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BACKGROUND: In ambulatory patients with cancer with asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, the safety of targeted therapies (TTs), chemotherapy (CT) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy is still unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From the start of the first epidemic wave of SARS-CoV-2 in Bergamo, Italy, we have prospectively screened all consecutive outpatients who presented for treatment to the Oncology Division of the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo for SARS-CoV-2 antigen expression. We identified patients treated with ICIs and compared these to patients with the same cancer subtypes treated with TTs or CT. RESULTS: Between March 5 and May 18, 293 consecutive patients (49% melanoma, 34% non-small cell lung cancer, 9% renal cell carcinoma, 8% other) were included in this study: 159 (54%), 50 (17%) and 84 (29%) received ICIs, CT or TTs, respectively. Overall 89 patients (30.0%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Mortality of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients was statistically significantly higher compared with SARS-CoV-2 negative patients (8/89 vs 3/204, respectively, Fisher's exact test p=0.004). All deaths were due to COVID-19. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were more frequent in SARS-CoV-2-positive patients compared with SARS-CoV-2-negative cases (Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) test p=0.0008). The incidence of SAEs in SARS-CoV-2 positive compared with SARS-CoV-2 negative patients was similar in ICI and CT patients (17.3% and 3.7% for positive and negative patients in ICIs and 15.4% and 2.7% in CT, Breslow-Day test p=0.891). No COVID-19-related SAEs were observed in the TTs patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of SAEs was higher for SARS-CoV-2-positive patients treated with ICIs and CT, mostly in advanced disease. No SAEs were observed in patients treated with TTs. SAEs were COVID-19 related rather than treatment related. Treatment with ICIs does not appear to significantly increase risk of SAEs compared with CT. This information should be considered when determining treatment options for patients.
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COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , SARS-CoV-2/isolamento & purificação , Idoso , COVID-19/complicações , COVID-19/virologia , Feminino , Gastroenteropatias/induzido quimicamente , Humanos , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/efeitos adversos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias/complicações , Neoplasias/mortalidade , Estudos Prospectivos , SARS-CoV-2/fisiologia , Taxa de SobrevidaRESUMO
Atopic dermatitis is frequently associated with the onset of other allergic conditions, such as asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis and food allergy. The etiology of atopic dermatitis is marginally understood in spite of the number of predisposing factors, above all, mutations in the Filaggrin gene (FLG). In this study, the association between loss-of-function variants in the FLG gene and other allergic manifestations, in particular food allergy, was evaluated in an Italian pediatric population affected by atopic dermatitis. The 10 more frequently mutated loci in the FLG gene were genotyped in 238 children affected by atopic dermatitis and tested for association with clinical features of allergic disorders by a multivariate logistic regression model. R501X and 2282del4 were the only two mutations identified; 12.2% of children carry one of these variants, corresponding to an allelic frequency of 6.5%. According to multivariate statistical analysis, loss-of-function variants in the FLG gene represent a risk factor for the onset of severe manifestations of food allergy (OR = 8.9; CI: 3.1-28.3). Peanut and hazelnut were identified as high-risk foods in patients with FLG mutations. This study demonstrates that atopic children carrying FLG mutations represent a high-risk population due to their predisposition to develop severe food allergy reactions, such as anaphylaxis.
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BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for malignancy; however, its prognostic role in patients with metastatic melanoma is controversial. We aim to investigate the prognostic role of body mass index (BMI) in patients with metastatic melanoma receiving mitogen-activated pathway kinase inhibitors (MAPKi), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) alone or their sequence. METHODS: Data on patients with metastatic melanoma receiving ≥1 line of systemic treatment were retrieved from prospectively collected databases. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by means of multivariable stratified Cox regression models; disease control rate (DCR) was analyzed by multivariable stratified logistic regression models. Subgroup analyzes according to the type of treatments received, and in BRAF-mutated patients were pre-planned. All multivariable models included BMI, age, gender, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, performance status, lactate dehydrogenase and treatment sequencing strategy as covariates. RESULTS: Between November 2010 and November 2018, 688 patients from three Italian and two Polish centers were enrolled. 379 (57%) patients had M1c/d disease, 273 (41%) were female and the mean BMI was 27.1 (SD=4.9). Considering first-line treatment, 446 patients (66.8%) received ICIs and 222 MAPKi. No impact of BMI on OS was detected either considering the first line of ICIs, or ICIs sequencing (HR=1.02, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.05, p=0.202, and HR=1.02, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.04, p=0.237, respectively). A late effect of BMI on OS was found in patients treated with MAPKi: for five units increment, a 51% of risk reduction at 18 months and a 76% of risk reduction at 30 months were observed. No significant effect of BMI on PFS and DCR was found in any of the subgroup analyzes. CONCLUSION: In patients with metastatic melanoma receiving ICIs, there is no impact of BMI on DCR, PFS and OS. The late prognostic effect of BMI in patients treated with MAPKi should be considered hypothesis generating and needs to be further investigated.
