Outcome Of Myelodysplastic Syndromes Patients Research Articles

MDS-143 Characteristics and Outcomes of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients Treated With Darbepoetin Alfa for Anemia in Turkey: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

MDS-143 Characteristics and Outcomes of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients Treated With Darbepoetin Alfa for Anemia in Turkey: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

POSTER: MDS-143 Characteristics and Outcomes of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients Treated With Darbepoetin Alfa for Anemia in Turkey: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

POSTER: MDS-143 Characteristics and Outcomes of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients Treated With Darbepoetin Alfa for Anemia in Turkey: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Primary Cancer Matters in Therapy-related Myeloid Neoplasm Patients Receiving Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Study From the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the EBMT

Primary Cancer Matters in Therapy-related Myeloid Neoplasm Patients Receiving Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Study From the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the EBMT

Allogeneic transplantation of bone marrow versus peripheral blood stem cells from HLA-identical relatives in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and oligoblastic acute myeloid leukemia: a propensity score analysis of a nationwide database.

Bone marrow (BM) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are used as grafts from HLA-identical-related donors for adults with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). To assess the impact of graft sources on post-transplant outcomes in MDS patients, we conducted a retrospective analysis of a nationwide database. A total of 247 and 280 patients underwent transplantation with BM and PBSC, respectively. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) methods revealed that overall survival (OS) was comparable between BM and PBSC (P = .129), but PBSC transplantation was associated with worse graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) (hazard rate [HR], 1.24; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 1.00-1.53; P = 0.049) and chronic GVHD-free and relapse-free survival (CRFS) (HR, 1.29; 95% CIs, 1.13-1.73; P = 0.002) than BM transplantation. In the propensity score matched cohort (BM, n = 216; PBSC, n = 216), no significant differences were observed in OS and relapse; 3-year OS rates were 64.7% and 60.0% (P = 0.107), while 3-year relapse rates were 27.1% and 23.5% (P = 0.255) in BM and PBSC, respectively. Three-year GRFS rates (36.6% vs. 29.2%; P = 0.006), CRFS rate (37.7% vs. 32.5%; P = 0.003), and non-relapse mortality rates (13.9% vs. 21.1%; P = 0.020) were better in BM than in PBSC. The present study showed that BM transplantation provides a comparable survival benefit with PBSC transplantation and did not identify an enhanced graft-versus-MDS effect to reduce the incidence of relapse in PBSC transplantation.

Genomic Evolution of Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome after Hypomethylating Agent Failure

Background: Hypomethylating agents (HMAs), such as azacitidine and decitabine, are the current standard of care for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Though HMAs improve cytopenias and delay progression of disease, most patients eventually lose response to these agents and have poor survival afterwards. This poses significant treatment challenges after HMA failure (HMA-F) and an increased risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. The genomic evolution of patients with MDS at the time of HMA-F has not been previously described. Here, we assess the genomic changes of MDS patients at the time of HMA-F and their effects on the outcomes of MDS patients at the time of HMA-F. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all patients with MDS seen at a single tertiary cancer center from July 2017 to July 2021 and identified those who were previously untreated and later developed HMA-F. Bone marrow (BM) data was assessed at diagnosis and at the time of HMA-F. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole BM aspirate samples and subject to 81-gene target PCR-based sequencing using a next-generation sequencing platform. Survival data was updated in May 2022. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used for time-to-event data analysis. The number of metaphases for each unique karyotypic aberration combinations were used to compute the proportions of cytogenetic clones. All the analysis was performed in R 4.0.3. Results: Out of 799 untreated MDS patients, 147 patients (32%) developed HMA-F with a median follow-up time of 44.0 months from diagnosis. Paired cytogenetic and molecular data were available in 128 and 75 patients, respectively. The median overall survival (mOS) since diagnosis (hazard ratio (HR) 1.65, p=0.033) and HMA-F (HR 1.95, p=0.004, Figure A) was inferior for individuals with decreasing number of clones at the time of HMA-F with no statistically significant differences in the time to HMA-F. Gain and/or loss of cytogenetic abnormalities at the time of HMA-F resulted in a shorter mOS (HR 2.35, p<0.001), time to HMA-F (HR 1.65, p=0.033) and mOS since HMA-F (HR 2.89, p<0.001). A change in the dominant cytogenetic clone by the number of metaphases at the time of HMA-F resulted in inferior mOS since diagnosis (HR 2.28, p<0.001), time to HMA-F (HR 1.89, p=0.005), and mOS since HMA-F (HR 2.45, p<0.001). Interestingly, most patients who had gain and/or loss of karyotypic abnormalities and a change in the dominant cytogenetic clone had mutations in TP53. Regarding mutations, there were no statistically significant differences in mOS and time to HMA-F by the gain and/or loss of new mutations at the time of HMA-F. However, the change of the dominant mutation by variant allele frequency resulted in improved mOS from diagnosis (HR 0.47, p=0.02), time to HMA-F (HR 0.46, p=0.02), and mOS since HMA-F (HR 0.55, p=0.072, Figure B). Of note, most TP53-mutated patients had no changes in mutations at the time of HMA-F. Conclusions: Patients with HMA-F MDS have poorer outcomes with a decreasing number of cytogenetic clones, gain and/or loss of karyotypic aberrations, or a change in the dominant clone by the number of metaphases at the time of HMA-F. However, the gain or loss of mutations on next-generation sequencing appear to have no impact on survival outcomes, though a change in the dominant mutation by variant allele frequency appears to be protective. Further understanding of the underlying biology of HMA-F MDS is warranted with an urgent need for therapeutic interventions after failure of HMA therapy. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Red blood cell transfusion in myelodysplastic syndromes: A systematic review.

Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) frequently receive red blood cell (RBC) transfusions for anaemia resulting from ineffective erythropoiesis. While RBC transfusions may rapidly increase haemoglobin values, their impact on clinical and health services outcomes in MDS patients has not previously been summarized. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate risks and benefits of RBC transfusions in MDS patients. We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL) from inception through June 4, 2021 to identify studies reporting data on RBC transfusions in MDS patients. Full text publications that assessed RBC transfusions as an intervention and reported at least one clinical, laboratory, or healthcare outcome associated with transfusion were included. Study characteristics, transfusion information and transfusion-related outcomes were extracted and reported. We identified 1243 original studies, of which 38 met eligibility requirements and were included. Fourteen reported on survival following diagnosis of MDS, with the majority reporting poorer survival among patients receiving or requiring more frequent transfusions. Nine reported on transfusion-related iron overload and its complications. Other outcomes included rates of allo/autoimmunization and adverse transfusion reactions, and healthcare costs incurred by patients with a greater transfusion burden. Only two studies reported on symptom relief following transfusion. This review underscores transfusion dependence as a negative prognostic factor for MDS patients and highlights the paucity of evidence surrounding quality of life and symptom-related outcomes following RBC transfusions in this population. Further study of patient-important outcomes associated with transfusion in MDS patients is warranted to improve therapeutic recommendations and inform resource allocation.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation may overcome the adverse impact of myelofibrosis on the prognosis of myelodysplastic syndrome

PurposeMyelofibrosis (MF) may serve as a poor prognostic factor in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This study explored the impact of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) on the outcome of MDS patients with MF.Patients and MethodsThree hundred and sixteen MDS patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Based on the degree of MF, we divided the patients into 2 groups: grade 0–1 (MF-0/1) and grade 2–3 (MF-2/3) groups. The clinical features, treatments, and prognosis in MDS patients with MF were analyzed.ResultsForty-three (13.6%) patients were diagnosed as MF-2/3. Complex karyotypes were more common in the MF-2/3 compared to MF-0/1 groups (P = 0.002). The overall response rate (ORR) of cytoreduction was 49.0%, along with 53.3% in the MF-0/1 and 16.7% in MF-2/3 groups (P = 0.017). In total, 141 patients underwent allo-HSCT, including 121 in the MF-0/1 and 20 in MF-2/3 groups. The median time to neutrophil reconstruction was 12 (range: 7–34) and 14 (range: 10–45) days (P = 0.005), and platelet reconstruction was 14 (range: 8–68) and 18 (range: 8–65) days (P = 0.045) in the MF-0/1 and MF-2/3 groups, respectively. However, the cumulative incidence of neutrophil and platelet engraftment achieved at day + 30 was not different between the two groups (P = 0.107, P = 0.303, respectively). Non-relapse mortality, relapse, and acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease were similar between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Among patients with allo-HSCT, the 2-year overall survival (OS) was 68.5% (95% CI: 60.1–76.9%) and 68.4% (95% CI: 47.4–89.4%) in the MF-0/1 and MF-2/3 groups, respectively, (P = 0.636). Among patients without allo-HSCT, the 2-year OS was 49.9% (95% CI: 40.7–59.1%) and 19.2% (95% CI: 0–39.6%) in the MF-0/1 and MF-2/3 groups, respectively, (P = 0.002). In multivariate cox analysis, complex karyotype was an unfavorable factor for relapse (HR, 4.16; P = 0.006), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR, 2.16; P = 0.020), and OS (HR, 2.47; P = 0.009) post-transplantation.ConclusionPatients with MF-2/3 have more complex karyotypes and lower ORR of cytoreduction in MDS. Among patients without allo-HSCT, patients with MF-2/3 have a worse prognosis than those with MF-0/1. However, the adverse impact of MF on prognosis may be overcome by allo-HSCT.

TET2 Mutation and High miR-22 Expression as Biomarkers to Predict Clinical Outcome in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients Treated with Hypomethylating Therapy.

Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) is one of the most frequently mutated genes in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). TET2 is known to involve a demethylation process, and the loss of TET2 is thought to cause DNA hypermethylation. Loss of TET2 function is known to be caused by genetic mutations and miRNA, such as miR-22. We analyzed 41 MDS patients receiving hypomethylating therapy (HMT) to assess whether TET2 mutation status and miR-22 expression status were associated with their clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes. Responsiveness to HMT was not affected by both TET2 mutation (odds ratio (OR) 0.900, p = 0.909) and high miR-22 expression (OR 1.548, p = 0.631). There was a tendency for TET2 mutation to be associated with lower-risk disease based on IPSS (Gamma = −0.674, p = 0.073), lower leukemic transformation (OR 0.170, p = 0.040) and longer survival (Hazard ratio 0.354, p = 0.059). Although high miR-22 expression also showed a similar tendency, this tendency was weaker than that of TET2 mutation. In summary, the loss of TET2 function, including both TET2 mutation and high miR-22 expression, was not a good biomarker for predicting the response to HMT but may be associated with lower-risk disease based on IPSS, lower leukemic transformation and longer survival.

