Multi-center study of COVID-19 infection in elderly patients with lymphoma: on behalf of Jiangsu Cooperative Lymphoma Group (JCLG).

Elderly patients with lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) are vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Here, we retrospectively described the clinical features and outcomes of the first time infection of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 in 364 elderly patients with lymphoma enrolled in Jiangsu Cooperative Lymphoma Group (JCLG) between November 2022 and April 2023 in China. Median age was 69 years (range 60-92). 54.4% (198/364) of patients were confirmed as severe and critical COVID-19 infection. In univariable analysis, Age > 70 years (OR 1.88, p = 0.003), with multiple comorbidities (OR 1.41, p = 0.005), aggressive lymphoma (OR 2.33, p < 0.001), active disease (progressive or relapsed/refractory, OR 2.02, p < 0.001), and active anti-lymphoma therapy (OR 1.90, p < 0.001) were associated with severe COVID-19. Multiple (three or more) lines of previous anti-lymphoma therapy (OR 3.84, p = 0.021) remained an adverse factor for severe COVID-19 in multivariable analysis. Moreover, CD20 antibody (Rituximab or Obinutuzumab)-based treatments within the last 6 months was associated with severe COVID-19 in the entire cohort (OR 3.42, p < 0.001). Continuous BTK inhibitors might be protective effect on the outcome of COVID-19 infection (OR 0.44, p = 0.043) in the indolent lymphoma cohort. Overall, 7.7% (28/364) of the patients ceased, multiple lines of previous anti-lymphoma therapy (OR 3.46, p = 0.016) remained an adverse factor for mortality.

Efficacy and safety of bispecific antibodies vs. immune checkpoint blockade combination therapy in cancer: a real-world comparison.

Emerging tumor immunotherapy methods encompass bispecific antibodies (BSABs), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and adoptive cell immunotherapy. BSABs belong to the antibody family that can specifically recognize two different antigens or epitopes on the same antigen. These antibodies demonstrate superior clinical efficacy than monoclonal antibodies, indicating their role as a promising tumor immunotherapy option. Immune checkpoints are also important in tumor immunotherapy. Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) is a widely acknowledged immune checkpoint target with effective anti-tumor activity. PD-1 inhibitors have demonstrated notable therapeutic efficacy in treating hematological and solid tumors; however, more than 50% of patients undergoing this treatment exhibit a poor response. However, ICI-based combination therapies (ICI combination therapies) have been demonstrated to synergistically increase anti-tumor effects and immune response rates. In this review, we compare the clinical efficacy and side effects of BSABs and ICI combination therapies in real-world tumor immunotherapy, aiming to provide evidence-based approaches for clinical research and personalized tumor diagnosis and treatment.

