Utility of the refined EBMT diagnostic and severity criteria 2023 for sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease (SOS/VOD) is a life-threatening complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Early diagnosis of SOS/VOD is associated with improved clinical outcomes. In 2023, the refined European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation diagnostic and severity criteria (refined EBMT criteria 2023) have been advocated. The revision has introduced new diagnostic categories, namely; probable, clinical, and proven SOS/VOD. In addition, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score has been newly incorporated into the SOS/VOD severity grading. We performed a retrospective analysis to evaluate the utility of these criteria. We analyzed 161 cases who underwent allogeneic HSCT. We identified 53 probable, 23 clinical, and 4 proven SOS/VOD cases. Probable SOS/VOD was diagnosed a median of 5.0 days earlier (interquartile range: 2-13 days, P < 0.001) than that of clinical SOS/VOD. The development of probable SOS/VOD alone was associated with a significantly inferior survival proportion compared to non-SOS/VOD (100-day survival, 86.2% vs. 94.3%, P = 0.012). The SOFA score contributed to the prediction of prognosis. Consequently, the refined EBMT criteria 2023 demonstrated the utility of SOS/VOD diagnosis and severity grading. Further investigations and improvements in these criteria are warranted.

Irreversible Intrathecal Chemotherapy-induced Myelopathy in a Patient with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

Intrathecal chemotherapy is often administered for prophylaxis and treatment of central nervous system involvement in hematological malignancies. However, it may rarely cause neurotoxicity as a side effect. We herein report a 74-year-old woman with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma including a spinal lesion. She received systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. After five doses of intrathecal chemotherapy, she developed intrathecal chemotherapy-induced myelopathy. Intrathecal treatment was discontinued, and she was administered vitamin B12 and folic acid, along with steroid pulses. However, her symptoms did not improve. Intrathecal chemotherapy-induced myelopathy is rare, but may be irreversible; therefore, clinicians should be aware of this potential complication.

RUNX1 rearrangement in mature B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with non-L3 morphology.

Mature B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is defined by the expression of light chain-restricted surface immunoglobulin (sIg) and usually has features of the leukemic phase of Burkitt lymphoma including FAB-L3 morphology and MYC rearrangement. Recently, another distinct entity in childhood mature B-cell ALL has been characterized as non-L3 morphology and KMT2A rearrangement. Here we report an unusual case of mature B-cell ALL that presented with RUNX1 rearrangement. A 65-year-old male was admitted to our department for thorough examination of leukocytosis and thrombocytopenia. The patient's bone marrow was hypercellular and infiltrated with 97.8% myeloperoxidase-negative, medium-to-large-sized blasts without cytoplasmic vacuoles. Immunophenotypes were characterized by the presence of light chain-restricted sIg and the lack of immature markers, indicating a diagnosis of mature B-cell ALL with L2 morphology: sIg-κ+, CD19+, CD20+, CD22+, CD79a+, TdT-, and CD34-. G-banding combined with spectral karyotyping showed the following complex karyotype: 45,X,der(Y;10)(p10;q10),del(13)(q?),inv(21)(p13q22.1). Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed separated signals of RUNX1 at 21q22.1, whereas rearrangements of MYC and KMT2A were not found. To our knowledge, inv(21)(p13q22.1) involving RUNX1 is a novel cytogenetic aberration and this is the first case of mature B-cell ALL that presented with RUNX1 rearrangement. Thus, RUNX1 may be implicated in the pathogenesis of mature B-cell ALL showing non-L3 morphology without MYC rearrangement.

Early diagnosis of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with modified diagnostic criteria including refractory thrombocytopenia.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Early diagnosis for SOS can improve clinical outcomes significantly. Here, we performed a retrospective study to investigate the Cairo diagnostic criteria, in which SOS was defined as the development of two or more in seven events, including transfusion-refractory thrombocytopenia. Among 154 cases of allogeneic HSCT, 10 cases of SOS using the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation criteria (EBMT16) as the reference standard were identified. The original Cairo criteria could diagnose SOS 5 days earlier than any other established criteria, with some false-positive results (sensitivity = 100.0%; specificity = 72.2%). When the cutoff was set to three events for the Cairo criteria, the diagnosis of SOS could be made 3 days earlier than that using the EBMT16 criteria, with comparable precision (specificity = 86.1%). The accuracy of the Cairo criteria improved further when the cutoff point was set to four (specificity = 93.8%). The fulfillment of the Cairo criteria was associated with high mortality. Based on our results, the Cairo criteria were also considered clinically useful, especially at three or four cutoff points. Further studies are required to validate and refine the criteria.

Response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination evaluated by B-cell receptor repertoire after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration.

