Clinical outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and cardiovascular disease.

Incidence of both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with age. We evaluated whether pre-existing CVD impacts clinical outcomes in AML. We retrospectively evaluated 291 consecutive adult AML patients treated at our institution, 2014-2020. Pretreatment comorbidities were identified by chart review. Outcomes included complete remission (CR) and CR with incomplete count recovery (CRi) rates, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and incidence of cardiovascular adverse events. CVD was present in 34% of patients at AML diagnosis. CVD patients had worse performance status (p=0.03) and more commonly had secondary AML (p=0.03) and received hypomethylating (HMA) agent-based therapy (72% vs 38%, p< 0.001). CVD (0.45 vs 0.71, p<0.001) and diabetes mellitus (HR= 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08 - 0.8, p= 0.01) were associated with lower probability of achieving CR/CRi. Accounting for age, performance status (PS), complex karyotype, secondary disease and treatment, CVD patients had shorter OS (HR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.2, p=0.002), with 1- and 3-year OS 44% vs 67% and 25% vs 40%, respectively, but there was no difference in cumulative incidence of relapse between patients with vs without CVD. Thus, CVD is an independent risk factor for lower response rate and shorter survival in AML patients.

Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation: Connecting Its Origin to Its Future.

Transplantation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an attractive alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The unique properties of cord blood and its distinct immune tolerance and engraftment kinetics compared to bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood progenitor cells, permit a wider disparity in human leukocyte antigen levels between a cord blood donor and recipient after an unrelated umbilical cord blood transplant (UCBT). In addition, it is readily available and has a lowered risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), with similar long-term clinical outcomes, compared to BM transplants. However, the relatively low number of cells administered by UCB units, as well as the associated delayed engraftment and immune reconstitution, pose limitations to the wide application of UCBT. Research into several aspects of UCBT has been evaluated, including the ex vivo expansion of cord blood HSCs and the process of fucosylation to enhance engraftment. Additionally, UCB has also been used in the treatment of several neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders with varying degrees of success. In this article, we will discuss the biology, clinical indications, and benefits of UCBT in pediatric and adult populations. We will also discuss future directions for the use of cord blood.

Outcomes of Busulfan, Fludarabine, and 400 cGy Total Body Irradiation Compared With Busulfan and Fludarabine Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Regimens for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients With Hematologic Diseases: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens decrease the risk for nonrelapse mortality (NRM) in adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies but increase the risk for relapse. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of fludarabine-total body irradiation (TBI) with fludarabine among patients with hematologic diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study of 137 patients with different hematologic malignancies compared the outcomes of 63 patients who received a conventional RIC regimen with 2 days of IV busulfan (3.2 mg/kg/d × 2 days) and fludarabine with 74 patients who received the same regimen plus 400 cGy of fludarabine and busulfan (FB)-TBI divided in 2 doses over 1 day (200 cGy BID). Median follow-up was 4.62 years. RESULTS: The donors were either HLA-matched siblings (36%) or HLA-matched unrelated donors (64%). The FB-TBI showed trends toward improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) over FB (5-year PFS rates 50% vs 34%, P = .06, and 5-year OS rate 53% vs 39%, P = .13). Acute graft-vs-host disease (aGVHD), relapse, and NRM were similar between the 2 groups. The 5-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was lower in the FB-TBI group compared with the FB group (29% vs 52%, P = .003). Multivariable analysis revealed that grade III-IV aGVHD was the only independent risk factor for worse OS (P = .001) in both groups. A high disease risk index was possibly associated with inferior OS (P = .07) in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The FB-TBI is a safe and effective intensified RIC regimen for adult patients with hematologic malignancies. It predicted a lower risk for cGVHD and showed possibly improved PFS and OS compared with FB.

Contemporary Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Bacteremia: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study (VENOUS I).

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are major therapeutic challenges. Prospective contemporary data characterizing the clinical and molecular epidemiology of VRE bloodstream infections (BSIs) are lacking. METHODS: The Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal BSI Outcomes Study (VENOUS I) is a prospective observational cohort of adult patients with enterococcal BSI in 11 US hospitals. We included patients with Enterococcus faecalis or Enterococcus faecium BSI with ≥1 follow-up blood culture(s) within 7 days and availability of isolate(s) for further characterization. The primary study outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were mortality at days 4, 7, 10, 12, and 15 after index blood culture. A desirability of outcome ranking was constructed to assess the association of vancomycin resistance with outcomes. All index isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: Forty-two of 232 (18%) patients died in hospital and 39 (17%) exhibited microbiological failure (lack of clearance in the first 4 days). Neutropenia (hazard ratio [HR], 3.13), microbiological failure (HR, 2.4), VRE BSI (HR, 2.13), use of urinary catheter (HR, 1.85), and Pitt BSI score ≥2 (HR, 1.83) were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Microbiological failure was the strongest predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with E faecium bacteremia (HR, 5.03). The impact of vancomycin resistance on mortality in our cohort changed throughout the course of hospitalization. Enterococcus faecalis sequence type 6 was a predominant multidrug-resistant lineage, whereas a heterogeneous genomic population of E faecium was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Failure of early eradication of VRE from the bloodstream is a major factor associated with poor outcomes.

