CAR-T cells derived from multiple myeloma patients at diagnosis have improved cytotoxic functions compared to those produced at relapse or following daratumumab treatment.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) have provided promising results in multiple myeloma (MM). However, many patients still relapse, pointing toward the need of improving this therapy. Here, we analyzed peripheral blood T cells from MM patients at different stages of the disease and investigated their phenotype and capacity to generate functional CAR-T directed against CS1 or B Cell Maturation antigen. We found a decrease in naive T cells and elevated frequencies of exhaustion markers in T cells from treated MM patients. Interestingly, individuals treated with daratumumab display elevated ratios of central memory T cells. CAR-T derived from patients at relapse show reduced in vitro expansion and cytotoxic capacities in response to MM cells compared to those produced at diagnosis. Of note, CAR-T from daratumumab treated patients display intermediate defects. Reduced anti-myeloma activity of CAR T cells from treated patients was also observed in a mouse model. Our findings suggest that T cell defects in MM patients, specifically during relapse, have a major impact on their capacity to generate efficient therapeutic CAR-T. Selecting naive or central memory T cell subsets to generate therapeutic T cells could improve the CAR-T therapy for MM.

Inflammatory Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia: A French monocentric retrospective study of 67 patients.

Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM) is a B-cell neoplasm resulting from bone marrow lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and monoclonal IgM secretion. Some patients present concomitant inflammatory syndrome attributed to the disease activity; we named this syndrome inflammatory WM (IWM). We retrospectively analysed all WM patients seen in a single tertiary referral centre from January 2007 to May 2021, and after excluding aetiologies for the inflammatory syndrome using a pertinent blood workup, including C-reactive protein (CRP), and imaging, we identified 67 (28%) IWM, 166 (68%) non-IWM, and nine (4%) WM with inflammatory syndrome of unknown origin. At treatment initiation, IWM patients had more severe anaemia (median Hb 90 vs 99 g/l; p < 0.01), higher platelet count (median 245 vs 196 × 109/l; p < 0.01) and comparable serum IgM level (median 24.9 vs 23.0 g/l; p = 0.28). A positive correlation was found between inflammatory and haematological responses (minimal response or better) (odds ratio 32.08; 95% confidence interval 8.80-98.03; p < 0.001). Overall survivals (OS) were similar (median OS: 17 vs 20 years; p = 0.11) but time to next treatment (TNT) was significantly shorter for IWM (TNT1: 1.6 vs 4.8 years, p < 0.0001). IWM mostly shared the same presentation and outcome as WM without inflammatory syndrome.

Thromboembolism and bleeding in systemic amyloidosis: a review.

The assessment of both thromboembolic and haemorrhagic risks and their management in systemic amyloidosis have been poorly emphasized so far. This narrative review summarizes main evidence from literature with clinical perspective. The rate of thromboembolic events is as high as 5-10% amyloidosis patients, at least in patients with cardiac involvement, with deleterious impact on prognosis. The most known pro-thrombotic factors are heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and atrial myopathy. Atrial fibrillation could occur in 20% to 75% of systemic amyloidosis patients. Cardiac thrombi are frequently observed in patients, particularly in immunoglobulin light chains (AL) amyloidosis, up to 30%, and it is advised to look for them systematically before cardioversion. In AL amyloidosis, nephrotic syndrome and the use of immunomodulatory drugs also favour thrombosis. On the other hand, the bleeding risk increases because of frequent amyloid digestive involvement as well as factor X deficiency, renal failure, and increased risk of dysautonomia-related fall.

[AL amyloidosis, from diagnosis to treatment]. / Amylose AL, du diagnostic au traitement.

Al amyloidosis, from diagnosis to treatment. AL amyloidosis is a rare hemopathy characterized by immunoglobulin light chains deposits in almost all organs causing organ failure. The main issue is the early dia¬gnosis, which must be made in front of an unexplained non-specific symptomatology, especially cardiac or renal, in frequently elderly patients with monoclonal gammo¬pathy. Non-invasive biopsies should be made for histolo¬gical confirmation revealing positive congo red and birefringent yellow-green deposits in polarized light specific for amyloidosis. Severity is assessed by biologi¬cal markers of cardiac involvement. The treatment consists in eliminating the plasma or lympho-plasma cell dyscrasia secreting the amyloidogenic light chain, and in proposing supportive care specific to this pathology.

Amylose al, du diagnostic au traitement. L'amylose AL est une hémopathie rare, caractérisée par des dépôts de chaînes légères d'immunoglobulines, pouvant survenir dans presque tous les organes et pouvant entraîner leur défaillance. L'enjeu principal est le diagnostic précoce qui doit être évoqué devant une symptomatologie souvent aspécifique, surtout cardiaque ou rénale, non expliquée chez des patients fréquemment âgés et porteurs d'une gammapathie monoclonale. Des biopsies non invasives doivent rapidement permettre la confirmation histologique révélant des dépôts positifs au rouge congo et biréfringent jaune-vert en lumière polarisée spécifique de l'amylose. La gravité est évaluée par les marqueurs biologiques d'atteinte cardiaque. Le traitement consiste à éliminer le clone plas¬mocytaire ou lymphoplasmocytaire sécrétant la chaîne lé¬gère amyloïdogène, et à proposer des soins de support spécifiques à cette pathologie.