[Survival and Prognosis of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Myelodysplasia-Related Changes Transformed from Myelodysplastic Syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the risk factors affecting the survival and efficacy of patients with acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) transformed from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). METHODS: The clinical data of 60 patients with AML-MRC transformed from MDS who hospitalized in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2010 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The demographic data and laboratory parameters, cytogenetic karyotypes, target genes of AML detected by next generation sequence, risk stratification, treatment regimen, therapeutic efficacy and survival outcome were documented. Rank sum test and Chi-square test or Fisher exact test were used to compare the survival and efficacy. The effects of clinical parameters, risk stratification and treatment regimens on the survival and efficacy of the AML-MRC patients were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The median overall survival (OS) of the AML-MRC patients was 4.5 months, the 1-year OS rate was 28.3%, and the complete remission (CR) rate after treatment was 33.3%. The univariate analysis showed that age≥60 years, leukocytosis, severe thrombocytopenia, poor-risk group and only accepted hypomethylating agents(HMAs) or supportive therapy were the risk factors affecting OS. COX multivariate analysis showed that thrombocytopenia ( HR=4.46), HMAs therapy (compared to transplantation, HR=10.47), supportive therapy (compared to transplantation, HR=25.80) and poor-risk group (compared to medium-risk group, HR=13.86) were independent hazard factors for median OS of patients with AML-MRC. The univariate analysis showed that the risk factors affecting 1-year OS in patients with AML-MRC were age≥60 years, thrombocytopenia, time of transformation from MDS to AML (TTA)≥3 months, fibrinogen-albumin ratio index (FARI)≥0.07, CONUT score≥5, poor-risk group and supportive therapy. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for 1-year OS in AML-MRC patients were age≥60 years ( HR=11.23), thrombocytopenia ( HR=8.71), FARI≥0.07 ( HR=5.19) and poor-risk group ( HR=14.00). The risk factors affecting CR of AML-MRC patients in univariate analysis were age≥60 years, thrombocytopenia, FARI≥0.1, CONUT score≥5, poor-risk group and supportive therapy, while binary logistic regression analysis showed that age≥60 years( HR=7.35), CONUT score≥5 ( HR=9.60), thrombocytopenia ( HR=12.05) and poor-risk group ( HR=32.5) were independent risk factors affecting CR of the patients. CONCLUSION: The OS of AML-MRC patients is poor, old age(≥60 years old), supportive therapy, HMA therapy, poor-risk, thrombocytopenia, FARI≥0.07 and CONUT score≥5 may be associated with poor prognosis.

Bispecific CAR T cell therapy targeting BCMA and CD19 in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a phase I/II trial.

Despite the high therapeutic response achieved with B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM), primary resistance and relapse exist with single-target immunotherapy. Here, we design bispecific BC19 CAR T cells targeting BCMA/CD19 and evaluate antimyeloma activity in vitro and in vivo. Preclinical results indicate that BC19 CAR specifically recognize target antigens, and BC19 CAR T cells mediate selective killing of BCMA or CD19-positive cancer cells. BC19 CAR T cells also exhibit potent antigen-specific anti-tumor activity in xenograft mouse models. We conduct an open-label, single-arm, phase I/II study of BC19 CAR T cells in 50 patients with R/R MM (ChiCTR2000033567). The primary endpoint was safety. BC19 CAR T cells are well tolerated with grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome in 8% of patients and grade 1 neurotoxic events in 4% of patients, which meet the pre-specified primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints include overall response rate (92%), median progression-free survival (19.7 months), median overall survival (19.7 months) and median duration of response (not reached). Our study demonstrates that bispecific BC19 CAR T cells are feasible, safe and effective in treating patients with R/R MM.

The clinical significance and prognostic value of serum beta-2 microglobulin in adult lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a multicenter analysis of 326 patients.

To investigate the prognostic impact of serum beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) in adult lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). The clinical and laboratory characteristics of 326 adult patients in a multicenter cohort with lymphoma-associated HLH with available baseline serum B2M levels were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 326 cases were included in this study, and the median serum B2M level was 5.19 mg/L. The optimal cut-off of serum B2M was 8.73 mg/L, and the cases with serum B2M level >8.73 mg/L were older and had a more advanced stage, lower levels of platelets, albumin, and fibrinogen, and higher creatinine level. The serum B2M >8.73 mg/L, creatinine ≥133 µmol/L, fibrinogen ≤1.5 g/L, agranulocytosis (<0.5 × 109/L), severe thrombocytopenia (<50 × 109/L), and high Epstein-Barr virus DNA copy number were found to have independent prognostic values in all patients, and the serum B2M >8.73 mg/L was also an independent prognostic factor in patients with creatinine <133 µmol/L. Finally, a prognostic scoring system was established based on independent prognostic factors of all patients and categorized the patients into three groups with significant prognostic differences. This study confirmed that the serum B2M level can be an independent prognostic factor in lymphoma-associated HLH and established a prognostic scoring system to predict patients' survival.

