The impact of daratumumab pretreatment on multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous transplantation.

The anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab (Dara) has been reported to improve the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) patients, but its use before autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remains controversial. To clarify the prognostic impact of Dara before ASCT on MM, we performed a retrospective observational analysis. We analyzed 2626 patients who underwent ASCT between 2017 and 2020. In the comparison between patients not administered Dara (Dara- group) and those administered Dara (Dara+ group), the 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 87.4% and 77.3% and the 1-year overall survival (OS) rates were 96.7% and 90.0%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age <65 years (p = 0.015), low international staging system (ISS) stage (p < 0.001), absence of unfavorable cytogenic abnormalities (p < 0.001), no Dara use before ASCT (p = 0.037), and good treatment response before ASCT (p < 0.001) were independently associated with superior PFS. In matched pair analysis, the PFS/OS of the Dara- group were also significantly superior. For MM patients who achieved complete or very good partial response (CR/VGPR) by Dara addition before ASCT, both PFS and OS significantly improved. However, in patients who did not achieve CR/VGPR before ASCT, the PFS/OS of the Dara+ group were significantly inferior to those of the Dara- group.

The prognosis and risk factors for patients with complex karyotype myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is the curative treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome with a complex karyotype (CK-MDS). However, only a few studies have been limited to patients with CK-MDS undergoing allogeneic HCT. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for patients with CK-MDS undergoing allogeneic HCT. We included 691 patients with CK-MDS who received their first allogeneic HCT. The overall survival (OS) was the primary end-point, estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were identified using a Cox proportional hazards model. The 3-year OS was 29.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.3-33.3). In the multivariable analysis, older age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.11-1.88), male sex (HR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.11-1.71), poor haematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.20-1.81), red blood cell transfusion requirement (HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.13-2.20), platelet transfusion requirement (HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.46-2.35), not-complete remission (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.16-2.06), a high number of karyotype abnormality (HR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.18-2.25) and monosomal karyotype (HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.05-2.12) were significantly associated with OS. Thus, the 3-year OS of allogeneic HCT was 29.8% in patients with CK-MDS, and we identified risk factors associated with poor OS.

Low- versus standard-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide as GVHD prophylaxis for haploidentical transplantation.

Haploidentical haematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) using post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis is the standard of care for various haematological malignancies. The original PTCY dose after haplo-HCT was 100 mg/kg, but no dose-finding studies have been performed to identify the optimal dose. We performed a retrospective analysis to compare standard-dose PTCY (100 mg/kg) with reduced-dose PTCY (80 mg/kg): 969 in the standard-dose group and 538 in the reduced-dose group. As there was a significant difference between the two groups regarding patient and transplant characteristics, we performed propensity score (PS) matching. After PS matching, 425 patients in each group were included. The probabilities of 2-year OS were 55.9% in the standard-dose group and 47.0% in the reduced-dose group (p = 0.36). The cumulative incidences of 2-year non-relapse mortality were 21.3% in the standard-dose group and 20.5% in the reduced-dose group (p = 0.55). There was no significant difference in the incidence of acute (grade II-IV 29.2% [95% CI, 24.9-33.6] vs. 25.3% [95% CI, 21.3-29.6]; grade III-IV 7.3% [95% CI, 5.1-10.0] vs. 6.6% [95% CI, 4.5-9.3]) or chronic GVHD. In conclusion, reduced- and standard-dose PTCY were comparable in terms of major clinical outcomes.

Effect of peptide-binding motif on survival of HLA-haploidentical transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide.

