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Introduction: Croatian National Cancer Registry of Croatian Institute for Public Health reported that in year 2020 lung cancer was the second most common cancer site diagnosed in men with 16% and the third most common in women with 10% incidence among all cancer sites. Unfortunatelly lung cancer has the highest mortality in both men and women. Haematological malignancies had 7% share in all malignancies in both male and female cances cases. In 2020 190 newly diagnosed cases of lymphatic leukemia in men and 128 cases in women were reporeted, meaning 1.5 and 1.2% of all malignancies, respectively. Chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) is an advanced age disease and incidence increases with age. Impaired immunity, T and B cell dysfunction in CLL, chromosomal aberations, long-term immunosuppressive therapy and genetic factors can all cause secondary malignancies. Co- occurence of solid tumors and CLL is very rare. Although patiens with CLL have an increased risk of developing second primary malignancies including lung carcinoma, the data about their clinical outcomes are lacking. Parekh et al. retrospectively analyzed patients with simultaneous CLL and lung carcinoma over a 20-year period, and they found that ~2% of patients with CLL actually developed lung carcinoma. The authors claimed that up to 38% of patients will also develop a third neoplasm more likely of the skin (melanoma and basal cell carcinoma), larynx (laryngeal carcinoma) or colon. Currently there are no specific guidelines for concurrent CLL and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treatment. Usually, when the tumors are diagnosed simultaneously, treatment is based to target the most aggressive malignancy, as the clinical outcomes depend on the response of the tumor with the poorest prognosis. For this reason, a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory. Case report: A patient with history of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 2019 (at the age of 71) with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia with bulky tumor (inguinal lymph nodes 8x5 cm), stage B according to Binet, intermediate risk. He was treated with 6 cycles of chemoimmunotherapy (rituximab/cyclofosfamid/fludarabine). In 10/2019 remission was confirmed, but MSCT described tumor in the posterior segment of upper right lung lobe measuring 20x17 mm and bilateral metastases up to 11 mm. Bronchoscopy and biopsy were performed, and EGFR neg, ALK neg, ROS 1 neg, PD-L1>50% adenocarcinoma was confirmed. He was referred to Clinical Hospital Center Osijek where monotherapy with pembrolizumab in a standard dose of 200 mg intravenously was started in 01/2020. Partial remission was confirmed in October 2020. Immunotherapy was discontinued due to development of pneumonitis, dysphagia and severe weight loss (20kg), but without radiologically confirmed disease progression. At that time he was referred to our hospital for further treatment. Gastroscopy has shown erosive gastritis with active duodenal ulcus, Forrest III. Supportive therapy and proton pump inhibitor were introduced. After complete regression of pneumonitis, improvement of general condition and resolution of dysphagia, no signs of lung cancer progression were found and pembrolizumab was reintroduced in 12/2021. Hypothyroidism was diagnosed in 01/2021 and levothyroxine replacement ther apy was started. In 03/2021 he underwent surgical removal of basal cell carcinoma of skin on the right temporal region with lobe reconstruction. From 02/2021, when pembrolizumab was reintroduced, regression in tumor size was continously confirmed with complete recovery of general condition. He was hospitalized for COVID 19 infection in 09/2021, and due to complications pembrolizumab was discontinued till 11/2021. Lung cancer immunotherapy proceeded till 11/2022, when Multidisciplinary team decided to finish pembrolizumab because of CLL relapse. CLL was in remission till August 2022 when due to B symptoms, lymphcytosis, anemia and generalized lymphadenopathy, hematological workup including biopsy of cervical lymph node was performed and CLL/SLL relapse was confirmed. Initially chlorambucil was introduced, but disease was refractory. Based on cytogenetic test results (IGHV unmutated, negative TP53) and due to cardiovascular comorbidity (contraindication for BTK inhibitors) venetoclax and rituximab were started in 01/2023. After just 1 cycle of treatment normal blood count as well as regression of B symptoms and peripheral lymphadenopathy occured, indicating the probability of complete disease remission. In our patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma excellent disease control is achieved during 41 month of treatment in first line setting. Furthermore, relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL is currently in confirmed remission. Conclusion(s): Successful treatment of patients with multiple primary malignancies is based on multidisciplinarity, early recognition and management of side effects, treatment of comorbidities with the aim of prolonging life, controlling symptoms of disease and preserving quality of life.
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Introduction: Wolman disease is a rare genetic disorder with an autosomal recessive inheritance. A mutation in the LIPA gene causes lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) deficiency results in lipid storage and adrenal insufficiency. Death in early infancy is due to liver failure. Patients and methods: We describe the clinical course of a three-month-old infant diagnosed with Wolman disease. A rapid mutational analysis confirmed a LIPA gene defect. Results: He underwent matched unrelated donor peripheral blood stem cell hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at 3 months of age, with a treosulfan-based conditioning, which resulted in engraftment with donor-derived hematopoietic cells. He required supportive care for sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and mucositis. He was administered low dose prednisolone for grade I skin graft versus host disease, and a complete donor chimerism was documented on several occasions. At one year post HSCT, his growth and development were optimal, and there was no hepatosplenomegaly. He is maintained on glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid supplements for primary hypoaldosteronism. Conclusion: The case emphasizes the timely diagnosis and the potential for successful treatment of Wolman disease by HSCT. © 2022 Pediatric Hematology Oncology Chapter of Indian Academy of Pediatrics
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Background: Cyclophosphamide (Cy) is used in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) preparative regimens and lymphodepletion for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. We describe a case of cyclophosphamide hypersensitivity in a pediatric patient during CAR-T therapy. Case description: A 13 year old boy was diagnosed with very high risk ALL in 2015 and had 2 isolated CNS relapses treated with intensified chemotherapy (chemo) and cranial radiation (1st relapse) and Blinatumomab with intrathecal (IT) chemo followed by sibling donor HSCT (2nd relapse). At age 19, and 18 months after HSCT, he had a 3rd CNS relapse treated with IT chemo and referral for CAR-T therapy. At our center, leukapheresis and CAR-T production (Novartis) were performed. Later, during lymphodepletion with fludarabine (Flu) and Cy, physiologic replacement hydrocortisone (HC) was briefly held to prevent interference with CAR-T function. After 3 days of Flu/Cy, he developed fever and hypotension requiring inotropic support. Hypotension and fever resolved with stress dose HC and antibiotics and was attributed to culture-negative sepsis and adrenal crisis. CAR-T