Deep dissection of the antiviral immune profile of patients with COVID-19.

In light of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants potentially undermining humoral immunity, it is important to understand the fine specificity of the antiviral antibodies. We screened 20 COVID-19 patients for antibodies against 9 different SARS-CoV-2 proteins observing responses against the spike (S) proteins, the receptor-binding domain (RBD), and the nucleocapsid (N) protein which were of the IgG1 and IgG3 subtypes. Importantly, mutations which typically occur in the B.1.351 "South African" variant, significantly reduced the binding of anti-RBD antibodies. Nine of 20 patients were critically ill and were considered high-risk (HR). These patients showed significantly higher levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and lower levels of CD4+ T cells expressing LAG-3 compared to standard-risk (SR) patients. HR patients evidenced significantly higher anti-S1/RBD IgG antibody levels and an increased neutralizing activity. Importantly, a large proportion of S protein-specific antibodies were glycosylation-dependent and we identified a number of immunodominant linear epitopes within the S1 and N proteins. Findings derived from this study will not only help us to identify the most relevant component of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral immune response but will also enable us to design more meaningful immunomonitoring methods for anti-COVID-19 vaccines.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immune Responses in Patients Receiving an Allogeneic Stem Cell or Organ Transplant.

Patients after autologous (autoSCT) and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) are at an increased risk of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality, compounded by an immune system weakened by the underlying malignancy and prior treatments. Allogeneic transplantation, including stem cell and solid organ transplants, requires intensive immunosuppressive prophylaxis, which may further undermine the development of a protective vaccine-induced anti-viral immunity. Herein, we report on short- and long-term antiviral immune responses in two peri-stem cell transplant recipients and a third patient who received a COVID-19 vaccination after kidney transplantation. Our data indicate that: (1) patients post-alloSCT may be able to mount an anti-COVID-19 immune response; however, a sufficient time interval between transplant and exposure may be of critical importance; (2) alloSCT recipients with preexisting anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity are at risk for losing protective humoral immunity following transplantation, particularly if the stem-cell donor lacks antiviral immunity, e.g., vaccine-derived immunity; and (3) some post-transplant patients are completely unable to build an immune response to a COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps based on the prophylactic suppression of T cell immunity.

Acute glomerulonephritis in a hematopoietic blood stem cell donor.

Use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been associated with side effects including reports of acute glomerulonephritis (GN), almost all of which have been immune complex associated. There is one prior report of pauci-immune GN in a child, but was negative for ANCA (anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies). We describe the first case of ANCA-positive pauci-immune GN exacerbated by the use of G-CSF for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation in a patient with no prior history of vasculitis. Given the use of G-CSF in PBSC donation and neutropenias associated with various conditions, it is important that both the nephrologist and the hematologist are aware of the renal risks associated with its use.

Frontline Blinatumomab in Older Adults with Philadelphia Chromosome-Negative B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Outcomes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in older adults treated with chemotherapy are poor. The CD19/CD3 bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody blinatumomab is approved for refractory, relapsed or minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD)-positive B-cell ALL, but there is little experience in the upfront setting, including in older patients. We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of blinatumomab monotherapy in five newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-cell ALL patients over 70 years. Three had cytokine release syndrome, treated with dexamethasone and/or tocilizumab, and four patients had neurotoxicity, treated with dexamethasone, without blinatumomab interruption. All five achieved complete remission (CR) after cycle one, three with undetectable MRD. All five were alive at 8 to 15 months. Three remained in MRD-negative CR. Two relapsed after cycle 3, one with extramedullary disease. In our small cohort of patients over 70 years, blinatumomab was safe initial therapy and produced a high response rate.

Toxoplasma-induced hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis after haploidentical allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a disorder of immune regulation, manifested by fever, pancytopenia, hyperferritiniemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and extensive hemophagocytosis involving the bone marrow and spleen. HLH can occur in adults with an underlying hematopoietic malignancy, or with systemic infections. HLH following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is unusual, and the diagnosis may be challenging particularly because the diagnostic criteria in the HLH-2004 guidelines overlap with common post-transplant complications such as engraftment syndrome, graft-vs-host disease, and infections. HLH is commonly triggered by viral, bacterial and, less commonly, parasitic infections. Following HSCT, patients with latent Toxoplasma infection may develop systemic disease secondary to reactivation, and rarely this may lead to a HLH physiology, with a very high mortality rate. Herein we describe the successful management of disseminated toxoplasmosis associated with life-threatening HLH using tocilizumab and antimicrobial therapy.