2021 BSH guidelines for the management of adult myelodysplastic syndromes: a practical approach to a challenging disease.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of haematological malignancies with extremely variable biologic, genetic and clinical characteristics.1 The outcome of MDS patients is very heterogeneous, some having a near-normal life expectancy while others die within a few months of their diagnosis. The median age of patients at diagnosis is advanced, ranging between 70 and 75 years, thus further complicating the management of these complex syndromes, since non-haematological comorbidities frequently coexist in the elderly and tolerability of treatments is limited.2 Given the heterogeneity of the disease pathobiology and the highly variable disease course, prognostic risk stratification is of crucial importance in clinical decision-making.3 To drive appropriate counselling and individualisation of treatment decisions, several prognostic scoring systems based on clinical and haematological parameters have been developed. Principal scoring systems currently used in Europe are the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), and the revised IPSS (R-IPSS), which are based on the evaluation of peripheral blood cytopenias, bone marrow blast count and cytogenetic features.4 In daily practice, reliability of these scores is limited by the variability of morphological evaluation and, less frequently, by non-informative cytogenetic findings in a proportion of patients. Moreover, other factors including the clonal mutational status have been reported to influence the prognosis of MDS patients, and to affect the clinical outcome.5, 6 In any case, diagnostic procedures and evaluation of prognosis are not covered by these guidelines as they will be published in a separate British Society for Haematology (BSH) document. Unlike the previous edition, the 2021 BSH guidelines also do not include recommendations for CMML, for which dedicated guidelines will follow. The 2021 updated BSH guidelines for the Management of Adult Myelodysplastic Syndromes provide clear, simple and practical recommendations to approach patients with such a challenging diagnosis.7 Given the heterogeneity of the disease, the importance of establishing an individual risk-adapted treatment strategy is crucial; nonetheless, transfusion requirements and infectious complications are common to almost all patients, sooner or later. The guidelines first exhaustively describe the supportive measures that should be adopted with most patients; in particular, recommendations are reported the for prevention of fungal infection, a common complication in neutropenic patients, and for transfusion thresholds and policies to be adopted to improve patient quality of life (QoL) on the one hand, saving blood products on the other. Then, individual planning of therapeutic options is described extensively, also by means of simplified algorithms. Although standard care for MDS is constantly changing, recommendations for the initial treatment choice are still based on IPSS and R-IPSS risk evaluation, and, importantly, on patient’s preference. Therapeutic measures for most lower risk patients aim to decrease the transfusion burden and improve QoL, whereas recommendations for higher risk patients aim to prolong their life. This distinction is clearly represented in these guidelines; for each group updated treatment strategies are reported, some reflecting the 2014 BSH document. Still relevant is the recommendation that the initial MDS diagnosis should be discussed by a multidisciplinary team, including a transplantation expert, as allogeneic transplantation remains the only potentially curative option. Worthy of note, in this setting recommendations for cytoreduction in advanced MDS with hypomethylating agents (HMA) or chemotherapy before transplant are still debated, although inferior survival outcomes for patients with excess BM blasts (> 5%) at the time of transplant have been reported. Moreover, it is important that clinicians review MDS cases regularly in multidisciplinary meetings to determine if a patient can become a possible transplant candidate and/or can possibly take part in a clinical trial. Patients’ details should also be made available to national and international dedicated registries, ‘to maximize information about the patient’s history and treatment of MDS in order to benefit future patients’. In general, the guidelines are proposed to improve the quality of care of patients as well as to help physicians in their daily practice. The BSH guidelines for the management of MDS represent a timely update and make a valid contribution for the diagnosis and treatment of this heterogeneous group of blood disorders.

Outcome of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients with TP53 Mutation Treated with Hypomethylating Agents