Peptide-binding motif (PBM) model, a hierarchical clustering of HLA class I based on their binding specificity, was developed to predict immunopeptidome divergence. The effect of PBM mismatches on outcomes is unknown in HLA-haploidentical haematopoietic cell transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy-haplo). We therefore conducted a retrospective study using national registry data in PTCy-haplo. Overall, 1352 patients were included in the study. PBM-A bidirectional mismatch was associated with an increased risk of overall mortality in multivariable analysis (hazard ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.50; p = 0.010). None of relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM) and graft-versus-host disease showed significant differences according to PBM-A bidirectional mismatch status in the entire cohort. The impact of PBM-A bidirectional mismatch on overall survival (OS) was preserved within the HLA-A genotype bidirectional mismatch population, and their lower OS stemmed from higher relapse rate in this population. The worse OS due to high NRM with PBM-A bidirectional mismatch was prominent in lymphoid malignancies receiving reduced-intensity conditioning. The PBM model may predict outcomes more accurately than HLA genotype mismatches. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the presence of PBM-A bidirectional mismatch elevated the risk of mortality of PTCy-haplo. Avoiding PBM-A bidirectional mismatch might achieve better outcomes in PTCy-haplo.

First complete remission favours haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide over cord blood transplantation in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

To assess the benefits of HLA-haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation using post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy-haplo) relative to those of umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), we analysed 1999 patients (PTCy-haplo, 330; UCB, 1669), using the nationwide Japanese registry. PTCy-haplo was associated with a significantly higher relapse rate, but lower non-relapse mortality, which results in overall survival and disease-free survival, comparable to those of UCB. Among patients in CR1, PTCy-haplo showed a significantly higher survival than UCB regardless of the CD34+ cell dose. Our findings provide valuable insights into the donor selection algorithm in allogeneic HSCT for adult patients with ALL.

Two novel high-risk adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes with high expression of CDX2 and IDH1/2 mutations.

The genetic basis of leukemogenesis in adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is largely unclear, and its clinical outcome remains unsatisfactory. This study aimed to advance the understanding of biological characteristics, improve disease stratification, and identify molecular targets of adult B-ALL. Adolescents and young adults (AYA) (15 to 39 years old, n = 193) and adults (40 to 64 years old, n = 161) with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) B-ALL were included in this study. Integrated transcriptomic and genetic analyses were used to classify the cohort into defined subtypes. Of the 323 cases included in the RNA sequencing analysis, 278 (86.1%) were classified into 18 subtypes. The ZNF384 subtype (22.6%) was the most prevalent, with 2 novel subtypes (CDX2-high and IDH1/2-mut) identified among cases not assigned to the established subtypes. The CDX2-high subtype (3.4%) was characterized by high expression of CDX2 and recurrent gain of chromosome 1q. The IDH1/2-mut subtype (1.9%) was defined by IDH1 R132C or IDH2 R140Q mutations with specific transcriptional and high-methylation profiles. Both subtypes showed poor prognosis and were considered inferior prognostic factors independent of clinical parameters. Comparison with a previously reported pediatric B-ALL cohort (n = 1003) showed that the frequencies of these subtypes were significantly higher in AYA/adults than in children. We delineated the genetic and transcriptomic landscape of adult B-ALL and identified 2 novel subtypes that predict poor disease outcomes. Our findings highlight the age-dependent distribution of subtypes, which partially accounts for the prognostic differences between adult and pediatric B-ALL.

Allogeneic transplantation of bone marrow versus peripheral blood stem cells from HLA-identical sibling donors for hematological malignancies in 6064 adults from 2003 to 2020: different impacts on survival according to time period.

