Impact of a Best Practices Program in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma Receiving Selinexor.

Best practice (BP) in cancer care consists of a multifaceted approach comprising individualized treatment plans, evidence-based medicine, the optimal use of supportive care and patient education. We investigated the impact of a BP program in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) receiving selinexor. Features of the BP program that were specific to selinexor were initiating selinexor at doses ≤80 mg once weekly and the upfront use of standardized antiemetics. Study endpoints included time to treatment failure (TTF), duration of therapy, dose limiting toxicities and overall survival. Comparative analysis on TTF and duration of therapy was conducted using a log-rank test and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression. Over the ensuing 12-month post-BP period, 41 patients received selinexor-based therapy compared to 68 patients who received selinexor-based therapy pre-BP implementation. Patients treated in the post-BP period had reductions in TTF (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.92). Patients in the pre-BP period were four times more likely to stop therapy than those in the post-period (odds ratio [OR] = 4.0, 95% CI: 1.75 to 9.3). The findings suggest a BP program tailored to selinexor could increase the time to treatment failure, increase treatment duration and lower the incidence of drug limiting toxicities.

A Fresh Breath of Oxygen: Red Blood Cell Exchange Transfusion in Sickle Cell and COVID-19.

Red blood cell exchange transfusion may be beneficial and should be considered in the early management of patients with sickle cell disease and COVID-19 to prevent the need for intubation and intensive care unit admission due to respiratory distress.

Durable ibrutinib responses in relapsed/refractory marginal zone lymphoma: long-term follow-up and biomarker analysis.

Advanced marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is an incurable B-cell malignancy dependent on B-cell receptor signaling. The phase 2 PCYC-1121 study demonstrated the safety and efficacy of single-agent ibrutinib 560 mg/d in 63 patients with relapsed/refractory MZL treated with prior rituximab (RTX) or rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy (RTX-CIT). We report the final analysis of PCYC-1121 with median follow-up of 33.1 months (range: 1.4-44.6). Overall response rate (ORR) was 58%; median duration of response (DOR) was 27.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.1 to not estimable [NE]); median progression-free survival (PFS) was 15.7 months (95% CI: 12.2-30.4); and median overall survival (OS) was not reached (95% CI: NE to NE). Patients with prior RTX treatment had better outcomes (ORR: 81%; median DOR: not reached [95% CI: 12.2 to NE]; median PFS: 30.4 months [95% CI: 22.1 to NE]; median OS: not reached [95% CI: 30.3 to NE]) vs those with prior RTX-CIT treatment (ORR: 51%; DOR: 12.4 months [95% CI: 2.8 to NE]; PFS: 13.8 months [95% CI: 8.3-22.5]; OS: not reached [95% CI: NE to NE]). ORRs were 63%, 47%, and 62% for extranodal, nodal, and splenic subtypes, respectively. With up to 45 months of ibrutinib treatment, the safety profile remained consistent with prior reports. The most common grade ≥3 event was anemia (16%). Exploratory biomarker analysis showed NF-κB pathway gene mutations correlated with outcomes. Final analysis of PCYC-1121 demonstrated long-term safety and efficacy of ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory MZL, regardless of prior treatment or MZL subtype. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01980628.

Acute ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction as the First Manifestation of Essential Thrombocytosis.

A 36-year-old female with no significant past medical history presented with sudden onset of crushing substernal chest pain. When the emergency medical services (EMS) arrived, she had a cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation two times in the field prior to arriving at the hospital. In the emergency department (ED), the electrocardiogram (ECG) was significant for ST-elevation that suggested acute anterolateral infarct. Her laboratory evaluation also showed a platelet count of 1095 x 103/ul. Also, her troponin levels were at 0.16 ng/ml at the time of arrival and peaked at 42.8 ng/ml. She immediately underwent a cardiac catheterization which showed 100% occlusion of her left anterior descending (LAD) artery by a thrombus, which was then treated with a thrombectomy and a single drug-eluting stent was placed. Upon further work-up of her thrombocytosis, the patient had a bone marrow biopsy showing megakaryocytic hyperplasia which no evidence of fibrosis. She was tested for Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutation which was positive. The patient was diagnosed with essential thrombocytosis (ET) and was started on cytoreduction therapy with hydroxyurea. Her platelet counts responded appropriately and dropped to less than 500 x 103 at the time of discharge.

