Safety and Efficacy of TKIs in very Elderly Patients (≥75 Years) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: While the outcomes of chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) patients aged over 65 years have been extensively evaluated in real-life experiences, limited data exist for the very elderly population (i.e., aged ≥ 75 years), especially for next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). In this retrospective study, we sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TKIs in this particular setting of patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a multicenter cohort of 123 newly diagnosed CP-CML very elderly patients. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 80 years (range: 75-96). In the first line, 86.1% of patients received imatinib, 7.1% dasatinib, 5.6% nilotinib, and 0.81% received bosutinib. A total of 31 patients (25.2%) switched to second-line therapy, nine patients to a third line, and one patient to a fourth line of therapy. Resistance to treatment was the primary reason for switching therapy in both the first (64.5%) and second lines (77.7%). At diagnosis, reduced doses were administered in 36.5% of patients, in 61.2% in the second line, and in all patients in subsequent lines of therapy. In the first-line setting, 71.9% of patients achieved an early molecular response (EMR, i.e., 3-month BCR::ABL1IS < 10%); at 6, 12, and 24 months, MR3 was reached by 35.7%, 55.7%, and 75.0% of patients, respectively, with 16.6%, 35.7%, and 51.7% achieving a deep molecular response (DMR) at the same time points. Treatment-free remission (TFR) was successfully attempted in 11 patients. During the follow-up period, adverse events (AEs) were observed in 78.8% of patients, including 22 cases of cardiovascular AEs. Toxicity grade ≥ 3 was more commonly observed in patients treated with standard doses of TKIs compared to reduced doses (p = 0.033). Overall, the median follow-up was 46.62 months (range: 1.8-206.2), and 43 patients died due to non-CML-related causes. Three patients died due to disease progression to advanced (n = 1) and blastic (n = 2) phases. The 5-year overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 71.9% (95% CI: 0.63-0.81), with no significant difference between the patients treated with standard doses of TKIs compared to those treated with reduced doses (p = 0.35). CONCLUSIONS: TKIs appear to be safe and effective even in very elderly CML patients, and dose optimization strategies yield satisfactory molecular responses for adequate disease control with an improved safety profile.

Pulmonary infections in patients with acute myeloid leukemia receiving frontline treatment with hypomethylating agents.

Pulmonary infections (PIs) are a major complication of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) treated with hypomethylating agents (HMA). We retrospectively evaluated 147 AML patients treated frontline with HMA in 2 Centers. Total number of HMA cycles was 1397. There were 88 episodes of PI in 64 patients (43.5%). Thirty-five/147 patients at risk (23.8%) developed at least 1 episode of early PI (during cycles 1-2). Median OS in patients who developed early PI was 3.3 months (95% CI 0.8 - 5.8) versus 10.5 months (95% CI 8.4 - 12.7) in patients without PI or with PI beyond the 2nd cycle (p < .001). Early PIs were an independent factor predicting lower survival (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.28 - 2.93; p = .002). In conclusion, early PIs are common in AML patients receiving HMA and are associated with an unfavorable outcome. The results of our study raise the issue of a tailored infection prevention strategy.

Reliability of flow-cytometry in diagnosis and prognostic stratification of myelodysplastic syndromes: correlations with morphology and mutational profile.

Diagnosis and prognostic stratification of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have been complemented by new techniques, including flow cytometry and NGS. To analyze the relationship between molecular and cytofluorimetric data, we enrolled in this retrospective study, 145 patients, including 106 diagnosed with MDS and 39 controls. At disease onset, immunophenotypic (IF), cytogenetic tests, and cytomorphological (CM) examination on bone marrow were carried out in all patients, while NGS was performed in 58 cases. Ogata score presented a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 59%. The detection of at least two phenotypic aberrancies in Ogata negative patients increased the sensitivity to 83% and specificity to 87%. Correlations were identified between IF aberrancies and mutations, including positive Ogata>2 and mutations in SRSF2 (p=0.035), CD15 and U2AF1 (0.032), CD56 and DNMT3A (p=0.042), and CD38 and TP53 (p=0.026). In multivariate analysis, U2AF1 mutations, associated with del(20q) and/or abnormalities of chromosome 7 (group 4 as defined by the EuroMDS score), significantly correlated with an inferior overall survival (p=0.019). These parameters and Ogata score>2 also showed a significant correlation with inferior event-free survival (p=0.023 and p=0.041, respectively). Both CM and FC features correlated with prognosis and mutational patterns. In an integrated MDS work-up, these tools may guide indications for mutational screening for optimal risk stratification.

