Allogeneic stem cell transplantation improves survival in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma patients achieving complete remission after salvage treatment.

Allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) is a current treatment option for patients with refractory/relapsed classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL), including those who have failed an autologous transplantation. We performed a retrospective multicenter analysis of 113 patients (median age 28 years; range 14-56; 54% males) with refractory/relapsed (R/R) CHL who had undergone alloSCT in Argentina. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Relapse rate (RR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were estimated with cumulative incidence analysis. Disease status at transplant was complete remission (CR) in 39%, partial remission (PR) in 44%, and stable/progressed disease (S/PD) in 17% of the patients. Donor type was matched related (MRD) in 60%, unrelated (URD) in 19%, and haploidentical (HID) in 21% of the patients. OS and PFS at 2 years were 43% and 27%, respectively, for all the cohort. In the univariate analysis, patients in CR showed better OS (p ≤ 0.001) and PFS (p ≤ 0.001), and lower NRM (p = 0.04). HID had better PFS (p = 0.04) and lower RR (p = 0.02). In the multivariate analysis, CR showed a significant impact on OS and PFS, and HID on PFS. AlloSCT is a feasible procedure in patients with CHL. Those in CR at the time of the transplant had better outcomes. Haploidentical transplantation is associated with better PFS in these patients with poor prognosis.

PET-adapted therapy after three cycles of ABVD for all stages of Hodgkin lymphoma: results of the GATLA LH-05 trial.

The role of Ann Arbor staging in determining treatment intensity after achieving a negative positron emission tomography (PET) has not been established in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Patients with stage I-IV cHL, received three cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and an interim PET scan (PET3). PET3-negative patients received no further therapy. PET3-positive patients received three additional cycles of ABVD plus involved-field radiation therapy or salvage chemotherapy, if refractory to ABVD, and were re-evaluated by PET scan (PET6). Study endpoints were 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. Two hundred and thirty-nine patients with early-stage and 138 with advanced-stage were evaluable. Overall, 260 patients (70%) were PET3-negative and had higher 3-year PFS (90% vs. 65%; P < 0·0001) and OS (98% vs. 92%; P = 0·007) rates than PET3-positive patients. All PET3-negative patients, regardless of disease stage at diagnosis, achieved similarly good PFS (90-91%; P = 0·76) and OS (97-99%). The only independent prognostic factor for PFS was PET3-negativity (Hazard ratio 3·8; 95% confidence interval 2·4-6·3; P < 0·0001). This study suggests that cHL patients who achieve a negative PET3 following ABVD have an excellent outcome, regardless of stage at diagnosis. An appropriately powered, phase III trial will be necessary to confirm these findings.

Cigarette smoking, dietary habits and genetic polymorphisms in GSTT1, GSTM1 and CYP1A1 metabolic genes: A case-control study in oncohematological diseases.

AIM: To analyze the association between oncohematological diseases and GSTT1/GSTM1/CYP1A1 polymorphisms, dietary habits and smoking, in an argentine hospital-based case-control study. METHODS: This hospital-based case-control study involved 125 patients with oncohematological diseases and 310 control subjects. A questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data and information about habits. Blood samples were collected, and DNA was extracted using salting out methods. Deletions in GSTT1 and GSTM1 (null genotypes) were addressed by PCR. CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism was detected by PCR-RFLP. Odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI were calculated to estimate the association between each variable studied and oncohematological disease. RESULTS: Women showed lower risk of disease compared to men (OR 0.52, 95%CI: 0.34-0.82, P = 0.003). Higher levels of education (> 12 years) were significantly associated with an increased risk, compared to complete primary school or less (OR 3.68, 95%CI: 1.82-7.40, P < 0.001 adjusted for age and sex). With respect to tobacco, none of the smoking categories showed association with oncohematological diseases. Regarding dietary habits, consumption of grilled/barbecued meat 3 or more times per month showed significant association with an increased risk of disease (OR 1.72, 95%CI: 1.08-2.75, P = 0.02). Daily consumption of coffee also was associated with an increased risk (OR 1.77, 95%CI: 1.03-3.03, P = 0.03). Results for GSTT1, GSTM1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms showed no significant association with oncohematological diseases. When analyzing the interaction between polymorphisms and tobacco smoking or dietary habits, no statistically significant associations that modify disease risk were found. CONCLUSION: We reported an increased risk of oncohematological diseases associated with meat and coffee intake. We did not find significant associations between genetic polymorphisms and blood cancer.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adults with myelodysplastic syndrome: Experience of the Argentinean Group of Bone Marrow Transplantation (GATMO).

INTRODUCTION: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a curative approach for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective study, we analyzed the outcome of adult patients with MDS who underwent AHSCT in Argentina and evaluated the prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence (CI) of relapse, and non-relapse mortality (NRM). RESULTS: We analyzed data from 87 adults (median age: 43 years, range 18-66) who underwent SCT after myeloablative (n = 60) or non-myeloablative conditioning (n = 27), and from related (n = 62) or unrelated (n = 25) donors. For all patients, unadjusted 4-year PFS and OS were 37% and 38%, respectively; no significant differences were found between recipients of related or unrelated donors. One-year CI of relapse and NRM were 21% and 20%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, intermediate disease risk index (DRI) and acute graft versus host disease AGVHD of all grades (I-IV) were independent variables associated with better PFS and lower relapse CI; only intermediate DRI was associated with better OS. CONCLUSIONS: AHSCT is a feasible procedure in Argentina, with more than 30% of the patients achieving long-term survival. Recipients with unrelated donors had at least similar outcome than those with related donors. DRI may be useful to identify patients at higher risk of relapse after transplantation.

[Liver dysfunction in recipients of hematopoietic stem cells. Impact on mortality]. / Disfunción hepática en el trasplante de celulas progenitoras hematopoyéticas. Impacto sobre la mortalidad.

Liver disease is a well-known cause of early morbidity and mortality affecting 80% of patients receiving allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation (BMT). Drug toxicity, veno-occlusive disease (VOD), acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and fungal, bacterial, and viral infections are the most frequent hepatic complications during this period. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence and etiology of liver disease and its impact on mortality as well as to assess the predictive value of pre BMT hepatic biochemical tests on the subsequent occurrence of acute and/or chronic GVHD and patient mortality. Of a total of 236 patients who underwent allogeneic BMT, 82 were analysed. Liver dysfunction was found in 88%. The causes of liver disease were: acute GVHD, 40.2%; chronic GVHD, 15.9%; unknown, 9.8%; sepsis, 7.3%; hepatotoxicity, 6.1%; VOD, 3.7%; acute hepatitis and disease recurrence, 2.4%. The mortality rate was 37%. We found acute liver failure (ALF) in 10% of the deaths (8 patients). The causes of ALF in these cases were acute GVHD progression in 5, herpetic hepatitis in 1, disease recurrence in 1, and VOD in 1. The correlation coefficients indicating positive predictive values of pre BMT hepatic biochemical tests for the subsequent occurrence of acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, and mortality were 0.27, 0.14, and 0.43, respectively. There was no significant difference between patients with abnormal or normal pre BMT liver function tests in the frequency of acute and chronic GVHD or mortality.