Targeting Bruton tyrosine kinase with ibrutinib in relapsed/refractory marginal zone lymphoma.

Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is a heterogeneous B-cell malignancy for which no standard treatment exists. MZL is frequently linked to chronic infection, which may induce B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, resulting in aberrant B-cell survival and proliferation. We conducted a multicenter, open-label, phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ibrutinib in previously treated MZL. Patients with histologically confirmed MZL of all subtypes who received ≥1 prior therapy with an anti-CD20 antibody-containing regimen were treated with 560 mg ibrutinib orally once daily until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was independent review committee-assessed overall response rate (ORR) by 2007 International Working Group criteria. Among 63 enrolled patients, median age was 66 years (range, 30-92). Median number of prior systemic therapies was 2 (range, 1-9), and 63% received ≥1 prior chemoimmunotherapy. In 60 evaluable patients, ORR was 48% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35-62). With median follow-up of 19.4 months, median duration of response was not reached (95% CI, 16.7 to not estimable), and median progression-free survival was 14.2 months (95% CI, 8.3 to not estimable). Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs; >5%) included anemia, pneumonia, and fatigue. Serious AEs of any grade occurred in 44%, with grade 3-4 pneumonia being the most common (8%). Rates of discontinuation and dose reductions due to AEs were 17% and 10%, respectively. Single-agent ibrutinib induced durable responses with a favorable benefit-risk profile in patients with previously treated MZL, confirming the role of BCR signaling in this malignancy. As the only approved therapy, ibrutinib provides a treatment option without chemotherapy for MZL. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01980628.

Bortezomib inhibits osteoclast activity in patients with multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: The antimyeloma agent bortezomib functions as an inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB. Although NF-kappaB inhibition is predicted to affect osteoclast function, preclinical and clinical studies have primarily reported an effect on osteoblasts. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined parameters of bone turnover prospectively in patients with multiple myeloma treated with bortezomib before and after autologous transplantation. Thirty-nine patients received 2 cycles of bortezomib on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of a 21-day cycle. After high-dose melphalan with autologous stem cell transplantation, bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of a 5-week cycle was administered as maintenance therapy. RESULTS: During posttransplantation bortezomib, decreases in the urinary excretion of collagen N-telopeptide indicated that bortezomib suppresses osteoclast function. CONCLUSION: The effects on osteoclasts occurred in the absence of bisphosphonate treatment and independently of changes in monoclonal protein levels. Further studies exploring the role of bortezomib as a bone protective agent could be warranted.

Effects of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, alosetron, in a rat model of somatic and visceral hyperalgesia.

Conflicting results exist regarding the role of 5-HT3 receptors in somatic and visceral nociceptive processing. We aimed to investigate the effects of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, alosetron, in a rat model of somatic and visceral hyperalgesia. Two injections (100 microl) of either pH 4.0 or 7.2 saline were given unilaterally in the gastrocnemius (GN) muscle. In all groups, the paw withdrawal thresholds (PWT) to von Frey filaments and the visceromotor responses (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) were recorded before the saline injections and 72 h, and 1 week after the second injection. Intrathecal (i.t.) (25 nmol) or intravenous (i.v.) (100 microg/kg/day) alosetron was given daily following the second injection and compared to either i.v. or i.t. saline (vehicle). There was a significant decrease in the mean PWT bilaterally in all groups following pH 4.0 injections (p<0.05). Intravenous alosetron resulted in a significant increase in the PWT bilaterally on days 2 and 3. Intrathecal alosetron resulted in significant increase in the PWT starting at day 3 and was significantly higher than baseline on days 4-7 (p<0.05). At CRD pressures 30 mmHg, the VMR of pH 4.0 injected rats was significantly increased at 72 h and 1 week (p<0.05). Both i.v. and i.t. alosetron treated rats failed to demonstrate any alteration in the VMR. Control rats (pH 7.2) failed to show any alteration in the VMR and were unaffected by alosetron. Both, systemically and centrally administered alosetron, reversed the mechanical somatic hypersensitivity and prevented the development of visceral hyperalgesia, suggesting a centrally mediated effect.