The use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody products like tixagevimab/cilgavimab represents an important strategy to protect immunocompromised patients with haematological malignancies from COVID-19. Although patients who receive these agents should still be vaccinated, the use of tixagevimab/cilgavimab can mask the production of anti-spike antibody after vaccination, making it hard to assess vaccine response. We have newly established a quantification method to assess the response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at the mRNA level using B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire assay and the Coronavirus Antibody Database (CoV-AbDab). Repeated blood samples before and after vaccination were analysed for the BCR repertoire, and BCR sequences were searched in the database. We analysed the number and percentage frequency of matched sequences. We found that the number of matched sequences increased 2 weeks after the first vaccination and quickly decreased. Meanwhile, the number of matched sequences more rapidly increased after the second vaccination. These results show that the postvaccine immune response can be assessed at the mRNA level by analysing the fluctuation in matching sequences. Finally, BCR repertoire analysis with CoV-AbDab clearly demonstrated the response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination even after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration in haematological malignancy patients who underwent allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Efficacy and Safety of Synbiotics in Patients Undergoing Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study.

Objective High-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) is an effective treatment option for relapsed and refractory aggressive malignant lymphoma. However, patients frequently experience treatment-induced gastrointestinal symptoms. Synbiotics, including live microorganisms and nondigestible food ingredients, reportedly ameliorate chemotherapy-induced mucosal damage. In this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of synbiotics in patients undergoing auto-HSCT. Methods This randomized, double-blinded study included patients with malignant lymphoma eligible for auto-HSCT. The patients were randomly assigned to either a synbiotic group receiving Bifidobacterium longum (BB536) and guar gum or a placebo group receiving a placebo containing dextrin. The supplements were administered twice daily from the start of conditioning chemotherapy up to 28 days after auto-HSCT. The primary endpoint was the duration of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Results In total, 12 patients were included and randomized. The median duration of TPN was 15 (range, 12-33) days in the synbiotic group and 17.5 (range, 0-32) days in the placebo group. The median duration of grade ≥3 diarrhea was shorter in the synbiotic group than in then placebo group (2.5 vs. 6.5 days), as was the duration of hospital stay (31.5 vs. 43 days). The oral intake and quality of life regarding diarrhea and anorexia improved in the synbiotic group after engraftment. Synbiotic infections, including bacteremia, were not observed. Conclusion Synbiotics may reduce gastrointestinal toxicity, thereby reducing nutritional problems and improving the quality of life of patients undergoing auto-HSCT, without severe adverse events.

Global longitudinal strain is superior to ejection fraction for long-term follow-up after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Global longitudinal strain (GLS), a new cardiac parameter measured by the speckle-tracking method, is reportedly more sensitive than ejection fraction (EF) in detecting slight cardiac dysfunction in heart failure patients. We validated the utility of GLS in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients during a long-term follow-up. Medical records of patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the last echocardiography performed before transplantation and those performed annually during the 5 years after transplantation. We also investigated newly diagnosed cardiac events, which developed after HSCT. Among 85 patients, 22 used cardioprotective drugs. The median follow-up duration in surviving patients was 54.1 months (range, 2.9-92.6 months). GLS significantly decreased year by year, and patients taking cardioprotective agents tended to have a better GLS at 5 years than at 3 years, while EF did not change. Fifteen patients developed newly diagnosed cardiac events. Multivariate analysis revealed that low GLS and high serum ferritin levels at baseline were independently associated with the development of cardiac events. Therefore, we need a continuous follow-up of cardiac function by GLS and prescription of cardioprotective drugs might be considered for HSCT patients with low GLS. Further research is warranted.

Unexpected appearance of KMT2A::MLLT10 fusion transcript in acute myeloid leukemia with t(5;11)(q31;q23.3).

As an uncommon but nonrandom translocation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) t(5;11)(q31;q23) results in fusion between KMT2A at 11q23 and ARHGAP26 at 5q31. The 5q31 region has another KMT2A partner, AFF4, which was identified in acute lymphoblastic leukemia harboring ins(5;11)(q31;q13q23). We report here a 65-year-old woman with AML M5b. G-banding and spectral karyotyping demonstrated 46,XX,t(5;11)(q31;q23.3). Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed not only separated 5' and 3' KMT2A signals but a faint 5' KMT2A signal. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using a KMT2A sense primer and ARHGAP26 antisense primer, detected no band whereas RT-PCR with a AFF4 antisense primer revealed an amplified band. However, sequence analysis unexpectedly disclosed that KMT2A exon 6 was connected with MLLT10 exons 15 to 18. This may be due to cross-hybridization between MLLT10 exon 18 and AFF4 antisense primer derived from AFF4 exon 10 since both exons had eight identical bases (AAGCAGCT). The MLLT10 gene is located at 10p12.31; a faint 5' KMT2A signal was probably present at this locus. These findings indicate that in AML the 5' KMT2A fragment containing exons 1 to 6 may be cryptically inserted into MLLT10 intron 14 when a reciprocal translocation t(5;11)(q31;q23.3) involving KMT2A occurred.

Biclonal Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Commonly Characterized by Partial Trisomy 18q Involving MALT1 and BCL2.

