Relapse and transformation to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia following immunosuppressive therapy for aplastic anemia is more common as compared to allogeneic stem cell transplantation with a negative impact on survival.

We studied the incidence of relapse, transformation to myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia, and survival in patients with aplastic anemia (AA) surviving more than 1 year after ATG/ALG-based immunosuppressive therapy (IST) between 1985 and 2020. Four-hundred seventy patients (413 adults and 57 children) were studied, and data were compared with 223 patients who underwent matched sibling donor transplant (MSD HSCT). Median follow-up is 50 months (12-359). Relapse occurred in 21.9% at a median time of 33.5 months (5-228) post IST. Twenty-six (5.5%) patients progressed to PNH, while 20 (4.3%) evolved to MDS/AML. Ten-year estimated overall survival (OS) is 80.9 ± 3% and was significantly better in patients without an event (85.1 ± 4%) compared to relapse (74.6% ± 6.2%) or clonal evolution (12.8% ± 11.8%) (p = 0.024). While the severity of AA (p = 0.011) and type of ATG (p = 0.028) used predicted relapse, only age at IST administration influenced clonal evolution (p = 0.018). Among HSCT recipients, relapse rates were 4.9% with no clonal evolution, and the 10-year OS was 94.5 ± 2%. In patients who survived 1 year following IST, outcomes were good except with clonal evolution to MDS/AML. These outcomes, however, were still inferior compared to matched sibling donor HSCT.

Comparison of telomere length in patients with bone marrow failure syndromes and healthy controls.

INTRODUCTION: During normal aging, telomeric DNA is gradually lost in dividing somatic cells, and critically short telomeres lead to replicative senescence, apoptosis, or chromosomal instability. We studied telomere length in bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFS) compared to normal healthy population. METHODS: Peripheral blood was collected from the participants, and genomic DNA was extracted. Relative telomere length was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and GraphPad Prism 8.2 software. RESULTS: The median age of normal Indian population was 31 (0-60) years. As expected, telomere length (TL) showed a decline with age and no difference in TL between males and females. The median age of 650 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) was 30 (1-60) years. TL was significantly shorter in patients with AA compared to healthy controls (p < .001). In FA and MDS patients, TL was significantly shorter than age-matched healthy controls (p = .028; p < .001), respectively. There was no difference between the median TL in age-matched AA and FA patients (p = .727). However, patients with MDS had shorter TL than age-matched AA (p = .031). CONCLUSION: TL in BMF syndrome patients was significantly shorter than age-matched healthy controls.

Total marrow lymphoid irradiation and cyclophosphamide is associated with low toxicity and good outcomes in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blast crises - A phase I study.

INTRODUCTION: Total marrow lymphoid irradiation (TMLI) can deliver higher doses of irradiation without increasing toxicity compared to Total body irradiation (TBI). METHODS: Twenty adult patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia with lymphoid blast crises (CML-LBC) received TMLI and cyclophosphamide for conditioning. Ten patients each received 13.5 or 15 Gy of TMLI. The graft source was peripheral blood stem cells in all, and donors included matched related (n = 15), haplo-identical (n = 3) or matched unrelated donors (n = 2). RESULTS: The median cell dose infused was 9 × 106 CD34/kg (range 4.8-12.4). Engraftment occurred in all (100%) at a median of 15 days (range: 14-17). Toxicity was low with hemorrhagic cystitis seen in two but no sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. Acute GVHD occurred in 40% while chronic GVHD was seen in 70.5%. Viral infections were seen in 55% while blood stream bacterial infections occurred in 20% and invasive fungal disease (IFD) in 10%. The Day 100 non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 10%. At a median follow up of 25 months (range 2-48), two patients have relapsed. Overall survival at 2 years is 80% while the disease-free survival is 75%. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of TMLI and cyclophosphamide for myeloablative conditioning is associated with low toxicity and favorable early outcomes in patients undergoing HSCT for ALL and CML-LBC.

Persistent bacteremia predicts poor outcomes among neutropenic patients with carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bloodstream infections receiving appropriate therapy.