infusion was subsequently delayed by skin GVHD requiring glucocorticoids and COVID-19 infection treated with convalescent plasma and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. Physiologic HC replacement was continued when he was re-admitted for CAR-T therapy, but he again developed fever, diffuse erythema and shock in hours following the first dose of Cy necessitating stress dose HC, antibiotics, inotropes, and mechanical ventilation. Negative blood cultures and ongoing physiologic HC replacement suggested an alternative explanation for shock. Case reports of anaphylaxis to Cy metabolites implicated Cy as the causative agent so it was discontinued. After recovery, CAR-T cells were infused without complications. In the following weeks, he had no evidence of recurrent leukemia but was persistently pancytopenic. A sibling donor stem cell boost was proposed but the patient accepted only palliative care. He had several opportunistic infections before succumbing to E. coli sepsis. Discussion(s): The first episode of shock was initially attributed to adrenal crisis and sepsis, although no organism was identified. The second episode appeared anaphylactic in timing and clinical presentation with adequate HC replacement and negative cultures, suggesting Type I hypersensitivity. The patient previously received Cy uneventfully before HSCT, suggesting that the donor-derived immune system was the source of new Cy hypersensitivity. Onset of anaphylaxis within hours rather than minutes after Cy administration supports hypersensitivity to Cy metabolites rather than to the drug itself. This case highlights the importance of consideration of sensitivity to Cy metabolites as well as acquired donor-specific allergy even when alternative explanations are likely.Copyright © 2023 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
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Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with ex vivo T cell receptor (TCR) alphabeta+ T cell and CD19+ B cell depletion is an effective approach for children with primary immune deficiency disorders (PIDD) as it combines advantages of high CD34+ cell dose facilitating rapid engraftment with low risk of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). The ideal pre-conditioning regimen that facilitates robust donor engraftment without increasing risk of transplant related mortality has not been well defined with this approach. Method(s): We report the outcomes of 4 pediatric subjects: Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) (2), Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) (1), and RAC2 deficient Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (1) who underwent haploidentical HCT with TCRalphabeta+ T cell/CD19+ depletion at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital/Moffitt Cancer Center from 2020-2022 (NCT04414046). Pre-conditioning regimen consisted of distal thymoglobulin (7.5 mg/kg), fludarabine (175 mg/m2), thiotepa (10 mg/kg) and pharmacokinetic guided busulfan targeting a cumulative area under curve (cAUC) (65-75 mgxhr/L). Rituximab (200 mg/m2) was administered on day +1. Result(s): The median age at HCT was 51 months (range 10-163 months). All patients received mobilized peripheral blood stem cells from HLA- haploidentical donors (paternal=1, maternal=1 sibling=2). Median busulfan cAUC for all patients was 69 mgxhr/L (range 65-76). Median CD34 and TCR alphabeta T cell dose was 9.13x106 cells/kg (range 7.0-18.9x106) and 0.7x105 cells/kg (range 0.09-1.0x105). Median times to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 11 days (9-12) and 11 days (range 8-15), respectively. All 4 patients are alive with median follow-up of 19.5 months (range 7-24). One patient developed late VOD without organ dysfunction that resolved with defibrotide. At last follow up, peripheral T and myeloid chimerisms exceeded 90% in all 4 patients. Average time to CD4 recovery (> 200x106/L) was 142 days. Pre-existing inflammatory bowel disease in CGD (n=1) and WAS (n=1) patients resolved immediately following transplant. There was no graft failure, and none developed Grade III-IV acute or extensive chronic GVHD. Patient with WAS developed recurrent autoimmune cytopenias requiring corticosteroids, rituximab, sirolimus and daratumumab, and ultimately resolved. Viral reactivations included EBV (n= 1), adeno (n= 1), HHV6 (n= 2), BK (n=1), norovirus (n=1), and late HSV (n=1), all responded to antivirals without disease. All patients acquired SARS-Cov-2 after transplant and recovered without sequelae. Conclusion(s): TCR alphabeta+ and CD19+ depleted haploidentical transplantation using a reduced toxicity conditioning regimen with pharmacokinetic guided busulfan, fludarabine, thiotepa and thymoglobulin is well-tolerated in young children with PIDD that results in rapid, durable engraftment with low likelihood of GVHD and graft rejection.Copyright © 2023 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
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Introduction: Use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with trisomy 21 (+21) is infrequent given concerns about increased toxicity with cytotoxic chemotherapy.1 Due to increasing evidence of benefit from post-HCT cyclophosphamide (PTCy) for graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis and lack of prior descriptions in patients with +21,2-4 we report on 2 patients with +21 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who underwent HCT with PTCy. Method(s): Retrospective data were collected from 2 patients with ALL and +21 who underwent allogeneic HCT with PTCybased GVHD prophylaxis from 2019 to 2021. Data collected included age, disease risk, HCT-CI, GVHD incidence, and survival. Result(s): Patient 1 is a 22-year-old male and patient 2 a 25-year-old female. Both had Ph-negative, B-cell ALL. Patient 1 had ETV6/RUNX1 rearrangement, del 12p, gain of X, and he had recurrence of measurable residual disease (MRD) after initial MRD-negative CR with two lines of therapy pre-HCT. Patient 2 had normal cytogenetics and relapsed disease with 4 prior lines of therapy. Both achieved MRD-negativity pre-HCT. Both received fludarabine and melphalan conditioning, and patient 1 also received thiotepa 2.5 mg/kg. PTCy was given on days +3 and 4 at 50 mg/kg with sirolimus and tacrolimus for GVHD prophylaxis. Patient 1 had a haploidentical donor and received one dose of rabbit ATG (1 mg/kg) on day +5. Patient 2 had a matched unrelated donor. There was no significant delay in engraftment of ANC (day 16-19) or platelets (day 15-16). Patient 2 developed acute GVHD at day 30 (stage I skin, stage II GI) that resolved with steroids which were tapered off by day 96 without recurrence. Sirolimus stopped at day 79 (pt 1) and 103 (pt 2) and tacrolimus was stopped at day 274 (pt 1) and 469 (pt 2). Patient 1 developed a sirolimus-induced pericardial effusion at day 84 which did not recur after sirolimus discontinuation. Patient 2 developed moyamoya 8 months post-HCT during tacrolimus taper without other GVHD symptoms. Response to steroids was noted, so tacrolimus was restarted for residual neurological deficit. Neither patient developed chronic GVHD or left ventricular ejection fraction decline, and neither patient had disease relapse at follow-up of 30 and 16 months respectively. Patient 2 developed COVID pneumonia 16 months post-HCT and died while in CR. Patient 1 remains alive, in CR, and off immunosuppression nearly 3 years post HCT. Conclusion(s): Allogeneic HCT with PTCy at standard doses did not appear prohibitively toxic in patients with +21 when administered after reduced-intensity conditioning. In this case series, GVHD rates seemed consistent with larger series in patients without +21. Moyamoya development is associated with autoimmunity in patients with +21 and hence may have been GVHD-related5. Trisomy 21 should not be a barrier to patients otherwise eligible for HCT, even with PTCy prophylaxis.Copyright © 2023 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