Evodiamine attenuates oxidative stress and ferroptosis by inhibiting the MAPK signaling to improve bortezomib-induced peripheral neurotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Bortezomib (BTZ) is a commonly used antitumor drug, but its peripheral neuropathy side effect poses a limitation on its dosage. Evodiamine (EVO) exhibits various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. The purpose of this investigation is to confirm the impact of EVO on BTZ-induced peripheral neurotoxicity. METHODS: GeneCards and HERB were applied to analyze the targets of peripheral neurotoxicity and EVO. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analysis of the hub genes were identified by DAVID. Rat dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGs) and rat RSC96 Schwann cells (SCs) were treated with BTZ to simulate peripheral neurotoxicity. BTZ-induced peripheral neurotoxicity was assessed by detecting cell viability, proliferation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis in DRGs and SCs. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was scrutinized by Western blot assay. RESULTS: The Venn diagram for the overlapping targets of EVO and peripheral neurotoxicity showed that EVO might regulate peripheral neurotoxicity by influencing cell oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and MAPK signaling pathway. EVO attenuated BTZ-induced toxicity in DRGs and SCs. EVO attenuated BTZ-induced oxidative stress damage in DRGs and SCs by reducing reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels and enhancing glutathione level. EVO attenuated BTZ-induced ferroptosis in DRGs and SCs. EVO inhibited BTZ-induced activation of the MAPK signaling in DRGs and SCs. Activation of the MAPK signaling reversed the neuroprotective effect of EVO on BTZ-induced oxidative stress injury and ferroptosis. CONCLUSION: EVO attenuated oxidative stress and ferroptosis by inhibiting the MAPK signaling to improve BTZ-induced peripheral neurotoxicity.

Long-term analysis of cellular immunity in patients with RRMM treated with CAR-T cell therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy exhibits remarkable efficacy against refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma (RRMM); however, the immune deficiency following CAR-Ts infusion has not been well studied. In this study, 126 patients who achieved remission post-CAR-Ts infusion were evaluated for cellular immunity. Following lymphodepletion (LD) chemotherapy, the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and absolute counts of lymphocyte subsets were significantly lower than baseline at D0. Grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia occurred in 99% of patients within the first 30 days, with most being resolved by 180 days. The median CD4+ T-cell count was consistently below baseline and the lower limit of normal (LLN) levels at follow-up. Conversely, the median CD8+ T-cell count returned to the baseline and LLN levels by D30. The median B-cell count remained lower than baseline level at D60 and returned to baseline and LLN levels at D180. In the first 30 days, 27 (21.4%) patients had 29 infections, with the majority being mild to moderate in severity (21/29; 72.4%). After day 30, 44 (34.9%) patients had 56 infections, including 20 severe infections. One patient died from bacteremia at 3.8 months post-CAR-Ts infusion. In conclusion, most patients with RRMM experienced cellular immune deficiency caused by LD chemotherapy and CAR-Ts infusion. The ALC and most lymphocyte subsets gradually recovered after day 30 of CAR-Ts infusion, except for CD4+ T cells. Some patients experience prolonged CD4+ T-cell immunosuppression without severe infection.

Dissemination feature based on PET/CT is a risk factor for diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients outcome.