PURPOSE: Identifying persistent bacteremia early in patients with neutropenia may improve outcome. This study evaluated the role of follow-up blood cultures (FUBC) positivity in predicting outcomes among patients with neutropenia and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bloodstream infections (CRGNBSI). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study conducted between December 2017 and April 2022 included patients more than 15 years old with neutropenia and CRGNBSI, who survived for ≥ 48 h, receiving appropriate antibiotic therapy and had FUBCs. Patients with polymicrobial bacteremia within 30 days were excluded. The primary outcome was 30 day mortality. Persistent bacteremia, septic shock, recovery from neutropenia, prolonged or profound neutropenia, requirement of intensive care and dialysis, and initiation of appropriate empirical therapy were also studied. RESULTS: In our study cohort of 155 patients, the 30 day mortality rate was 47.7%. Persistent bacteremia was common in our patient cohort (43.8%). Carbapenem resistant isolates identified in the study were K.pneumoniae (80%), E.coli (12.26%), P.aeruginosa (5.16%), A.baumanii (1.94%) and E.cloacae (0.65%). The median time for sending a FUBC was 2 days (IQR, 1-3 days). Patients with persistent bacteremia had higher mortality than those without (56.76% versus 32.1%; p < 0.001). Appropriate initial empirical therapy was given to 70.9%. Recovery from neutropenia occurred in 57.4% while 25.8% had prolonged or profound neutropenia. Sixty-nine percent (107/155) had septic shock and needed intensive care; 12.2% of patients required dialysis. Non-recovery from neutropenia (aHR, 4.28; 95% CI 2.53-7.23), presence of septic shock (aHR, 4.42; 95%CI 1.47-13.28), requirement of intensive care (aHR,3.12;95%CI 1.23-7.93), and persistent bacteremia (aHR,1.74; 95%CI 1.05-2.89) significantly predicted poor outcomes in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: FUBC showing persistent bacteremia predicted poor outcomes among neutropenic patients with carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bloodstream infections (CRGNBSI) and should be routinely reported.

Impact of donor telomere length on survival in patients undergoing matched sibling donor transplantation for aplastic anaemia.

Although telomere shortening is seen frequently in patients with aplastic anaemia (AA), there are no data on its association in matched sibling donor (MSD) transplants. We evaluated the effect of pre-transplant telomere length of patients and donors, measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 163 recipients undergoing MSD transplants. The median age of patients and donors was 24 and 26 years, respectively. Fludarabine and cyclophosphamide was the main conditioning regimen used and all received peripheral blood stem cell grafts. Engraftment occurred in 89% with graft failure (primary and secondary) in 6%. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in 28% and 24%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 37 months, 117 patients (72%) were alive. All patients and donors were divided into short and long telomere length based on their median and quartile values. Patient telomere length was not associated with severity of AA, neutrophil recovery, graft failure, acute GVHD or chronic GVHD. Longer donor telomere length was associated with better overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) = 0·2, P = 0·006] but did not influence neutrophil recovery, graft failure, acute or chronic GVHD. The five-year overall survival was significantly better (94·9 ± 3·5% vs 65·4 ± 4·3%, P = 0·002) for donors with long (highest quartile, DTL-HQ) versus short (lower three quartiles, DTL-LQ) telomeres, respectively. On multivariate analysis, longer donor telomere length, recipient age and acute GVHD continued to remain significant. This is the first study demonstrating an association of donor telomere length on overall survival following MSD transplant for AA but it needs to be confirmed in larger studies.

Molecular characterization of triple-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms by next-generation sequencing.