Predictors of Response to Hydroxyurea and Switch to Ruxolitinib in HU-Resistant Polycythaemia VERA Patients: A Real-World PV-NET Study.

In polycythemia vera (PV), the prognostic relevance of an ELN-defined complete response (CR) to hydroxyurea (HU), the predictors of response, and patients' triggers for switching to ruxolitinib are uncertain. In a real-world analysis, we evaluated the predictors of response, their impact on the clinical outcomes of CR to HU, and the correlations between partial or no response (PR/NR) and a patient switching to ruxolitinib. Among 563 PV patients receiving HU for ≥12 months, 166 (29.5%) achieved CR, 264 achieved PR, and 133 achieved NR. In a multivariate analysis, the absence of splenomegaly (p = 0.03), pruritus (p = 0.002), and a median HU dose of ≥1 g/day (p < 0.001) remained associated with CR. Adverse events were more frequent with a median HU dose of ≥1 g/day. Overall, 283 PR/NR patients (71.3%) continued HU, and 114 switched to ruxolitinib. In the 449 patients receiving only HU, rates of thrombosis, hemorrhages, progression, and overall survival were comparable among the CR, PR, and NR groups. Many PV patients received underdosed HU, leading to lower CR and toxicity rates. In addition, many patients continued HU despite a PR/NR; however, splenomegaly and other symptoms were the main drivers of an early switch. Better HU management, standardization of the criteria for and timing of responses to HU, and adequate intervention in poor responders should be advised.

Eltrombopag for Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes With Thrombocytopenia: Interim Results of a Phase II, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial (EQOL-MDS).

PURPOSE: In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), severe thrombocytopenia is associated with poor prognosis. This multicenter trial presents the second-part long-term efficacy and safety results of eltrombopag in patients with low-risk MDS and severe thrombocytopenia. METHODS: In this single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase-II trial of adult patients with International Prognostic Scoring System low- or intermediate-1-risk MDS, patients with a stable platelet (PLT) count (<30 × 103/mm3) received eltrombopag or placebo until disease progression. Primary end points were duration of PLT response (PLT-R; calculated from the time of PLT-R to date of loss of PLT-R, defined as bleeding/PLT count <30 × 103/mm3 or last date in observation) and long-term safety and tolerability. Secondary end points included incidence and severity of bleeding, PLT transfusions, quality of life, leukemia-free survival, progression-free survival, overall survival and pharmacokinetics. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2021, of 325 patients screened, 169 patients were randomly assigned oral eltrombopag (N = 112) or placebo (N = 57) at a starting dose of 50 mg once daily to maximum of 300 mg. PLT-R, with 25-week follow-up (IQR, 14-68) occurred in 47/111 (42.3%) eltrombopag patients versus 6/54 (11.1%) in placebo (odds ratio, 5.9; 95% CI, 2.3 to 14.9; P < .001). In eltrombopag patients, 12/47 (25.5%) lost the PLT-R, with cumulative thrombocytopenia relapse-free survival at 60 months of 63.6% (95% CI, 46.0 to 81.2). Clinically significant bleeding (WHO bleeding score ≥ 2) occurred less frequently in the eltrombopag arm than in the placebo group (incidence rate ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.75; P = .0002). Although no difference in the frequency of grade 1-2 adverse events (AEs) was observed, a higher proportion of eltrombopag patients experienced grade 3-4 AEs (χ2 = 9.5, P = .002). AML evolution and/or disease progression occurred in 17% (for both) of eltrombopag and placebo patients with no difference in survival times. CONCLUSION: Eltrombopag was effective and relatively safe in low-risk MDS with severe thrombocytopenia. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02912208 and EU Clinical Trials Register: EudraCT No. 2010-022890-33.

Determinants of frontline tyrosine kinase inhibitor choice for patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia: A study from the Registro Italiano LMC and Campus CML.