BACKGROUND: 18F-FDG PET/CT provides precise information about dissemination of lymphoma lesions. Dmax, defined as distance between the two lesions that were farthest apart by PET/CT, was found to be a promising predictor of Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) outcome in a small size of clinical trial data. We analyzed the impact of Dmax on the outcome of a large real-world DLBCL cohort. METHODS: Data of newly diagnosed DLBCL at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were retrospectively collected. Baseline Dmax, clinical data and survival information were recorded. A metabolic parameter, metabolic bulk volume (MBV), was also measured to verify the independent impact of Dmax. RESULTS: Optimal cut-off values for Dmax and MBV were 45.34 cm and 21.65 cm3. With a median follow-up of 32 months, Dmax significantly impacted progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in 253 DLBCL patients. For Dmaxlow and Dmaxhigh groups, estimated 3-year OS were 87.0% and 53.8% (p < 0.001), while 3-year PFS were 77.3% and 37.3% (p < 0.001). And for MBVlow and MBVhighgroups, 3-year OS were 84.5% and 58.8% (p < 0.001), and 3-year PFS were 68.7% and 50.4% (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis identified Dmax and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) independently associated with PFS and OS, while MBV only independently associated with OS. A Dmax revised prognostic index (DRPI) combining Dmax and ECOG PS identified an ultra-risk DLBCL population with 3-year PFS of 31.7% and 3-year OS of 38.5%. The area under the curve (AUC) showed that this model performed better than International prognostic Index (IPI). CONCLUSION: Dmax is a new and promising indicator to investigate dissemination of lymphoma lesions associated with the outcome of DLBCL. It significantly contributes to stratification of patients with disparate outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This research has been retrospectively registered in the Ethics Committee institutional of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, and the registration number was approval No. 155 (approved date: 31 May 2022).

[Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of Patients with Primary Parotid Gland Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with primary parotid gland lymphoma, and construct a prognostic model nomogram for patients with primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of parotid gland. METHODS: Primary parotid gland lymphoma and primary DLBCL of parotid gland patients from 1984 to 2016 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were conducted to determine the independent prognostic factors of primary parotid gland lymphoma and primary DLBCL of parotid gland, respectively. According to the established independent prognostic factors of primary DLBCL of parotid gland, nomogram was built to predict 3- and 5-year survival, and the discrimination and calibration of the model were evaluated by concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots. RESULTS: A total of 2 610 patients with primary parotid gland lymphoma were identified. Their median age was 66(15-99) years old, the male to female ratio was 1∶1.8, and 20.5% of them was primary DLBCL of parotid gland, which was the most common histological subtype in aggressive lymphomas. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sex, age, Ann Arbor stage, years of diagnosis, marital status, histological subtype, surgery, and radiation were the independent prognostic factors of primary parotid gland lymphoma, while age, marital status, surgery, and chemotherapy were the independent prognostic factors of primary DLBCL of parotid gland. The C-index of the prediction model was 0.702(95%CI: 0.696-0.768), reflecting a good discrimination ability. The predicted value probability of the calibration plots was close to the actual value probability, reflecting a good accuracy ability. CONCLUSIONS: Sex, age, Ann Arbor stage, years of diagnosis, marital status, histological subtype, surgery, and radiation were the independent prognostic factors of primary parotid gland lymphoma. The nomogram survival prediction model for primary DLBCL of parotid gland patients can assist clinical decision effectively.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of 75 cases with acquired hemophagocytic syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The study's aim was to enhance awareness of acquired hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) in adults by analyzing clinical features, and investigating the relationship between factors such as the Systemic Inflammation Index (SII) and the prognosis of HPS. METHODS: Clinical characteristics, survival data, and prognostic factors of 75 HPS patients admitted to our hospital between January 2012 and October 2022 were analyzed. RESULTS: In the high SII group, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, neutrophils, fibrinogen, and CD4 + cell activity were higher, and survival time was longer compared to the low SII group. Conversely, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were higher in the low SII group (P ≤ 0.05). After applying the log-Rank or Breslow tests, HPS patients in the high SII group and those following the HLH-2004 protocol experienced a notably longer survival time. (χ2 = 4.291, P < 0.05; χ2 = 5.210, P < 0.05). Patients with poor prognosis showed higher age of onset, elevated levels of total, direct, and indirect bilirubin, and a greater rate of EBV infection, but reduced levels of red blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, albumin, globulin, and HLH-2004 protocol usage rate(P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis and ROC curve results indicate that special attention is needed for patients with platelets < 42.5 × 109/L, albumin < 27.7 g/L, fibrinogen < 1.085 g/L, those not following the HLH-2004 protocol, and those who are EBV (+). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and following the HLH-2004 protocol are essential for patients with HPS clinical manifestations to improve prognosis. Additional research is necessary to examine the link between SII and HPS patients' prognosis.