BACKGROUND: Mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) have been widely used instead of bone marrow (BM) as the graft source for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Although early studies demonstrated no significant differences in survival between PBSC transplantation (PBSCT) and BM transplantation (BMT) from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donors to adults with hematological malignancies, recent results have been unclear. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this retrospective study was to compare overall survival (OS), relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM), hematopoietic recovery and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) between PBSCT and BMT according to the time period of HCT (2003-2008, 2009-2014, or 2015-2020). STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively compared the outcomes after PBSCT versus BMT in 6064 adults with hematological malignancies using a Japanese registry database between 2003 and 2020. RESULTS: The adjusted probability of OS was significantly higher in BMT recipients compared to PBSCT recipients during the early period of 2003-2008 (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-0.91; P < 0.001) and the middle period of 2009-2014 (adjusted HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70-0.91; P < 0.001). However, during the late period of 2015-2020, the adjusted probability of OS was comparable between BMT and PBSCT recipients (adjusted HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.79-1.13; P = 0.564), which were mainly due to the reduction of NRM. There was no significant difference in the relapse rate between the groups, irrespective of the time period. Compared to BMT, PBSCT led to faster neutrophil and platelet recovery and the cumulative incidences of grades II-IV and grades III-IV acute and overall and extensive chronic GVHD were significantly higher in PBSCT recipients, irrespective of the time period. CONCLUSIONS: PBSCT and BMT had similar survival outcomes and relapse rates in adult patients with hematological malignancies during the late time period of 2015-2020 despite the hematopoietic recovery and acute and chronic GVHD being higher in PBSCT recipients in all time periods.

Prognostic factors in haploidentical transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide for acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) is an appropriate option when an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor is not available. Haplo-HCT using post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is being increasingly performed worldwide due to its effective suppression of GVHD and its safety. METHODS: We conducted a large nationwide cohort study to retrospectively analyze 366 patients with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing haplo-HCT with PTCy between 2010 and 2019 and to identify prognostic factors. RESULTS: A multivariate Cox analysis revealed that an older recipient age (≥60 years), a male donor to a male recipient, a cytomegalovirus IgG-negative donor to a cytomegalovirus IgG-positive recipient, a poor cytogenetic risk, a noncomplete remission status at the time of transplantation, and a history of HCT were independently associated with worse overall survival (OS). Based on each hazard ratio, these factors were scored (1-2 points) and stratified by their total score into three groups: favorable (0-1 points), intermediate (2-3 points), and poor (4 points or more) groups, and 2-year OS rates were 79.9%, 49.2%, and 25.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed significant prognostic factors in haplo-HCT with PTCy, and a scoring system based on these factors may be used to predict outcomes.

Outcomes of transplant-eligible patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts registered in an observational study: The JALSG-CS11-MDS-SCT.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is the sole curative therapy for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, whether bridging therapy (BRT) including azacitidine (AZA) and combination chemotherapy (CCT) prior to allo-SCT should be performed is unclear. We analyzed BRT and the outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts (MDS-EB) who were ≤ 70 years old at the time of registration for a prospective observational study to clarify the optimal allo-SCT strategy for high-risk MDS. A total of 371 patients were included in this study. Among 188 patients (50.7%) who were considered for allo-SCT, 141 underwent allo-SCT. Among the patients who underwent allo-SCT, 64 received AZA, 29 received CCT, and 26 underwent allo-SCT without BRT as the initial treatment. Multivariate analysis identified BRT as an independent factor influencing overall survival (AZA vs. without BRT, hazard ratio [HR] 3.33, P = 0.005; CCT vs. without BRT, HR 3.82, P = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, BRT was independently associated with progression-free survival (AZA vs. without BRT: HR, 2.23; P = 0.041; CCT vs. without BRT: HR, 2.94; P = 0.010). Transplant-eligible patients with MDS-EB should undergo allo-SCT when clinically acceptable, and upfront allo-SCT without BRT may be superior to AZA or CCT.

Secondary central nervous system involvement in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab combined CHOP therapy - a supplementary analysis of JCOG0601.

Secondary central nervous system involvement (sCNSi) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is fatal. However, its features in patients with sCNSi who are categorized as lower risk by international prognostic index (IPI) or CNS-IPI are not yet fully understood. In the present analysis, we evaluated DLBCL patients who developed sCNSi at their first progression and who participated in JCOG0601, most of whom were lower risk by IPI. Of 409 patients, 21 (5.1%) developed sCNSi during a median follow-up of 4.9 years. Five-year cumulative incidence of sCNSi were 5.1%; and 4.0%, 5.3%, and 11.5% at low, intermediate, and high risk of CNS-IPI, respectively. The most common locations of extranodal lesions at the time of registration in patients with sCNSi were the stomach (n = 4), paranasal cavity (n = 3), and bone marrow (n = 2). In univariable analysis, paranasal cavity lesion was a high-risk factor for sCNSi (subdistribution hazard ratio, 4.34 [95% confidence interval 1.28-14.73]). Median overall survival after sCNSi was 1.3 years, with a 2-year overall survival rate of 39.3%. The incidence of sCNSi in DLBCL patients at lower risk of CNS-IPI was low, as previously reported, but paranasal cavity lesion might indicate high risk for organ involvement. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: JCOG0601 was registered in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000000929, date of registration; December 04, 2007) and the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs031180139, date of registration; February 20, 2019).

