higher-RUNX1 expression consistently had significantly inferior survival than those with lower-RUNX1 expression (Figure 2). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that higher-RUNX1 patients had more robust IL-17 and MAPK signallings but exhausted antioxidant activities and antimicrobial humoral responses. In summary, we present the characteristics and prognosis of MDS patients with various RUNX1 expressions and propose that RUNX1 expression can complement RUNX1 mutation in MDS prognostication, wherein patients with wild RUNX1 but high expression may need more proactive treatment. [Display omitted] DisclosuresTien: AbbVie: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria. Chou: Abbvie: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board, Research Funding; IQVIA: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Pfizer: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Novartis: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Kirin: Honoraria, Research Funding.

Obstructive apnea syndrome as a risk factor for the development of postoperative complications in obese patients

Introduction. Early detection of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) using preoperative screening is necessary to reduce risks in the perioperative period.The objective was to assess the effect of OSAS on the perioperative management of patients.Methods and materials. 54 patients with a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2 were examined, for whom a bariatric operation was performed as planned. Before the operation, all patients underwent respiratory polygraph with the calculation of the apnea/ hypopnea index (AHI), mean saturation (SpO2 m) during sleep and spirometry.Results. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to AHI: gr. 1 (n=33) with AHI&lt;15/hour, OSAS, gr. 2 (n=21) with a AHI ≥15/hour. In gr. 2 VC and FVC should be significantly lower than in gr. 1 (p&lt;0.01). A significant decrease in SpO2 m was noted (p&lt;0.001). On the first day after the operation, there was an increase in pCO2 of arterial blood in gr. 2, in comparison with gr. 1 (p&lt;0.05).Conclusions. OSAS can be considered as an independent adverse risk factor for potential perioperative complications. Early detection of OSAS will reduce the risks of postoperative complications.

Immune signatures of bone marrow cells can independently predict prognosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Increasing evidence supports the role of the immune microenvironment and associated signalling in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Nevertheless, the clinical relevancy of immune signals in patients with MDS remains elusive. To address this, we used single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis to score immune signatures of bone marrow (BM) samples from 176 patients with primary MDS. Enhanced signatures of 'immature dendritic cells' and 'natural killer cells with cluster of differentiation (CD)56bright' were correlated with better overall survival (OS), whilst higher 'CD103+ signature' was associated with reduced survival. An MDS-Immune-Risk (MIR) scoring system was constructed based on the weighted sums derived from Cox regression analysis. High MIR scores were correlated with higher revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) scores and mutations in ASXL transcriptional regulator 1 (ASXL1), Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), and tumour protein p53 (TP53). High-score patients had significantly inferior leukaemia-free survival (LFS) and OS than low-score patients. The prognostic significance of MIR scores for survival remained valid across IPSS-R subgroups and was validated in two independent cohorts. Multivariable analysis revealed that a higher MIR score was an independent adverse risk factor for LFS and OS. We further proposed a model with the combination of MIR score and gene mutations to be complementary to IPSS-R for the prognostication of LFS and OS of patients with MDS.

Local ablative treatment with surgery and/or radiotherapy in single-site and oligometastatic carcinoma of unknown primary

BackgroundSingle-site carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is recognised as a distinct favourable subtype in the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) classification. There is broad consensus that these patients are candidates for local ablative treatment strategies with surgery and/or radiotherapy, but data on their outcomes are scarce. Patients and methodsIn this study, we have addressed the prospects of cure and prognostic factors in a retrospective cohort of 63 patients who were eligible for local treatment at our centre. ResultsMedian event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 15.6 months and 52.5 months, respectively. Of 61 patients who received local treatment, 20 (32.8%) remained event-free over a median follow-up of 28 months. Baseline clinical parameters including affected organ, number, volume and histology of metastases had no significant impact on prognosis, whereas deleterious TP53 mutations and DNA copy number loss emerged as independent adverse risk factors with respect to EFS. Surgical treatment was associated with improved OS as compared to radiation-based therapy. ConclusionOur study advocates to pursue localised treatment with surgery and/or radiotherapy whenever feasible and implies that genetic parameters might additionally determine the clinical course of single-site CUP patients.

OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME AS CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERURICEMIA

Objective: To assess the relationship between OSAS and uric acid levels. Design and method: 54 patients with a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2, mean age 44.8 ± 11.4 years, men 14 and women 40 were examined. All patients underwent polysomnography with registration of apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) and mean saturation (SpO2m) and were evaluate for uric acid levels in the blood. Results: Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on AHI: 1) gr_1 (n = 33) with AHI &lt; 15/hour, which corresponds to the norm and mild OSAS; gr_2 (n = 21) with AHI &gt; / = 15 / hour, which corresponds to the middle-severe OSAS. In patients gr_1 AHI 4.1/hour ± 3.7 and in patients gr_2 - 50.5/hour ± 31.1, respectively. BMI was not associated with AHI. The level of uric acid was significantly higher in gr_2 - 481 ± 81 μmol/L than in gr_1 - 390 ± 84 μmol/L (p &lt; 0.001). In addition, a correlation was found between the level of SpO2m and uric acid (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular events. According to the results of our examination, patients with OSAS have a more frequent development of hyperuricemia. Respectively, OSAS, adjusted for BMI, can be considered as an independent adverse risk factor for the development of cardiovascular events. Timely detection of OSAS will allow to start specialized treatment on time, improve the cardiovascular prognosis of this group of patients and, thus, reduce overall health care costs.

Clinical Spectrum and Outcomes of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis

The objective of the study was analysis of risk factors associated with outcome of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants in a single-center study. All consecutive infants hospitalized for NEC over a period of 6 years were retrospectively analyzed for clinical course, infections, treatment and outcome. Out of 76 patients, surgical management was applied in 56 (53 exploratory laparotomy, three initial peritoneal drain placement) and in 20 there was only a conservative approach. Segmental intestinal resection was performed in 41 patients. Survival from NEC in our cohort was 79%. We found that independent adverse risk factors of outcome of newborns and infants with NEC were gut perforation, infection, abdominal wall erythema, and development of acute kidney injury. We underline the value of both surgical and conservative approach with careful management in this cohort of patients.

Impact of Antithrombotic Agents on Postpancreatectomy Hemorrhage: Results from a Retrospective Multicenter Study

This retrospective multicenter study aimed to evaluate the risk of postpancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH) in patients receiving antithrombotic agents (ATAs). PPH is the most severe complication after pancreatectomy. However, there is little known about the strength of the association between ATA use, PPH, and other clinical outcomes. Between 2007 and 2016, 1,297 patients underwent pancreatectomy at 2 surgical centers. ATA use included aspirin, clopidogrel, ticlopidine, warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants, and intravenous unfractionated heparin. The ATA group was composed of 144 patients who were taking ATAs before surgery. A total of 35 patients developed PPH. The patients in the ATA group showed higher frequency (8.3% vs 2.0%, p < 0.001) of PPH compared with the control group (n= 1,153). In multivariate analysis, ATA use was an independent adverse risk factor for PPH (odds ratio [OR] 3.58, 95% CI 1.29-9.91, p= 0.014). Stratification by preoperative ATA therapy revealed a significant risk of PPH Grade C in patients receiving combined AT therapy. The median onset of late hemorrhage (>24 hours post-surgery) in the ATA group was later than in the control group (17.5 vs 8.5 days, p= 0.032), and the incidence tended to be higher in patients who restarted ATAs postoperatively. History of ATA use is a significant risk factor for PPH, and postoperative resumption of ATAs appears to be associated with an increased risk of PPH. Patients receiving combined antithrombotic therapy may be at particularly high risk for PPH.