Ruxolitinib improves hematopoietic regeneration by restoring mesenchymal stromal cell function in acute graft-versus-host disease.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a severe complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Hematopoietic dysfunction accompanied by severe aGVHD, which may be caused by niche impairment, is a long-standing clinical problem. However, how the bone marrow (BM) niche is damaged in aGVHD hosts is poorly defined. To comprehensively address this question, we used a haplo-MHC-matched transplantation aGVHD murine model and performed single-cell RNA-Seq of nonhematopoietic BM cells. Transcriptional analysis showed that BM mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) were severely affected, with a reduction in cell ratio, abnormal metabolism, compromised differentiation potential, and defective hematopoiesis-supportive function, all of which were validated by functional assays. We found that ruxolitinib, a selective JAK1/2 inhibitor, ameliorated aGVHD-related hematopoietic dysfunction through a direct effect on recipient BMSCs, resulting in improved proliferation ability, adipogenesis/osteogenesis potential, mitochondria metabolism capacity, and crosstalk with donor-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. By inhibiting the JAK2/STAT1 pathway, ruxolitinib maintained long-term improvement of aGVHD BMSC function. Additionally, ruxolitinib pretreatment in vitro primed BMSCs to better support donor-derived hematopoiesis in vivo. These observations in the murine model were validated in patient samples. Overall, our findings suggest that ruxolitinib can directly restore BMSC function via the JAK2/STAT1 pathway and, in turn, improve the hematopoietic dysfunction caused by aGVHD.

Clinical significance of plasma PD-L1+ exosomes in the management of diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

PD-L1+ exosome have been reported to be a promising prognostic biomarker in various cancers. However, its clinical value in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been defined yet. In this study, a total of 165 plasma samples from 78 patients with DLBCL undergoing standard first-line R-CHOP regimens were collected at three different time points (pretreatment, and after 3 and 6 cycles of R-CHOP) to determine the proportions of PD-L1+ exosomes by flow cytometry. We found that high pretreatment plasma PD-L1+ exosome correlated with indicators of poor clinical outcome that included high Ki-67 expression (P = 0.02), double expressor lymphoma (P = 0.005), immunohistochemical PD-L1+ tumor tissue (P = 0.006), and the baseline maximal standardized uptake values (P = 0.0003). Pretreatment plasma PD-L1+ exosome was an independent factor by multivariate analysis with logistic regression (P = 0.0301). Moreover, the pretreatment PD-L1+ exosome was a strong predictor of final treatment responses of either CR or non-CR by ROC analysis (P < 0.001). PD-L1+ exosome level declined significantly in patients who experienced CR (pretreatment vs. after 3 cycles/after 6 cycles, P < 0.05), but not in the non-CR group. Intriguingly, plasma PD-L1+ exosome after 3 cycles (AUC = 0.857; 95%CI: 0.728-0.939) might represent a more sensitive indicator than radiographic assessment after 3 cycles (AUC = 0.626; 95%CI: 0.477-0.758) for evaluating the therapeutic response of DLBCL patients (P = 0.0136). Our results suggest that plasma PD-L1+ exosomes may represent a new biomarker for the dynamic monitoring of treatment response.