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Índice de Massa Corporal , Imunoterapia/métodos , Melanoma/tratamento farmacológico , Obesidade/complicações , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vedolizumab [VDZ] is a monoclonal antibody directed against the α4ß7 integrin heterodimer, approved for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD]. This study aimed at identifying immunological variables associated with response to vedolizumab in patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's disease [CD]. METHODS: This is a phase IV explorative prospective interventional trial. IBD patients received open-label VDZ at Weeks 0, 2, 6, and 14. Patients with a clinical response at Week 14 were maintained with VDZ up to Week 54. At Weeks 0 and 14, their peripheral blood was obtained and endoscopy with biopsies was performed. The Week 14 clinical response and remission, Week 54 clinical remission, and Week 14 endoscopic response were evaluated as endpoints of the study. The expression of surface markers, chemokine receptors, and α4ß7 heterodimer in peripheral blood and lamina propria lymphocytes was assessed by flow cytometry. A panel of soluble mediators was assessed in sera at baseline and at Week 14 by 45-plex. RESULTS: A total of 38 IBD patients [20 UC, 18 CD] were included in the study. At Week 14, the clinical response and remission rates were 87% and 66%, respectively. Higher baseline levels of circulating memory Th1 cells were strongly associated with clinical response at Week 14 [p = 0.0001], whereas reduced baseline levels of lamina propria memory Th17 and Th1/17 cells were associated with endoscopic response. Immunological clusters were found to be independently associated with vedolizumab outcomes at multivariable analysis. A panel of soluble markers, including IL17A, TNF, CXCL1, CCL19 for CD and G-CSF and IL7 for UC, associated with vedolizumab-induced Week 54 clinical remission. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this exploratory study uncovered a panel of circulating and mucosal immunological variables associated with response to treatment with vedolizumab.
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Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados , Colite Ulcerativa , Doença de Crohn , Integrinas/antagonistas & inibidores , Mucosa Intestinal/patologia , Indução de Remissão/métodos , Adulto , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/administração & dosagem , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/efeitos adversos , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/imunologia , Biópsia/métodos , Colite Ulcerativa/tratamento farmacológico , Colite Ulcerativa/imunologia , Colite Ulcerativa/patologia , Colonoscopia/métodos , Doença de Crohn/tratamento farmacológico , Doença de Crohn/imunologia , Doença de Crohn/patologia , Citocinas/análise , Citocinas/classificação , Duração da Terapia , Feminino , Fármacos Gastrointestinais/administração & dosagem , Fármacos Gastrointestinais/efeitos adversos , Fármacos Gastrointestinais/imunologia , Humanos , Itália , Masculino , Monitorização Imunológica/métodos , Avaliação de Processos e Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Subpopulações de Linfócitos T/patologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pheochromocytomas (PCCs) show the highest degree of heritability in human neoplasms. However, despite the wide number of alterations until now reported in PCCs, it is likely that other susceptibility genes remain still unknown, especially for those PCCs not clearly syndromic. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing of tumor DNA was performed on a set of twelve PCCs clinically defined as sporadic. RESULTS: About 50% of PCCs examined had somatic mutations on the known susceptibility VHL, NF1, and RET genes. In addition to these driver events, mutations on SYNE1, ABCC10, and RAD54B genes were also detected. Moreover, extremely rare germline variants were present in half of the sporadic PCC samples analyzed, in particular variants of MAX and SAMD9L were detected in the germline of cases wild-type for mutations in the known susceptibility genes. CONCLUSIONS: Additional somatic passenger mutations can be associated with known susceptibility VHL, NF1, and RET genes in PCCs, and a wide number of germline variants with still unknown clinical significance can be detected in these patients. Therefore, many efforts should be aimed to better define the pathogenetic role of all these germline variants for discovering novel potential therapeutic targets for this disease still orphan of effective treatments.