The role of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in identifying mutations in the driver, epigenetic regulator, RNA splicing, and signaling pathway genes in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) has contributed substantially to our understanding of the disease pathogenesis as well as disease evolution. NGS aids in determining the clonal nature of the disease in a subset of these disorders where mutations in the driver genes are not detected. There is a paucity of real-world data on the utility of this test in the characterization of triple-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (TN-MPN). In this study, 46 samples of TN-MPN (essential thrombocythemia (ET) = 17; primary myelofibrosis (PMF) = 23; & myeloproliferative neoplasm unclassified (MPN-u) = 6) were screened for markers of clonality using targeted NGS. Among these, 25 (54.3%) patients had mutations that would help determine the clonal nature of the disease. Eight of the 17 TN-ET (47%) and 13 of the 23 TN-PMF (56.5%) patients had noncanonical mutations in the driver genes and mutations in the genes involved in epigenetic regulation. Identification of mutations categorized as high molecular markers (HMR) in 2 patients helped classify them as PMF with high risk according to the MIPSS 70 scoring system. A novel mutation in the MPIG6B (C6orf25) gene associated with childhood myelofibrosis was detected in a 14-year-old girl. The presence of clonal hematopoiesis could be confirmed in four of the six MPN-u patients in this cohort. This study demonstrates the utility of NGS in improving the characterization of TN-MPN by establishing clonality and detecting noncanonical mutations in driver genes, thereby aiding in clinical decision-making.

Management of relapse in acute promyelocytic leukaemia treated with up-front arsenic trioxide-based regimens.

The standard of care for patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) relapsing after front-line treatment with arsenic trioxide (ATO)-based regimens remains to be defined. A total of 67 patients who relapsed after receiving ATO-based up-front therapy and were also salvaged using an ATO-based regimen were evaluated. The median (range) age of patients was 28 (4-54) years. While 63/67 (94%) achieved a second molecular remission (MR) after salvage therapy, three (4·5%) died during salvage therapy. An autologous stem cell transplant (auto-SCT) was offered to all patients who achieved MR, 35/63 (55·6%) opted for auto-SCT the rest were administered an ATO + all-trans retinoic acid maintenance regimen. The mean (SD) 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival and event-free survival of those who received auto-SCT versus those who did not was 90·3 (5·3)% versus 58·6 (10·4)% (P = 0·004), and 87·1 (6·0)% versus 47·7 (10·3)% (P = 0·001) respectively. On multivariate analysis, failure to consolidate MR with an auto-SCT was associated with a significantly increased risk of relapse [hazard ratio (HR) 4·91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·56-15·41; P = 0·006]. MR induction with ATO-based regimens followed by an auto-SCT in children and young adults with relapsed APL who were treated with front-line ATO-based regimens was associated with excellent long-term survival.

Primary Immunodeficiencies in India: Molecular Diagnosis and the Role of Next-Generation Sequencing.

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders showing ethnic and geographic diversities. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a comprehensive tool to diagnose PID. Although PID is common in India, data on the genetic spectrum of PIDs are limited due to financial restrictions. The study aims to characterize the clinical and genetic spectrum of PID patients in India and highlight the importance of a cost-effective targeted gene panel sequencing approach for PID in a resource-limited setting. The study includes 229 patients with clinical and laboratory features suggestive of PIDs. Mutation analysis was done by Sanger sequencing and NGS targeting a customized panel of genes. Pathogenic variants were identified in 97 patients involving 42 different genes with BTK and IL12RB1 being the most common mutated genes. Autosomal recessive and X-linked recessive inheritance were seen in 51.6% and 23.7% of patients. Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD) and IL12RB1 mutations was more common in our population compared to the Western world and the Middle East. Two patients with hypomorphic RAG1 mutations and one female with skewed CYBB mutation were also identified. Another 40 patients had variants classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). The study shows that targeted NGS is an effective diagnostic strategy for PIDs in countries with limited diagnostic resources. Molecular diagnosis of PID helps in genetic counseling and to make therapeutic decisions including the need for a stem cell transplantation.

Safety of peripheral blood stem cell harvest in children under anaesthesia in the day care setting - A single centre experience.