Neonatal nociceptive somatic stimulation differentially modifies the activity of spinal neurons in rats and results in altered somatic and visceral sensation.

The role ofintramuscular, low pH saline injections during the neonatal period in the development and maintenance of visceral hyperalgesia has not been systematically studied. We aimed to investigate alterations in visceral sensation and neural circuitry that result from noxious stimuli in early life. Neonatal male Sprague-Dawley rats received sterile saline injections of pH 4.0 or 7.4 in the gastrocnemius muscle starting at postnatal day 8. Injections were given unilaterally every other day for 12 days ending on postnatal day 20. A third group received needle prick only on the same shedule as the second group, while a fourth group was left naïve. At 2 months of age, rats underwent assessment of cutaneous and deep somatic sensitivity using von Frey filaments and gastrocnemius muscle pinch, respectively. A visceromotor response (VMR) to graded colorectal distension (CRD; 10-80 mmHg for 30 s with 180 s interstimulus intervals) was recorded. Extracellular single-unit recordings from the thoracolumbar spinal neurons (T13-L1) were performed in adult pH 4.0 injected and naïve controls. There was no difference in the threshold for response to mechanical stimulation of the paw in rats injected with pH 4.0 saline compared to all other groups. Conversely, rats treated with pH 4.0 saline showed a significant bilateral reduction in withdrawal threshold to muscle pinch as adults (P < 0.05). At colorectal distensions > or = 20 mmHg, an increase in the VMR was observed in the pH 4.0 injected group compared to all other groups (P < 0.05). Spinal neurons were classified as short latency abrupt (SL-A) or short latency sustained (SL-S). Spontaneous firing of SL-S (20.6 +/- 2.2 impulses s(-1)), but not SL-A neurons (5.3 +/- 0.9 impulses s(-1)) in the pH 4.0 treated rats was significantly higher than in control rats (SL-S, 2.6 +/- 0.8 impulses s(-1); SL-A, 3.1 +/- 0.7 impulses s(-1)). The response of SL-S neurons to CRD in the pH 4.0 group was significantly higher at distension pressures > or = 20 mmHg. Nociceptive somatic stimulation in neonatal rats results in chronic deep somatic and visceral hyperalgesia in adulthood. Colorectal distension-sensitive SL-S neurons are primarily sensitized to neonatal somatic stimulation.

Acute nociceptive somatic stimulus sensitizes neurones in the spinal cord to colonic distension in the rat.

The common co-existence of fibromyalgia and chronic abdominal pain could be due to sensitization of spinal neurones (SNs), as a result of viscero-somatic convergence. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of acute nociceptive somatic stimulation in the form of acid injections, into the ipsilateral somatic receptive field of neurones responsive to colorectal distension (CRD), and the potential role of ionotropic glutamate receptors on sensitization. Action potentials of CRD-sensitive SNs were recorded extracellularly from the lumbar (L(2)-L(5)) spinal cord. Stimulus-response functions (SRFs) to graded CRD (10-80 mmHg, 30 s) were constructed before and 30 min after ipsilateral injection of low pH (4.0, 100 microl) saline into the somatic receptive fields. In some experiments, cervical (C(1)-C(2)) spinalization was performed to eliminate supraspinal influence. The selective NMDA receptor antagonist CGS 19755 and AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX were injected (25 micromol kg(-1), i.v.) to examine their influence on sensitization. Three types of neurones were characterized as short-latency abrupt (SLA, n = 24), short latency sustained (SLS, n = 12), and long-latency (LL, n = 6) to CRD. Ipsilateral injection of low pH (4.0) in the somatic receptive field, but not the contralateral gastrocnemius (GN) or front leg muscles, sensitized responses of these neurones to CRD. Spinalization had no influence on the development of low pH-induced sensitization. Both CGS 19755 and NBQX significantly attenuated the sensitized response to CRD in intact and spinalized animals. Acute nociceptive somatic stimulus sensitizes CRD-sensitive SNs receiving viscero-somatic convergence. The sensitization occurs at the spinal level and is independent of supraspinal influence. Ionotropic glutamate receptors in the spinal cord are involved in sensitization.