RhD mismatch does not affect haematopoietic recovery, graft-versus-host disease and survival in allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation: A Japanese registry-based study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: ABO blood group mismatch between the donor and the recipient can affect the success of the transplant as well as problems with the red blood cells during allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). However, the impact of the Rhesus (Rh) D mismatch on transplant outcomes in allogeneic HCT has been poorly elucidated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the impact of the RhD mismatch on post-transplant outcomes in 64,923 patients who underwent allogeneic HCT between 2000 and 2021 using a Japanese registry database. RESULTS: Out of the whole group, 64,293, 322, 270 and 38 HCTs were done when the recipient or donor was RhD-mismatched with (+/+), (-/+), (+/-) or (-/-) combinations. The difference in RhD between recipient/donor (-/+), (+/-) and (-/-) did not affect haematopoietic recovery, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), overall survival (OS), non-relapse mortality (NRM) or relapse when RhD (+/+) was used as the reference group in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our registry-based study demonstrated that RhD mismatch between recipient and donor did not significantly impact haematopoietic recovery, GVHD, OS, NRM or relapse after allogeneic HCT. These data suggest that RhD mismatches may not need to be avoided for recipient and donor combinations in allogeneic HCT.

An observational study of once-weekly carfilzomib in patients with multiple myeloma in Japan (Weekly-CAR study).

Background: The ARROW study demonstrated that once-weekly carfilzomib and dexamethasone (wKd) therapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival compared with twice-weekly carfilzomib and dexamethasone therapy in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients. Aim: To describe the treatment patterns, effectiveness and safety of wKd therapy in real-world settings in Japan. Methods: We investigated data from the medical records of 126 Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Results: The overall response rate was 66.3%. The median progression-free survival was 9.5 months. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events of any grade and grade ≥3 were 45.8 and 20.8%, respectively. Conclusion: There were no new or unexpected safety signals in this study. This study demonstrated the effectiveness and safety profiles of wKd therapy in Japan.

Carfilzomib became available for daily clinical practice as a drug for cancer of bone marrow (multiple myeloma) that comes back or does not respond to previous drug (relapsed or refractory). This drug was approved in the USA in 2012, and in Japan in 2016. In this study, we looked at how once-weekly carfilzomib works and how safe it is in real-life situations in Japan. We screened 126 patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in Japan. The median age of the patients was 70 years, with 25% being over 75 years. This study also included some patients who were not in the best overall health, had a history of many treatments or had heart complications. In 66.3% of patients, the cancer had disappeared or the extent of the cancer had reduced after treatment. Side effects and serious side effects occurred in 45.8 and 14.2% of patients, respectively. The most common side effects were low levels of blood platelets (9.2%), high blood pressure (5.8%), loose or watery stools (5.0%), fever (5.0%), and low levels of red blood cells (4.2%). Heart disorders occurred in five patients. But all patients recovered or improved with treatment such as blood pressure lowering drugs and diuretics. These results showed that once-weekly carfilzomib works well and is safe in real-world settings in Japan. This information can help us think about how to pick the right patients and handle heart disease risks when using carfilzomib treatment.

Development and evaluation of a rapid one-step high sensitivity real-time quantitative PCR system for minor BCR-ABL (e1a2) test in Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).