▪IntroductionMyelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients (pts) with TP53 gene mutation (MT) have poor outcome. Recent studies suggested higher response rates to hypomethylating agents (HMA) among TP53 MT MDS pts. Those studies were limited by small number of TP53 MT. We compared the outcomes in a large cohort of TP53 MT MDS patients to those with wild type TP53 (WT) treated with HMA.MethodsWe identified MDS patients who underwent next generation sequencing (NGS) for TP53 MT who received hypomethylating agents in our MDS database. NGS included a panel of up to 54 genes with VAF threshold of 5% and minimum depth of coverage was 500X. We compared baseline characteristics between pts with TP53 MT and WT; chi square was used for categorical variables and t-test for continuous variables. Patients with low or intermediate-1 risk International prognostic scoring system (IPSS) were categorized as lower risk MDS (LR-MDS) and those with intermediate-2 or high risk IPSS as higher risk MDS (HR-MDS). The best response rate to HMA treatment was reported utilizing international working group criteria (IWG 2006); overall response was reported as HI+ which included complete response (CR), marrow CR, partial response and hematological improvement. Kaplan Meier estimates were used for overall survival (OS) where median OS was calculated from time of diagnosis, log rank test was used for comparison and cox regression analysis for multivariable analysis.ResultsWe identified 508 pts who underwent testing for TP53 MT and were treated with azacitidine or decitabine, 102 pts had TP53 MT. Table-1 summarizes baseline characteristics between the two groups. Among TP53 MT pts, 97 (95%) received azacitidine and 5 (5%) pts had decitabine as the first line HMA compared to 374(92%) treated with azacitidine and 32 (8%) with decitabine in TP53 WT pts as the first HMA (p= .3).Best response to HMA (HI+) was 41% (CR 18%) and 32% (CR 9%) among pts with TP53 MT and WT, respectively (p =.06). Among pts with LR-MDS the best response rates were 32% vs 25% (p=0.4) and in pts with HR-MDS the best response rates were 44% and 41% respectively in TP53 MT and WT (p=0.7). Median OS was 14 mo for TP53 MT MDS pts compared to 41 mo for TP53 WT pts (p<.005). The median OS was 45 and 65 mo. respectively in LR-MDS TP 53 MT and WT pts (p= 0.3). Among HR-MDS pts the median OS was 12 and 21 mo, respectively (p< .005).The median OS was 15 mo and 41 mo among pts with TP53 MT and WT who achieved CR, respectively (p <.005).For pts who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) the median OS was 16 mo for TP53 MT and 74 mo for TP53 WT (p=.008).After adjusting for age, R-IPSS, complex karyotype TP53 MT was independently associated with worse overall survival in HMA treated patients, HR 1.4 (p = .048).ConclusionsWe observed a trend for higher response rates among MDS pts with TP53 MT treated with HMA compared to TP53 WT. The median OS was inferior among TP53 MT MDS patients. The benefit of AHSCT among TP53 MT pts is not clear. The value of TP53 allele burden reduction and clearance with treatment and prior to AHSCT should be further investigated. [Display omitted] DisclosuresKomrokji:Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria. Sallman:Celgene: Research Funding. Padron:Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding. Sweet:Ariad: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Otsuka: Consultancy; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy; Incyte: Research Funding. Lancet:Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Erytech: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; BioSight: Consultancy; Pfizer: Other: Institutional research funding, Research Funding; Bio-Path Holdings: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy.

Erythroid nuclear dysplasia is associated with inferior outcomes for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Disease burden prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is difficult to assess in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), particularly in patients without excess blasts. We assessed whether morphologic dysplasia at the time of transplant can be a metric of disease burden that is associated with post-transplant outcomes in MDS patients. We identified 84 MDS patients undergoing allogeneic HCT at our institution between 2010 and 2017 who received a bone marrow evaluation immediately prior to HCT. Dysplasia was independently determined by two hematopathologists blinded to existing pathology reports. Erythroid nuclear dysplasia, but not megakaryocytic or myeloid, was associated with post-HCT outcomes. Presence compared to absence of erythroid nuclear dysplasia was associated with lower 2-year progression-free survival (PFS; 34 % vs 62 %, p = 0.0495) and 2-year overall survival (OS; 34 % vs 62 %, p = 0.042). In a multivariate analysis including age, IPSS-R at the time of transplant, pre-HCT therapy, and donor type as covariates, erythroid nuclear dysplasia remained associated with lower PFS (HR 2.6, p = 0.036) and OS (HR 2.7, p = 0.028). Dysplasia assessment prior to transplant may serve as an estimate of disease burden in MDS and identify high-risk patients who merit additional therapies pre- or post-transplant.

Clinical, biological, and prognostic implications of SF3B1 co-occurrence mutations in very low/low- and intermediate-risk MDS patients.

SF3B1 is a highly mutated gene in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, related to a specific subtype and parameters of good prognosis in MDS without excess blasts. More than 40% of MDS patients carry at least two myeloid-related gene mutations but little is known about the impact of concurrent mutations on the outcome of MDS patients. In applying next-generation sequencing (NGS) with a 117 myeloid gene custom panel, we analyzed the co-occurrence of SF3B1 with other mutations to reveal their clinical, biological, and prognostic implications in very low/low- and intermediate-risk MDS patients. Mutations in addition to those of SF3B1 were present in 80.4% of patients (median of 2 additional mutations/patient, range 0-5). The most frequently mutated genes were as follows: TET2 (39.2%), DNMT3A (25.5%), SRSF2 (10.8%), CDH23 (5.9%), and ASXL1, CUX1, and KMT2D (4.9% each). The presence of at least two mutations concomitant with that of SF3B1 had an adverse impact on survival compared with those with the SF3B1 mutation and fewer than two additional mutations (median of 54 vs. 87months, respectively: p = 0.007). The co-occurrence of SF3B1 mutations with specific genes is also linked to a dismal prognosis: SRSF2 mutations were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) than SRSF2wt (median, 27 vs. 75months, respectively; p = 0.001), concomitant IDH2 mutations (median OS, 11 [mut] vs. 75 [wt] months; p = 0.001), BCOR mutations (median OS, 11 [mut] vs. 71 [wt] months; p = 0.036), and NUP98 and STAG2 mutations (median OS, 27 and 11 vs. 71months, respectively; p = 0.008 and p = 0.002). Mutations in CHIP genes (TET2, DNMT3A) did not significantly affect the clinical features or outcome. Our results suggest that a more comprehensive NGS study in low-risk MDS SF3B1mut patients is essential for a better prognostic evaluation.

