Immunoparesis recovery in newly diagnosed transplant ineligible multiple myeloma patients, an independent prognostic factor that complements minimal residual disease.

Information on the prognostic value of immunoparesis (IP) recovery in multiple myeloma (MM) patients has been only generated in some observational and retrospective studies. We have evaluated the prognostic impact of IP recovery and its association with minimal residual disease (MRD) in a series of 113 newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible (NDTI) patients, that received fix duration treatment (18 cycles of VMP/lenalidomide-dexamethasone) within the PETHEMA/GEM2010MAS65 trial and who achieved CR or VGPR. Immunoglobulin levels were measured at diagnosis, at the end of treatment (after cycle 18th) and during subsequent follow up whereas MRD was analyzed only at the end of the treatment (after cycle 18th). We found that patients who had IP at diagnosis and recovered it during or after treatment had longer progression free survival (PFS) [p < 0.001; HR 0.32 (0.19-0.52)] and longer overall survival (OS) [p = 0.007; HR 0.40 (0.20-0.80)] compared to those who failed to recover it. When we analyzed IP recovery in MRD negative patients, we found that those cases with IP recovery had longer PFS [p = 0.007; HR 0.31 (0.13-0.76)] and longer OS [p = 0.012; HR 0.21 (0.06-0.80)] as compared to MRD negative patients but without IP recovery. In conclusion, IP recovery confers better prognosis in NDTI-MM patients with fixed duration treatment who achieve CR or VGPR and the prognostic value of MRD can be complemented when combined with IP recovery.

Tumor cells in light-chain amyloidosis and myeloma show distinct transcriptional rewiring of normal plasma cell development.

Although light-chain amyloidosis (AL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are characterized by tumor plasma cell (PC) expansion in bone marrow (BM), their clinical presentation differs. Previous attempts to identify unique pathogenic mechanisms behind such differences were unsuccessful, and no studies have investigated the differentiation stage of tumor PCs in patients with AL and MM. We sought to define a transcriptional atlas of normal PC development in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs), peripheral blood (PB), and BM for comparison with the transcriptional programs (TPs) of tumor PCs in AL, MM, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Based on bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, we observed 13 TPs during transition of normal PCs throughout SLOs, PB, and BM. We further noted the following: CD39 outperforms CD19 to discriminate newborn from long-lived BM-PCs; tumor PCs expressed the most advantageous TPs of normal PC differentiation; AL shares greater similarity to SLO-PCs whereas MM is transcriptionally closer to PB-PCs and newborn BM-PCs; patients with AL and MM enriched in immature TPs had inferior survival; and protein N-linked glycosylation-related TPs are upregulated in AL. Collectively, we provide a novel resource to understand normal PC development and the transcriptional reorganization of AL and other monoclonal gammopathies.

Kinetics of cellular and humoral immunogenicity and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination in hematologic neoplasms.

Data on the effect of booster SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are mainly focused on humoral immunogenicity, while the kinetics of vaccine-induced cellular response and its correlation with effectiveness in hematologic patients are less explored. Our aim was to evaluate the longitudinal cellular and humoral immunogenicity induced by two and three doses of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in 270 patients with hematologic malignancies, and its relationship with the severity of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results indicate that at 23 weeks after the second dose, the seroconversion rate declined from 68.5% to 59.3%, with a reduction in median anti-S titers from 1577 to 456 BAU/mL, mainly in patients over 65 years of age or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients undergoing active therapy. Cellular immunogenicity, however, remained positive in 84.4% of cases. A third vaccine dose seroconverted 42.7% (41/96) and triggered cellular response in 36.7% (11/30) of previously negative patients. Notably, only 7.2% (15/209) of patients failed to develop both humoral and cellular response. Active therapy, anti-CD20 antibodies, lymphopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia, and low CD19+ cell count were associated with poor humoral response, while active disease, GvHD immunosuppressive therapy, lymphopenia, and low CD3+ , CD4+ , CD56+ cell count determined an impaired cellular response. After 13.8 months of follow-up, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 24.8% (67/270), including 6 (9%) severe/critical cases associated with a weaker cellular (median interferon gamma (IFN-γ) 0.19 vs. 0.35 IU/mL) and humoral response (median anti-S titer <4.81 vs. 788 BAU/mL) than asymptomatic/mild cases. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination improves humoral response and COVID-19 severity is associated with impaired vaccine-induced immunogenicity.