OBJECTIVE: Minimal residual disease assessment of BCR-ABL messenger ribonucleic acid levels is crucial in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia for prognosis and treatment planning. However, accurately quantifying minor BCR-ABL transcripts, which comprise 70% of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases, lacks a national-approved method. METHODS: We developed the "Otsuka" minor BCR-ABLmessenger ribonucleic acid assay kit with exceptional precision (0.00151%). Minor BCR-ABL messenger ribonucleic acid levels were analyzed in 175 adults, 36 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 25 healthy individuals to evaluate the kit's performance. RESULTS: The "Otsuka" kit showed high concordance with a commonly used chimeric gene screening method, indicating reliable detection of positive cases. Quantitative results demonstrated a robust correlation with both a laboratory-developed test and a diagnostic research product. The "Otsuka" kit performs comparably or even surpass to conventional products, providing valuable insights into Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia pathology. CONCLUSIONS: The 'Otsuka" minor BCR-ABL messenger ribonucleic acid assay kit exhibits excellent performance in quantifying minor BCR-ABL transcripts in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Our results align well with established screening methods and show a strong correlation with laboratory-developed tests and diagnostic research products. The "Otsuka" kit holds great promise as a valuable tool for understanding Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia pathology and guiding effective treatment strategies.

Development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy after cord blood transplantation in a patient with refractory angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

A patient undergoing cord blood transplantation for refractory angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma was subsequently managed with long-term immunosuppressants for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). On day 591 post-transplant, she exhibited disorientation and cognitive dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed two hyperintense foci in the white matter, suggestive of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). However, we did not include PML in the differential diagnosis at that time. Unfortunately, she developed progressive cognitive impairment, and repeated brain MRIs showed a progression in lesion size. She was still taking immunosuppressants to control her GVHD, therefore we suspected PML. The diagnosis of PML was confirmed through the detection of a John Cunningham (JC) virus in the cerebrospinal fluid on day 640 post-transplant. This report highlights the critical need to consider PML in differential diagnoses for post-allogeneic transplant patients, especially those who exhibit progressive neurological symptoms while on prolonged immunosuppressant therapy.

Prognostic impact of complex and/or monosomal karyotypes in post-transplant poor cytogenetic acute myeloid leukaemia: A quantitative approach.

To evaluate the prognostic impact of complex karyotype (CK) and/or monosomal karyotype (MK) in combination with various clinical factors on allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), we analysed the registry database of adult AML patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT between 2000 and 2019 in Japan. Among 16 094 patients, those with poor cytogenetic risk (N = 3345) showed poor overall survival (OS) after HSCT (25.3% at 5 years). Multivariate analyses revealed that CK and/or MK (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31 for CK without MK; 1.27 for MK without CK; and 1.73 for both), age at HSCT ≥50 years (HR, 1.58), male sex (HR, 1.40), performance status ≥2 (HR, 1.89), HCT-CI score ≥3 (HR, 1.23), non-remission status at HSCT (HR, 2.49), and time from diagnosis to HSCT ≥3 months (HR, 1.24) independently reduced post-HSCT OS among patients with poor cytogenetic risk AML. A risk scoring system based on the multivariate analysis successfully stratified patients into five distinct groups for OS. This study confirms the negative effects of CK and MK on post-HSCT outcomes, and offers a powerful risk scoring system for predicting prognoses after HSCT among AML patients with unfavourable cytogenetics.