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Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) is the cause of COVID-19. Almost 50% of infected people with the virus are asymptomatic. After the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, there is a significant reduction in symptomatic infection among vaccinated individuals. The possibility of viral transmission through blood products is unconfirmed yet. Case report: We report a successful hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in a patient with sickle cell anemia from an asymptomatic COVID-19-positive donor who underwent stem cell collection under general anesthesia. No complications were encountered during and after the procedure. The marrow was infused safely with good immune reconstitution in the recipient. Conclusion(s): The report suggests that an asymptomatic COVID-19 positive person might be an acceptable HSCT donor possibly due to existing milder variants of COVID-19.Copyright © 2023 Pediatric Hematology Oncology Chapter of Indian Academy of Pediatrics
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Background: Patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) LBCL after first-line treatment who are unable to undergo high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) hae poor outcomes and limited treatment options. Aims: PILOT (NCT03483103) ealuated liso-cel, an autologous, CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product, as second-line treatment in patients with R/R LBCL not intended for HSCT. Methods: Eligible patients were adults with R/R LBCL after first-line treatment who were not deemed candidates for HDCT and HSCT by their physician and met ≥ 1 frailty criteria as follows: age ≥ 70 years, Eastern Cooperatie Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 2, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide ≤ 60%, left entricular ejection fraction < 50%, creatinine clearance < 60 mL/min, or alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase > 2 × the upper limit of normal. Bridging therapy was allowed. Patients receied lymphodepletion with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, followed 2-7 days later by liso-cel infusion at a target dose of 100 × 106 CAR+ T cells. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was graded per Lee 2014 criteria. Neurological eents (NE) were defined as inestigator-identified neurological aderse eents related to liso-cel and graded using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Aderse Eents, ersion 4.03. The primary endpoint was objectie response rate (ORR) per independent reiew committee;all patients had ≥ 6 months of follow-up from first response. Results: Of 74 patients who underwent leukapheresis, 61 receied liso-cel and 1 receied nonconforming product (ie, product wherein one of the CD8 or CD4 cell components did not meet one of the requirements to be considered lisocel). Common reasons for preinfusion dropout included death and loss of eligibility (5 each). For liso-cel-treated patients, median age was 74 years (range, 53-84;79% ≥ 70 years) and 69%, 26%, and 5% met 1, 2, and 3 frailty criteria, respectiely;26% had ECOG PS of 2 and 44% had Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-specific Comorbidity Index score ≥ 3. After first-line treatment, 54% were chemotherapy refractory, 21% relapsed within 12 months, and 25% relapsed after 12 months;51% of patients receied bridging chemotherapy. Median (range) onstudy follow-up was 12.3 months (1.2-26.5). ORR and complete response rate were 80% and 54%, respectiely (Table). Median duration of response and progression-free surial were 12.1 months and 9.0 months, respectiely. Median oerall surial has not been reached. The most frequent treatment-emergent aderse eents (TEAE) were neutropenia (51%), fatigue (39%), and CRS (38%), with grade 3 CRS in 1 patient (2%) and no grade 4/5 CRS eents. Any-grade NEs were seen in 31% (n = 19) of patients;grade 3 NEs occurred in 5% (n = 3) of patients and no grade 4/5 NEs were reported. Seen percent (n = 4) receied tocilizumab only, 3% (n = 2) receied corticosteroids only, and 20% (n = 12) receied both tocilizumab and corticosteroids for treatment of CRS and/or NEs. Oerall, grade ≥ 3 TEAEs occurred in 79% (n = 48) of patients, with grade 5 TEAEs in 2 patients (both due to COVID-19). Two patients (3%) had grade 3/4 infections and 15 (25%) had grade ≥3 neutropenia at Day 29. Summary/Conclusion: In the PILOT study, liso-cel as second-line treatment in patients with LBCL who met ≥ 1 frailty criteria and for whom HSCT was not intended demonstrated substantial and durable oerall and complete responses, with no new safety concerns. (Table Presented).
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Background: We have previously described AUTO1, a CD19 CAR with a fast off-rate CD19 binding domain, designed to reduce CAR T-cell immune toxicity and improve engraftment. Its clinical activity has been tested in r/r paediatric and adult B-ALL (Ghorashian S et al., Nat Med 2019;Roddie C et al., JCO 2021). This data confirms the intended function of the receptor, with low levels of CRS/ICANS and long-term engraftment of CAR T-cells observed in both patient groups. Aims: We have initiated testing of AUTO1 in the setting of B-NHL and CLL/SLL (NCT02935257). Methods: Manufacturing: CAR T-cell products were generated using a semi-automated closed process from non-mobilised patient leukapheresate. Study design: Subjects ≥ 16y underwent lymphodepletion with fludarabine (30mg/m x3) and cyclophosphamide (60mg/kg x1) prior to AUTO1 infusion, with the exception of the DLBCL cohort who additionally received a single dose of pembrolizumab (200mg) on day -1 to potentiate CAR-T expansion. AUTO1 dose varies based on the indication. Split dosing of 230 x106 CD19 CAR T-cells at day 0 and day 9 is employed in the CLL cohort. A single dose of 200 x106 CD19 CAR T-cells is delivered to patients with B-NHL. Study endpoints include feasibility of manufacture, grade 3-5 toxicity and remission rates at 1 and 3 months. Results: As of 8th February 2022, we enrolled 23 patients: 11 low grade NHL (LG-NHL:7 with FL and 3 with MCL), 7 DLBCL and 5 CLL. Apheresis was successful in all 23 patients and product manufacture was successful in 22 (pending in the last). 19 patients were infused: 10 with LG-NHL, 6 with DLBCL and 3 with CLL. 1 CLL patient was pending infusion at time of data cut-off and 2 patients died pre-infusion: 1 MCL patient, from COVID-19 and 1 CLL patient, from intracerebral haemorrhage. Patients treated with AUTO1 had a median age of 60 years (range 39-79), had received a median of 3 prior lines of treatment (range 2-8). Grade 1 CRS was reported in 6/19 and Grade 2 CRS in 3/19. No ICANS was observed in the B-NHL and CLL cohorts. CAR engraftment was observed in 13/13 patients evaluated by qPCR with ongoing persistence in 12/13 patients at last follow-up. In the LG-NHL and DLBCL cohorts 10/10 and 4/5 evaluable patients respectively were in CMR by 18FDG PET-CT post-treatment. Responses were ongoing in 9/10 LG-NHL at 12 months and in 4/4 DLBCL at months 1, 3, 3 and 6. In the CLL cohort, 2/3 evaluable patients achieved MRD negative remission in the bone marrow with residual small volume lymph nodes by CT at 6 and 3 months of follow-up respectively. 1 CLL patient did not engraft and had SD at month 1. Summary/Conclusion: AUTO1 has a tolerable safety profile in patients with r/r B-NHL and CLL despite high disease burden. Early data shows excellent complete remission rates and excellent CAR engraftment/expansion. Additional patients, updated data and longer follow up will be presented.