BACKGROUND: Imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) approved in Italy for frontline treatment of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML). The choice of TKI is based on a combined evaluation of the patient's and the disease characteristics. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of frontline TKI therapy in an unselected cohort of Italian patients with CP-CML to correlate the choice with the patient's features. METHODS: A total of 1967 patients with CP-CML diagnosed between 2012 and 2019 at 36 centers throughout Italy were retrospectively evaluated; 1089 patients (55.4%) received imatinib and 878 patients (44.6%) received a second-generation (2G) TKI. RESULTS: Second-generation TKIs were chosen for most patients aged <45 years (69.2%), whereas imatinib was used in 76.7% of patients aged >65 years (p < .001). There was a predominant use of imatinib in intermediate/high European long-term survival risk patients (60.0%/66.0% vs. 49.7% in low-risk patients) and a limited use of 2G-TKIs in patients with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous neoplasms, ischemic heart disease, or stroke and in those with >3 concomitant drugs. We observed a greater use of imatinib (61.1%) in patients diagnosed in 2018-2019 compared to 2012-2017 (53.2%; p = .002). In multivariable analysis, factors correlated with imatinib use were age > 65 years, spleen size, the presence of comorbidities, and ≥3 concomitant medications. CONCLUSIONS: This observational study of almost 2000 cases of CML shows that imatinib is the frontline drug of choice in 55% of Italian patients with CP-CML, with 2G-TKIs prevalently used in younger patients and in those with no concomitant clinical conditions. Introduction of the generic formulation in 2018 seems to have fostered imatinib use.

Azacitidine Post-Remission Therapy for Elderly Patients with AML: A Randomized Phase-3 Trial (QoLESS AZA-AMLE).

This phase-3 randomized multicenter trial evaluated the efficacy of subcutaneous azacitidine (AZA) post-remission therapy vs. best supportive care (BSC) in elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. The primary endpoint was the difference in disease-free survival (DFS) from complete remission (CR) to relapse/death. Patients with newly diagnosed AML aged ≥61 years received two courses of induction chemotherapy ("3+7" daunorubicin and cytarabine) followed by consolidation (cytarabine). At CR, 54 patients were randomized (1:1) to receive BSC (N = 27) or AZA (N = 27) at a dose of 50 mg/m2 for 7 days every 28 days and the dose increased after the 1st cycle to 75 mg/m2 for a further 5 cycles, followed by cycles every 56 days for 4.5 years. At 2 years, median DFS was 6.0 (95% CI: 0.2-11.7) months for patients receiving BSC vs. 10.8 months (95% CI: 1.9-19.6, p = 0.20) months for AZA. At 5 years, DFS was 6.0 (95% CI: 0.2-11.7) months in the BSC arm vs. 10.8 (95% CI: 1.9-19.6, p = 0.23) months in the AZA arm. Significant benefit was afforded by AZA on DFS at 2 and 5 years in patients aged >68 years (HR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.13-0.90, p = 0.030 and HR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15-0.93, p = 0.034, respectively). No deaths occurred prior to leukemic relapse. Neutropenia was the most frequent adverse event. There were no differences in patient-reported outcome measures between study arms. In conclusion, AZA post-remission therapy was found to provide benefit in AML patients aged >68 years.

Treatment in patients with acute myeloid leukemia/high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome with hypomethylating agents: Day-hospital management compared to home care setting.

OBJECTIVES: Aim of the study was to evaluate the role of a Domiciliary Hematologic Care Unit (DHCU) compared to standard DH setting in the active frontline treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) +/- venetoclax of frail patients with acute myelogenous leukemia/high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (AML/HR-MDS). METHODS: All patients with newly diagnosed AML/HR-MDS unfit for intensive care and treated frontline with HMAs from January 2010 to April 2021 were retrospectively included. RESULTS: Among 112 patients (62 AML/50 HR-MDS), 69 (61.6%) were treated in a standard DH setting and 43 (38.4%) were followed by DHCU, allocated to DH or DHCU by responsible physician. Overall response rate was 29/69 (42.0%) in DH versus 19/43 (44.1%) in DHCU (p = .797). Median response duration was 8.7 months (95%CI 7.0-10.3) in DH versus 13.0 months (95%CI 8.3-17.6) in DHCU (p = .460). Infections were also equally reported. Median overall survival of patients treated in DH was 13.7 months (95%CI 9.9-17.4) compared to 13.0 months (95%CI 6.7-19.3) of patients managed by DHCU (p = .753). CONCLUSIONS: Home care management of HMA is feasible and effective, with results similar to standard DH setting: this approach is thus adequate to offer active therapies in frail patients with AML/HR-MDS considered up to now ineligible.

