Real-world data on diagnostics, treatment and outcomes of patients with hairy cell leukemia: The HCL-CLLEAR study.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and HCL-like disorders have to be distinguished because of their different biology and treatment response. Thus, we conducted a retrospective study on patients with HCL and hairy cell leukemia variant (HCLv) to assess diagnostic algorithms and treatment outcomes in a real-world setting. We analyzed 225 HCL and 26 HCLv patients with median follow-up of 67.9 months (HCL) and 20.1 months (HCLv). Median age at diagnosis was 56.2 (HCL) and 69.5 years (HCLv), male predominance was observed in both groups (76.0% vs. 73.1%). Diagnostics was mostly based on morphological evidence of hairy cells in the peripheral blood and bone marrow. At diagnosis, BRAF V600E mutation was detected in 94.7% of examined HCL patients and in no HCLv patient. Front-line treatment was indicated in 205 (91.1%) HCL and 18 (69.2%) HCLv patients. The majority of HCL patients were administered a cladribine-based regimen (91.2%). Overall response rate (ORR) was higher in cladribine-treated patients compared to those given other treatments (97.7% vs. 81.3%), the same applied with achieving Complete remission (CR) (91.2% vs. 62.5%). HCLv treatment was heterogeneous, but cladribine remained the most frequent option (44.4%) with ORR 81.3% and CR rates 43.8%. Second-line treatment was indicated in 52 HCL and 8 HCLv patients, 25.4% and 44.4% of those treated in first-line. In the whole HCL group, median time to next treatment (TTNT) was not reached and 10-year TTNT was estimated at 74.1%. HCLv patients who underwent first-line treatment had a median TTNT of 56 months. The median overall survival (OS) in HCL patients was not reached compared to HCLv with a median OS of 9.5 years. These data confirm an excellent prognosis for HCL patients treated with cladribine-based therapy. On the contrary, HCLv with its aggressive behavior represents a group of patients in whom novel treatment approaches are needed.

Integrative NGS testing reveals clonal dynamics of adverse genomic defects contributing to a natural progression in treatment-naïve CLL patients.

Large-scale next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies revealed extensive genetic heterogeneity, driving a highly variable clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The evolution of subclonal populations contributes to diverse therapy responses and disease refractoriness. Besides, the dynamics and impact of subpopulations before therapy initiation are not well understood. We examined changes in genomic defects in serial samples of 100 untreated CLL patients, spanning from indolent to aggressive disease. A comprehensive NGS panel LYNX, which provides targeted mutational analysis and genome-wide chromosomal defect assessment, was employed. We observed dynamic changes in the composition and/or proportion of genomic aberrations in most patients (62%). Clonal evolution of gene variants prevailed over the chromosomal alterations. Unsupervised clustering based on aberration dynamics revealed four groups of patients with different clinical behaviour. An adverse cluster was associated with fast progression and early therapy need, characterized by the expansion of TP53 defects, ATM mutations, and 18p- alongside dynamic SF3B1 mutations. Our results show that clonal evolution is active even without therapy pressure and that repeated genetic testing can be clinically relevant during long-term patient monitoring. Moreover, integrative NGS testing contributes to the consolidated evaluation of results and accurate assessment of individual patient prognosis.

Idelalisib plus rituximab versus ibrutinib in the treatment of relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: A real-world analysis from the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Registry (CLLEAR).

Idelalisib (idela), a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, and ibrutinib, a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, were the first oral targeted agents approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). However, no randomised trials of idelalisib plus rituximab (R-idela) versus ibrutinib have been conducted. Therefore, we performed a real-world retrospective analysis of patients with R/R CLL treated with R-idela (n = 171) or ibrutinib (n = 244). The median age was 70 versus 69 years, with a median of two previous lines. There was a trend towards higher tumour protein p53 (TP53) aberrations and complex karyotype in the R-idela group (53% vs. 44%, p = 0.093; 57% vs. 46%, p = 0.083). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer with ibrutinib (40.5 vs. 22.0 months; p < 0.001); similarly to overall survival (OS; median 54.4 vs. 37.7 months, p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, only PFS but not OS remained significantly different between the two agents. The most common reasons for treatment discontinuation included toxicity (R-idela, 39.8%; ibrutinib, 22.5%) and CLL progression (27.5% vs. 11.1%). In conclusion, our data show significantly better efficacy and tolerability of ibrutinib over R-idela in patients with R/R CLL treated in routine practice. The R-idela regimen may still be considered a reasonable option in highly selected patients without a suitable treatment alternative.