Adverse impact of delay of platelet recovery after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND AIMS: The prognostic impact of platelet recovery after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) on clinical outcomes remains to be elucidated. We aimed to clarify the impact of platelet recovery on clinical outcomes, risk factors of delayed platelet recovery and the necessary dose of CD34+ cells for prompt platelet recovery in each patient. METHODS: Using a nationwide Japanese registry database, we retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes of 5222 patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or multiple myeloma (MM). RESULTS: At a landmark of 28 days after AHCT, a delay of platelet recovery was observed in 1102 patients (21.1%). Prompt platelet recovery was significantly associated with superior overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0.32, P < 0.001), progression-free survival (HR 0.48, P < 0.001) and decreased risks of disease progression (HR 0.66, P < 0.001) and non-relapse/non-progression mortality (HR 0.19, P < 0.001). The adverse impacts of a delay of platelet recovery seemed to be more apparent in NHL. In addition to the dose of CD34+ cells/kg, disease status, performance status and the hematopoietic cell transplant-specific comorbidity index in both diseases were associated with platelet recovery. We then stratified the patients into three risk groups according to these factors. For the purpose of achieving 70% platelet recovery by 28 days in NHL, the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups needed more than 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg, respectively. In MM, the low-risk group needed approximately 1.5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg, whereas the intermediate- and high-risk groups required 2.0 and 2.5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg to achieve about 80% platelet recovery by 28 days. CONCLUSIONS: A delay of platelet recovery after AHCT was associated with inferior survival outcomes.

Intensified conditioning regimens improved disease-free survival and engraftment after unrelated single-unit cord blood transplantation but not after matched sibling or matched unrelated donor allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The impact of conditioning intensity on different donor groups has been unclear in allogeneic transplantation. The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of conditioning intensity on disease-free survival (DFS), relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM), neutrophil engraftment, and graft-versus-host disease for each donor type. We retrospectively evaluated the effect of conditioning intensity on transplant outcomes for patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome aged between 16 and 60 years in Japan using the transplant conditioning intensity (TCI) scoring system. A total of 8526 patients who received first allogeneic transplantation from 6/6 antigen-matched sibling donor (MSD, n = 2768), 8/8 allele-matched unrelated donor (MUD, n = 2357), and unrelated single-cord blood (UCB, n = 3401) were eligible for the analyses. Compared to conditioning with TCI score 4.0, which was corresponds to conventional myeloablative conditioning, including cyclophosphamide with total body irradiation 12 Gy or busulfan 12.8 mg, and was considered as the reference group in the multivariate analyses, intensified conditioning with TCI score ≥4.5 improved DFS (hazard ratio [HR],0.81, P < 0.001) and relapse rate (HR, 0.70, P < 0.001) but only after UCB transplants and not MSD and MUD transplants. In contrast, NRM was higher after intensified conditioning with TCI score ≥4.5 for MSD (HR, 1.39, P = 0.008) and MUD (HR, 1.47, P = 0.002) transplants but not UCB transplants (HR, 1.12, P = 0.240). Neutrophil engraftment was also significantly higher after intensified conditioning with TCI score ≥4.5 but only for UCB transplants (HR, 1.24, P < 0.001), whereas it was significantly lower after reduced-intensity conditioning with TCI score ≤3.5 for MSD transplants only (HR, 0.82, P < 0.001). These data demonstrated that an intensified conditioning regimen improved survival and engraftment rate only after a UCB transplants. Therefore, TCI scoring system could enable the optimization of conditioning intensity according to donor type, particularly in terms of survival and engraftment.

Dominant-negative type of IKZF1 deletion showed a favorable prognosis in adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

IKZF1 deletion is a recurrent genomic alteration in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and is divided into dominant-negative (DN) and loss of function (LOF) deletions. The prognostic impact of each deletion has not been fully elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed 117 patients with adult B-ALL including 60 patients with BCR::ABL1-positive B-ALL and 57 patients with BCR::ABL1-negative B-ALL by the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method for IKZF1 deletion and multiplex PCR for the 4 most common IKZF1 deletions (∆4-7, ∆2-7, ∆2-8, and ∆4-8). Samples, in which IKZF1 deletion was detected by FISH but a specific type of deletion was not identified by the PCR, were categorized as "other." Patients were classified into a DN group that had at least 1 allele of ∆4-7 (n = 23), LOF and other group (n = 40), and wildtype group (n = 54). DN type IKZF1 deletions were found in 33.3% of BCR::ABL1-positive cases and 5.2% of BCR::ABL1-negative cases. LOF and other type IKZF1 deletions were found in 43.4% of BCR::ABL1-positive cases and 24.6% of BCR::ABL1-negative cases. Patients with the DN group showed significantly higher overall survival (OS) than that of the LOF and other and WT groups (P = 0.011). Multivariate analysis including age, WBC counts, complex karyotype, and DN type IKZF1 deletion showed that the DN type of IKZF1 deletion (HR = 0.22, P = 0.013) had a positive impact and age ≥ 65 (HR = 1.92, P = 0.029) had a negative impact on OS. The prognostic impact of IKZF1 deletion depends on the type of deletion and DN type of IKZF1 deletion showed better prognosis in adult B-ALL patients.Clinical trial registration This study was part of a prospective observational study (Hokkaido Leukemia Net, UMIN000048611). It was conducted in compliance with ethical principles based on the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the institutional review board of Hokkaido University Hospital (#015-0344).