Efficacy and safety of nilotinib as frontline treatment in elderly (> 65 years) chronic myeloid leukemia patients outside clinical trials.

Here, we report real-world evidence on the safety and efficacy of nilotinib as a first-line treatment in elderly patients with chronic phase CML, treated in 18 Italian centers. Sixty patients aged > 65 years (median age 72 years (65-84)) were reported: 13 patients were older than 75 years. Comorbidities were recorded at baseline in 56/60 patients. At 3 months of treatment, all patients obtained complete hematological response (CHR), 43 (71.6%) an early molecular response (EMR), while 47 (78%) reached a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR). At last follow-up, 63.4% of patients still had a deep molecular response (MR4 or better), 21.6% reached MR3 as best response and 11.6% persisted without MR. Most patients (85%) started the treatment at the standard dose (300 mg BID), maintained at 3 months in 80% of patients and at 6 months in 89% of them. At the last median follow-up of 46.3 months, 15 patients discontinued definitively the treatment (8 due to side effects, 4 died for unrelated CML causes, 1 for failure, 2 were lost to follow-up). One patient entered in treatment-free remission. As to safety, 6 patients (10%) experienced cardiovascular events after a median time of 20.9 months from the start. Our data showed that nilotinib could be, as first-line treatment, effective and relatively safe even in elderly CML patients. In this setting, more data in the long term are needed about possible dose reduction to improve the tolerability, while maintaining the optimal molecular response.

Impairment of FOXM1 expression in mesenchymal cells from patients with myeloid neoplasms, de novo and therapy-related, may compromise their ability to support hematopoiesis.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) exhibit multiple abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML), including reduced proliferative and clonogenic capacity, altered morphology, impaired immunoregulatory properties and capacity to support hematopoiesis. Here, we investigated expression of the FOXM1 gene, a transcription factor driving G2/M gene expression, in BM-MSCs isolated from patients with MDS and AML, de novo and therapy-related, compared to BM-MSCs isolated from healthy donors (HD). We observed a statistically significant downregulation of FOXM1 expression in BM-MSCs isolated from MDS and AML patients, as compared to controls. In parallel, expression of FOXM1 mitotic targets (CCNB1, CDC20, PLK1 and NDC80) was suppressed in patients' BM-MSCs, as compared to HD. No differences in the expression of FOXM1 and its mitotic targets were observed in BM-mononuclear cells from the different sources. From a functional standpoint, silencing of FOXM1 mRNA in healthy MSC induced a significant decrease in the expression of its targets. In this line, healthy MSC silenced for FOXM1 showed an impaired ability to support hematopoiesis in vitro. These findings suggest that deregulation of FOXM1 may be involved in the senescent phenotype observed in MSC derived from myeloid neoplasms.

Immunomodulatory Effects of IFNα on T and NK Cells in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients in Deep Molecular Response Preparing for Treatment Discontinuation.

A deep and stable molecular response (DMR) is a prerequisite for a successful treatment-free remission (TFR) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In order to better identify and analyze potential candidates of successful TFR, we examined the phenotypic and functional host immune compartment in DMR patients who had received TKI treatment only (TKI-only) or had been previously treated with interferon-alpha (IFNα + TKI) or had received IFNα treatment only (IFNα-only). The T/NK-cell subset distribution, NK- and T-cell cytokine production, activation and maturation markers were measured in 44 patients in DMR treated with IFNα only (9), with IFNα + TKI (11) and with TKI-only (24). IFNα + TKI and TKI-only groups were eligible to TKI discontinuation according to the NCCN and ESMO guidelines (stable MR4 for more than two years). In IFNα-treated patients, we documented an increased number of lymphocytes capable of producing IFNγ and TNFα compared to the TKI-only group. In INFα + TKI patients, the percentage of NKG2C expression and its mean fluorescence intensity were significantly higher compared to the TKI-only group and to the INFα-only group in the CD56dim/CD16+ NK cell subsets (INFα + TKI vs. TKI-only p = 0.041, p = 0.037; INFα + TKI vs. INFα-only p = 0.03, p = 0.033, respectively). Furthermore, in INFα-only treated patients, we observed an increase of NKp46 MFI in the CD56bright/CD16- NK cell subset that becomes significant compared to the INFα + TKI group (p = 0.008). Our data indicate that a previous exposure to IFNα substantially and persistently modified the immune system of CML patients in memory T lymphocytes, differentiated NKG2C+ "long-lived" NK cells responses, even years after the last IFNα contact.