Efficacy of Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor in Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Background: Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) is a clonal bone marrow disorder characterized by ineffective and clonal hematopoiesis accompanied by morphological dysplasia and variable cytopenia. There are few treatment options for MDS, and allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only curative option. Tubulin belongs to protein superfamily of globular proteins. Monomeric tubulin can polymerize into microtubules, which play an important role in the attachment and segregation of chromosomes in various phases of cell division. Therefore, the targeting of microtubules represents a therapeutic strategy against both solid and hematological cancers. The first approved tubulin binding agent by the FDA was vincristine, which has been clinically used to treat multiple types of cancers, particularly hematological malignancies. Over the past few decades, additional tubulin binding agents have been developed and received FDA approval, mostly for applications to cancer therapy. These agents have been classified by their binding sites on tubulin, which influences their roles in the inhibition or stabilization of polymerized microtubules. We herein investigated the efficacy of PTC-028, a novel microtubule polymerization inhibitor for MDS. Method: Anti-MDS efficacy of PTC-028 was studied using human MDS cell lines and primary MDS cells in vitro. The efficacy of PTC-028 was also assessed in a xenograft mouse model of MDS using an MDS cell lines. PTC-028 was synthesized at PTC Therapeutics Inc. Mechanistic studies were conducted via flow cytometry and RNA sequencing. Results: A previous study reported that PTC596 suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in AML cell lines. Since MDS is regarded as a pre-leukemic stage, we examined the effects of PTC-028, another novel microtubule polymerization inhibitor, on MDS cells. PTC-028 induced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation on MDS cell lines, such as MDS-L and SKM-1 cells. Caspase 3/7 activity was also significantly induced in MDS-L and SKM-1 cells in the presence of PTC-028, suggesting the induction of apoptotic cell death by PTC-028. We then isolated CD34+ cells from primary MDS BM samples and investigated the efficacy of PTC-028 on primary MDS cells. The efficacy of PTC-028 in CD34+ MDS cells was also confirmed by cell proliferation assays. To enhance the therapeutic benefit of PTC-028 on MDS cells, we investigated synergism between PTC-028 and DNA hypomethylating agents. We treated MDS-L and SKM-1 cells with PTC-028 in combination with DNA hypomethylating agents. After 3 days of culture, cell growth was analyzed by MTS and Annexin V assays. PTC-028 synergized with hypomethylating agents, such as decitabine and azacitidine, to inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis of MDS cells. We assessed the efficacy of PTC-028 in a xenograft mouse model of MDS using an MDS cell line. Recipient mice were treated with PTC-028 for 7 weeks. PTC-028 significantly inhibited the growth of MDS-L cells and prolonged the overall survival of recipient mice. Furthermore, a significant synergistic effect was observed between PTC-028 and decitabine. Mice that received combination therapy showed moderate weight loss 11 days after the initiation of the treatment, but subsequently recovered. Mechanistically, a treatment with PTC-028 induced G2/M arrest followed by apoptotic cell death. We then investigated the effect of PTC-028 on the levels of soluble (unpolymerized) versus polymerized tubulin in MDS-L cells. Cells were treated with PTC-028 and paclitaxel for 4 hours, and cell lysates were then separated into soluble and polymerized fractions by centrifugation. The visualization of tubulin fractions by Western blotting demonstrated that the PTC-028 treatment for 4 hours resulted in the near-complete loss of polymerized microtubules. In contrast, polymerized microtubules increased in cells treated with paclitaxel, which stabilizes microtubules against depolymerization. These result indicates that PTC-028 also acts as a microtubule polymerization inhibitor. Conclusion: Our data reveal a possible chemotherapeutic strategy for PTC-028 and PTC-596 in MDS by disruption of microtubule dynamics as a single agent and in combination with hypomethylating agents. The present study provides a preclinical framework for the clinical evaluation of this promising therapeutic approach to improve outcomes in MDS patients. Disclosures Lennox: PTC therapeutics: Current Employment. Sheedy:PTC therapeutics: Current Employment. Weetall:PTC Therapeutic: Current Employment.