COVID-19 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a multicenter analysis by the Czech CLL study group.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have a high risk of poor outcomes related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This multicenter cohort study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 infection on the population of CLL patients in the Czech Republic. Between March 2020 and May 2021, 341 patients (237 males) with CLL and COVID-19 disease were identified. The median age was 69 years (range 38-91). Out of the 214 (63%) patients with the history of therapy for CLL, 97 (45%) were receiving CLL-directed treatment at diagnosis of COVID-19: 29% Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), 16% chemoimmunotherapy (CIT), 11% Bcl-2 inhibitor, and 4% phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor. Regarding the severity of COVID-19, 60% pts required admission to the hospital, 21% pts were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and 12% received invasive mechanical ventilation. The overall case fatality rate was 28%. Major comorbidities, age over 72, male gender, CLL treatment in history, CLL-directed treatment at COVID-19 diagnosis were associated with increased risk of death. Of note, concurrent therapy with BTKi compared to CIT was not associated with better outcome of COVID-19.

Duplication of 8q24 in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Cytogenetic and Molecular Biologic Analysis of MYC Aberrations.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with cytogenetics findings, such as complex karyotype and deletions of TP53 or ATM, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Additional chromosomal abnormalities further stratify patients into groups with diverse prognoses. Gain of 8q24 is one of the abnormalities considered as prognostically unfavorable. In our study, we performed a FISH analysis in an initial cohort of 303 consecutive CLL patients and determined the frequency of +8q to be 6.3 %. Our analysis confirmed the association with TP53/ATM aberrations and CK, as the frequency of +8q reached 26.7 % in an extended delTP53/ATM+CK cohort. M-FISH analysis enabled the identification of partner chromosomes where the segment of the duplicated 8q arm was localized. More detailed mapping of the gained 8q region using the M-BAND method determined the smallest amplified region 8q23-8qter. We observed significantly shorter overall survival (OS; 9.0 years in +8q-positive vs. 10.6 years in +8q-negative; p=0.02) and detected slightly higher MYC mRNA/protein levels in +8q-positive vs. +8q-negative patients.

Memory B-cell like chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is associated with specific methylation profile of WNT5A promoter and undetectable expression of WNT5A gene.

Genome methylation profiles define naïve-like (n-CLL), memory-like (m-CLL), and intermediate (i-CLL) subsets of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The profiles can be easily determined by the analysis of the five-CpG signature. m-CLL, i-CLL, and n-CLL with the good, intermediate, and poor prognoses, respectively, differ by the somatic hypermutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable gene (IGHV), a widely used prognostic predictor in CLL. We have previously shown that the expression of WNT5A, encoding a ROR1 ligand, distinguishes patients with the worse outcome within the prognostically favourable IGHV-mutated subgroup. To analyse the mechanisms controlling WNT5A expression, we investigated the methylation status of 54 CpG sites within the WNT5A promoter and its relation to the WNT5A gene expression. In a cohort of 59 CLL patients balanced for combinations of IGHV and WNT5A statuses, we identified three promoter CpG sites whose methylation level correlated with the WNT5A expression within the IGHV-mutated subgroup. Further, we complemented our data with the methylation status of the five-CpG signature. IGHV-mutated/WNT5A-negative and IGHV-mutated/WNT5A-positive cases overlapped with m­CLL and i­CLL methylation subgroups, respectively, while most IGHV­unmutated samples were assigned to n-CLL. Median methylation levels of all the three CpG sites in the WNT5A promoter were lowest in i-CLL. Finally, a detailed analysis of m-CLL and i-CLL showed that undetectable WNT5A expression predicts longer treatment-free survival with higher statistical significance than the classification according to the five-CpG signature. To conclude, a favourable m-CLL subgroup is associated with mutated IGHV and undetectable WNT5A expression due to its promoter methylation.