The use of cytokine mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) for stem cell transplantation offers early engraftment, and less early transplant related mortality and morbidity. This can be done easily in the out-patient setting in an adult donor, but is difficult in children. The safety and efficacy of general anaesthesia outside the controlled operation room setting is quite challenging and demanding. We present our experience with paediatric PBSC harvest done under anaesthesia in the out-patient setting between January 2009 to June 2017. A total of 158 children underwent 164 PBSC harvests during the study period. Donors were predominantly females with a median age of 5 years (1-12) and a median weight of 17.5 kg (9.4-51). In 50% of the cases, induction of anaesthesia was by sevoflurane followed by total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) while in 32% it was sevoflurane induction followed by sedation. Hudson mask (48.5%) and laryngeal mask airway (50%) were the most common modes of airway and all patients were ventilated in the spontaneous mode. Propofol was the most commonly used maintenance agent (67%). There were no major complications except for acute pulmonary edema secondary to infusion of blood products requiring a short stay in ICU for one donor. All donors were discharged on the next day of harvest. No long term complications have been reported in any of these donors. Paediatric PBSC harvest can be safely done under anaesthesia with due precautions in the day care setting.

Impact of imaging modality on clinical outcome in Hodgkin lymphoma in a resource constraint setting.

Treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has evolved with risk-stratified therapy based on PET-CT scan at multiple timepoints. In a resource constraint setting even a single PET-CT scan ($400) is inaccessible to many patients, who are re-assessed with only clinical examination, abdominal ultrasonogram and/or x-ray (C/U/X) ($10). To compare clinical outcomes in patients with HL who have had suboptimal imaging after completion of chemotherapy for HL, with those who had a CT or PET-CT, 283 patients were treated for HL from 2011 to 2015, and 268 patients completed six cycles of ABVD therapy with response assessment modality by CT/PET in 185 patients and by C/U/X in 83. There was no difference in the number of patients with advanced (64·1% vs. 61·1%; P = 0·650) or bulk disease (8·1% vs. 7·2%). A significantly higher number of patients in the CT/PET group received IFRT (25·4% vs. 7·7%; P = 0·0005). The three-year overall survival and progression-free survival of all treated patients (n = 283) was 83·5 ± 2·3% and 76·7 ± 2·6% respectively [median follow-up 36 months (range 2-93)]. At three years, the overall relapse-free survival (RFS) was 80·1 ± 2·5%, with RFS of 77 ± 3·2% vs. 85 ± 4·0% in the CT/PET group and C/U/X groups respectively (P = 0·349). There was no difference in RFS between the two groups either in early-stage disease (88·1 ± 4·6% vs. 91·8 ± 5·6%; P = 0·671) or late-stage disease (73·9 ± 4·8% vs. 81·3 ± 6·0%; P = 0·747). The only significant factor adversely affecting RFS was advanced disease (P = 0·004). Factors not affecting RFS were age (P = 0·763), sex (P = 0·925), bulk disease (P = 0·889) and imaging modality (P = 0·352). There was no difference in relapse rates between patients who had suboptimal imaging compared to those who had a PET/CT. It is possible to use these basic imaging modalities when resources are a constraint, with acceptable outcomes.

Resource utilization and cost effectiveness of treating acute promyelocytic leukaemia using generic arsenic trioxide.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO)-based regimens are the standard of care for treating acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) and have replaced chemotherapy-based approaches. However, the cost of "patented" ATO is prohibitive because of patent rights. "Generic" ATO has been used in a few countries, but its implications for health resource utilization (HRU) and cost of treatment are unknown. We hypothesized that treating APL patients using generic ATO (APL-ATO) will be cost effective compared to the chemotherapy-based regimen (APL-CT). In a single-centre retrospective study, we used a bottom-up costing method to compare the direct medical cost of treatment and HRU between APL-ATO and APL-CT. These costs and the survival and relapse probabilities were imputed in a three-state Markov decision model to estimate the cost effectiveness of APL-ATO compared to APL-CT. The mean cost of treatment for APL-ATO (n = 30, $8500 ± 2078) was significantly less than for APL-CT (n = 30, $22 600 ± 5528) (P < 0·001). APL-ATO reduced hospitalization, antibiotic and antifungal usage (P < 0·001). In the Markov model, five-year treatment costs were significantly lower for APL-ATO ($11 131) than for APL-CT ($17 926) (P < 0·001). Treatment cost and health resource utilization were significantly lower for generic ATO-treated APL patients compared to the chemotherapy-based regimen.