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Background: Infectious complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). Therapeutic approaches that deplete CLL cells also affect normal B-cells. Optimal treatment would result in eradication of CLL cells and recovery of normal immune function. FLAIR (ISRCTN01844152) is a phase III trial for previously untreated CLL comparing ibrutinib plus rituximab (IR) with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) and subsequently amended to also compare ibrutinib plus venetoclax (I+V) and ibrutinib alone (I) with FCR. Measurable residual disease (MRD) and normal B-cell levels were assessed at multiple timepoints. Aims: To assess the depletion of normal B-cells during treatment and recovery after end of treatment. Methods: Participants aged under 75 years with <20% TP53-deleted cells were initially randomised to FCR or IR and subsequently to FCR, IR, I+V or I with the IR arm closed after randomisation of 771 participants to FCR/IR. FCR was given for 6 cycles, while treatment in the IR, I and I+V arms continued for up to 6 years except in participants attaining <0.01% MRD who continued treatment for the time taken to achieved MRD <0.01% and then stopped if MRD remained <0.01%. Month (M) 24 was earliest permitted stopping point. MRD flow cytometry was performed according to ERIC guidelines (panel: CD19/5/20/43/79/81+ROR1, acquisition of 0.5-2.2 million cells, BD Biosciences Lyric). Additional analysis of normal B-cell subsets was performed in a cohort of >500 patients (panel: CD19 to identify B-cells, CD20/5/79b+ROR1 and CD3 to exclude CLL & contaminating cells, with CD27/ 38/IgD/IgM to characterise normal B-cell subsets using a Coulter Cytoflex LX). Results: Normal B-cells were undetectable during FCR treatment and only rarely detectable until 12 months after last FCR cycle. Circulating normal B-cells were reduced in number or undetectable in participants receiving ibrutinibcontaining regimens with greater depletion in the I+V and IR arms relative to I monotherapy. B-progenitors persist through FCR treatment but were depleted during I, I+R or I+V treatment. Normal B-cell levels at 24 and 36 months after randomisation, with time off-treatment if applicable, are shown in Figure 1. In the ibrutinib-containing arms (IR, I, and I+V), there was a trend towards fewer COVID-associated SAE at any time point for participants with detectable B-cells at 24M (4/181, 2.2%) compared to those with no detectable B-cells (14/344, 4.1%) and COVID-associated SAEs were not observed in FCR-treated participants who had recovered any level of normal B-cells by 24M (0/215). However, the data on COVID infections are limited and there was no apparent association between normal B-cell levels at 24M with the proportion of participants experiencing an infectious SAE overall. Assessment of normal B-cell subsets during ibrutinib-based treatment demonstrated a mix of naïve and memory B-cells. Serological response to COVID infection/vaccination in this cohort is currently being performed. Participants stopping I+V treatment at 24-30 months post-randomisation due to MRD eradication showed rapid recovery of normal naive B-cells within 6-12 months after end of treatment in the vast majority (>95%) of evaluable cases. Summary/Conclusion: Normal circulating B-cells are depleted during treatment with rituximab but can persist at a low level during I, IR or I+V treatment. Most patients in remission after treatment with FCR or I+V show recovery of normal B-cells at 12 months of stopping treatment.
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Background: Patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL) often experience multiple relapses and require various lines of therapy. The ELARA and ZUMA-5 trials demonstrated high response rates along with acceptable safety profiles. We perform a phase 1b/2 single-center clinical trial of autologous point-of-care (POC) academic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells for patients with R/R FL treated with at least 2 lines of systemic therapy (NCT02772198). Aims: To report outcomes of POC CAR T-cell therapy in patients with R/R FL. Methods: Adults with R/R FL underwent a single leukapheresis procedure. Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, activated, and transduced with a gammaretrovirus encoding for a CD19 CAR (based on an FMC63-derived ScFv, a CD28 costimulatory domain, and a CD3-ζ signaling domain). Lymphodepletion included fludarabine 25 mg/m2 over 3 days (days-4 to-2) and cyclophosphamide 900 mg/m2 once (day-2), followed by infusion of 1×106/kg CAR T-cells in the inpatient setting. Primary endpoints were response (by PET-CT, per Lugano criteria) at day 28, best response, and safety. Secondary endpoints included overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and production feasibility. Last follow-up was as of 02/2022. Results: All 19 patients enrolled received CAR T-cell infusion in a median of 11 days (IQR 10-11) after leukapheresis. The median age was 61 years (IQR 52-66). Five (26%) patients had Karnofsky performance status < 90%. Disease stage at enrollment was III-IV in 16 (84%) patients. Two (11%) patients had bulky disease;8 (42%) had LDH > upper limit of normal;and 16 (84%) had Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index ≥ 3. Disease status at enrollment was progressive disease (n=14, 74%), stable disease (n=3, 16%), or partial response (PR;n=2, 11%). Twelve patients (64%) were refractory to last treatment. Disease grade at most recent lymph node biopsy was 1 (n=3, 16%), 2 (n=11, 58%), or 3a (n=5, 26%). The median time from FL diagnosis was 3.9 years (IQR 2.5-4.6). Sixteen (84%) patients had progression of disease within 24 months of initial therapy. The number of prior therapies was ≥ 4 in 6 (32%) patients;and 5 (26%) patients underwent prior autologous transplantation. Grade III-IV cytokine release and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndromes occurred in 1 (5%) and 4 (21%) patients, respectively. One patient was infected with COVID-19 on the 5th day following cell infusion and was admitted to the intensive care unit. One patient had grade 3 atrial fibrillation. Severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <500/μL), thrombocytopenia (platelets <50K/μL) and anemia (hemoglobin <10g/dl) occurred in 15 (79%), 5 (26%), and 7 (37%) patients, respectively. No bleeding events or death were recorded following cell infusion. Response was evaluated in all patients. Overall response rate on day 28 was 84% (79% complete response [CR]). One patient with PR on day 28 achieved a CR after a year of follow-up. Three patients (16%) continued to progress following CAR infusion. All patients were alive at the last follow-up (median follow-up, 11.5 months [IQR 4-21]). One-year PFS was 74% (95% CI, 53-100). The median duration of response (DOR) was not reached (95% CI, 12.5-not reached). Estimated DOR at 1-year was 89% (95% CI, 71-100). Image: Summary/Conclusion: Point-of-Care anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, performed following a very short production time, induced high CR rate with an acceptable safety profile in a cohort of patients with high-risk R/R FL.