Myelodysplastic Syndromes with Isolated 20q Deletion: A New Clinical-Biological Entity?

Aims: To define the peculiar features of patients with the deletion of the chromosome 20 long arm (del20q), data from 69 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and isolated del20q, followed by the Gruppo Romano-Laziale Sindromi Mielodisplastiche (GROM-L) and Ospedale Torrette of Ancona, were collected and compared with those of 502 MDS patients with normal karyotype (NK-MDS). Results: Compared to the NK-MDS group, patients with del20q at diagnosis were older (p = 0.020) and mainly male (p = 0.006). They also had a higher rate of bone marrow blast < 5% (p = 0.004), a higher proportion of low and int-1 risk according to IPSS score (p = 0.023), and lower median platelet (PLT) count (p < 0.001). To date, in the del20q cohort, 21 patients (30.4%) received no treatment, 42 (61.0%) were treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA), 3 (4.3%) with hypomethylating agents, and 3 (4.3%) with other treatments. Among 34 patients evaluable for response to ESA, 21 (61.7%) achieved stable erythroid response according to IWG 2006 criteria and 13 (38.2%) were resistant. Nine patients (13.0%) progressed to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) after a median time from diagnosis of 28 months (IR 4.1−51.7). The median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 60.6 months (95% CI 54.7−66.4). the 5-year cumulative OS was 55.9% (95% CI 40.6−71.2). Conclusion: According to our results, we hypothesize that MDSs with isolated del 20q may represent a distinct biological entity, with peculiar clinical and prognostic features. The physio-pathological mechanisms underlying the deletion of the chromosome 20 long arm are still unclear and warrant future molecular analysis.

Treatment-Free Remission in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated With Low-Dose TKIs: A Feasible Option Also in the Real-Life. A Campus CML Study.

Treatment-free remission (TFR) has become a primary therapeutic goal in CML and is also considered feasible by international guidelines. TKIs dose reduction is often used in real-life practice to reduce adverse events, although its impact on TFR is still a matter of debate. This study aimed to explore the attitude of Italian hematologists towards prescribing TKIs at reduced doses and its impact on TFR. In September 2020, a questionnaire was sent to 54 hematology centers in Italy participating to the Campus CML network. For each patient, data on the main disease characteristics were collected. Most of the hematologists involved (64.4%) believed that low-dose TKIs should not influence TFR. Indeed, this approach was offered to 194 patients. At the time of TFR, all but 3 patients had already achieved a DMR, with a median duration of 61.0 months. After a median follow-up of 29.2 months, 138 (71.1%) patients were still in TFR. Interestingly, TFR outcome was not impaired by any of the variables examined, including sex, risk scores, BCR-ABL1 transcript types, previous interferon, type and number of TKIs used before treatment cessation, degree of DMR or median duration of TKIs therapy. On the contrary, TFR was significantly better after dose reduction due to AEs; furthermore, patients with a longer DMR duration showed a trend towards prolonged TFR. This survey indicates that low-dose TKI treatment is an important reality. While one third of Italian hematologists still had some uncertainties on TFR feasibility after using reduced doses of TKIs outside of clinical trials, TFR has often been considered a safe option even in patients treated with low-dose TKIs in the real-life setting. It should be noted that only 28.9% of our cases had a molecular recurrence, less than reported during standard dose treatment. Consequently, TFR is not impaired using low-dose TKIs.

Safety and effectiveness of ruxolitinib in the real-world management of polycythemia vera patients: a collaborative retrospective study by pH-negative MPN latial group.

Ruxolitinib is approved for polycythemia vera (PV) patients after failure to previous cytoreductive therapy, based on durable results observed in phase 3 trials. We report a multicenter retrospective study demonstrating the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in real-life setting. Eighty-three patients were evaluated. Median follow-up was 24.5 months (IQR 14.0-29.3). At a 3-month response assessment, ruxolitinib provided significant benefit in reducing hematocrit (HCT) level (p < 0.001), phlebotomy requirement (p < 0.001), leucocytes (p = 0.044), and disease-related symptoms (p < 0.001). The exposure-adjusted rates (per 100 patient-years) of infectious complications, thromboembolic events, and secondary malignancies were 6.9, 3, and 3.7, respectively. Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) were the most frequent (40%) SM type. Lymphoproliferative disorders were not detected. Five (6%) patients permanently discontinued ruxolitinib treatment and four (5%) evolved in myelofibrosis (MF), but none in acute leukemia. The rate of MF evolution per 100 patient-years of exposure was 2.8. In our experience, ruxolitinib confirmed its efficacy and safety outside of clinical trials.