Evolution of TP53 abnormalities during CLL disease course is associated with telomere length changes.

BACKGROUND: Telomeres are protective structures at chromosome ends which shorten gradually with increasing age. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), short telomeres have been associated with unfavorable disease outcome, but the link between clonal evolution and telomere shortening remains unresolved. METHODS: We investigated relative telomere length (RTL) in a well-characterized cohort of 198 CLL patients by qPCR and focused in detail on a subgroup 26 patients who underwent clonal evolution of TP53 mutations (evolTP53). In the evolTP53 subgroup we explored factors influencing clonal evolution and corresponding changes in telomere length through measurements of telomerase expression, lymphocyte doubling time, and BCR signaling activity. RESULTS: At baseline, RTL of the evolTP53 patients was scattered across the entire RTL spectrum observed in our CLL cohort. RTL changed in the follow-up samples of 16/26 (62%) evolTP53 cases, inclining to reach intermediate RTL values, i.e., longer telomeres shortened compared to baseline while shorter ones prolonged. For the first time we show that TP53 clonal shifts are linked to RTL change, including unexpected RTL prolongation. We further investigated parameters associated with RTL changes. Unstable telomeres were significantly more frequent among younger patients (P = 0.032). Shorter telomeres were associated with decreased activity of the B-cell receptor signaling components p-ERK1/2, p-ZAP-70/SYK, and p-NFκB (P = 0.04, P = 0.01, and P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that changes of telomere length reflect evolution in leukemic subclone proportion, and are associated with specific clinico-biological features of the explored cohort.

Rituximab induces rapid blood repopulation by CLL cells mediated through their release from immune niches and complement exhaustion.

The in vivo rituximab effects in B cell malignancies are only partially understood. Here we analyzed in a large chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cohort (n = 80) the inter-patient variability in CLL cell count reduction within the first 24 h of rituximab administration in vivo, and a phenomenon of blood repopulation by malignant cells after anti-CD20 antibody therapy. Larger CLL cell elimination after rituximab infusion was associated with lower pre-therapy CLL cell counts, higher CD20 levels, and the non-exhausted capacity of complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). The absolute amount of cell-surface CD20 molecules (CD20 density x CLL lymphocytosis) was a predictor for complement exhaustion during therapy. We also describe that a highly variable decrease in CLL cell counts at 5 h (88 %-2%) following rituximab infusion is accompanied in most patients by peripheral blood repopulation with CLL cells at 24 h, and in ∼20 % of patients, this resulted in CLL counts higher than before therapy. We provide evidence that CLL cells recrudescence is linked with i) CDC exhaustion, which leads to the formation of an insufficient amount of membrane attack complexes, likely resulting in temporary retention of surviving rituximab-opsonized cells by the mononuclear-phagocyte system (followed by their release back to blood), and ii) CLL cells regression from immune niches (CXCR4dimCD5bright intraclonal subpopulation). Patients with major peripheral blood CLL cell repopulation exhibited a longer time-to-progression after chemoimmunotherapy compared to patients with lower or no repopulation, suggesting chemotherapy vulnerability of CLL cells that repopulate the blood.

LYmphoid NeXt-Generation Sequencing (LYNX) Panel: A Comprehensive Capture-Based Sequencing Tool for the Analysis of Prognostic and Predictive Markers in Lymphoid Malignancies.