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Background: Pts with R/R LBCL after first-line (1L) treatment (tx) who are unable to undergo high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and HSCT have poor outcomes and limited tx options. PILOT (NCT03483103) evaluated liso-cel, an autologous, CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product, as 2L tx in pts with R/R LBCL not intended for HSCT. Methods: Eligible pts were adults with R/R LBCL after 1L tx who were not deemed candidates for HDCT and HSCT by their physician and met ≥ 1 frailty criteria: age ≥ 70 yr, ECOG PS = 2, DLCO ≤ 60%, LVEF < 50%, CrCl < 60 mL/min, or ALT/AST > 2 × ULN. Bridging tx was allowed. Pts received lymphodepletion with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, followed 2-7 days later by liso-cel at a target dose of 100 × 106 CAR+ T cells. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was graded per Lee 2014 criteria and neurological events (NE) per NCI CTCAE, version 4.03. Primary endpoint was ORR per independent review committee (IRC);all pts had ≥ 6 mo followup (f/u) from first response. Results: Of 74 pts leukapheresed, 61 received liso-cel and 1 received nonconforming product. Common reasons for pre-infusion dropout included death and loss of eligibility (5 each). For liso-cel-treated pts, median age was 74 yr (range, 53-84;79% ≥ 70 yr) and 69%, 26%, and 5% met 1, 2, and 3 frailty criteria, respectively;26% had ECOG PS = 2 and 44% had HCT-CI score ≥ 3. After 1L tx, 54% were chemotherapy refractory, 21% relapsed ≤ 12 mo, and 25% relapsed > 12 mo;51% of pts received bridging chemotherapy. Median (range) on-study f/u was 12.3 mo (1.2-26.5). ORR and CR rate was 80% and 54%, respectively. Median DOR and PFS was 12.1 mo and 9.0 mo, respectively. Median OS has not been reached (Table). Most frequent tx-emergent AEs (TEAE) were neutropenia (51%), fatigue (39%), and CRS (38%), with grade (gr) 3 CRS in 1 pt (2%) and no gr 4/5 CRS. Any-grade NEs were seen in 31%, gr 3 in 5% (n = 3), and no gr 4/5 NEs;7% received tocilizumab, 3% corticosteroids, and 20% both for tx of CRS/NEs. Overall, gr ≥ 3 TEAEs occurred in 79%, with gr 5 in 2 pts (both due to COVID-19). Two pts (3%) had gr 3/4 infections and 15 (25%) had gr ≥3 neutropenia at Day 29. Conclusions: In the PILOT study, liso-cel as 2L tx in pts with LBCL who met ≥ 1 frailty criteria and for whom HSCT was not intended demonstrated substantial and durable overall and complete responses, with no new safety concerns.
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Introduction: Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) is a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy expressing two B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting, single-domain antibodies. The multicohort, open-label, phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study (NCT04133636) is assessing cilta-cel in patients (pts) with multiple myeloma (MM) under various clinical settings and evaluating the suitability of outpatient administration. Updated results of CARTITUDE-2 cohort A are presented here. Methods: Cohort A pts had progressive MM after 1-3 prior lines of therapy (LOT;included proteasome inhibitor [PI] and immunomodulatory drug [IMiD]), were lenalidomide-refractory, and had no previous exposure to BCMA-targeting agents. A single cilta-cel infusion at a target dose of 0.75×106 CAR+ viable T cells/kg was given 5-7 d after start of lymphodepletion (cyclophosphamide [300 mg/m2] and fludarabine [30 mg/m2] for 3 d). The primary endpoint was minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity at 10-5 at any time point. Secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), time and duration of MRD negativity, and incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs). Response was assessed per International Myeloma Working Group criteria and AEs were graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (cytokine release syndrome [CRS] and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome [ICANS] by American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy). Results: As of April 15, 2021 (median follow-up of 9.7 mo), 20 pts (65% men;median age 60 y [range 38-75]) received cilta-cel, with 1 pt treated in an outpatient setting. Pts had a median of 2 prior LOT (range 1-3);60% had 1-2 prior LOT and 40% had 3 prior LOT. All pts were exposed to a PI, IMiD, and dexamethasone;95% were exposed to alkylating agents and 65% to daratumumab. 95% of pts were refractory to last LOT;40% were triple-class refractory. ORR was 95% (95% CI 75.1-99.9);85% (95% CI 62.1-96.8) had ≥complete response (CR), and 95% (95% CI 75.1-99.9) had ≥very good partial response (Figure). Median time to first response was 1.0 mo (range 0.7-3.3) and median time to ≥CR was 2.6 mo (range 0.9-7.9). Median DOR was not reached;progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 mo was 90% (95% CI 65.6-97.4). Of 13 MRD-evaluable pts, 92.3% (95% CI 64.0-99.8) were MRD-negative at 10-5. Hematologic AEs (≥20% of pts) were neutropenia (95%;grade [gr] 3/4: 95%), thrombocytopenia (80%;gr 3/4: 35%), anemia (75%;gr 3/4: 45%), lymphopenia (65%;gr 3/4: 60%) and leukopenia (55%;gr 3/4: 55%). 95% of pts had CRS (gr 3/4: 10%);median time to onset was 7 d (range 5-9) and median duration was 4 d (range 2-11). Four pts (20%) had CAR-T neurotoxicity (all gr 1/2). Three pts (15%) had ICANS (all gr 1/2);median time to onset was 8 d (range 7-10) and median duration was 3 d (range 1-3). One pt had facial paralysis (gr 2) with time to onset of 29 d and duration of 51 d. No movement and neurocognitive treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported. One death due to COVID-19 was assessed as treatment-related. Safety was manageable in the pt treated in an outpatient setting. Conclusions: A single cilta-cel infusion led to early and deep responses in pts with MM who had 1-3 prior LOT and were lenalidomide-refractory. No movement and neurocognitive TEAEs occurred, suggesting successful implementation of monitoring and pt management strategies across phase 2/3 studies in the CARTITUDE program.