High expression of miR-107 and miR-17 predicts poor prognosis and guides treatment selection in acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: The prognostic significance of miR-107 and miR-17 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unclear. Methods: A total of 173 patients with de novo AML from the Cancer Genome Atlas database were enrolled in this study and further divided into a chemotherapy group (98 cases) and an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) group (75 cases) according to their therapy regimen. Results: In the chemotherapy cohort, high miR-107 or miR-17 expression was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). On the other hand, there were no significant differences in OS and EFS between the high- and low-expression subgroups in the allo-HSCT group. Next, we stratified the total number of patients with AML into high- and low-expression groups according to the median expression levels of miR-107 or miR-17. In the high miR-107 or miR-17 expression group, patients treated with allo-HSCT had longer OS than those treated with chemotherapy. In the low miR-107 or miR-17 expression group, no significant differences in OS and EFS were observed between the two therapy subgroups. When patients were further clustered into three groups (both low miR-107 and low miR-17, either high miR-107 or high miR-17, and both high miR-107 and high miR-17), patients with both high miR-107 and high miR-17 expression had the worst OS and EFS of the entire group and of the chemotherapy group. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in OS and EFS among the three subgroups in the allo-HSCT group. Cox regression confirmed the concurrence of high expression of miR-107 and miR-17 might act as an independent prognostic factor for EFS and OS in the entire group and the chemotherapy group. Bioinformatics analysis showed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with miR-107 and miR-17 expression were mainly enriched in multiple metabolic processes. Conclusions: The combination of miR-107 and miR-17 provides prognostic significance for patients with AML and should be considered in the clinical selection of the optimal treatment regimen when deciding between chemotherapy and allo-HSCT.

[Effects of Decitabine Combined with Anlotinib on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Multiple Myeloma Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biological effects and its relative mechanism of decitabine combined with anlotinib on multiple myeloma cells. METHODS: The human MM cell lines and primary cells were treated with different concentrations of decitabine, anlotinib, and decitabine+anlotinib, respectively. The cell viability was detected and combination effect was calculated by CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry and the level of c-Myc protein was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Both decitabine and anlotinib could effectively inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of MM cell lines NCI-H929 and RPMI-8226. The effect of combined treatment on the inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis was stronger than that of single-drug treatment. The combination of the two drugs also showed strong cytotoxicity in primary MM cells. Decitabine and anlotinib could down-regulate the level of c-Myc protein in MM cells and the c-Myc level in the combination group was the lowest. CONCLUSION: Decitabine combined with anlotinib can effectively inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of MM cells, which provides a certain experimental basis for the treatment of human MM.

Prognostication refinement in NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia stratified by FLT3-ITD status with different induction doses of cytarabine.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to retrospectively discern the heterogeneity of outcomes from clinicopathological characteristics and next-generation sequencing (NGS) data in adult patients with NPM1-mutated (NPM1mut ) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) induced with standard-dose (SD, 100-200 mg/m2 ) and intermediate-dose (ID, 1000-2000 mg/m2 ) cytarabine arabinose (Ara-C). METHODS: In the entire cohort and FLT3-ITD subgroups, multivariate Logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the comprehensive complete remission (cCR) rate after one or two induction cycles, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Among a total of 203 NPM1mut patients evaluable for clinical outcome, 144 (70.9%) received a first SD-Ara-C induction and 59 (29.1%) received ID-Ara-C induction. Early death was recorded in seven (3.4%) after one or two cycles of induction. Focusing analysis on the NPM1mut /FLT3-ITD(-) subgroup, independent factors showing inferior outcome were presence of TET2 mutation [cCR rate, OR = 12.82 (95%CI 1.93-85.28), p = 0.008; EFS, HR = 2.92 (95%CI 1.46-5.86), p = 0.003], increasing age [EFS, HR = 1.49 (95%CI 1.10-2.02), p = 0.012 by every 10-years elevation], white blood cell count ≥60 × 109 /L [EFS, HR = 3.30 (95%CI 1.63-6.70), p = 0.001], and ≥4 mutated genes at initial diagnosis [OS, HR = 5.54 (95%CI 1.77-17.33), p = 0.003]. In contrast, when focusing on the NPM1mut /FLT3-ITD(+) subgroup, factors showing superior outcome were ID-Ara-C induction [cCR rate, OR = 0.20 (95%CI 0.05-0.81), p = 0.025; EFS, HR = 0.27 (95%CI 0.13-0.60), p = 0.001] and allo-transplantation [OS, HR = 0.45 (95%CI 0.21-0.94), p = 0.033]. Factors showing inferior outcome included CD34(+) [cCR rate, OR = 6.22 (95%CI 1.86-20.77), p = 0.003; EFS, HR = 2.01 (95%CI 1.12-3.61), p = 0.020] and ≥5 mutated genes [OS, HR = 2.85 (95%CI 1.33-6.10), p = 0.007]. CONCLUSION: We conclude that TET2(+) , age, and white blood cell count convey an outcome risk modulation for AML with NPM1mut /FLT3-ITD(-) , as does CD34 and ID-Ara-C induction for NPM1mut /FLT3-ITD(+) . The findings permit re-stratification of NPM1mut AML into distinct prognostic subsets to guide risk-adapted individualized treatment.