LncRNA Profiling Reveals That the Deregulation of H19, WT1-AS, TCL6, and LEF1-AS1 Is Associated with Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Simple SummaryAlthough lncRNAs have been increasingly recognized as regulators of hematopoiesis, only several studies addressed their role in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). By genome-wide profiling, we identified lncRNAs deregulated in various groups of MDS patients. We computationally constructed lncRNA-protein coding gene networks to associate deregulated lncRNAs with cellular processes involved in MDS. We showed that expression of H19, WT1-AS, TCL6, and LEF1-AS1 lncRNAs associate with higher-risk MDS and proposed processes related with these transcripts.Background: myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a hematopoietic stem cell disorder with an incompletely known pathogenesis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play multiple roles in hematopoiesis and represent a new class of biomarkers and therapeutic targets, but information on their roles in MDS is limited. Aims: here, we aimed to characterize lncRNAs deregulated in MDS that may function in disease pathogenesis. In particular, we focused on the identification of lncRNAs that could serve as novel potential biomarkers of adverse outcomes in MDS. Methods: we performed microarray expression profiling of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes (PCGs) in the CD34+ bone marrow cells of MDS patients. Expression profiles were analyzed in relation to different aspects of the disease (i.e., diagnosis, disease subtypes, cytogenetic and mutational aberrations, and risk of progression). LncRNA-PCG networks were constructed to link deregulated lncRNAs with regulatory mechanisms associated with MDS. Results: we found several lncRNAs strongly associated with disease pathogenesis (e.g., H19, WT1-AS, TCL6, LEF1-AS1, EPB41L4A-AS1, PVT1, GAS5, and ZFAS1). Of these, downregulation of LEF1-AS1 and TCL6 and upregulation of H19 and WT1-AS were associated with adverse outcomes in MDS patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that the predominant variables predictive of survival are blast count, H19 level, and TP53 mutation. Coexpression network data suggested that prognosis-related lncRNAs are predominantly related to cell adhesion and differentiation processes (H19 and WT1-AS) and mechanisms such as chromatin modification, cytokine response, and cell proliferation and death (LEF1-AS1 and TCL6). In addition, we observed that transcriptional regulation in the H19/IGF2 region is disrupted in higher-risk MDS, and discordant expression in this locus is associated with worse outcomes. Conclusions: we identified specific lncRNAs contributing to MDS pathogenesis and proposed cellular processes associated with these transcripts. Of the lncRNAs associated with patient prognosis, the level of H19 transcript might serve as a robust marker comparable to the clinical variables currently used for patient stratification.

&lt;p&gt;Patients of Myelodysplastic Syndrome with Mild/Moderate Myelofibrosis and a Monosomal Karyotype are Independently Associated with an Adverse Prognosis: Long-Term Follow-Up Data&lt;/p&gt;

PurposeThe aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with concomitant mild-to-moderate myelofibrosis (MF), and to assess its independent prognostic role in MDS patients diagnosed by World Health Organization 2016 classification (WHO2016C) with long-term follow-up.Patients and MethodsA total of 157 patients with primary MDS associated with or without MF were examined retrospectively with long-term follow-up. MF graded as MF-1/MF-2 was defined as “mild/moderate”. Cytogenetics testing and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were also conducted in all MDS patients.ResultsThirty-four (21.7%) of 157 MDS patients had MF. Also, 24 (15.3%) MDS patients based on WHO2016 criteria were defined as MF-1 and 10 (6.4%) as MF-2. MDS patients with MF-1/2 had a higher prevalence of death (p=0.002), leukemic progression (p=0.013), O blood type (p=0.039) as well as less hypercellular proliferation (p<0.001) and less supportive treatment (p=0.003) compared with those without mild/moderate MF. Cytogenetics testing did not show a significant difference between MDS patients with and without MF. Multivariate analyses showed that MF (mild/moderate), a monosomal karyotype (MK) and % bone-marrow blasts were independently associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Age was an independent indicator of the adverse OS of MDS patients. Compared with those without MF, MDS patients with mild/moderate MF were significantly associated with worse OS and PFS in MK-negative subgroups and relatively low-risk Revised International Prognostic Scoring System for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (IPSS-R) stratification in long-term follow-up.ConclusionMild/moderate myelofibrosis and monosomal karyotype are independent indicators of a poor clinical outcome in MDS patients. In long-term follow-up, MDS with mild/moderate MF can be a prognostic marker for MDS patients with a specific MK stratification and IPSS-R stratification.

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Is an Independent Predictor of Outcome in High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Low Blast Count Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) Patients Treated with Azacytidine (AZA). a Retrospective Study from the MDS Registry of the Hellenic MDS Study Group