ABSTRACT
Background: Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an increasingly recognized complication of hematopoietic stem cell therapy (HSCT) with incidence rates ranging from 10-35%. The predominant mechanism leading to TA-TMA is endothelial cell damage leading to complement dysregulation and microvascular hemolysis. Complement dysregulation is particularly important in the pathophysiology of TA-TMA as initial trials have shown response to complement blockade using eculizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the terminal complement pathway. Ravulizumab is a longer acting monoclonal antibody with the same target as eculizumab that is increasingly used for treatment of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Herein, we describe the case of an African American female with relapsed/refractory infantile B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who underwent 10/10 HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic transplant (conditioning: busulfan/fludarabine/thiotepa;GVHD prophylaxis: tacrolimus/methotrexate) who developed TA-TMA marked by pericardial effusion, elevated LDH, proteinuria, hypertension, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and evidence of microangiopathy. Upon diagnosis, as ravulizumab was on formulary and readily available unlike eculizumab, she was treated with ravulizumab instead of eculizumab. Objectives: To describe the therapeutic response to ravulizumab in one patient diagnosed with TA-TMA. Design/Method: A retrospective chart review was performed regarding this patient's ravulizumab treatment course, and direct discussions were had with the patient's care team. Results: Ravulizumab (loading dose of 600 mg followed 2 weeks later by maintenance dosing of 600 mg every 4 weeks) was administered. Pre-treatment CH50 was >75 U/mL (range: 30-75 U/mL) with sC5b9 and C3 complement levels at the upper limit of normal at 220 ng/mL (range: ≤244 ng/mL) and 143 mg/dL (range: 72-164 mg/dL), respectively. Clinical normalization of the patient's TA-TMA was achieved two weeks after loading dose administration with normalization of LDH and blood pressure values, improved proteinuria, decreased transfusion requirements, absence of schistocytes on peripheral smear, and complete resolution of pericardial effusion. A total of 5 maintenance doses of ravulizumab were administered approximately every 4 weeks with CH50 ranging <3-33 U/mL during this time period. Five maintenance doses were administered as the optimal duration was unknown and the patient's TA-TMA treatment course was complicated by COVID-19 infection, for which there was concern could lead to TA-TMA reactivation (which did not occur). The ravulizumab was well tolerated throughout with amoxicillin used for meningococcal prophylaxis. Conclusion: While studies evaluating ravulizumab for treatment of TA-TMA are ongoing, ravulizumab successfully led to complement blockade and clinical improvement in this patient with TA-TMA.
ABSTRACT
Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) is a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy expressing two B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting, singledomain antibodies. The multicohort, open-label, phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study (NCT04133636) is evaluating ciltacel in patients (pts) with multiple myeloma (MM) in various clinical settings and assessing the suitability of outpatient administration. Updated results from CARTITUDE-2 cohort A are presented here. Cohort A pts had progressive MM after 1-3 prior lines of therapy (LOT;included proteasome inhibitor [PI] and immunomodulatory drug [IMiD]), were lenalidomide-refractory, and had no previous exposure to agents targeting BCMA. A single cilta-cel infusion at a target dose of 0.75 × 106 CAR+ viable T cells/kg was given 5-7 days after start of lymphodepletion (cyclophosphamide [300 mg/m2 ] and fludarabine [30 mg/m2 ] for 3 days). The primary endpoint was minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity at 10 -5 at any time point. Secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), time and duration of MRD negativity and adverse events (AEs). Response was assessed by International Myeloma Working Group criteria and AEs were graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (cytokine release syndrome [CRS] and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome [ICANS] by American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy). As of April 15, 2021 (median follow-up 9.7 months), 20 pts (65% men;median age 60 years [range 38-75]) received ciltacel, with 1 pt treated in an outpatient setting. Pts had a median of two prior LOT (range 1-3);60% with 1-2 prior LOT and 40% with three prior LOT. All pts were exposed to a PI, IMiD and dexamethasone;95% were exposed to alkylating agents and 65% to daratumumab. 95% of pts were refractory to last LOT;40% were triple-class refractory. ORR was 95% (95% CI 75.1-99.9);85% (95% CI 62.1-96.8) had ≥complete response (CR), and 95% (95% CI 75.1-99.9) had ≥very good partial response. The median time to first response was 1.0 months (range 0.7-3.3) and the median time to ≥CR was 2.6 months (range 0.9-7.9). The median DOR was not reached;progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months was 90% (95% CI 65.6-97.4). Of MRD-evaluable pts ( n = 13), 92.3% (95% CI 64.0-99.8) were MRD-negative at 10 -5 . Haematological AEs (≥20% of pts) were neutropenia (95%;grade [gr] 3/4: 95%), thrombocytopenia (80%;gr 3/4: 35%), anaemia (75%;gr 3/4: 45%), lymphopenia (65%;gr 3/4: 60%) and leukopenia (55%;gr 3/4: 55%). Ninety-five percent of pts had CRS (gr 3/4: 10%);median time to onset was 7 days (range 5-9) and median duration was 4 days (range 2-11). Four pts (20%) had CAR-T neurotoxicity (all gr 1/2). Three pts (15%) had ICANS (all gr 1/2);median time to onset was 8 days (range 7-10) and median duration was 3 days (range 1-3). One pt had facial paralysis (gr 2) with time to onset of 29 days and duration of 51 days. No movement and neurocognitive treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred. One death occurred due to COVID-19 (assessed as treatment-related). Safety was manageable in the pt treated in an outpatient setting. Lenalidomide-refractory pts with MM and 1-3 prior LOT showed early and deep responses with a single cilta-cel infusion. No movement and neurocognitive TEAEs were reported, suggesting utilisation of successful monitoring and pt management strategies across phase 2/3 studies in the CARTITUDE program.