Once-per-week selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone versus twice-per-week bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with multiple myeloma (BOSTON): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Selinexor combined with dexamethasone has shown activity in patients with heavily pre-treated multiple myeloma. In a phase 1b/2 study, the combination of oral selinexor with bortezomib (a proteasome inhibitor) and dexamethasone induced high response rates with low rates of peripheral neuropathy, the main dose-limiting toxicity of bortezomib. We aimed to evaluate the clinical benefit of weekly selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone versus standard bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with previously treated multiple myeloma. METHODS: This phase 3, randomised, open-label trial was done at 123 sites in 21 countries. Patients aged 18 years or older, who had multiple myeloma, and who had previously been treated with one to three lines of therapy, including proteasome inhibitors, were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive selinexor (100 mg once per week), bortezomib (1·3 mg/m2 once per week), and dexamethasone (20 mg twice per week), or bortezomib (1·3 mg/m2 twice per week for the first 24 weeks and once per week thereafter) and dexamethasone (20 mg four times per week for the first 24 weeks and twice per week thereafter). Randomisation was done using interactive response technology and stratified by previous proteasome inhibitor therapy, lines of treatment, and multiple myeloma stage. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Patients who received at least one dose of study treatment were included in the safety population. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03110562. The trial is ongoing, with 55 patients remaining on randomised therapy as of Feb 20, 2020. FINDINGS: Of 457 patients screened for eligibility, 402 were randomly allocated-195 (49%) to the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group and 207 (51%) to the bortezomib and dexamethasone group-and the first dose of study medication was given between June 6, 2017, and Feb 5, 2019. Median follow-up durations were 13·2 months [IQR 6·2-19·8] for the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group and 16·5 months [9·4-19·8] for the bortezomib and dexamethasone group. Median progression-free survival was 13·93 months (95% CI 11·73-not evaluable) with selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone and 9·46 months (8·11-10·78) with bortezomib and dexamethasone (hazard ratio 0·70 [95% CI 0·53-0·93], p=0·0075). The most frequent grade 3-4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (77 [39%] of 195 patients in the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group vs 35 [17%] of 204 in the bortezomib and dexamethasone group), fatigue (26 [13%] vs two [1%]), anaemia (31 [16%] vs 20 [10%]), and pneumonia (22 [11%] vs 22 [11%]). Peripheral neuropathy of grade 2 or above was less frequent with selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (41 [21%] patients) than with bortezomib and dexamethasone (70 [34%] patients; odds ratio 0·50 [95% CI 0·32-0·79], p=0·0013). 47 (24%) patients in the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group and 62 (30%) in the bortezomib and dexamethasone group died. INTERPRETATION: A once-per-week regimen of selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone is a novel, effective, and convenient treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three previous lines of therapy. FUNDING: Karyopharm Therapeutics.

Bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone as induction therapy prior to autologous transplant in multiple myeloma.

Achieving and maintaining a high-quality response is the treatment goal for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). The phase 3 PETHEMA/GEM2012 study, in 458 patients aged ≤65 years with NDMM, is evaluating bortezomib (subcutaneous) + lenalidomide + dexamethasone (VRD) for 6 cycles followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) conditioned with IV busulfan + melphalan vs melphalan and posttransplant consolidation with 2 cycles of VRD. We present grouped response analysis of induction, transplant, and consolidation. Responses deepened over time; in patients who initiated cycle 6 of induction (n = 426), the rates of a very good partial response or better were 55.6% by cycle 3, 63.8% by cycle 4, 68.3% by cycle 5, and 70.4% after induction. The complete response rate of 33.4% after induction in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population, which was similar in the 92 patients with high-risk cytogenetics (34.8%), also deepened with further treatment (44.1% after ASCT and 50.2% after consolidation). Rates of undetectable minimal residual disease (median 3 × 10-6 sensitivity) in the ITT population also increased from induction (28.8%) to transplant (42.1%) and consolidation (45.2%). The most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events during induction were neutropenia (12.9%) and infection (9.2%). Grade ≥2 peripheral neuropathy (grouped term) during induction was 17.0%, with a low frequency of grade 3 (3.7%) and grade 4 (0.2%) events. VRD is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for induction in NDMM with deepening response throughout induction and over the course of treatment. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01916252 and EudraCT as #2012-005683-10.

Phenotypic and genomic analysis of multiple myeloma minimal residual disease tumor cells: a new model to understand chemoresistance.

