Hematopoietic cell transplantation for telomere biology diseases: A retrospective single-center cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Telomere biology diseases (TBD) result from defective telomere maintenance, leading to bone marrow failure. The only curative treatment for aplastic anemia related to TBD is a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Although reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens decrease transplant-related mortality, non-hematological phenotypes represent a major challenge and are associated with poor long-term follow-up outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome of TBD patients transplanted for marrow failure. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective, single-center study describing the outcomes of 32 consecutive transplants on 29 patients between 1993 and 2019. RESULTS: The median age at transplantation was 14 years (range, 3-30 years). Most patients received a RIC regimen (n = 28) and bone marrow (BM) from an unrelated donor (n = 16). Four patients received a haploidentical transplant. Chimerism was available for 27 patients with a median time to neutrophil recovery of 20 days (13-36 days). Primary graft failure occurred in one patient, whereas second graft failure occurred in two. Acute GVHD grade II-IV and moderate to severe chronic GVHD occurred in 22% of patients at risk. Fourteen patients were alive after HCT at the last follow-up (median, 6 years; 1.4-19 years). The 5-year overall survival was better after matched sibling donor (MSD) transplantation compared to other hematopoietic stem cell sources (88.9% vs. 47.7%; p = .05; CI = 95%). Overall, 15 patients died after HCT, most of them (n = 11) after the first year of transplant, due to non-hematological disease progression or complication of chronic GVHD. CONCLUSIONS: Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment option for TBD, nonetheless the poor outcome reflects the progression of non-hematologic disease manifestations, which should be considered when transplantation is indicated.

Long-term Survival, Organ Function, and Malignancy after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Fanconi Anemia.

We report on long-term survival in 157 patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) who survived 2 years or longer after their first transplantation with a median follow-up of 9 years. Marrow failure (80%) was the most common indication for transplantation. There were 20 deaths beyond 2 years after transplantation, with 12 of the deaths occurring beyond 5 years after transplantation. Donor chimerism was available for 149 patients: 112 (76%) reported > 95% chimerism, 27 (18%) reported 90% to 95% chimerism, and 8 (5%) reported 20% to 89% donor chimerism. Two patients have < 20% donor chimerism. The 10- and 15-year probabilities of survival were 90% and 79%, respectively. Results of multivariate analysis showed higher mortality risks for transplantations before 2003 (hazard ratio [HR], 7.87; P = .001), chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (HR, 3.80; P = .004) and squamous cell carcinoma after transplantation (HR, 38.17; P < .0001). The predominant cause of late mortality was squamous cell carcinoma, with an incidence of 8% and 14% at 10 and 15 years after transplantation, respectively, and was more likely to occur in those with chronic GVHD. Other causes of late mortality included chronic GVHD, infection, graft failure, other cancers, and hemorrhage. Although most patients are disease free and functional long term, our data support aggressive surveillance for long periods to identify those at risk for late mortality.

Navigating 'grey areas' and challenges during evaluation of transplant eligibility in specific myelofibrosis populations: a perspective on behalf of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the EBMT.

Significant efforts have been made to effectively select myelofibrosis (MF) patients who can benefit from allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), the only current cure for MF. The recent EBMT/ELN 2024 recommendations offer valuable guidance for hematologists and transplant physicians. However, several grey areas remain in day-to-day clinical practice regarding the feasibility and optimal preparation for transplantation in patients with this disease. Effective spleen size reduction, often achieved with JAK inhibitors, appears crucial for transplant success. For resistant cases, switching JAK inhibitors, splenectomy, or spleen irradiation may be considered, taking into account patient profiles, treatment availability and center preferences. Managing splanchnic vein thromboses, portal, and pulmonary hypertension is critical as these conditions may affect transplant outcomes. Cytopenias, particularly transfusion-dependent anemia and thrombocytopenia, complicate treatment and impact on outcomes, though new drugs show promise. Comorbidities play a significant role and tools like the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) and frailty assessments are useful for evaluating transplant risks while allowing the implementation of corrective measures. Especially in low- and medium-income countries where access to novel therapies may be challenging, allo-HCT still represents an attractive therapeutic option for MF. Future directions include integrating new therapeutics into the transplant algorithm and leveraging artificial intelligence for more informed risk assessment, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to improve allo-HCT outcomes in such a setting.