B-cell neoplasms represent a clinically heterogeneous group of hematologic malignancies with considerably diverse genomic architecture recently endorsed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies. Because multiple genetic defects have a potential or confirmed clinical impact, a tendency toward more comprehensive testing of diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive markers is desired. This study introduces the design, validation, and implementation of an integrative, custom-designed, capture-based NGS panel titled LYmphoid NeXt-generation sequencing (LYNX) for the analysis of standard and novel molecular markers in the most common lymphoid neoplasms (chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma). A single LYNX test provides the following: i) accurate detection of mutations in all coding exons and splice sites of 70 lymphoma-related genes with a sensitivity of 5% variant allele frequency, ii) reliable identification of large genome-wide (≥6 Mb) and recurrent chromosomal aberrations (≥300 kb) in at least 20% of the clonal cell fraction, iii) the assessment of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements, and iv) lymphoma-specific translocation detection. Dedicated bioinformatic pipelines were designed to detect all markers mentioned above. The LYNX panel represents a comprehensive, up-to-date tool suitable for routine testing of lymphoid neoplasms with research and clinical applicability. It allows a wide adoption of capture-based targeted NGS in clinical practice and personalized management of patients with lymphoproliferative diseases.

Low-burden TP53 mutations in CLL: clinical impact and clonal evolution within the context of different treatment options.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) bearing TP53 mutations experience chemorefractory disease and are therefore candidates for targeted therapy. However, the significance of low-burden TP53 mutations with <10% variant allele frequency (VAF) remains a matter for debate. Herein, we describe clonal evolution scenarios of low-burden TP53 mutations, the clinical impact of which we analyzed in a "real-world" CLL cohort. TP53 status was assessed by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 511 patients entering first-line treatment with chemo- and/or immunotherapy and 159 patients in relapse before treatment with targeted agents. Within the pretherapy cohort, 16% of patients carried low-burden TP53 mutations (0.1% to 10% VAF). Although their presence did not significantly shorten event-free survival after first-line therapy, it affected overall survival (OS). In a subgroup with TP53 mutations of 1% to 10% VAF, the impact on OS was observed only in patients with unmutated IGHV who had not received targeted therapy, as patients benefited from switching to targeted agents, regardless of initial TP53 mutational status. Analysis of the clonal evolution of low-burden TP53 mutations showed that the highest expansion rates were associated with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab regimen in both first- and second-line treatments (median VAF increase, 14.8× and 11.8×, respectively) in contrast to treatment with less intense treatment regimens (1.6×) and no treatment (0.8×). In the relapse cohort, 33% of patients carried low-burden TP53 mutations, which did not expand significantly upon targeted treatment (median VAF change, 1×). Sporadic cases of TP53 mutations' clonal shifts were connected with the development of resistance-associated mutations. Altogether, our data support the incorporation of low-burden TP53 variants in clinical decision making.

FoxO1-GAB1 axis regulates homing capacity and tonic AKT activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Recirculation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells between the peripheral blood and lymphoid niches plays a critical role in disease pathophysiology, and inhibiting this process is one of the major mechanisms of action for B-cell receptor (BCR) inhibitors such as ibrutinib and idelalisib. Migration is a complex process guided by chemokine receptors and integrins. However, it remains largely unknown how CLL cells integrate multiple migratory signals while balancing survival in the peripheral blood and the decision to return to immune niches. Our study provided evidence that CXCR4/CD5 intraclonal subpopulations can be used to study the regulation of migration of CLL cells. We performed RNA profiling of CXCR4dimCD5bright vs CXCR4brightCD5dim CLL cells and identified differential expression of dozens of molecules with a putative function in cell migration. GRB2-associated binding protein 1 (GAB1) positively regulated CLL cell homing capacity of CXCR4brightCD5dim cells. Gradual GAB1 accumulation in CLL cells outside immune niches was mediated by FoxO1-induced transcriptional GAB1 activation. Upregulation of GAB1 also played an important role in maintaining basal phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity and the "tonic" AKT phosphorylation required to sustain the survival of resting CLL B cells. This finding is important during ibrutinib therapy, because CLL cells induce the FoxO1-GAB1-pAKT axis, which represents an adaptation mechanism to the inability to home to immune niches. We have demonstrated that GAB1 can be targeted therapeutically by novel GAB1 inhibitors, alone or in combination with BTK inhibition. GAB1 inhibitors induce CLL cell apoptosis, impair cell migration, inhibit tonic or BCR-induced AKT phosphorylation, and block compensatory AKT activity during ibrutinib therapy.