Deferasirox in the management of iron overload in patients with myelofibrosis treated with ruxolitinib: The multicentre retrospective RUX-IOL study.

Deferasirox (DFX) is used for the management of iron overload (IOL) in many haematological malignancies including myelofibrosis (MF). The 'RUX-IOL' study retrospectively collected 69 MF patients treated with ruxolitinib (RUX) and DFX for IOL to assess: safety, efficacy in term of iron chelation response (ICR) and erythroid response (ER), and impact on overall survival of the combination therapy. The RUX-DFX therapy was administered for a median time of 12.4 months (interquartile range 3.1-71.2). During treatment, 36 (52.2%) and 34 (49.3%) patients required RUX and DFX dose reductions, while eight (11.6%) and nine (13.1%) patients discontinued due to RUX- or DFX-related adverse events; no unexpected toxicity was reported. ICR and ER were achieved by 33 (47.8%) and 32 patients (46.4%) respectively. Thirteen (18.9%) patients became transfusion-independent. Median time to ICR and ER was 6.2 and 2 months respectively. Patients achieving an ER were more likely to obtain an ICR also (p = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, the absence of leukocytosis at baseline (p = 0.02) and achievement of an ICR at any time (p = 0.02) predicted improved survival. In many MF patients, the RUX-DFX combination provided ICR and ER responses that correlated with improved outcome in the absence of unexpected toxicities. This strategy deserves further clinical investigation.

Utility of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein as predictors of Gram-negative bacteremia in febrile hematological outpatients.

This study was designed to determine the utility of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as predictors of Gram-negative bloodstream infection (GN-BSI) in hematological febrile outpatients at the time of the emergency unit admission. Overall, 286 febrile episodes, which included 42 GN-BSI (16%), were considered. PCT levels at patient admission were statistically higher in GNB-BSI when compared to Gram-positive bacteria BSI (median 4.06 ng/ml (range 1.10-25.04) vs 0.88 ng/ml (0.42-10), p<0.03) and to all other fever etiologies. For CRP, differences within fever etiologies were less profound but statistically significant, except for GN-BSIs vs GP BSIs (p=0.4). ROC analysis of PCT showed that an AUC of 0.85 (95%CI 0.79-0.95) discriminated GN-BSI from all other fever etiologies, with a best cut-off of 0.5 ng/ml, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98%, and a negative likelihood ratio (negLR) of 0.1. ROC analysis of CRP showed an AUC of 0.67 (95%CI 0.53-0.81) with a best cut-off of 6.64 mg/dl, a NPV of 94%, and a negLR of 0.33. This study confirms that 0.5 ng/ml represents the PCT best cut-off to differentiate the cause of fever and rule out a GN-BSI in febrile hematologic outpatients at the time of the emergency unit admission. Therefore, introducing PCT testing could be a valid measure in order to tailor a more precise prompt antimicrobial therapy to the febrile outpatient while waiting for blood culture results.

COVID-19 infection in chronic myeloid leukaemia after one year of the pandemic in Italy. A Campus CML report.

Limited information is available on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The Campus CML network collected retrospective information on 8 665 CML patients followed at 46 centres throughout Italy during the pandemic between February 2020 and January 2021. Within this cohort, we recorded 217 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients (2·5%). Most patients (57%) were diagnosed as having SARS-CoV-2 infection during the second peak of the pandemic (September 2020 to January 2021). The majority (35%) was aged between 50 and 65 years with a male prevalence (73%). Fifty-six percent of patients presented concomitant comorbidities. The median time from CML diagnosis to SARS-CoV-2 infection was six years (three months to 18 years). Twenty-one patients (9·6%) required hospitalization without the need of respiratory assistance, 18 (8·2%) were hospitalized for respiratory assistance, 8 (3·6%) were admitted to an intensive care unit, while 170 (78%) were only quarantined. Twenty-three percent of patients discontinued tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy during the infection. Twelve patients died due to COVID-19 with a mortality rate of 5·5% in the positive cohort and of 0·13% in the whole cohort. We could also document sequelae caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection and an impact of the pandemic on the overall management of CML patients.