Altered visceral sensation in response to somatic pain in the rat.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with fibromyalgia commonly have symptoms of abdominal pain, suggesting that altered somatic afferent activity may influence visceral sensations. It is hypothesized that a noxious somatic stimulus increases input to the projection neurons in the dorsal horn, resulting in visceral hyperalgesia. METHODS: Two injections (100 microL, pH 4.0) were given unilaterally in the gastrocnemius muscle 2 days apart in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Paw withdrawal reflex (PWR) was measured to assess somatic pain. The control group received pH 7.2 saline injections. Similar injections (pH 4.0) were given in the front leg in a different group. Electromyography (EMG) from the external oblique muscle was recorded to graded colorectal distention at different time intervals. NMDA receptor antagonist (CGS-19755, 20 nmol) or AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist (NBQX, 20 nmol) was injected intrathecally before low-pH injections. RESULTS: A bilateral decrease in PWR threshold occurred 72 hours after the second low-pH injection. There was no decrease in the threshold in rats injected with pH 7.2 saline. A significant increase in EMG to colorectal distention (> or =30 mm Hg) occurred at 72 hours and 2 weeks in the pH 4.0 group. No change in EMG was observed following 2 unilateral low-pH injections in the front leg. Both the visceral hyperalgesia and the decrease in somatic pain thresholds were prevented by prior intrathecal CGS-19755 or NBQX injections. CONCLUSIONS: Noxious somatic afferent input from the hind limb facilitates visceral hyperalgesia, which is due to viscerosomatic convergence in the lower spinal cord. This can be blocked by ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists.

Enhancement of antral contractions and vagal afferent signaling with synchronized electrical stimulation.

Gastric filling activates vagal afferents involved in peripheral signaling to the central nervous system (CNS) for food intake. It is not known whether these afferents linearly encode increasing contractions of the antrum during antral distension (AD). The aim of this study was to investigate effects of AD and electrically enhanced antral contractions on responses of vagal afferents innervating the antrum. Single-fiber recordings were made from the vagal afferents in anesthetized male Long-Evans rats. Antral contractions were measured with a solid-state probe placed in the antrum. A nonexcitatory electrical stimulation (NES) inducing no smooth muscle contractions was applied during the ascending phase of antral contractions to enhance subsequent antral contractions. Fifty-six fibers identified during AD (1 ml for 30 s) were studied through different types of mechanical stimuli. Under normal conditions, one group of fibers exhibited rhythmic firing in phase with antral contractions. Another group of fibers had nonrhythmic spontaneous firing. Responses of 15 fibers were tested with NES during multiple-step distension (MSD). NES produced a mean increase in antral contraction amplitude (177.1 +/- 35.3%) and vagal afferent firing (21.6 +/- 2.6%). Results show that both passive distension and enhanced antral contractions activate distension-sensitive vagal afferents. Responses of these fibers increase linearly to enhanced antral contraction induced by NES or MSD up to a distending volume of 0.6 ml. However, responses reached a plateau at a distending volume >0.8 ml. We concluded that enhanced contraction of the antrum can activate vagal afferents signaling to the CNS.