Brentuximab vedotin plus doxorubicin and dacarbazine in nonbulky limited-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

ABVD (Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) with or without radiation has been the standard treatment for limited-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) but carries risks of bleomycin lung injury and radiation toxicity. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is approved with AVD for stage III-IV HL, but carries increased risks of peripheral neuropathy (PN) and neutropenic fever, likely due to overlapping toxicity between BV and vinblastine. We therefore evaluated BV in combination with AD for 4 or 6 cycles based on interim positron emission tomography response. Thirty-four patients with nonbulky stage I-II HL were enrolled. Risk was early favorable in 53% and unfavorable in 47%. The overall and complete response rates (CRRs) were 100% and 97%, respectively, with a 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 91%. No differences in outcome were observed based on stage (I vs II) or risk status (early favorable vs unfavorable). The most common adverse events were nausea (85%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (59%), and fatigue (56%). There were no cases of grade-4 neutropenia or neutropenic fever, and no patient received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. Most cases of PN were grade 1, and no patient experienced grade ≥3 PN. BV-AD produced a high CRR and durable PFS with most patients requiring 4 cycles of therapy. Compared with BV-AVD, the toxicity profile appeared improved, with predominantly grade 1 reversible PN and no case of grade 4 neutropenia or neutropenic fever. This regimen warrants further study in HL and may serve as a backbone for the addition of novel agents. This trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02505269).

Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase II Study of Bendamustine and Rituximab Followed by 90-Yttrium (Y) Ibritumomab Tiuxetan for Untreated Follicular Lymphoma (Fol-BRITe).

PURPOSE: Bendamustine and rituximab (BR) has been established as a superior frontline therapy over R-CHOP in the treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL). Yttrium-90 Ibritumomab tiuxetan (90YIT) is an effective consolidation strategy after chemotherapy induction. This prospective, single-arm, multicenter, phase II trial evaluated the response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and tolerability of BR followed by consolidation with 90YIT in patients with untreated FL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included grade 1 to 3a FL patients aged ≥18 years, chemotherapy-naïve, and requiring treatment for stage II-IV disease. Study treatment included an initial rituximab treatment, followed by four cycles of BR. Patients were eligible for consolidation with 90YIT, 6 to 12 weeks after BR, if they obtained at least a partial response after induction had adequate count recovery and bone marrow infiltration < 25%. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were treated. Eighty-two percent had an intermediate or high-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index score, and 6 of 39 (15%) were grade 3a. The response rate was 94.8%, and the complete response(CR)/CR unconfirmed (CRu) rate was 77% in the intention-to-treat analysis. The conversion rate from PR to CR/Cru after 90YIT was 81%. After median follow-up of 45 months, the PFS was 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: This report demonstrates that four cycles of BR followed by consolidation with 90YIT achieve high response rates that are durable. In addition, consolidation with 90YIT results in a high conversion rate of PR to CR/CRu. A short course of BR followed by 90YIT is a safe and effective regimen for frontline treatment of FL.

Glucocorticoids enhance the in vivo migratory response of human monocytes.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are best known for their potent anti-inflammatory effects. However, an emerging model for glucocorticoid (GC) regulation of in vivo inflammation also includes a delayed, preparatory effect that manifests as enhanced inflammation following exposure to an inflammatory stimulus. When GCs are transiently elevated in vivo following exposure to a stressful event, this model proposes that a subsequent period of increased inflammatory responsiveness is adaptive because it enhances resistance to a subsequent stressor. In the present study, we examined the migratory response of human monocytes/macrophages following transient in vivo exposure to stress-associated concentrations of cortisol. Participants were administered cortisol for 6h to elevate in vivo cortisol levels to approximate those observed during major systemic stress. Monocytes in peripheral blood and macrophages in sterile inflammatory tissue (skin blisters) were studied before and after exposure to cortisol or placebo. We found that exposure to cortisol induced transient upregulation of monocyte mRNA for CCR2, the receptor for monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) as well as for the chemokine receptor CX3CR1. At the same time, mRNA for the transcription factor IκBα was decreased. Monocyte surface expression of CCR2 but not CX3CR1 increased in the first 24h after cortisol exposure. Transient exposure to cortisol also led to an increased number of macrophages and neutrophils in fluid derived from a sterile inflammatory site in vivo. These findings suggest that the delayed, pro-inflammatory effects of cortisol on the human inflammatory responses may include enhanced localization of effector cells at sites of in vivo inflammation.

Sadness in the SUN: using computerized screening to analyze correlates of depression and adherence in HIV-infected adults in the United States.

We used a standardized screening tool to examine frequency of depression and its relation to antiretroviral medication adherence among HIV-infected persons on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the Study to Understand the Natural History of HIV/AIDS in the Era of Effective Therapy (SUN Study). This is a prospective observational cohort of 700 HIV-infected patients enrolled between March 2004 and June 2006 in four U.S. cities, who completed a confidential audio computer-assisted self-interview [ACASI] with behavioral risk and health-related questions at baseline and 6-month follow-up visits, including the nine-question PRIME-MD depression screener and a validated 3-day antiretroviral adherence question. Among 539 eligible participants receiving HAART, 14% had depression at baseline (22% women, 12% men). In multivariable analysis using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for repeated measurements through 24 months of follow-up, persons who reported depression on a given ACASI were twice as likely to report nonadherence to antiretrovirals on the same ACASI (Odds ratio [OR] 2.02, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.57] for mild/moderate depression versus none); such persons were also less likely to have HIV viral load<400 copies/mL. Self-administered computerized standardized screening tools can identify at-risk individuals with depression who may benefit from interventions to improve antiretroviral adherence.