Autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma patients with chronic kidney disease: a safe and effective option.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a frequent complication in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and is associated with adverse outcomes. The use of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has improved disease outcomes, however, the safety and efficacy of ASCT in patients with CKD has been the subject of debate. To investigate this, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 370 MM patients who underwent their first ASCT, including those with mild, moderate and severe CKD as well as normal renal function at the time of transplant. No significant difference in ASCT-related mortality, Progression-Free or Overall Survival was noted between the different renal function groups. A decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 1-year of >8.79% was associated with poorer overall survival (p < 0.001). The results of this study show that ASCT is a safe and effective option for myeloma patients with CKD, including those on dialysis. Patients who demonstrate renal deterioration at 1-year post-transplant should be closely monitored as this is a predictor for poor survival.

Establishing optimal quantitative-polymerase chain reaction assays for routine diagnosis and tracking of minimal residual disease in JAK2-V617F-associated myeloproliferative neoplasms: a joint European LeukemiaNet/MPN&MPNr-EuroNet (COST action BM0902) study.

Reliable detection of JAK2-V617F is critical for accurate diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs); in addition, sensitive mutation-specific assays can be applied to monitor disease response. However, there has been no consistent approach to JAK2-V617F detection, with assays varying markedly in performance, affecting clinical utility. Therefore, we established a network of 12 laboratories from seven countries to systematically evaluate nine different DNA-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays, including those in widespread clinical use. Seven quality control rounds involving over 21,500 qPCR reactions were undertaken using centrally distributed cell line dilutions and plasmid controls. The two best-performing assays were tested on normal blood samples (n=100) to evaluate assay specificity, followed by analysis of serial samples from 28 patients transplanted for JAK2-V617F-positive disease. The most sensitive assay, which performed consistently across a range of qPCR platforms, predicted outcome following transplant, with the mutant allele detected a median of 22 weeks (range 6-85 weeks) before relapse. Four of seven patients achieved molecular remission following donor lymphocyte infusion, indicative of a graft vs MPN effect. This study has established a robust, reliable assay for sensitive JAK2-V617F detection, suitable for assessing response in clinical trials, predicting outcome and guiding management of patients undergoing allogeneic transplant.