Drug-resistant organisms are common in fecal surveillance cultures, predict bacteremia and correlate with poorer outcomes in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplants.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms and high mortality rates associated with these infections, we describe the spectrum of the major drug-resistant pathogens identified in fecal surveillance, and re-visit the use of fecal surveillance in predicting infection with these organisms post-allogeneic stem cell transplant. METHODS: Data from allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients with common drug-resistant strains of bacteria in fecal surveillance (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Enterococcus spp.) were compared with recipients who did not have the same in fecal surveillance cultures. Baseline characteristics and post-transplant outcomes including similar drug resistance in blood cultures, severe sepsis, and 100-day transplant-related mortality were compared. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression model was used to determine independent predictors of outcome. RESULTS: In 232 transplants, the prevalence of common drug-resistant isolates in fecal surveillance cultures was 57.7% (134 out of 232 patients-with a single isolate in 115 and ≥2 isolates in the remaining 19 patients. A total of 164 drug-resistant isolates were obtained from 134 patients. Of the 164 isolates, 133 (81%) were positive for ESBL screening, 19 (11.5%) for carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO) screening, 12 (7.3%) for VRE screening. Patients who had common drug-resistant pathogens detected in fecal surveillance have significantly higher subsequent blood culture positivity with drug resistance, as well as higher 100-day mortality. Factors influencing 100-day mortality included patient's age (P = .001), drug resistance positivity in blood (P < .001), drug resistance in fecal surveillance (P = .011), use of an alternate donor (other than fully matched sibling) (P < .001), GVHD grade 3-4 (P < .001), and severe sepsis (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, only use of an alternate donor (0.024), severe sepsis (P < .001), and grade 3-4 GVHD (P < .001) retained significance in predicting 100-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Organisms resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins are frequently seen on fecal surveillance in the pre-transplant setting and are associated with a higher incidence of drug-resistant organisms in subsequent blood cultures (not limited to the same drug resistance pattern as seen in fecal surveillance). Drug-resistant organisms in fecal surveillance are associated with poorer outcomes following allogeneic stem cell transplant and may be used as a guide to identify patients at risk of subsequently developing a drug-resistant organism in blood.

Prevalence of FVIII inhibitors in severe haemophilia A patients: Effect of treatment and genetic factors in an Indian population.

INTRODUCTION: Factor replacement therapy in treatment of haemophilia A is complicated by the production of neutralising antibodies known as inhibitors. The formation of inhibitors is multifactorial being associated with both genetic and environmental factors. AIM: To document the prevalence of inhibitors in severe haemophilia in the community where most patients receive only infrequent episodic replacement therapy and evaluate the factors which could be contributing to it. METHODS: Community based camps were conducted in different parts of the country. Patients were assessed through a structured questionnaire and blood samples were obtained for laboratory evaluation of inhibitors and defined immunological parameters. RESULTS: Inhibitors were present in 87/447 (19.5%) of the evaluated patients. High-titre inhibitor (>5 Bethesda Units [BU]) was identified in 31 (35.6%) patients. HLA DRB1-13-positive cases (RR = 2.04; 95% CI 1.06-3.911; P = 0.033) had an increased risk of inhibitor formation which was retained in the high-titre subset. A decreased risk of inhibitor formation was noted with heterozygous IL4-590 C/T allele (RR = 0.22; 95% CI 0.108-0.442: P = 0.000). There were no significant correlations between any of the evaluated environmental factors and the development of inhibitors in this study. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of inhibitors in patients with severe haemophilia A is similar to that reported among patients receiving regular replacement therapy. The data from this study, limited by its retrospective and cross-sectional study design, would suggest that genetic rather than environmental are more likely to impact the development of inhibitors.

