Autologous stem cell transplantation in patients older than 65 years with multiple myeloma: a real-world study.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of elderly multiple myeloma (MM) patients with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a controversial procedure. Most clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of ASCT have primarily included patients younger than 65 years. DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients with MM who underwent ASCT between 2008 and 2018. Patients at or over 65 years were compared with patients under 65 years. We analyzed treatment-related mortality (TRM), response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-one patients were included: 50 patients at or over 65 years, (median age 68 years), including 7 patients over 70 years and 151 patients under 65 years, (median age 57 years). No differences were found in the neutrophil and platelet engraftment, median days of hospitalization and life support requirement during the hospitalization period for the ASCT. No statistically significant differences were found in the incidence of TRM between both groups at 100 days post-transplant (2% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.322). The ASCT improved complete response and stringent complete response rates (44% vs. 37%, p < 0.001). Survival was not modified by age: after a median follow-up of 53 months, the estimated PFS rates at three years were 63% and 60% (p = 0.88) and the OS rates at five years were 75% and 74% (p = 0.72), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the ASCT is feasible in selected elderly patients with MM over 65 years of age, achieving response and survival rates similar to those of younger patients.

Primary plasma cell leukemia in Latin America: demographic, clinical, and prognostic characteristics. A study of GELAMM group.

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is an infrequent and aggressive plasma cell disorder. The prognosis is still very poor, and the optimal treatment remains to be established. A retrospective, multicentric, international observational study was performed. Patients from 9 countries of Latin America (LATAM) with a diagnosis of pPCL between 2012 and 2020 were included. 72 patients were included. Treatment was based on thalidomide in 15%, proteasome inhibitors (PI)-based triplets in 38% and chemotherapy plus IMIDs and/or PI in 29%. The mortality rate at 3 months was 30%. The median overall survival (OS) was 18 months. In the multivariate analysis, frontline PI-based triplets, chemotherapy plus IMIDs and/or PI therapy, and maintenance were independent factors of better OS. In conclusion, the OS of pPCL is still poor in LATAM, with high early mortality. PI triplets, chemotherapy plus IMIDs, and/or PI and maintenance therapy were associated with improved survival.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for the Development of Infectious Complications in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study in Latin America.

PURPOSE: Infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). In Latin America, data on infectious complications in this patient population are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) in seven Latin American countries between June 2019 and May 2020. Patients with active disease, on active therapy, and with a follow-up of 6 months from the time of diagnosis were included. Our primary end point was the number of infectious events that required hospitalization for ≥ 24 hours. RESULTS: Of 248 patients with NDMM, 89 (35.9%) had infectious complications (113 infectious events), the majority (67.3%) within the first 3 months from diagnosis. The most common sites of infection were respiratory (38%) and urinary tract (31%). The microbial agent was identified in 57.5% of patients with gram-negative bacteria (73.5%) as the most common pathogen. Viral infections were infrequent, and no patients with fungal infection were reported. In the multivariable analysis, diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR], 2.71; 95% CI, 1.23 to 6.00; P = .014), creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL (OR, 4.87; 95% CI, 2.29 to 10.35; P < .001), no use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis (OR, 6.66; 95% CI, 3.43 to 12.92; P < .001), and treatment with immunomodulatory drugs (OR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.24 to 6.29; P = .003) were independent factors associated with bacterial infections. At 6 months, 21 patients (8.5%) had died, 47.6% related to infectious complications. CONCLUSION: Bacterial infections are a substantial cause of hospital admissions and early death in patients with NDMM. Antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered to reduce infectious complications in patients with MM.

[Evans syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis as autoimmune manifestations of large granular T-cell leukemia]. / Síndrome de Evans y artritis reumatoidea como manifestaciones autoinmunes de la leucemia de células T grandes granulares.

Large granular T-cell leukemia is a rare cytotoxic lymphocyte disorder. These cells play an integral role in the immune system and are divided into 2 lineages: CD3 T positive and natural killer. Its proliferation and uncontrolled cytotoxicity can generate autoimmunity or malignancy. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune disease in individuals with this type of leukemia, however, it has been associated with a wide spectrum of other autoimmune diseases and hematological conditions including hemolytic anemia, pure red blood cell aplasia, and neutropenia, leading to recurring bacterial infections. The following is a case of a 72-year-old female with a history of large granular T-cell leukemia and manifestations compatible with rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs with a severe Evans syndrome with a good initial and sustained response to gamma globulin, corticosteroid therapy, and rituximab.