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Cilta-cel is a CAR-T cell therapy that expresses 2 BCMA-targeting single-domain antibodies, designed to confer avidity. In the multicohort, phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study (NCT04133636), the safety and efficacy of cilta-cel in various clinical settings and suitability of outpatient administration was explored in patients with multiple myeloma. Material and methods: Patients enrolled in Cohort A had progressive MM after 1–3 prior lines of therapy (LOT), including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and immunomodulatory drug (IMiD), were lenalidomide refractory, and were naïve to BCMA-targeting agents. A single cilta-cel infusion (target dose: 0.75 × 106 CAR+ viable T cells/kg) was given 5–7 days after start of lymphodepletion (daily cyclophosphamide [300 mg/m2] and fludarabine [30 mg/m2] for 3 days). The primary outcome was minimal residual disease (MRD) 10-5 negativity. Secondary outcomes were response rates (per IMWG criteria) and safety (per CTCAE;CRS and ICANS by ASTCT). Results: As of the February 2021 data cutoff (median follow-up: 5.8 months [2.5–9.8]), 20 patients (65% male;median age 60 years [38–75]) received cilta-cel;1 patient was treated in an outpatient setting. Patients (n = 12: <3 prior LOT;n = 8: 3 prior LOT) received a median of 2 (1–3) prior LOT. All patients were exposed to PI, IMiD, and dexamethasone, 95% to alkylating agents, and 65% to daratumumab. The majority (95%) were refractory to the last LOT;40% were triple-class refractory. Overall response rate was 95% (95% CI: 75–100), 75% (95% CI: 51–91) achieved stringent CR/CR, and 85% (95% CI: 62–97) achieved ≥VGPR. Median time to first response was 1.0 month (0.7–3.3);median time to best response was 1.9 month (0.9–5.1). Median duration of response was not reached. All patients (n = 4) with MRD-evaluable samples at 10-5 at data cutoff were MRD-negative. Hematologic AEs ≥20% were neutropenia (95%;grade 3/4: 90%), thrombocytopenia (80%;grade 3/4: 35%), anemia (65%;grade 3/4: 40%), lymphopenia (60%;grade 3/4: 55%), and leukopenia (55%;all grade 3/4). 85% of patients had CRS;10% were grade 3/4. Median time to CRS onset was 7 days (5–9), with a median duration of 3.5 days (2–11). CAR-T cell neurotoxicity occurred in 20% of patients (all grade 1/2). Three patients had ICANS (n = 1: grade 1;n = 2: grade 2);median time to onset was 8 days (7–11) and median duration was 2 days (1–2). One patient had grade 2 facial paralysis;time to onset was 29 days with a duration of 51 days. One death occurred due to Covid-19 (assessed as treatment-related by investigator). The safety profile was manageable in the patient who was treated in an outpatient setting. Discussion: Updated efficacy and safety findings will inform suitability of outpatient treatment in this and other cohorts of CARTITUDE-2 as well as the CARTITUDE-4 study. Conclusion: A single cilta-cel infusion at the recommended phase 2 dose led to early and deep responses with a manageable safety profile in patients with MM who had 1–3 prior LOT.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The use of high-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) has revolutionized graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis and allowed to successfully reconsider haplotransplant in recent years. As this strategy significantly reduces the incidence of both acute and chronic GVHD, PTCY has been thereafter considered not only in matched settings but also as sole GVHD prophylaxis, at least when considering myeloablative allotransplant using matched sibling (MSD) or unrelated (MUD) donors and bone marrow as source of graft. Here, PTCY, as a sole GVHD prophylaxis, was tested in a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) setting, using peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) as source of graft considering that this platform is currently broadly used worldwide in adults. Methods: This prospective monocentric phase 2 study was designed with the main objective to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of using only PTCY (without cyclosporine A nor mycophenolate mofetyl after transplant) in adults (18-70 years old) eligible for a RIC PBSC transplant with MSD or MUD. The Baltimore platform with 2 days of PTCY 50mg/kg/day on days 3 and 4 post infusion was considered as conditioning regimen, using fludarabine for lymphoid disease or clofarabine for myeloid disease. The primary objective was to appreciate the incidence of corticosteroid-resistant acute grade 3-4 GVHD (CR 3-4 GVHD) within 100 days post-transplant. According to statistical rules, patients have to be included in a step by step fashion (3, 3, 6, 15, 15 and 17 patients) for a total of 59 evaluable patients (meaning having received PTCY), in order to stop the protocol soon enough in case of excessive rate of deleterious severe acute GVHD (graded according to Mount Sinai International Consortium). Thus, the trial had to be stopped in case of documentation of > 2 CR 3-4 GVHD for the first 3 patients, >3 CR 3-4 GVHD for the first 6 patients, > 4 CR 3-4 GVHD for the first 12 patients, > 6 3-4 CR GVHD for the first 27 patients, > 8 CR 3-4 GVHD for the first 42 patients and finally as soon as > 9 CR 3-4 GVHD for the last included patients. All patients gave informed consent. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03263767. Results: The results of the first 27 first patients (males n=17 and female n=10;median age: 59 years old (yo), range: 26-70) are reported here. They were included between February 2018 and November 2020. Diagnoses were AML (N=8), MDS (N=5), CMML (N=2), myelofibrosis (N=5), CML (N=1), DLBCL (N=1), T-cell lymphoma (N=1), Philadelphia positive B-ALL (N=1), CLL (N=1), lymphoblastic lymphoma (N=1) and mixed phenotype acute leukemia (N=1). Donors were MSD in 10 cases and MUD in 17. Only one primary graft failure was documented in a 61 yo MDS patient with active disease at transplant. He is however still alive in response after autologous reconstitution. With a median follow-up of 17.6 months (range: 10-42) for alive patients at the time of analysis (July 2021), 1-year and 2-year survivals were 80.9+7% and 74.7+9%, respectively, for both OS et DFS. GVHD-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) at 1-year and 2-year was 58.7+9% and 52.2+10%, respectively. Three relapses (11%) and 6 deaths occurred. Deaths were due to acute GVHD in 4 patients (including 1 with sepsis and 1 with SARS-COVID 19 infection) and relapse in 2. Grade 2, 3 and 4 acute GVHD occurred in 11, 1 and 4 patients, respectively, for a total of 59% of grade 2-4 acute GVHD. CR 3-4 GVHD was observed in all of 5 patients with acute grade 3-4 GVHD and 4 died related to GVHD. Moderate/severe chronic GVHD occurred in 5/22 (22.7%) evaluable patients, including 4 still on immunosuppressive therapy at 40, 28, 25 and 16 months post-transplant. Overall non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 14.8% and related to acute GVHD. However, the number of cases conducting to stop the protocol was not reached. Conclusion: PTCY as a sole GVHD prophylaxis is here demonstrated as possible and relatively safe for adults receiving a matched PBSC Baltimore-based RIC allograft. The very good survivals reported he e may be related to a strong GVL effect associated with the high incidence of acute GVHD. However, because of this high incidence and the fact that NRM was related to GVHD after this first analysis, we have now made an amendment to test the addition to PTCY of one day of anti-thymoglobulin (ATG) 2.5 mg/kg on day-2 for the next 32 patients to be included. This second cohort receiving PTCY+ATG as a sole prophylaxis is ongoing.