Second Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Thalassemia Major: Improved Clinical Outcomes with a Treosulfan-Based Conditioning Regimen.

Graft rejection (GR) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) occurs in 10% to 20% of patients with ß-thalassemia major (TM). There are limited data on the clinical profile and long-term outcome of patients who have had a GR. We undertook a retrospective analysis of patients who had a graft failure after allo-SCT for TM at our center. From October 1991 to June 2016, 55 of 506 patients (11%) transplanted for TM had a graft failure. An additional 7 patients with graft failure after allo-SCT done at other centers were referred to us for a second transplant. The median age was 8 years (range, 1 to 19), and there were 38 males (61.2%). Thirty-two patients (52.4%) were primary graft failures (15 with aplasia and 17 with autologous recovery) and 30 (47.6%) were secondary graft failures (5 with aplasia and 25 with autologous recovery). On conventional risk stratification 40 patients (64.5%) were class III. Seventeen patients (53.12%) with primary graft failure and 16 (53.3%) with secondary graft failure did not receive a second transplant. Twenty-nine patients (46%) with GR underwent a second allo-SCT. With the exception of 1 patient (first allo-SCT with an unrelated cord blood product), the donor for the second transplant was the same as the first transplant. Conditioning regimen for the second SCT was busulfan-based myeloablative (MAC) in 7 patients (24%), treosulfan-based MAC in 12 patients (41.3%), and the remaining received non-MAC regimens in view of pancytopenia and perceived inability to tolerate MAC. None of the patients conditioned with a treosulfan-based regimen had a GR, although 1 patient died with complications secondary to chronic graft-versus-host disease. Of the remaining 17 patients, 10 died after the second GR and 3 of regimen-related toxicity. Four are alive, of which 1 has recurrent TM and the rest are well and transfusion independent at 55, 80, and 204 months, respectively, from second transplant (all busulfan-based MAC). On a univariate analysis a nontreosulfan-based conditioning regimen and time from GR to second transplant of <1 year was significantly associated with an adverse impact. However, on a multivariate analysis only a nontreosulfan-based regimen was associated with a significant adverse impact on event-free survival (HR, 11.5; 95% CI, 1.13 to 116.4; P = .039). In conclusion, there has been a significant improvement in clinical outcomes in our experience with the use of a treosulfan-based reduced-toxicity MAC regimen for second allo-SCT for TM. It would be reasonable, where feasible, to defer the second transplant by a year after the first GR.

Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide as Sole Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis Is Feasible in Patients Undergoing Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for Severe Aplastic Anemia Using Matched Sibling Donors.

High-dose cyclophosphamide (PTCY) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT) has been shown to be effective in preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after HLA-matched bone marrow transplantation. We performed a phase II study of PTCY given at 50 mg/kg i.v. on days 3 and 4 as the sole GVHD prophylaxis after HSCT for severe aplastic anemia (SAA) in patients receiving granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) grafts from HLA-matched related donors after conditioning with fludarabine, CY, and single-dose total body irradiation. Thirty patients with a median age of 29 years (range, 16 to 49) were enrolled in this study. Engraftment was seen in 27 patients (90%) at a median of 16 days (range, 12 to 21) post-HSCT. None of the patients developed veno-occlusive disease of the liver or hemorrhagic cystitis. Grades II to IV acute GVHD was seen in 22% of patients with grades III to IV GVHD in 11.1%. The 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 22.7%. Fourteen patients (46.6%) did not require any further immunosuppression after receiving PTCY. Comparing with 2 historical cohorts of 30 patients each who received cyclosporine and methotrexate (MTX; at 15 mg/m2 [MTX15] and 10 mg/m2 [MTX10]), the incidence of grades II to IV acute GVHD was lower, albeit not significantly, with the use of PTCY (PTCY, 22.2%, vs MTX15, 37.1%, vs MTX10, 53.8%; P = .056), whereas rates of chronic GVHD were significantly reduced (PTCY, 22.7%, vs MTX15, 63.6%, vs MTX10, 76.2%; P = .013). Viral infections including cytomegalovirus were significantly higher with the use of PTCY (60%) compared with cyclosporine and MTX (MTX15, 23.3%, vs MTX10, 33.3%; P = .008). Overall survival was similar between the 3 groups. We conclude that PTCY as the sole GVHD prophylaxis is associated with low rates of acute and chronic GVHD in patients undergoing PBSC transplant for SAA using HLA-matched donors. This trial is registered at CTRI/2010/091/001480.