Persistence of chemoresistant minimal residual disease (MRD) plasma cells (PCs) is associated with inferior survival in multiple myeloma (MM). Thus, characterization of the minor MRD subclone may represent a unique model to understand chemoresistance, but to our knowledge, the phenotypic and genetic features of the MRD subclone have never been investigated. Here, we compared the antigenic profile of MRD vs diagnostic clonal PCs in 40 elderly MM patients enrolled in the GEM2010MAS65 study and showed that the MRD subclone is enriched in cells overexpressing integrins (CD11a/CD11c/CD29/CD49d/CD49e), chemokine receptors (CXCR4), and adhesion molecules (CD44/CD54). Genetic profiling of MRD vs diagnostic PCs was performed in 12 patients; 3 of them showed identical copy number alterations (CNAs), in another 3 cases, MRD clonal PCs displayed all genetic alterations detected at diagnosis plus additional CNAs that emerged at the MRD stage, whereas in the remaining 6 patients, there were CNAs present at diagnosis that were undetectable in MRD clonal PCs, but also a selected number of genetic alterations that became apparent only at the MRD stage. The MRD subclone showed significant downregulation of genes related to protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, as well as novel deregulated genes such as ALCAM that is prognostically relevant in MM and may identify chemoresistant PCs in vitro. Altogether, our results suggest that therapy-induced clonal selection could be already present at the MRD stage, where chemoresistant PCs show a singular phenotypic signature that may result from the persistence of clones with different genetic and gene expression profiles. This trial was registered atwww.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01237249.

Sequential vs alternating administration of VMP and Rd in elderly patients with newly diagnosed MM.

Bortezomib plus melphalan and prednisone (VMP) and lenalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone (Rd) are 2 standards of care for elderly untreated multiple myeloma (MM) patients. We planned to use VMP and Rd for 18 cycles in a sequential or alternating scheme. Patients (233) with untreated MM, >65 years, were randomized to receive 9 cycles of VMP followed by 9 cycles of Rd (sequential scheme; n = 118) vs 1 cycle of VMP followed by 1 cycle of Rd, and so on, up to 18 cycles (alternating scheme; n = 115). VMP consisted of one 6-week cycle of bortezomib using a biweekly schedule, followed by eight 5-week cycles of once-weekly VMP. Rd included nine 4-week cycles of Rd. The primary end points were 18-month progression free survival (PFS) and safety profile of both schemes. The 18-month PFS was 74% and 80% in the sequential and alternating arms, respectively (P = .21). The sequential and alternating groups exhibited similar hematologic and nonhematologic toxicity. Both arms yielded similar complete response rate (42% and 40%), median PFS (32 months vs 34 months, P = .65), and 3-year overall survival (72% vs 74%, P = .63). The benefit of both schemes was remarkable in patients aged 65 to 75 years. In addition, achieving complete and immunophenotypic response was associated with better outcome. The present approach, based on VMP and Rd, is associated with high efficacy and acceptable toxicity profile with no differences between the sequential and alternating regimens. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00443235.

Minimal residual disease monitoring and immune profiling in multiple myeloma in elderly patients.

The value of minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma (MM) has been more frequently investigated in transplant-eligible patients than in elderly patients. Because an optimal balance between treatment efficacy and toxicity is of utmost importance in patients with elderly MM, sensitive MRD monitoring might be particularly valuable in this patient population. Here, we used second-generation 8-color multiparameter-flow cytometry (MFC) to monitor MRD in 162 transplant-ineligible MM patients enrolled in the PETHEMA/GEM2010MAS65 study. The transition from first- to second-generation MFC resulted in increased sensitivity and allowed us to identify 3 patient groups according to MRD levels: MRD negative (<10(-5); n = 54, 34%), MRD positive (between <10(-4) and ≥10(-5); n = 20, 12%), and MRD positive (≥10(-4); n = 88, 54%). MRD status was an independent prognostic factor for time to progression (TTP) (hazard ratio [HR], 2.7; P = .007) and overall survival (OS) (HR, 3.1; P = .04), with significant benefit for MRD-negative patients (median TTP not reached, 70% OS at 3 years), and similar poorer outcomes for cases with MRD levels between <10(-4) and ≥10(-5) vs ≥10(-4) (both with a median TTP of 15 months; 63% and 55% OS at 3 years, respectively). Furthermore, MRD negativity significantly improved TTP of patients >75 years (HR, 4.8; P < .001), as well as those with high-risk cytogenetics (HR, 12.6; P = .01). Using second-generation MFC, immune profiling concomitant to MRD monitoring also contributed to identify patients with poor, intermediate, and favorable outcomes (25%, 61%, and 100% OS at 3 years, respectively; P = .01), the later patients being characterized by an increased compartment of mature B cells. Our results show that similarly to transplant candidates, MRD monitoring is one of the most relevant prognostic factors in elderly MM patients, irrespectively of age or cytogenetic risk. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01237249.