Challenges in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Management in South America.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) management in developing countries has improved in the last years, but the availability of therapeutic resources, monitoring, reimbursement, and financial issues may be a challenge and interfere with the best practices and results of CML treatment. This review points out the main challenges in CML management in South America. RECENT FINDINGS: In this review, we describe the access to tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monitoring in different countries of South America. We also address the ongoing discontinuation trials, the progress, and limitations of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the last years. There are still many challenges for achieving the best outcomes for CML patients in South America. The continuous efforts to provide continuous education, access to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and monitoring, providing reference centers for CML management and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may improve patients' outcomes.

Bone marrow transplantation in patients with storage diseases: a developing country experience.

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a therapeutic option for patients with genetic storage diseases. Between 1979 and 2002, eight patients, four females and four males (1 to 13 years old) were submitted to this procedure in our center. Six patients had mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS I in 3; MPS III in one and MPS VI in 2), one had adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and one had Gaucher disease. Five patients had related and three unrelated BMT donor. Three patients developed graft versus host disease (two MPS I and one MPS VI) and died between 37 and 151 days after transplantation. Five patients survived 4 to 16 years after transplantation. Three patients improved (one MPS I; one MPS VI and the Gaucher disease patient), one patient had no disease progression (ALD) and in one patient this procedure did not change the natural course of the disease (MPS III).

Acute and chronic Graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the main complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, affecting about 50% to 80% of the patients. Acute GVHD and its clinical manifestations are discussed in this article, as well as the new NIH criteria for the diagnosis and classification of chronic GVHD. Therapy for both chronic and acute GVHD is an important field of discussion, as there is no proven superiority for the majority of therapies used after primary treatment has failed. Hence, this review is meant to be a useful consultation tool for hematologists dealing with this complex transplantation procedure complication.

Acute and chronic Graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / Doença do enxerto contra o hospedeiro aguda e crônica após transplante de células-tronco hematopoiéticas

ABSTRACT graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the main complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, affecting about 50% to 80% of the patients. Acute GVHD and its clinical manifestations are discussed in this article, as well as the new NIH criteria for the diagnosis and classification of chronic GVHD. Therapy for both chronic and acute GVHD is an important field of discussion, as there is no proven superiority for the majority of therapies used after primary treatment has failed. Hence, this review is meant to be a useful consultation tool for hematologists dealing with this complex transplantation procedure complication.

RESUMO A doença do enxerto contra hospedeiro (DECH) é uma das principais complicações do transplante de células-tronco Hematopoéticas, acometendo cerca de 50% a 80% dos pacientes. A DECH aguda e suas manifestações clínicas são discutidas neste artigo, bem como a classificação revisada do NIH para diagnóstico e classificação da DECH crônica. A terapêutica para DECH aguda e crônica é um importante campo de discussão uma vez que não há superioridade comprovada para a maioria das terapêuticas utilizadas após o tratamento primário. Assim, esta revisão pretende ser instrumento de consulta para hematologistas transplantadores que lidam com esta complexa complicação do procedimento.

HLA-matched related donor hematopoietic cell transplantation in 43 patients with Fanconi anemia conditioned with 60 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide.

Cells from Fanconi anemia (FA) patients are hypersensitive to alkylating agents and radiation traditionally used as conditioning regimens for marrow cell transplantation, and patients experience serious toxicities. To reduce toxicities, we used progressively lower doses of cyclophosphamide (CY) for conditioning. Here, we report the results in 43 FA patients who received marrow transplantation from HLA-matched related donors (37 siblings and 6 other relatives). Conditioning consisted of 15 mg CY/kg/day for 4 days along with Mesna. Methotrexate and cyclosporine were given for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Forty patients (93%) are alive with a median follow-up of 3.7 (range 0.6 to 7.9) years. One patient with primary graft failure was successfully retransplanted. Three of 4 patients with late graft failures were retransplanted, and 2 of those are alive; 1 died before a second marrow graft. Twelve patients including 3 with rejection had cytogenetic abnormalities in their marrow cells before transplantation. Acute grade II-III and chronic GVHD (aGVHD, cGVHD) were seen in 17% and 28.5% of patients, respectively. These results confirm and extend our previous observations that conditioning with 60 mg CY/kg allows for sustained engraftment of HLA-matched related marrow grafts in most FA patients and is associated with low toxicity, low incidences of aGVHD and cGVHD, and excellent long-term survival.