La leucemia de células T grandes granulares es un trastorno poco frecuente de linfocitos citotóxicos. Estas células juegan un rol integral en el sistema inmunológico y se dividen en 2 linajes: T CD3 positivas y natural killer. Su proliferación y citotoxicidad descontrolada puede generar autoinmunidad o malignidad. La artritis reumatoide es la enfermedad autoinmune más común en individuos con este tipo de leucemia, sin embargo, se ha asociado a un amplio espectro de otras enfermedades autoinmunes y afecciones hematológicas incluyendo anemia hemolítica, aplasia pura de glóbulos rojos y neutropenia, que conducen a infecciones bacterianas recurrentes. Se presenta a continuación una paciente de 72 años con antecedentes de leucemia de células T grandes granulares y manifestaciones compatibles con artritis reumatoidea, que intercurre con un Síndrome de Evans grave con buena respuesta inicial y sostenida a gammaglobulina, corticoterapia, y rituximab.

Síndrome de Evans y artritis reumatoidea como manifestaciones autoinmunes de la leucemia de células T grandes granulares / Evans syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis as autoimmune manifestations of large granular T-cell leukemia

Resumen La leucemia de células T grandes granulares es un trastorno poco frecuente de linfocitos citotóxicos. Estas células juegan un rol integral en el sistema inmunológico y se dividen en 2 linajes: T CD3 positivas y natural killer. Su proliferación y citotoxicidad descontrolada puede generar autoinmunidad o malignidad. La artritis reumatoide es la enfermedad autoinmune más común en individuos con este tipo de leucemia, sin embargo, se ha asociado a un amplio espectro de otras enfermedades autoinmunes y afecciones hematológicas incluyendo anemia hemolítica, aplasia pura de glóbulos rojos y neutropenia, que conducen a infecciones bacterianas recurrentes. Se presenta a continuación una paciente de 72 años con antecedentes de leucemia de células T grandes granulares y manifestaciones compatibles con artritis reumatoidea, que intercurre con un Síndrome de Evans grave con buena respuesta inicial y sostenida a gammaglobulina, corticoterapia, y rituximab.

Abstract Large granular T-cell leukemia is a rare cytotoxic lymphocyte disorder. These cells play an integral role in the immune system and are divided into 2 lineages: CD3 T positive and natural killer. Its proliferation and uncontrolled cytotoxicity can generate autoimmunity or malignancy. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune disease in individuals with this type of leukemia, however, it has been associated with a wide spectrum of other autoimmune diseases and hematological conditions including hemolytic anemia, pure red blood cell aplasia, and neutropenia, leading to recurring bacterial infections. The following is a case of a 72-year-old female with a history of large granular T-cell leukemia and manifestations compatible with rheuma toid arthritis, which occurs with a severe Evans syndrome with a good initial and sustained response to gamma globulin, corticosteroid therapy, and rituximab.

Trasplante de médula ósea alogénico en un paciente con fusariosis diseminada y leucemia mieloide aguda / Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in a patient with disseminated fusariosis and acute myeloid leukemia

La infección diseminada por Fusarium se ha convertido en un problema creciente en las personas con neoplasias hematológicas malignas, principalmente en pacientes con leucemias agudas; se describen cada vez más casos en aquellos sometidos a un trasplante de médula ósea. No existe un tratamiento óptimo establecido para la fusariosis diseminada. La mortalidad global comunicada de esta infección oscila entre el 50 y el 80%. Se presenta a continuación el caso de un paciente de sexo masculino de 29 años, con diagnóstico de leucemia mieloide aguda, que presenta como complicación una fusariosis diseminada, y logra sobrellevar un trasplante alogénico de médula ósea en el Hospital Italiano de San Justo (Argentina) de forma exitosa. (AU)

Disseminated fusariosis has become an increasing problem in people with hematopoietic neoplasms, mainly in patients affected by acute leukemias, and even more in those who undergo hematopoietic cell transplantation. There is not an optimal treatment for disseminated fusariosis. The global mortality described in the literature is between 50% and 80%. We introduce a case of a 29 year old patient with diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia complicated with disseminated fusariosis, who copes with an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation with a successful outcome in the "Hospital Italiano de San Justo" (Argentina). (AU)