Elotuzumab in combination with thalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone: a phase 2 single-arm safety study in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Elotuzumab is an immunostimulatory, humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that selectively targets and kills signalling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 7-expressing myeloma cells. We evaluated the safety and tolerability of elotuzumab 10 mg/kg combined with thalidomide 50-200 mg and dexamethasone 40 mg (with/without cyclophosphamide 50 mg) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The primary endpoint was the proportion of grade ≥3 non-haematological adverse events (AEs); other endpoints included the number of dose reductions/discontinuations and efficacy. Forty patients were treated, who had a median of three previous therapies, including bortezomib (98%) and lenalidomide (73%). Grade ≥3 non-haematological AEs were reported in 63% of patients, most commonly asthenia (35%) and peripheral oedema (25%). Six (15%) patients had an infusion reaction. Twenty-six (65%) patients had ≥1 dose reduction/discontinuation due to an AE, none related to elotuzumab. Overall response rate was 38%; median progression-free survival was 3·9 months. Median overall survival was 16·3 months and the 1-year survival rate was 63%. Minimal incremental toxicity was observed with addition of elotuzumab to thalidomide/dexamethasone with or without cyclophosphamide, and efficacy data suggest clinical benefit in a highly pre-treated population. Elotuzumab combined with thalidomide may provide an additional treatment option for patients with RRMM.

Zoledronic acid as compared with observation in multiple myeloma patients at biochemical relapse: results of the randomized AZABACHE Spanish trial.

This study analyzed the anti-myeloma effect of zoledronic acid monotherapy by investigating patients at the time of asymptomatic biochemical relapse. One hundred patients were randomized to receive either zoledronic acid (4 mg iv/4 weeks, 12 doses) (n=51) or not (n=49). Experimental and control groups were well balanced for disease and prognostic features. Zoledronic acid did not show an antitumor effect according to changes in M-component. However, there were fewer symptomatic progressions in the experimental group than in the control group (34 versus 41, respectively; P=0.05) resulting in a median time to symptoms of 16 versus 10 months (P=0.161). The median time to next therapy was also slightly longer for the treated group than the untreated, control group (13.4 versus 10.1 months), although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.360). The pattern of relapses was different for treated versus control patients: progressive bone disease (8 versus 20), anemia (24 versus 18), renal dysfunction (1 versus 2), and plasmacytomas (1 versus 1, respectively). This concurred with fewer skeletal-related events in the treated group than in the control group (2 versus 14), with a projected 4-year event proportion of 6% versus 40% (P<0.001). In summary, zoledronic acid monotherapy does not show an antitumor effect on biochemical relapses in multiple myeloma, but does reduce the risk of progression with symptomatic bone disease and skeletal complications. This trial was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database with code NCT01087008.

Zoledronic acid in the management of bone disease as a consequence of multiple myeloma: a review.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a haematological cancer associated with organ damage, essentially bone damage. MM continues to be considered an incurable disease and requires significant therapeutic resources. AIM: This manuscript presents a literature review of the utility of zoledronic acid (zoledronate) in the management of bone disease in MM. DISCUSSION: The clinical benefit of bisphosphonates in the prevention and treatment of bone disease in MM has been demonstrated in the last 10 years. A recent network meta-analysis has evaluated 20 randomised clinical trials with nearly 7000 patients with myeloma enrolled and confirms the role of these agents in the prevention of pain, bone fractures and other skeletal-related events (SRE) in MM. However, their role on survival remains unclear. Zoledronate has shown significant reductions in SRE compared with placebo or other agents with acceptable tolerability, and recent studies have shown antitumoural effects for this agent, with a marginal survival benefit demonstrated in MM. CONCLUSIONS: Zoledronate prevents SRE in MM and presents a marginal survival benefit that deserves further investigation in controlled studies. Current clinical guidelines should be followed regarding the appropriate use of zoledronate in MM, to enhance its effects and to minimise its potential toxicity.

Biological relapse in multiple myeloma: Outcome and treatment strategies in a Spanish real-world setting.