A comparison of the effects of anti-reflux procedures during esophagogastrostomy after proximal gastrectomy on the postoperative quality of life.

PURPOSE: To investigate the postoperative quality of life (QOL) in patients with proximal gastric cancer (PGC) or esophago-gastric junction cancer, a nationwide multi-institutional study (PGSAS NEXT trial) was conducted. METHODS: Patients who had undergone radical resection more than 6 months previously were enrolled from 70 Japanese institutions between July 2018 and June 2020. The Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale (PGSAS)-45 questionnaire was distributed to eligible patients, and responses were collected by mail. The main outcome measures of the PGSAS-45 were then calculated and compared. RESULTS: Questionnaires were retrieved from 1950 participants, and data from 300 patients who had undergone a proximal gastrectomy (PG) with esophagogastrostomy for PGC were analyzed. The mean esophageal reflux subscale value was 1.9 among the 276 patients who underwent an anti-reflux procedure, which was significantly better than the mean value (2.6) for the 21 patients who did not undergo an anti-reflux procedure (p = 0.002). The esophageal reflux subscale values were also compared among 3 major anti-reflux procedures: the double-flap technique (N = 153), the pseudo-fornix and/or His angle formation (N = 67), and fundoplication (N = 44); no statistically significant differences were observed. CONCLUSION: An anti-reflux procedure during esophagogastrostomy after PG for PGC is necessary to improve postoperative esophageal reflux symptoms, regardless of the type of procedure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The PGSAS NEXT study was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR; registration number: 000032221).

Adult patients with Ph+ ALL benefit from conditioning regimen of medium-dose VP16 plus CY/TBI.

The medium-dose etoposide (VP16) added on cyclophosphamide (CY)/total body irradiation (TBI) is one of the intensified myeloablative conditioning regimens used in allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the patient subgroups who can actually benefit from VP16/CY/TBI compared to CY/TBI have not been precisely defined. Therefore, we conducted a multi-center retrospective study using the Japanese nationwide registry database to elucidate the efficacy of VP16/CY/TBI on post-transplant prognosis. Biological and clinical distinct subtypes (i.e., Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) and -negative (Ph-) ALL) were evaluated separately, which included 820 Ph+ and 1463 patients with Ph- ALL, respectively. Compared with the CY/TBI group, the VP16/CY/TBI group showed superior progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with Ph+ ALL (65% vs. 57% at 3 years after HSCT; adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.73; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.55-0.98; p = 0.03), along with significantly reduced incidence of relapse (adjusted HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.90; p = 0.02) without the increase of non-relapse mortality (NRM). By contrast, in patients with Ph- ALL, VP16/CY/TBI did not improve PFS nor incidence of relapse; addition of VP16 reduced relapse (HR, 0.65; p = 0.06) in patients with Ph- ALL transplanted at CR1, while improved PFS was not observed (HR, 0.90; p = 0.52) due to increased NRM. This study demonstrated that VP16/CY/TBI is a more effective and well-tolerated regimen in comparison with CY/TBI in patients with myeloablative allo-HSCT for adult Ph+ ALL. Our findings can provide a novel algorithm for conditioning regimen selection in patients with adult ALL.