[The Efficacy and Safety of Daratumumab-Based Regimen in Treatment of Multiple Myeloma Patients with Renal Impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of daratumumab in treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) patients with renal impairment (RI). METHODS: The clinical data of 15 MM patients with RI who received daratumumab-based regimen from January 2021 to March 2022 in three centers were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were treated with daratumumab or daratumumab combined with dexamethasone or daratumumab combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone and the curative effect and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of 15 patients was 64 (ranged 54-82) years old. Six patients were IgG-MM, 2 were IgA-MM,1 was IgD-MM and 6 were light chain MM. Median estinated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 22.48 ml/(min·1.73 M2). Overall response rate of 11 patients with MM was 91% (≥MR), including 1 case of stringent complete response (sCR), 2 cases of very good partial response (VGPR), 3 cases of partial response (PR) and 4 cases of minor response (MR). The rate of renal response was 60%(9/15), including 4 cases of complete response (CR), 1 case of PR and 4 cases of MR. A median time of optimal renal response was 21 (ranged 7-56) days. With a median follow-up of 3 months, the median progression-free survival and overall survival of all patients were not reached. After treatment with daratumumab-based regimen, grade 1-2 neutropenia was the most common hematological adverse reaction. Non-hematological adverse reactions were mainly infusion-related adverse reactions and infections. CONCLUSION: Daratumumab-based regimens have good short-term efficacy and safety in the treatment of multiple myeloma patients with renal impairment.

Altered serum lipid levels are associated with prognosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma and influenced by utility of rituximab.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the prognosis of the disease varied. This research aims to investigate the impact of serum lipid level on the outcome of DLBCL patients and their interaction with rituximab (RTX). Data of newly diagnosed DLBCL in the third affiliated hospital of Soochow University were retrospectively collected. Baseline serum lipid levels, clinical data, and survival information were simultaneously recorded. Data of healthy controls were collected with age matching. Serum lipid levels significantly differed for the patients. All were transformed into categorical variables for the analysis of survival. During a median follow-up of 58 months, 32.8% patients died. Univariate analysis revealed all serum lipid indicators were associated with overall survival (OS); all except for total cholesterol (TC) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) showed significant impact on progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariable analysis confirmed the adverse effect of triglyceride (TG) on PFS (P = 0.013) and favorable impact of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) on OS (P = 0.003). For cases treated without RTX, apolipoprotein A (apoA) had independent favorable effect on both PFS (P = 0.004) and OS (P = 0.001). Comparably, for patients who received RTX, HDL showed remarkably predictive value of PFS (P = 0.011) and OS (P = 0.019). In conclusion, the abnormal serum lipids occurred throughout the course of DLBCL, and the associations of serum lipids and the prognosis of the disease were interfered by RTX. Trial registration: 2022()CL033; June 26, 2022, retrospectively registered.