Recommendations regarding the best time to start treatment in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) after biological relapse/progression (BR) are unclear. This observational, prospective, multicenter registry aimed to evaluate the impact on time to progression (TTP) of treatment initiation at BR versus at symptomatic clinical relapse (ClinR) based on the Spanish routine practice in adult patients with RRMM. Patients had two or less previous treatment lines and at least one previous partial response. Baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes were recorded, and survival was analyzed. Of 225 patients, 110 were treated at BR (TxBR group) and 115 at ClinR (TxClinR group) according to the investigators' criteria. The proportion of patients with higher ECOG, previous noncomplete remission (CR), and second relapse were significantly higher in the TxBR group compared to the TxClinR group. TheTxClinR group showed improved outcomes, including TTP, compared to the TxBR group. Progression-free survival increased in the TxClinR group (56.2 months) compared to the TxBR group (32.5 months) (p = 0.0137), and median overall survival also increased (p = 0.0897). Median TTP was significantly longer in patients relapsing from a CR (50.4 months) and in their first relapse (38.7 months) compared to those relapsing from a non-CR response (32.9 months) and in their second relapse (25.2 months). Physicians seemed to start treatment earlier in RRMM patients with poor prognosis features. Previous responses to anti-MM treatment and the number of prior treatment lines were identified as prognosis factors, whereby relapse from CR and first relapse were associated with a longer time to progression.

Benefits of rIX-FP prophylaxis in patients with Haemophilia B: real-world evidence from a Spanish reference centre.

Standard FIX prophylaxis for PWHB require frequent injections, which has led to the development of extended half-life products like rIX-FP (albutrepenonacog alfa) that has shown good efficacy in clinical studies. This ambispective study aims to report a real-world experience with rIX-FP in a Spanish centre with PWHB who switched from SHL-FIX or began prophylaxis with rIX-FP. Five PWHB were included in this study, Four PTP switched to rIX-FP with prophylaxis every 7 days whilst one PUP started with an every-14-days regimen. 3 PTPs extended their dosing intervals to every 14 days or every 21 days. In all PTPs, median annualized spontaneous and joint bleeding rates were maintained at 0.00 and median (range) of ABR was 0.92 (0.00-2.77) after switch to rIX-FP. Mean trough level with previous product was 3.68% (SD = 2.06), while it was 7.08% (SD = 3) with all rIX-FP dosing intervals. After switching to rIX-FP, all PTP reduced their annual infusion rate between 50 and 84% and their annual FIX consumption by 61% (59-67%). This is the first reported real-world experience with albutrepenonacog alfa in a small cohort in Spain and demonstrates good bleeding control together with a reduction of the infusion rate, factor consumption and higher through factor level than previous treatment.

Role of light chain clearance in the recovery of renal function in multiple myeloma: another point of view.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) requiring renal replacement treatment (RRT) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Early reduction of serum free light chains (FLC) using both targeted therapy against MM and intensive hemodialysis (IHD) may improve renal outcomes. We evaluated the effectiveness of two different RRT techniques on renal recovery in an MM patient population: standard dialysis procedure vs IHD with either polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or hemodiafiltration with endogenous reinfusion (HFR). Methods: This was a multicentric retrospective study with severe AKI related to MM, between 2011 and 2018. Twenty-five consecutive patients with AKI secondary to MM requiring RRT were included. Patients that underwent IHD received six dialysis sessions per week during the first 14 days (PMMA vs HFR). All patients were diagnosed with de novo MM or first relapsed MM. Primary outcome was renal recovery defined as dialysis-free at 6 months follow-up. Results: A total of 25 patients were included. Seventeen patients received IHD and eight standard dialysis. All patients were treated with targeted therapy, 84% bortezomib-based. Of the 25 patients included, 14 (56%) became dialysis independent. We observed a higher proportion of patients who received IHD in the group who recovered kidney function compared with those who remained in HD (92.9% vs 36.4%, P = .007). In our study, the use of IHD to remove FLC had a statistically significant association with renal recovery compared with the standard dialysis group (P = .024). Conclusion: Early reduction of FLC with IHD as an adjuvant treatment along with MM-targeted therapy may exert a positive impact on renal recovery.

Obinutuzumab plus bendamustine for relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and predictive and prognostic impact of genetic alterations: the phase II GABRIELL study.

GABRIELL was a phase II single-arm study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab plus bendamustine for relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Seventy-two patients with active disease received treatment for up to six 28-day cycles. Overall response rate was 78.6% with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 26 months, and overall survival (OS) not reached at the end of follow-up (36 months). Undetectable measurable residual disease (≤0.01%; 36.4% in bone marrow and 53.4% in peripheral blood) correlated with a significantly longer PFS and OS (vs. >0.01). Common grade ≥3 adverse events (76.4%) were neutropenia (58.3%), thrombocytopenia (26.4%) and febrile neutropenia (11.1%). TP53 disruption was the only independent predictive factor for response (Hazard ratio; HR: 0.228). Unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (HR: 16.061) was a negative prognostic factor for PFS. In conclusion, the combination of obinutuzumab plus bendamustine is an active and generally adequately-tolerated treatment for R/R CLL.