Development of a clinical prediction tool for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT): the MD Anderson Cancer Center CAT model.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT) is a major complication of malignancy. Our goal was to develop a prediction model for VTE that better represented to the population seen at large referral cancer centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was nested in a prospective cohort study at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center that evaluated adult patients during outpatient cancer-staging computed tomography to estimate the prevalence of incidental VTE. Data from patients in whom incidental VTE was not found on initial CT were collected until 24 months ± 7 days from the study inclusion date to determine the occurrence of new VTE events. Demographics, clinical data, current cancer treatment information, and the use of erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs) along with hematologic variables were collected in all patients and analyzed to determine differences between those who developed VTE versus those who did not. All candidate variables with significance p value (≤ 0.1) under univariate analysis were considered to enter the final multivariate model. RESULTS: Data of 548 patients were analyzed. The presence of metastatic disease and the use of platinum-based chemotherapy were strongly associated with CAT occurrence. The use of ESAs and specific malignancies showed trends of association with CAT, while associations were not statistically significant.Those characteristics were utilized to develop a clinical prediction model for CAT readily available and effective (c-index = 0.74). CONCLUSION: Our model is effective and easy to incorporate in busy clinical settings and it does not depend on esoteric or difficult-to-obtain laboratory testing. Future external validation studies may provide further evidence for the applicability of our results.

Influenza virus B-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

This original report describes the diagnosis and management of a male with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) triggered by influenza B virus infection. The patient was diagnosed with HLH- 2004 clinical criteria and a bone marrow biopsy demonstrating hemophagocytes. Therapy consisted of etoposide and dexamethasone while monitoring hemoglobin and platelet levels. To enable early recognition and prompt treatment for this disease, physicians should be aware of this association.

A phase II study of omacetaxine mepesuccinate for patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia after failure of hypomethylating agents.

The outcome of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) after failure of hypomethylating agents (HMAs) failure is poor with a median overall survival (OS) of only 4-6 months. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate (OM) is safe and effective in myeloid malignancies but has not been studied in MDS with HMA failure. We conducted a phase II study of OM in patients with MDS or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) who had previously failed or been intolerant to HMAs. Patients received OM at a dose of 1.25 mg/m2 subcutaneously every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days on a 4- to 7-week schedule. The primary endpoints were the overall response rate (ORR) and OS. A total of 42 patients were enrolled with a median age of 76 years. The ORR was 33%. Patients with diploid cytogenetics were more likely to respond to OM than were those with cytogenetic abnormalities (58% vs 23%, respectively; P = .03). Overall, the median OS was 7.5 months and 1-year OS rate was 25%. Patients with diploid cytogenetics had superior OS to those with cytogenetic abnormalities (median OS 14.8 vs 6.8 months, respectively; P = .01). Two patients had ongoing response to OM of 2 years or longer (both MDS with diploid cytogenetics and RUNX1 mutation). The most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events were infections in 11 patients (26%), febrile neutropenia in 4 (10%), and hemorrhage in 3 (7%). Overall, OM was safe and active in patients with MDS or CMML who experienced HMA failure. These results support the further development of OM in this setting.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma: A herald to the diagnosis of Erdheim-Chester disease in an adult with acute leukemia.

A 21-year-old man with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed an eruption of multiple flesh-colored nodules and persistent fevers. A lesional biopsy showed diffuse dermal infiltrates of histiocytes, foam cells, and Touton giant cells consistent with juvenile xanthogranulomatosis. Upon further investigation, the patient's constellation of findings fit criteria for Erdheim-Chester disease.

The absolute percent deviation of IGHV mutation rather than a 98% cut-off predicts survival of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients treated with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab.

The degree of somatic hypermutation, determined as percent deviation of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene variable region sequence from the germline (IGHV%), is an important prognostic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Currently, a cut-off of 2% deviation or 98% sequence identity to germline in IGHV sequence is routinely used to dichotomize CLL patients into mutated and unmutated groups. Because dissimilar IGHV% cut-offs of 1-5% were identified in different studies, we wondered whether no cut-off should be applied and IGHV% treated as a continuous variable. We analysed the significance of IGHV% in 203 CLL patients enrolled on the original frontline fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) trial with a median of 10 years follow-up. Using the Cox Proportional Hazard model, IGHV% was identified as a continuous variable that is significantly associated with progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0·001). Furthermore, we validated this finding in 323 patients treated with FCR off-protocol and in the total cohort (n = 535). Multivariate analysis revealed a continuous trend. Higher IGHV% levels were incrementally associated with favorable PFS and OS in both FCR-treated cohorts (P < 0·001, both cohorts). Taken together, our data suggest that IGHV% is a continuous variable in CLL patients treated with FCR.

JAK2V617F detection and allele burden measurement in saliva vs. peripheral blood in patients with myelofibrosis.

We previously demonstrated that peripheral blood (PB) is a reliable source for testing JAK2V617F mutation in patients with myelofibrosis (MF); saliva has also been tested to detect such mutation, however its diagnostic accuracy as compared to PB has not been validated. In this study, we prospectively tested 167 patients with MF for JAK2V617F mutation, using both saliva and PB collected at the same time from each patient. The concordance between the 2 sources was 96%, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 90%. The only factor associated with false positivity on saliva was ongoing transfusion dependency. JAK2V617F testing using saliva is a simple, non-invasive, and potentially a more reliable method than PB for measuring JAK2 status and assessing V617F allelic burden in patients with transfusion dependency.