Introduction. Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) is a disease of the elderly. Apart from IPSS, IPSS-R and WPSS, several indexes incorporating patient comorbidities (such as the MDS CI index- Della Porta et al Haematologica 2011, the HCT-CI index - Sorror et al Blood 2005) and performance status (the GFM index- Itzykson et al Blood 2011) have been used to predict outcome in MDS patients treated with azacytidine (AZA). We sought to investigate the effect of comorbidities on the outcome after AZA in a large group of patients from the MDS registry of the Hellenic MDS Study Group. Methods. The present study has been conducted as a retrospective observational cohort one. It included high-risk MDS and low blast count AML patients treated with AZA from 26 centers in Greece from 2007 to 2018. T-test and ANOVA were used to compare scale variables between two or more groups respectively. Univariate analysis of nominal and scale survival data was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression respectively. All variables achieving p&lt;0.05 at univariate analysis were considered eligible for multivariate analysis; the latter was based on Cox regression method. Results. We analyzed 536 consecutive patients. Patient characteristics are depicted in Table 1. The median follow-up period was 27.5±4.8 months. 371 patients received at least four cycles of AZA and 165 patients received less than 4 cycles of AZA. Patients who received ≥4 cycles of AZA did not differ from those who received &lt;4 cycles regarding gender, age, estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), cardiovascular, renal, and tumor comorbidities. Significantly higher IPSS-R and GFM scores at baseline were found in the group of patients receiving &lt; 4 cycles of AZA compared to patients who received ≥ 4 cycles of AZA (p=0.042 and 0.05 respectively), while transfusion dependence at baseline occurred more often in patients who received ≥ 4 cycles of AZA (p=0.039). To assess the prognostic significance of risk factors on leukemia free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS), univariate and multivariate analysis for the whole population was performed, as well as a landmark analysis for patients who were treated with at least 4 cycles of AZA. ECOG performance status and the presence of peripheral blasts were independent prognostic factors for LFS and OS for the whole cohort analysis while response to AZA and the presence of peripheral blasts were independent prognosticators for LFS and OS in the landmark analysis. In addition, prior low dose cytarabine was an independent adverse prognostic factor for LFS in the landmark analysis. As regards comorbidities, neither of MDS-CI, HCT-CI and GFM systems independently predicted LFS or OS in either analysis, but eGFR with a cut-off of 45 ml/min was a strong and independent prognosticator for LFS and OS in both the standard and the landmark analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves regarding LFS and OS at AZA initiation and landmark analysis after 4th cycle of AZA in relation with eGFR are shown in Figure 1. Conclusion. This is the first study to demonstrate the importance of eGFR at baseline as a prognostic marker for LFS and OS in high-risk MDS and low-blast AML patients treated with AZA. The role of comorbidities and PS needs to be further evaluated in this patient group. Disclosures Symeonidis: Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; MSD: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Tekeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Vassilakopoulos:Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; WinMedica: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene / GenesisPharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Panayiotidis:Bayer: Other: Support of clinical trial. Pappa:Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene / GenesisPharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Kotsianidis:Celgene: Research Funding.

Monosomal karyotypes apart from complex karyotypes independently predict the outcome of myelodysplastic syndrome patients using a fluorescence in situ hybridization panel and conventional cytogenetics

The aim of the study was to analyze monosomal karyotype (MK) occurrence and the relationship between MKs and complex karyotypes (CKs) and to determine the prognostic significance of MKs in MDS patients based on conventional cytogenetic (CC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses. CC and FISH analyses were conducted for 216 primary MDS patients. Follow-ups and statistical analysis were conducted. A total of 25 (11.6%) patients with MKs were identified by FISH and CC analyses, and 23 (92%) of these MKs were also CKs. Only 19 patients (8.8%) with MKs were identified by CC analysis. Patients with MKs had higher bone marrow (BM) blast counts (P=0.006), incidence of very high risk according to International Prognostic Scoring System-Revised (IPSS-R) (P<0.001), leukemic transformation (P=0.003,) and death rates (P<0.001) than those without MKs. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of MK or CK patients which were additionally detected by FISH and CC analyses had no statistical significance with those MK or CK patients detected by CC analyses separately. Multivariate analysis indicated that MK (P<0.001), blast in BM (P<0.001) and age (P=0.028) were inferior independent prognostic factors in OS, whereas CK (P=0.003) was the inferior independent prognostic factor in PFS. The MDS FISH panel may provide additional information for defining MKs beyond CC analysis. MK was an important indicator of OS in MDS patients, and CK indicated inferior disease progression but did not influence OS according to CC and FISH analyses.

Graft-versus-MDS effect after unrelated cord blood transplantation: a retrospective analysis of 752 patients registered at the Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the sole curative therapy for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, there is concern regarding graft failure and relapse in patients who undergo cord blood transplantation (CBT). We conducted a retrospective study of the CBT outcomes in MDS patients using the Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation database. Seven hundred fifty-two de novo MDS patients of ≥18 years of age (median, 58 years) undergoing their first CBT between 2001 and 2015 were examined. Two-thirds of the patients were male, and were RAEB. The cumulative incidences of neutrophil and platelet engraftment at day 100 were 77 and 59%, respectively. The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 41% and the median survival of the patients was 1.25 years. A multivariate analysis of pre-transplant variables showed that the age, gender, cytogenetic subgroups, number of RBC transfusions, HCT-CI and year of CBT significantly influenced the outcome. The cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was 32 and 21%, respectively. A survival benefit was observed in patients who developed cGVHD, but not aGVHD. Our results suggest that CBT is an acceptable alternative graft and that a graft-versus-MDS effect can be expected, especially in patients who develop cGVHD.

Clonal Suppression of TP53 Mutant MDS and Oligoblastic AML with Hypomethylating Agent Therapy Improves Overall Survival