Use of Non-Cryopreserved Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Is Associated with Adequate Engraftment in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Undergoing an Autologous Transplant.

Autologous transplantation is the standard of care for transplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma. Toward making this treatment accessible in developing countries, there are significant challenges like resource constraints and access to cryopreservation facilities. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with multiple myeloma who underwent autologous transplantation using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized non-cryopreserved grafts at our institution from January 1995 to December 2014. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) were harvested over 1 to 2 days after G-CSF mobilization. After apheresis, PBSCs were stored at 4°C in a blood bank refrigerator for up to 72 hours. During the study period, 224 patients with multiple myeloma underwent autologous transplantation using G-CSF-mobilized non-cryopreserved grafts. The number of days of stem cell harvest was 1 in 91 patients (40.6%) and 2 in 133 patients (59.4%). The median CD34 cell dose was 4.87 × 106/kg (range, 1.15 to 23.7). All patients except 1 engrafted. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 12 days (range, 9 to 22). The median time to platelet engraftment was 17 days (range, 10 to 44). In a resource-limited setting, the use of G-CSF-mobilized non-cryopreserved grafts results in adequate engraftment for most patients with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation.

Peripheral T cell lymphoma: Clinico-pathological characteristics & outcome from a tertiary care centre in south India.

Background & objectives: Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs), with universally poor outcome. This study was undertaken to provide data on demographics and outcomes of patients with PTCL who underwent treatment in a single tertiary care centre in southern India. Methods: Retrospective study was done on all patients (age ≥18 yr) diagnosed with PTCL from January 2007 to December 2012. The diagnosis of PTCL was made according to the WHO Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues. Results: A total of 244 adult patients were diagnosed with PTCL (non-cutaneous). The most common subtype was PTCL-not otherwise specified (35.7%), followed by anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), ALK negative (21.3%), natural killer/T cell lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), ALCL, ALK positive, hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (HSTCL) and adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma followed in frequency with 13.1, 11.5, 8.6, 8.2 and 1.6 per cent cases, respectively. The three-year Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) for the patients who received chemotherapy (n=122) were 33.8±5.0 and 29.3±4.7 per cent, respectively. Various prognostic indices developed for T cell lymphomas were found to be useful. Interpretation & conclusions: Except for ALCL, ALK positive, all other PTCLs showed poor long-term outcome with CHOP-based chemotherapy. Novel therapies are needed to improve the outcome.

Invasive fungal infection following chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia-Experience from a developing country.

The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFI) is believed to be higher in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) undergoing chemotherapy in non-HEPA-filtered rooms. The aim of this study is to review the incidence of IFI in a large cohort of patients with AML treated at a single centre in India. Two hundred and twenty-two patients with AML treated with either induction chemotherapy or salvage chemotherapy between 2008 and 2013 were studied retrospectively. IFI was defined as per the revised EORTC-MSG criteria. Data on type of chemotherapy, prophylactic strategies, engraftment (ANC>500), the presence of IFI and survival were collected. IFI was diagnosed in 86 patients (38.7%) with proven IFI in 12 (5.4%). Use of posaconazole prophylaxis (P=.001) was the only factor associated with reduced incidence of IFI. Survival in patients with proven IFI was lower than those without proven IFI, but not statistically significant (59.4% vs 78.5%; P=.139). There is a high incidence of IFI during induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia in developing countries. Posaconazole prophylaxis was associated with a significantly lower incidence of IFI. Optimal yet cost-effective strategies for prevention and early diagnosis of IFI are required to improve survival in patients undergoing chemotherapy for AML.