[Efficacy Analysis of Bendamustine-Based Combination Regimen in Treatment of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of bendamustine combined with gemcitabine, vinorelbine，glucocorticoids (BeGEV)±X regimen in treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. METHODS: A total of 18 relapsed/ refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients at the age of 18 years or older hospitalized in the First People's Hospital of Changzhou from March 2020 to March 2021 were selected. They received two or more cycles of BeGEV±X regimen. X could be anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, PD-1-blocking antibodies, lenalidomide, BTK inhibitor, Bcl-2 inhibitor and so on according to patients' disease feature. The clinical efficacy and adverse effects were observed. RESULTS: In total, 18 patients completed two or more cycles of BeGEV±X regimen, including 14 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, one with low-grade follicular lymphoma, one with follicular lymphoma grade 3b, one with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and one with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified. 11 patients were male. The median age of the patients was 64 years old. 17 patients had modified Ann Arbor stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ disease. 13 patients had high- intermediate risk or high risk IPI score, while 15 patients had high-intermediate high risk or high risk NCCN-IPI score. 14 cases had extranodal sites of disease. And 6 cases had bulky disease. 12 patients experienced refractory disease, while 8 patients had received 3 line or more prior treatment. After two or three cycles of chemotherapy, the complete response rate was 6/18, the partial response rate was 3/18, and the objective response rate was 9/18. From the beginning of salvage chemotherapy to the end of follow-up, the median progression-free survival time was 130 days, and the median overall survival was 152 days. The most common grade 3 to 4 adverse events were hematologic toxicities, infection and febrile neutropenia. CONCLUSION: BeGEV±X is an effective salvage regimen in treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while adverse events such as hematologic toxicities and infection should be closely monitored.

[The Clinical Value of Neutrophil CD64 Index in Hematological Malignancies with Pulmonary Infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of neutrophil CD64 index in hematological malignancies with pulmonary infection. METHODS: The cohort study method was used to retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 125 patients with hematological malignancies and pulmonary infections who were treated in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. All the patients were divided into four stages according to the diagnosis and treatment process: non-infected stage (T1), the symptoms of infection had appeared before using antibiotics (T2), one week after anti-infective treatment (T3), and after stopping antibiotics (T4). CD64 index, C-reactive protein (CRP), blood cell count, and immune cell level were compared before and after infection (T1 vs T2), the correlation between CD64 index and other indicators were explored, the change trends of the significantly different indicators in the course of the disease were observed, and the diagnostic efficacy of CD64 index and CRP were compared. The surviving patients were followed up for whether reinfection occurred within 30 days after discharge, and the re-examination results of indices before discharge (in stage of T4) between reinfected and non-reinfected patients were compared to find the risk factors of reinfection. RESULTS: Before and after infection, the CD64 index, CRP, CD14+HLA-DR+, CD4+, and lymphocyte counts were significantly different (all P<0.05). There was a negative correlation of CD64 index with CD14+HLA-DR+ (r=-0.395, P<0.001), a negative correlation with CD3+ (r=-0.1.87, P=0.047), and a negative correlation with lymphocyte count (r=-0.230, P=0.006), while a positive correlation with CRP(r=0.313, P<0.001). The area under the curve of CD64 index, CRP, and CD64 index combined with CRP was 0.790 (95%CI: 0.711-0.868), 0.754(95%CI: 0.667-0.841), and 0.835(95%CI: 0.762-0.907), respectively; the sensitivity was 59.6%, 72.7%, and 74.7%, the specificity was 89.2%, 73.0%, and 78.4%, and the cut-off value was 0.488, 0.457, and 0.531, respectively. There were only two re-examination indexes showed significantly different before discharge between reinfected patients and non-reinfected patients: CD14+HLA-DR+ (F=8.524, P=0.004) and CD64 index (F=9.993, P=0.002). The increase of CD64 index was an independent risk factor for reinfection within 30 days after discharge from the hospital (HR=1.790, 95%CI: 1.343-2.386, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: CD64 index has diagnostic value in patients with hematological malignancies and pulmonary infection, and its specificity is higher than that of CRP. The combination of the two indicators can improve the diagnostic sensitivity. CD64 index has a predictive value for reinfection within 30 days after infection treatment.