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BACKGROUND: CBFA2T3-GLIS2 is a fusion gene found in 17% of non-Down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (non-DS AMKL, FAB M7) and in 8% of pediatric cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML, in association with several French-American-British (FAB) subtypes). Children with AML harboring this aberration have a poor outcome, regardless of the FAB subtype. This fusion gene drives a peculiar expression pattern and leads to overexpression of some of Hedgehog-related genes. GLI-similar protein 2 (GLIS2) is closely related to the GLI family, the final effectors of classic Hedgehog pathway. These observations lend compelling support to the application of GLI inhibitors in the treatment of AML with the aberration CBFA2T3-GLIS2. GANT61 is, nowadays, the most potent inhibitor of GLI family proteins. METHODS: We exposed to GANT61 AML cell lines and primary cells positive and negative for CBFA2T3-GLIS2 and analyzed the effect on cellular viability, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle, and expression profile. RESULTS: As compared to AML cells without GLIS2 fusion, GANT61 exposure resulted in higher sensitivity of both cell lines and primary AML cells carrying CBFA2T3-GLIS2 to undergo apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest. Remarkably, gene expression studies demonstrated downregulation of GLIS2-specific signature genes in both treated cell lines and primary cells, in comparison with untreated cells. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed direct regulation by GLIS2 chimeric protein of DNMT1 and DNMT3B, two genes implicated in important epigenetic functions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the GLI inhibitor GANT61 may be used to specifically target the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion gene in pediatric AML.
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Fatores de Transcrição Kruppel-Like/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Piridinas/farmacologia , Pirimidinas/farmacologia , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/genética , Proteína GLI1 em Dedos de Zinco/antagonistas & inibidores , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Pontos de Checagem do Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Criança , Regulação para Baixo/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Hedgehog/genética , Humanos , Fatores de Transcrição Kruppel-Like/fisiologia , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/tratamento farmacológico , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Piridinas/uso terapêutico , Pirimidinas/uso terapêutico , Células Tumorais CultivadasRESUMO
Quadruple wild-type (WT) gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a genomic subgroup lacking KIT/PDGFRA/RAS pathway mutations, with an intact succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) complex. The aim of this work is to perform a wide comprehensive genomic study on quadruple WT GIST to improve the characterization of these patients. We selected 14 clinical cases of quadruple WT GIST, of which nine cases showed sufficient DNA quality for whole exome sequencing (WES). NF1 alterations were identified directly by WES. Gene expression from whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) and miRNA profiling were performed using fresh-frozen, quadruple WT GIST tissue specimens and compared with SDH and KIT/PDGFRA-mutant GIST. WES identified an average of 18 somatic mutations per sample. The most relevant somatic oncogenic mutations identified were in TP53, MEN1, MAX, FGF1R, CHD4, and CTDNN2. No somatic alterations in NF1 were identified in the analyzed cohort. A total of 247 mRNA transcripts and 66 miRNAs were differentially expressed specifically in quadruple WT GIST. Overexpression of specific molecular markers (COL22A1 and CALCRL) and genes involved in neural and neuroendocrine lineage (ASCL1, Family B GPCRs) were detected and further supported by predicted miRNA target analysis. Quadruple WT GIST show a specific genetic signature that deviates significantly from that of KIT/PDGFRA-mutant and SDH-mutant GIST. Mutations in MEN1 and MAX genes, a neural-committed phenotype and upregulation of the master neuroendocrine regulator ASCL1, support a genetic similarity with neuroendocrine tumors, with whom they also share the great variability in oncogenic driver genes.Implications: This study provides novel insights into the biology of quadruple WT GIST that potentially resembles neuroendocrine tumors and should promote the development of specific therapeutic approaches. Mol Cancer Res; 15(5); 553-62. ©2017 AACR.