Real-world data on efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil, rituximab plus chlorambucil, and rituximab plus bendamustine in the frontline treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: The GO-CLLEAR Study by the Czech CLL Study Group.

Until recently, a combination of anti-CD20 antibody plus less intensive chemotherapy was a standard of care in elderly population with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The aim of this observational study was to retrospectively assess efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab + chlorambucil (G-Clb), rituximab + chlorambucil (R-Clb), and bendamustine + rituximab (BR) given as the frontline therapy within routine practice. The final analyzed dataset included 398 consecutive CLL patients from 10 hematology centers cooperating within the Czech CLL Study Group: 63 treated with G-Clb, 78 with R-Clb, and 257 with BR. There were no significant differences in prognostic and predictive markers among the groups. On the contrary, median age at the start of therapy and cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS) score was significantly higher in R-Clb group. Obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil regimen was preferably offered to elderly patients (compared to BR) with less severe comorbidities and lower CIRS score (compared to R-Clb). A time period when a treatment was indicated had also a strong impact on the choice of the regimen. The overall response rate reached 76% (30% complete remissions, CRs) in G-Clb, 75% (22% CRs) in R-Clb, and 85% (47% CRs) in BR group. Median event-free survival was 49.0 months for G-Clb, 20.3 months for R-Clb, and 37.0 months for BR group. Neutropenia grade ≥ 3 developed in 43% of G-Clb, 31% of R-Clb and in 49% of BR patients, grade ≥ 3 infections were recorded in 17% of G-Clb, 6.4% of R-Clb, and 17% of BR patients. In conclusion, real-world therapeutic activity of G-Clb appears to be at least comparable to prospective clinical trial data. R-Clb yields relatively good results in very old and severely comorbid patients.

Profiling of biological and environmental risk factors in immunogenetic subgroups of chronic lymphocytic leukemia - Czech national study.

AIMS: This is a nation-wide survey of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients at six large hematology centers in the Czech Republic. The aim was to identify specific populations, social, and health characteristics of CLL subgroups divided according to the immunogenetic features of their B cell receptors (BCRs) and clonality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Questionnaires directed to specific health, social, and environmental conditions were collected in a cohort of 573 CLL patients. For these patients, immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements were also analyzed in order to gain information about their clonality, IGHV mutational status, and the presence of stereotyped BCRs. Data extracted from the questionnaires were analyzed statistically in the context of immunogenetic features of the cohort. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the data collected in the survey between patients with mutated and patients with unmutated IGHV. However, patients with oligoclonal CLL reported health conditions such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, herpes simplex, tumors, and also, separately, CLL in 1st degree relatives, more often than their monoclonal counterparts. In patients with stereotyped BCRs, we found more frequent alcohol consumption and gastric infections in subset #1 cases and frequent cholecystectomies and familial CLL in subset #2 cases. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate CLL immunogenetic features and clonality in the context of epidemiological data. We reported statistically significant associations suggesting the influence of certain health and social conditions on a number of clonal populations expanding in CLL and also on characteristic BCR features, especially stereotypy.

Single-agent ibrutinib in RESONATE-2™ and RESONATE™ versus treatments in the real-world PHEDRA databases for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