A 68-year-old man was admitted because of a left shoulder mass and swollen right testis. Pathological examinations indicated a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with the CD20+BCL6+MUM1+BCL2+CD10-MYC- phenotype in both lesions. G-banding of soft tissue showed 47,XY,+18, whereas testicular cells showed 47,X,+X,-Y,der (4) t (4;18) (p15;?),del (5) (q?),+13. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected additional MALT1 and BCL2 signals in both lesions. Southern blot demonstrated different IGH rearrangements between the soft tissue and testis. The patient was diagnosed with biclonal DLBCL with different karyotypes but similar immunophenotypes. Partial trisomy 18q involving MALT1 and BCL2 may be commonly involved in the pathogenesis of this biclonal DLBCL.

A Pathogenic NRAS c.38G>A (p.G13D) Mutation in RARA Translocation-negative Acute Promyelocytic-like Leukemia with Concomitant Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

An acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patient not demonstrating the retinoic acid receptor α (RARA) translocation is rare. A 76-year-old man was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). After a year, abnormal promyelocytes were detected with pancytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Morphologically, the patient was diagnosed with APL; however, a genetic examination failed to detect RARA translocation. Thereafter, whole-genome sequencing revealed an NRAS missense mutation [c.38G>A (p.G13D)]. This mutation was not detected in posttreatment bone marrow aspirate, despite residual MDS. Few reports are available on similar cases. Furthermore, the NRAS c.38G>A mutation may be a novel pathogenic variant exacerbating RARA translocation-negative acute promyelocytic-like leukemia.

A Third Dose COVID-19 Vaccination in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients.

We previously reported that a second dose of BNT162b2 was safe and effective for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients. Here, we investigated the safety and efficacy of a third dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in allogeneic HSCT patients. Antibody titers against the S1 spike protein were measured using the QuaResearch COVID-19 Human IgM IgG ELISA kit. The previous study included 25 allogeneic HSCT patients who received two doses of BNT162b2. Following the exclusion of three patients because of the development of COVID-19 (n = 2) and loss to follow-up (n = 1), the study evaluated 22 allogeneic HSCT patients who received a third dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2 [n = 15] and mRNA-1273 [n = 7]). Median age at the time of the first vaccination was 56 (range, 23-71) years. Five patients were receiving immunosuppressants at the third vaccination, namely calcineurin inhibitors (CI) alone (n = 1), steroids alone (n = 2), or CI combined with steroids (n = 2). Twenty-one patients (95%) seroconverted after the third dose. None of our patients had serious adverse events, new-onset graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), or GVHD exacerbation after vaccination. A third dose of the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccines was safe and effective for allogeneic HSCT patients.

The Safety and Immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Japanese Patients after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for hematological disease experience high mortality when infected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in HSCT patients remain to be investigated. We prospectively evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer BioNTech) in 25 Japanese allogeneic HSCT patients in comparison with 19 healthy volunteers. While anti-S1 antibody titers in almost all healthy volunteers after the second dose were higher than the cut-off value reported previously, levels in HSCT patients after the second dose were diverse. Nineteen patients (76%) had seroconversion of anti-S1 IgG. The median optical density of antibody levels in HSCT patients with low IgG levels (<600 mg/dL), steroid treatment, or low lymphocytes (<1000/µL) was significantly lower than that in the other HSCT patients. There were no serious adverse events (>Grade 3) and no new development or exacerbation of graft-versus-host disease after vaccination. We concluded that the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine is safe and effective in Japanese allogeneic HSCT patients.

Limited increase in antibody titers following mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for more than 3 years after final dose of anti-CD20 antibody.

We investigated the efficacy of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients with B-cell malignancies treated with anti-CD20 antibody. Although T-cell-mediated immune responses were detected even in patients receiving R-CHOP treatment, the S1 antibody titer following BNT162b2 vaccination remained only marginally increased for more than 3 years after the final dose of anti-CD20 antibody. We found no relationship between the percent of B-cells and S1 antibody titer. The duration of this suppression was much longer than we anticipated. Further protection and treatment strategies against COVID-19 for these patients are warranted.

Secondary CIC-rearranged sarcoma responsive to chemotherapy regimens for Ewing sarcoma: A case report.

Capicua transcriptional repressor (CIC)-rearranged sarcoma is an Ewing-like sarcoma with an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. No standard treatment has been established. The present study describes a case of CIC-rearranged sarcoma with lung metastases developing in a 24-year-old woman as a therapy-associated malignancy following chemotherapy for anaplastic large cell lymphoma at nine years old. This was treated with palliative regimens used for Ewing sarcoma. The patient achieved disease control for one year. Of note, ifosfamide and etoposide (IE), which were used as a second line treatment lead to a partial response. The case described in the present study indicated that treatment with Ewing regimens is a reasonable option for patients with metastatic CIC-rearranged sarcoma, including those with a second malignant case.