ABSTRACT
Autophagy is a known mechanism of cells under internal stress that regulates cellular function via internal protein recycling and the cleaning up of debris, leading to healthy live cells. However, the stimulation of autophagy by external factors such as chemical compounds or viral infection mostly tends to induce apoptosis/cell death. This study hypothesizes that manipulation of the autophagy mechanism to the pro-cell survival and/or decreased pro-viral niche can be a strategy for effective antiviral and anticancer treatment. Cells susceptible to viral infection, namely LLC-MK2, normal monkey epithelium, and K562, human immune-related lymphocyte, which is also a cancer cell line, were treated with fludarabine nucleoside analog (Fdb), interferon alpha (IFN-α), and a combination of Fdb and IFN-α, and then were evaluated for signs of adaptive autophagy and STAT1 antiviral signaling by Western blotting and immunolabeling assays. The results showed that the low concentration of Fdb was able to activate an autophagy response in both cell types, as demonstrated by the intense immunostaining of LC3B foci in the autophagosomes of living cells. Treatment with IFN-α (10 U/mL) showed no alteration in the initiator of mTOR autophagy but dramatically increased the intracellular STAT1 signaling molecules in both cell types. Although in the combined Fdb and IFN-α treatment, both LLC-MK2 and K562 cells showed only slight changes in the autophagy-responsive proteins p-mTOR and LC3B, an adaptive autophagy event was clearly shown in the autophagosome of the LLC-MK2 cell, suggesting the survival phase of the normal cell. The combined effect of Fdb and IFN-α treatment on the antiviral response was identified by the level of activation of the STAT1 antiviral marker. Significantly, the adaptive autophagy mediated by Fdb was able to suppress the IFN-α-mediated pSTAT1 signaling in both cell types to a level that is appropriate for cellular function. It is concluded that the administration of an appropriate dose of Fdb and IFN-α in combination is beneficial for the treatment of some types of cancer and viral infection.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents , Interferon-alpha , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Autophagy , Cell Survival , Humans , Interferon-alpha/pharmacology , K562 Cells , TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases , Vidarabine/analogs & derivativesABSTRACT
Background. More accounts of opportunistic infection in COVID-19 patients are emerging. At our institution, we identified 2 COVID-19 patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) opportunistic infection. This prompted a review of the literature to identify trends in patient characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes in this population. Methods. A literature review was conducted using PubMed that identified 13 other patients with both COVID-19 and PJP infection. Age, gender, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, other immunocompromised states, time between COVID-19 and PJP diagnosis, and clinical outcomes were captured for analysis. Results. Eleven patients were male. The average age was 56 years. All but 2 patients were immunocompromised. At time of PJP diagnosis, seven patients had newly diagnosed HIV and one had known, well-controlled HIV. One patient had rheumatoid arthritis receiving leflunomide, 1 had ulcerative colitis receiving budesonide and sulfasalazine, 2 patients had multiple myeloma whereby both were on lenalidomide, 1 patient was a renal transplant recipient immunosuppressed on tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and methylprednisolone, and 1 patient had chronic lymphocytic leukemia getting fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab. Nine patients had positive COVID-19 and PJP tests performed within 7 days of one another. One patient tested positive for PJP 54 days into admission for COVID-19. This patient received high dose steroids and tocilizumab for initial COVID-19 infection. Three patients were re-hospitalized with PJP after a recent admission for COVID-19 pneumonia, with a mean time to readmission of 25 days. One of these 3 patients had no treatment for COVID-19, while 2 received steroids. Five of the total 15 patients (33%) died. Conclusion. COVID-19 treatments with high dose steroids and tocilizumab can make patients vulnerable for opportunistic infection with PJP. Furthermore, COVID-19 is known to cause lymphopenia which may further increase this risk. A diagnosis of concomitant PJP can be especially challenging due to nearly identical radiographical findings. Serum beta-D glucan and HIV testing can be especially helpful in this situation, and there should be a low threshold for performing bronchoalveolar lavage.
ABSTRACT
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of the elderly, with a median age at diagnosis of approximately 70 years. The natural course of the disease varies greatly, and patients with non-progressive and asymptomatic leukemia do not require treatment. The results of CLL treatment have improved significantly in recent years, mainly due to the introduction of new, more effective drugs, including BCR inhibitors and BCL2 inhibitors. The new drugs are used continuously, while venetoclax in combination with anti-CD20 antibodies is used for 24 (rituximab) or 12 (obinutuzumab) months, depending on the type of antibody and line of therapy. The choice of treatment protocol should largely depend on the assessment of 17p deletion/TP53 mutation and immunoglobulin variable heavy chain (IGVH) mutation status, which correlate with a worse response to immunochemotherapy. The role of immunochemotherapy, which until recently was the mainstay of CLL treatment, has now significantly decreased. In the first-line, it is recommended only in patients without 17p deletion/TP53 mutation, with mutated IGVH. Other patients should receive novel targeted therapies. However, at the time of the preparation of these recommendations, these therapies are not available in the firs-line of treatment in Poland. Novel targeted therapies play a major role in the treatment of refractory/relapsed CLL, and immunochemotherapy is recommended primarily in patients with a long-term response to first-line therapy. In this article, we present an update of the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of CLL, including the treatment of autoimmune complications, as well as the prophylaxis and treatment of infections, developed by the Polish Society of Haematologists and Transfusiologists and PALG-CLL Working Group.