After analyzing treatment patterns in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (objective 1), we investigated the relative effectiveness of ibrutinib versus other commonly used treatments (objective 2) in patients with treatment-naïve and relapsed/refractory CLL, comparing patient-level data from two randomized registration trials with two real-world databases. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted for differences in baseline characteristics. Rituximab-containing regimens were often prescribed in clinical practice. The most frequently prescribed regimens were fludarabine + cyclophosphamide + rituximab (FCR, 29.3%), bendamustine + rituximab (BR, 17.7%), and other rituximab-containing regimens (22.0%) in the treatment-naïve setting (n = 604), other non-FCR/BR rituximab-containing regimens (38.7%) and non-rituximab-containing regimens (28.5%) in the relapsed/refractory setting (n = 945). Adjusted HRs (95% CI) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), respectively, with ibrutinib versus real-world regimens were 0.23 (0.14-0.37; p < 0.0001) and 0.40 (0.22-0.76; p = 0.0048) in the treatment-naïve setting, and 0.21 (0.16-0.27; p < 0.0001) and 0.29 (0.21-0.41; p < 0.0001) in the relapsed/refractory setting. When comparing real-world use of ibrutinib (n = 53) versus other real-world regimens in relapsed/refractory CLL (objective 3), adjusted HRs (95% CI) were 0.37 (0.22-0.63; p = 0.0003) for PFS and 0.53 (0.27-1.03; p < 0.0624) for OS. This adjusted analysis, based on nonrandomized patient data, suggests ibrutinib to be more effective than other commonly used regimens for CLL.

Impact of gene mutations and chromosomal aberrations on progression-free survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with front-line chemoimmunotherapy: Clinical practice experience.

The impact of genetic aberrations on rituximab-based therapeutic regimens has been intensely studied in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). According to the current consensus chemoimmunotherapy consisting of rituximab and DNA-damaging drugs is not suitable for patients with TP53 defects. In our study, we focused on CLL patients with an intact TP53 gene and investigated four recurrently mutated genes in CLL, genomic aberrations by FISH, and IGHV status with the aim of analyzing their impact on progression-free survival (PFS) after front-line therapy with FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab) or BR (bendamustine, rituximab) regimens. Using next-generation sequencing, we analyzed 120 patients treated with FCR and 57 patients treated with BR at a university hospital. We used a 10% cut-off for variant allele frequency and recorded the following mutation frequencies in the pre-therapy samples: ATM 23%, SF3B1 20%, NOTCH1 19% and BIRC3 11%. The data on cytogenetic aberrations (11q22, 13q14, trisomy 12) and IGHV mutation status were also considered in PFS analyses. In univariate analyses, we observed a negative impact of BIRC3 mutations and 11q22 deletion in both regimens, while the unmutated IGHV status was associated with a significantly shorter PFS only in the FCR-treated cohort. In a multivariate analysis, only deletion 11q22 in both regimens, and the unmutated IGHV in the FCR cohort maintained an independent association with the reduced PFS. Notably, sole 11q22 deletion, without an ATM mutation on the other allele, manifested the shortest PFS of all analyzed markers. Deletion 11q22 and IGHV status predict PFS in previously untreated CLL patients.

Prospective observational study in comorbid patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receiving first-line bendamustine with rituximab.

Chemoimmunotherapy with bendamustine and rituximab is an alternative treatment for elderly patients with CLL. The aim of this observational multicenter study was to prospectively assess efficacy and safety of bendamustine and rituximab in front-line therapy in patients with CLL and significant comorbidities in real hematological practice. Eighty-three consecutive patients with cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS) >6 who received at least one cycle of BR as first-line treatment were included in the study. The median age was 71 years (range, 53-83), the median CIRS was 8 (range, 7-17), and 60.2% of patients had a creatinine clearance ≤70 mL/min. FISH analysis, available for 78 cases, showed a del(17p) in 11.5% and del(11q) in 20.5% of patients. Overall response rate was 88.0% with a complete response rate of 20.5%. With median follow-up time of 22 months, the estimated median progression free survival was 35.9 months. Progression free survival and overall survival rates at 2 years were 69.9% and 96.2%, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia were documented in 40 (48.2%), 14 (16.9%), and 8 (9.6%) patients, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 infections occurred in 14.5% of patients. Chemoimmunotherapy with BR is an effective therapeutic option with manageable toxicity for the initial treatment of CLL patients with significant comorbidities. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02381899.

Ofatumumab added to dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Results from a phase II study.

