Reduced doses of emicizumab achieve good efficacy: Results from a national-wide multicentre real-world study in China.

INTRODUCTION: Reduced doses of emicizumab improve the affordability among patients in developing countries. However, the relationship between variant dose selection and efficacy in the real world of China is still unclear. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of emicizumab especially in those on reduced dose regimens in a real-world setting. METHODS: We carried out a multicentre study from 28 hospitals between June 2019 and June 2023 in China and retrospectively analysed the characteristics including demographics, diagnosis, treatment, bleeding episodes, and surgical procedures. RESULTS: In total, 127 patients with haemophilia A, including 42 with inhibitors, were followed for a median duration of 16.0 (IQR: 9.0-30.0) months. Median age at emicizumab initiation was 2.0 (IQR: 1.0-4.0) years. Median (IQR) consumption for loading and maintenance was 12.0 (8.0-12.0) and 4.2 (3.0-6.0) mg/kg/4 weeks, respectively. While on emicizumab, 67 (52.8%) patients had no bleeds, whereas 60 (47.2%) patients had any bleeds, including 26 with treated bleeds. Compared to previous treatments, patients on emicizumab had significantly decreased annualized bleeding rate, annualized joint bleeding rate, target joints and intracerebral haemorrhage. Different dosages had similar efficacy except the proportion of patients with treated spontaneous bleeds and target joints. Adverse events were reported in 12 (9.4%) patients. Postoperative excessive bleeding occurred following two of nine procedures. CONCLUSION: This is the largest study describing patients with HA receiving emicizumab prophylaxis on variant dose regimens in China. We confirmed that nonstandard dose is efficacious and can be considered where full-dose emicizumab is ill affordable.

Early Death and Survival of Patients With Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in ATRA Plus Arsenic Era: A Population-Based Study.

Most randomized trials for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have investigated highly selected patients under idealized conditions, and the findings need to be validated in the real world. We conducted a population-based study of all APL patients in Zhejiang Province, China, with a total population of 82 million people, to assess the generalization of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic as front-line treatment. The outcomes of APL patients were also analyzed. Between January 2015 and December 2019, 1,233 eligible patients were included in the final analysis. The rate of ATRA and arsenic as front-line treatment increased steadily from 66.2% in 2015 to 83.3% in 2019, with no difference among the size of the center (≥5 or <5 patients per year, p = 0.12) or age (≥60 or <60 years, p = 0.35). The early death (ED) rate, defined as death within 30 days after diagnosis, was 8.2%, and the 3-year overall survival (OS) was 87.9% in the whole patient population. Age (≥60 years) and white blood cell count (>10 × 109/L) were independent risk factors for ED and OS in the multivariate analysis. This population-based study showed that ATRA and arsenic as front-line treatment are widely used under real-world conditions and yield a low ED rate and a high survival rate, which mimic the results from clinical trials, thereby supporting the wider application of APL guidelines in the future.

[Clinical analysis and laboratory findings in a patient with acquired hemophilia A].

In order to analyze the clinical features and laboratory findings in patients with acquired hemophilia A, one case of acquired hemophilia A was studied, the medical history, clinical features, ultrasonography and laboratory examination including activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and FVIII:C, FIX:C, FXI:C, FXII:C ratio, as well as medical treatment were analyzed. The results showed 99.3 sec of APTT, 13 sec of PT, and 13.5 sec of TT, 2% of FVIII:C, 7% of FIX:C, 9% of FXI:C and 21% of FXII:C. The prolongation of APTT could not be completely corrected by mixing the patient plasma with an equal volume of normal fresh plasma; the APTT increased with prolongation of incubation time, when patient plasma was mixed with an equal volume of normal fresh plasma and incubated at 37 degrees C. The plasma FVIII:C, FIX:C, FXI:C and FXII:C levels in patient were 6%, 75%, 95% and 123% respectively, when patient's plasma was diluted by tenfold and mixed with an equal volume of non-diluted normal plasma. FVIII inhibitor in the patient's serum was at a level >32.0 Bethesda units/ml after acquired hemophilia was diagnosed, the patient was admitted to hospital and given orally prednisone and azathioprine therapy. One month later, clinical status of the patient were improved with 33.3 seconds of APTT, 128% of FVIII level and elimination of FVIII inhibitor. In conclusion, inquiring case history, analyzing imaging results, detecting level of APTT, performing dilution test and assaying titer of FVIII inhibitor can reduce misdiagnosis and wrong therapy for patients with acquired hemophilia A. The FVIII inhibitor can be eliminated and function of clotting can be recovered by using immunosuppressive therapy.

[Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia resulted from a nonsense mutation Arg479 Stop in the ALK-1 gene].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the gene mutations in a pedigree with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of the propositus. All of the exons, intron/exon boundaries and the 5' untranslation regions (UTR) of the ALK-1 and endoglin gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were screened by direct sequencing. RESULTS: The mutation is a C1437T substitution in exon 10 of the ALK-1 gene, resulting in Arg 479 Stop. CONCLUSION: The hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia propositus is caused by a heterozygous Arg 479 Stop mutation in the ALK-1 gene which has not been identified previously.