Bone marrow transplantation in patients with storage diseases: a developing country experience

O transplante de medula óssea é uma opção terapêutica para os pacientes com doenças de acúmulo. Entre 1979 e 2002, oito pacientes, quatro femininos e quatro masculinos (entre um e 13 anos de idade) foram submetidos a este procedimento em nosso centro. Seis pacientes apresentavam mucopolissacaridose (MPS I em 3; MPS III em um e MPS VI em 2), um paciente apresentava adrenoleucodistrofia e um apresentava doença de Gaucher. Cinco pacientes receberam o transplante de doador aparentado e três de doador não aparentado. Três pacientes desenvolveram doença do enxerto versus hospedeiro (dois com MPS I e um com MPS VI) e faleceram entre 37 e 151 dias após o transplante. Cinco pacientes sobreviveram entre 4 e 16 anos após o transplante. Três tiveram melhora clínica (um MPS I, um MPS VI e o paciente com doença de Gaucher), um paciente não apresentou progressão da doença (adrenoleucodistrofia) e um paciente não teve alteração da história natural da doença (MPS III).

Therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia with imatinib mesylate in Brazil: a study of 98 cases / Tratamento da leucemia mielóide crônica com imatinib mesilato no Brasil: estudo de 98 casos

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a clonal disease characterized by balanced translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 (Philadelphia chromosome). The resulting BCR-ABL gene has tyrosine kinase activity which stimulates cellular growth. Imatinib mesylate is a potent and specific inhibitor of all ABL related kinases. Ninety-eight CML patients were treated with imatinib mesylate from October 2000 to January 2003. Disease stage was: late chronic phase resistant or intolerant to alpha-interferon (CP): 28; accelerated phase (AP): 55; blastic phase (BP): 15 patients. Dose: 400 mg for CP and 600 mg for AP or CB. The objectives were to evaluation the efficacy, safety and survival with imatinib mesylate therapy in all phases of CML. The median follow up time was 545 days (range: 7-862), complete hematologic response was 86 percent in CP, 47 percent in AP and 13 percent in BP. Complete cytogenetic response was 61 percent, 24 percent and 0 percent respectively. BCR-ABL was not detected by nested RT-PCR in 9 percent of patients. Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity was seen in 21 percent of CP, 74 percent of AP and 87 percent of BP patients. Grade 3-4 non-hematologic toxicity was observed in 11 percent of CP, 51 percent of AP and 53 percent of BP patients. Two-year overall survival was 64 percent for all patients, 96 percent for CP and 36 percent for AP patients. All BP patients died within a median of 60 days. Imatinib mesylate induced cytogenetic responses in Brazilian patients with previously treated CML in chronic and accelerated phase. Adverse events are similar to those reported in the literature, except for lower rates of gastrointestinal symptoms and muscle cramps in our study group.

INTRODUÇÃO: A Leucemia Mielóide Crônica (LMC) é uma doença clonal caracterizada pela presença da translocação entre os cromossomos 9 e 22 (cromossomo Philadelphia). O gene resultante BCR-ABL possui atividade de tirosino-quinase, que estimula o crescimento celular. O mesilato de imatinibe é um inibidor potente e específico de todas as quinases relacionadas ao ABL. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Noventa e oito pacientes com LMC foram tratados com mesilato de imatinibe de outubro de 2000 a janeiro de 2003: 28 em fase crônica (FC) resistente ou intolerante ao interferon alfa; 55 em fase acelerada (FA) e 55 em crise blástica (CB). Dose: 400 mg para CP e 600 mg para FA ou CB. OBJETIVOS: Avaliação da eficácia, segurança e sobrevida após tratamento da LMC com mesilato de imatinibe. RESULTADOS: Seguimento mediano: 545 dias (variação: 7-862). Resposta hematológica completa ocorreu em 86 por cento dos pacientes em FC, 47 por cento na FA e 13 por cento na CB. Sessenta e um por cento, 24 por cento e 0 por cento dos pacientes em FC, FA e CB, atingiram resposta citogenética completa, respectivamente. Não foram detectados transcritos BCR-ABL por "nested RT-PCR" em 9 por cento dos pacientes. Toxicidade hematológica grau 3-4: 21 por cento na FC, 74 por cento na FA e em 87 por cento na CB. Toxicidade não hematológica grau 3-4: 11 por cento na FC, 51 por cento na FA e 53 por cento na CB. A sobrevida global em dois anos foi de 64 por cento para todos os pacientes, 96 por cento na FC e 36 por cento na FA. Todos os pacientes em CB faleceram numa mediana de 60 dias. CONCLUSÕES: O mesilato de imatinibe induziu respostas citogenéticas completas em pacientes brasileiros com LMC em fase crônica e acelerada. Os eventos adversos nos nossos pacientes foram semelhantes aos relatados em literatura, exceto pela menor incidência de sintomas gastro-intestinais e câimbras.