Geriatric assessment in hematology scale predicts treatment tolerability in older patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies: The RETROGAH study.

INTRODUCTION: The GAH (Geriatric Assessment in Hematology) scale is a psychometrically valid tool aimed at identifying older patients with hematological malignancies at higher risk of treatment-related toxicity. Our objective in this study was to determine the weights for each dimension of the GAH scale and the cut-off point to reliably predict treatment tolerability in this population, estimated by a weighted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and quantified by the area under the curve (AUC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The RETROGAH was a retrospective cohort study including 126 patients who had previously participated in the GAH study. Patients were ≥ 65 years old with newly diagnosed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML), multiple myeloma (MM), or chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) and treated with standard front-line therapy within three months after having completed the GAH scale. RESULTS: The optimal cut-off value of the GAH total score to discriminate patients at higher risk of treatment toxicity was 42, with 68.5% sensitivity and 55.8% specificity. Using this value, 66.1% of patients evaluated were found to develop some type of toxicity. The AUC was 0.6259 (95% CI: 0.512-0.739; p = 0.035). DISCUSSION: The GAH scale not only would enable clinicians to individualize therapy based on individual risk of toxicity but also discriminate patients that will benefit most from intensive treatments from those requiring an adapted approach. While futures studies in clinical practice may improve the model and overcome its limitations, the GAH scale should not be used alone when making treatment decisions.

Definition and Clinical Significance of the Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance-Like Phenotype in Patients With Monoclonal Gammopathies.

PURPOSE: The existence of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and light-chain (AL) amyloidosis who present with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)-like phenotype has been hypothesized, but methods to identify this subgroup are not standardized and its clinical significance is not properly validated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An algorithm to identify patients having MGUS-like phenotype was developed on the basis of the percentages of total bone marrow (BM) plasma cells (PC) and of clonal PC within the BM PC compartment, determined at diagnosis using flow cytometry in 548 patients with MGUS and 2,011 patients with active MM. The clinical significance of the algorithm was tested and validated in 488 patients with smoldering MM, 3,870 patients with active MM and 211 patients with AL amyloidosis. RESULTS: Patients with smoldering MM with MGUS-like phenotype showed significantly lower rates of disease progression (4.5% and 0% at 2 years in two independent series). There were no statistically significant differences in time to progression between treatment versus observation in these patients. In active newly diagnosed MM, MGUS-like phenotype retained independent prognostic value in multivariate analyses of progression-free survival (PFS; hazard ratio [HR], 0.49; P = .001) and overall survival (OS; HR, 0.56; P = .039), together with International Staging System, lactate dehydrogenase, cytogenetic risk, transplant eligibility, and complete remission status. Transplant-eligible patients with active MM with MGUS-like phenotype showed PFS and OS rates at 5 years of 79% and 96%, respectively. In this subgroup, there were no differences in PFS and OS according to complete remission and measurable residual disease status. Application of the algorithm in two independent series of patients with AL predicted for different survival. CONCLUSION: We developed an open-access algorithm for the identification of MGUS-like patients with distinct clinical outcomes. This phenotypic classification could become part of the diagnostic workup of MM and AL amyloidosis.

Large T cell clones expressing immune checkpoints increase during multiple myeloma evolution and predict treatment resistance.

Tumor recognition by T cells is essential for antitumor immunity. A comprehensive characterization of T cell diversity may be key to understanding the success of immunomodulatory drugs and failure of PD-1 blockade in tumors such as multiple myeloma (MM). Here, we use single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing to characterize bone marrow T cells from healthy adults (n = 4) and patients with precursor (n = 8) and full-blown MM (n = 10). Large T cell clones from patients with MM expressed multiple immune checkpoints, suggesting a potentially dysfunctional phenotype. Dual targeting of PD-1 + LAG3 or PD-1 + TIGIT partially restored their function in mice with MM. We identify phenotypic hallmarks of large intratumoral T cell clones, and demonstrate that the CD27- and CD27+ T cell ratio, measured by flow cytometry, may serve as a surrogate of clonal T cell expansions and an independent prognostic factor in 543 patients with MM treated with lenalidomide-based treatment combinations.