The treatment of relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains a challenging clinical issue. An important treatment option is the use of high-dose corticosteroids. The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine the efficacy and toxicity of an ofatumumab-dexamethasone (O-Dex) combination in relapsed or refractory CLL. The trial was an open-label, multicenter, nonrandomized, Phase II study. The O-Dex regimen consisted of intravenous ofatumumab (Cycle 1: 300 mg on day 1, 2,000 mg on days 8, 15, and 22; Cycles 2-6: 1,000 mg on days 1, 8, 15, and 22) and oral dexamethasone (40 mg on days 1-4 and 15-18; Cycles 1-6). The O-Dex regimen was given until best response, or a maximum of six cycles. Thirty-three patients (pts) were recruited. Twenty-four (73%) pts completed at least three cycles of therapy. The remaining nine pts were prematurely discontinued owing to Grade 3/4 infections (seven pts), disease progression (one pt), or uncontrollable diabetes mellitus (one pt). Overall response rates/complete remissions (ORR/CR) were achieved in 22/5 pts (67/15%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10 months. In pts with p53 defects (n = 8), ORR/CR were achieved in 5/2 pts (63/25%) with a median PFS of 10.5 months. The median overall survival (OS) was 34 months. The Grades 3-5 infectious toxicity in 33% of pts represented the most frequent side effect during the treatment period. In conclusion, the O-Dex regimen shows a relatively high ORR and CR with promising findings for PFS and OS. The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01310101).

Clonal evolution in chronic lymphocytic leukemia detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization and conventional cytogenetics after stimulation with CpG oligonucleotides and interleukin-2: a prospective analysis.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients may acquire new chromosome abnormalities during the course of their disease. Clonal evolution (CE) has been detected by conventional chromosome banding (CBA), several groups also confirmed CE with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). At present, there are minimal prospective data on CE frequency determined using a combination of both methods. Therefore, the aim of our study was to prospectively assess CE frequency using a combination of FISH and CBA after stimulation with CpG oligonucleotides and interleukin-2. Between 2008 and 2012, we enrolled 140 patients with previously untreated CLL in a prospective trial evaluating CE using FISH and CBA after stimulation. Patients provided baseline and regular follow-up peripheral blood samples for testing. There was a median of 3 cytogenetic examinations (using both methods) per patient. CE was detected in 15.7% (22/140) of patients using FISH, in 28.6% (40/140) using CBA, and in 34.3% (48/140) of patients by combining both methods. Poor-prognosis CE (new deletion 17p, new deletion 11q or new complex karyotype) was detected in 15% (21/140) of patients and was significantly associated with previous CLL treatment (p=0.013). CBA provides more complex information about cytogenetic abnormalities in CLL patients than FISH and confirms that many patients can acquire new abnormalities during the course of their disease in a relatively short time period.

The outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients who relapsed after fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab.

BACKGROUND: There are minimal data about the efficacy of subsequent therapy in patients with relapse after FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab) chemoimmunotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 119 patients who relapsed after standard-dose FCR. The patient cohort consisted of patients who relapsed after FCR administered as first-line therapy (Group 1, n = 63) and patients relapsing after FCR administered in second/subsequent line; (Group 2, n = 56). RESULTS: Basic parameters (age, clinical stage, cytogenetics, molecular genetics) did not differ significantly between these subgroups. Likewise, median progression-free survival (PFS) was not considerably different after FCR (18.6 vs. 14.7 months). Subsequent therapy for relapsed disease included FCR retreatment, R-CHOP, alemtuzumab, or rituximab plus high-dose dexamethasone. Overall response rates for the two groups did not significantly differ (59% vs. 44%). Although PFS after subsequent therapy was relatively short, longer PFS was observed in Group 1 (13.3 vs. 5.9 months; P = 0.01), in patients with response duration ≥ 24 months after previous FCR (13 vs. 6.1 months; P < 0.01), and in patients who achieved complete remission after FCR (10.8 vs. 7.9 months in partial remission; P = 0.01). Newly detected 17p deletions were observed in 5/62 patients, and new p53 mutations in 6/34 FCR-treated patients. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the prognosis of patients who relapse after FCR remains poor regardless of the subsequent treatment regimen.