Background Hypomethylating agent (HMA) therapy represents the standard of care for patients with higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) although only 50% of patients respond to treatment. Recent evidence from molecular profiling through next-generation sequencing (NGS) in myeloid diseases has been conflicting as to the value of somatic mutations as a biomarker for response to HMA. In particular, there have been conflicting data on response rates and outcomes in TP53 mutant (MT) MDS and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on azacitidine versus decitabine (Welch et al., NEJM 2016; Garcia-Manero et al., NEJM 2017). However, the TP53 mutant cohorts in these studies were small (median 23 patients, range 13-39) and heterogeneous based on treatment status (treatment naïve versus relapse/refractory). Therefore, our goal was to characterize outcomes of TP53 mutant MDS patients who received frontline HMA therapy.Patients and MethodsTP53 MT MDS and oligoblastic AML (20-30% blasts) cases were retrospectively identified from the Moffitt Cancer Center MDS database. All patients had NGS of TP53 and up to 53 additional genes performed prior to the initiation of HMA. The lower limit of VAF detection was set at 5% and the minimum depth of coverage at each position was 500X. Clinical variables and outcomes of MDS patients were characterized at the time of sample procurement. Fisher's exact tests were used for comparative analyses. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate overall survival (OS) and analyzed from the date of HMA initiation. Response rates and outcomes of TP53 MT patients were compared to a cohort of wildtype (WT) patients (n=63).Results From May 2013 to May 2018, a total of 71 patients with TP53 mutant MDS were identified with a median age of 68 years (39-82) and male predominance (66%). Fourteen patients (20%) had multiple mutations in TP53. Of the cohort, 82% of patients (n=58) were treated with azacitidine (88% (n=51) with AZA monotherapy; 12% (n=7) with AZA in combination (2 pts with lenalidomide and 5 pts with investigational agents)) with 18% (n=13) receiving decitabine. The median # of HMA cycles was 4 (range 1-33). Thirteen pts (18%) proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Of the cohort, 18% (n=13) obtained complete remission (CR) with 39% (n=28) overall response rate (ORR). There was no difference in CR or ORR in pts treated with AZA vs DAC (P=0.24 and P=0.2, respectively). At a median follow up 20 months, the median OS of the entire cohort was 9.7 months. There was no difference in median OS between AZA vs AZA combo vs DAC (7.6 vs 15.2 vs 12.5 months; P = 0.44; Figure 1A). TP53 variant allele frequency (VAF > 20% vs ≤ 20%) was not predictive of outcomes to HMA (7.8 vs 10.4 months, P = 0.36).However, TP53 MT patients who had clonal response to HMA (i.e. VAF < 5%; n=19 (27%)) had improved OS (14.5 vs 7.5 months; HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.59; P = 0.001; Figure 1B). In multivariable analysis incorporating age, revised international prognostic scoring system (IPSS-R) category, HSCT status, or type of HMA, TP53 clonal clearance remained an independent covariate for improved OS (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.72; P = 0.005). Pts who underwent HSCT (n=13) had a trend for improved OS (14.5 months vs 7.9 months; P = 0.09). Notably in transplanted pts who had serial TP53 NGS (n=7), pts who achieved a VAF < 5% had significant improved OS (16.3 months vs 8.9 months; P=0.03). Compared to higher risk MDS/AML TP53 WT patients treated with HMA, there was no difference in CR (18% vs 14% (P = 0.64) or ORR rates (39% vs 40%). In contrast, TP53 MT patients had significantly inferior OS with HMA therapy (9.7 vs 15.4 months; HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.32. to 3.27; P = 0.001; Figure 1C).Conclusion In this large cohort of higher risk MDS and oligoblastic AML pts who received frontline HMA therapy, TP53 MT patients have significantly inferior OS with no significant differences in response rates or outcomes by HMA. TP53 MT patients who achieve maximum clonal suppression with HMA treatment (i.e. VAF < 5%) have improved OS as well as improved outcome with HSCT. Novel therapy targeting TP53 mutation is needed to improve outcomes. [Display omitted] DisclosuresSallman:Celgene: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Sweet:Agios: Consultancy; Jazz: Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Consultancy; Phizer: Consultancy; Phizer: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Jazz: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Agios: Consultancy; BMS: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Honoraria. List:Celgene: Research Funding. Komrokji:Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau.

MicroRNA-22 and TET-2 Mutation in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients Treated with Hypomethylating Agents

Background: MicroRNAs are small RNA species that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and are aberrantly expressed in many cancers including hematological malignancies. Some reports suggested that aberrations in the miR-22-TET2 regulatory network are common in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and leukemia, and its aberrant expression correlates with poor survival. We attempted to identify the clinical role of miR-22 and TET-2 in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.Materials and Methods: A total of 41 MDS patients who treated with hypomethylating agents were recruited. Real time RT-PCR was performed to assess the expression levels of miR-22 and TET-2 mutation in bone marrow samples at the time of diagnosis. And we investigated the relationship between its results and clinical outcomes.Results: TET2 mutation frequency in the higher risk group based the IPSS and IPSS-R was lower than that of lower risk group (11.1% vs 38.1%). miR22 expression was also down-regulated in higher risk group (higher risk: 1.70 ± 0.96 vs lower risk: 3.14 ± 1.38, p=0.006). TET2 mutation seemed to be different according to the responsiveness to hypomethylating agents. TET2 mutation, IPSS, and IPSS-R were significantly associated with the risk of leukemic transformation. Patients with an decreased value in the consecutive assessment of miR-22 at the time of diagnosis and 3 months after initial treatment tended to be associated with poor survival outcome (survival rate at 3 years: 18.2% vs 35.1% for patients with an increase, p=0.168). Prognostic factors for survival included TET-2 mutation, cytogenetics, IPSS or IPSS-R, and leukemic transformation.Conclusion: miR-22 expression and TET2 mutation had a clinical impact on outcomes in MDS patients treated with hypomethylating agents. And these biomarkers might have a potential as a prognostic factor for MDS patients. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.