Background@#Blinatumomab has demonstrated
efficacy in
minimal residual disease (MRD) positive and relapsed/refractory B-
cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) by inciting rapid and sustained B-
cell depletion. @*
Methods@#Owing to its effect on B-
cells, blinatumomab is associated with a higher rate of
secondary hypogammaglobulinemia compared to
chemotherapy. To mitigate blinatumomab-induced
hypogammaglobulinemia,
patients were pre-emptively repleted with
intravenous immune globulin (
IVIG) during blinatumomab
therapy. In this
retrospective study, we compared outcomes of 23 blinatumomab treated
adults with ALL. Seventeen
patients routinely received
IVIG and 6
patients were in the control cohort. @*Results@#Our findings demonstrated no difference between the two cohorts in
immunoglobulin G (
IgG) nadir (338 mg/dL vs. 337 mg/dL, P =0.641), days to
IgG nadir (120.5 vs. 85.5 days, P =0.13),
infection rate (82.4% vs. 66.7%, P =0.58),
infections requiring ICU admission (23.5% vs. 16.7%, P =1), and
infection related
mortality (17.6% vs. 16.7%, P =1). @*Conclusion@#Pre-emptive
IVIG repletion during blinatumomab did not prevent
hypogammaglobulinemia and associated
infection risk.