Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide versus Anti-Thymocyte Globulin in Patients with Hematological Malignancies Treated with Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation from Haploidentical and Matched Unrelated Donors: A Real-Life Experience.

Background: Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) is widely used as graft versus host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, with reported clinical benefits in patients who underwent transplant from a matched unrelated donor (MUD). However, real-life data on clinical efficacy and safety of PTCY in haploidentical and MUD transplantations are still poor. Methods: In our real-life retrospective observational study, we included a total of 40 consecutive adult patients who underwent haploidentical or MUD HSCT for various hematological malignancies and who received PTCY (n = 24) or ATG (n = 16) as GvHD prophylaxis at Hematology Units from hospitals of Salerno and Avellino, Italy, and clinical outcomes were compared. Results: We showed protective effects of PTCY against disease relapse with the relapse rate after transplantation of 16% versus 50% in the ATG arm (p = 0.02). All-cause mortality was lower (36% vs. 75%; p = 0.02) and the 2-year overall survival was slightly superior in patients administered PTCY (61% vs. 42%; p = 0.26). Conclusions: We support the use of PTCY, even in a real-life setting; however, the optimization of this protocol should be further investigated to better balance relapse prevention and GvHD prophylaxis.

Non-invasive prenatal test identifies circulating cell-free DNA chromosomal abnormalities derived from clonal hematopoiesis in aggressive hematological malignancies.

Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive diagnostic tool for identification of tumor-related mutations in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA). The aim of this study was to investigate feasibility, sensitivity, and specificity of non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) for identification of chromosomal abnormalities in cfDNA from a total of 77 consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), or plasma cell dyscrasia. In this case series, half of patients had at least one alteration, more frequently in chromosome 6 (23.1%), chromosome 9 (20.5%), and chromosomes 3 and 18 (16.7%), with losses of chromosome 6 and gains of chromosome 7 negatively impacting on overall survival (OS), with a 5-year OS of 26.9% and a median OS of 14.6 months, respectively (P = 0.0009 and P = 0.0004). Moreover, B-cell lymphomas had the highest NIPT positivity, especially those with aggressive lymphomas, while patients with plasma cell dyscrasia with extramedullary disease had a higher NIPT positivity compared to conventional cytogenetics analysis and a worse outcome. Therefore, we proposed a NIPT-based liquid biopsy a complementary minimally invasive tool for chromosomal abnormality detection in hematological malignancies. However, prospective studies on larger cohorts are needed to validate clinical utility of NIPT-based liquid biopsy in routinely clinical practice.

Safety of Subcutaneous Daratumumab in Anti-CD38 Monoclonal Antibody-Naïve Patients with Plasma Cell Disorders: A Multicenter Real-Life Experience.

BACKGROUND: Daratumumab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, is used for treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) and light chain amyloidosis at an intravenous dosage of 16 mg/kg or at a subcutaneous fixed dose of 1800 mg. However, the subcutaneous formulation has only recently been approved in Europe, and real-life data on its safety are still few. OBJECTIVE: In this multicenter retrospective real-life experience, we provided evidence for the safety of subcutaneous daratumumab in plasma cell disorders. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 189 patients diagnosed with MM or light chain amyloidosis were included in this retrospective study, and all subjects were daratumumab-naïve. Primary endpoint was safety of subcutaneous daratumumab, especially for infusion-related reaction (IRR) incidence and severity. All patients received premedication with dexamethasone, paracetamol, and antihistamine, with montelukast usage in 85% of cases. RESULTS: Eight patients (4%) experienced IRRs, mainly of grade I-II, and other frequent toxicities were: hematological (thrombocytopenia, 4%; neutropenia, 5%; lymphopenia, 6%) and non-hematological (pneumonia, 4%; diarrhea, 2%; and cytomegalovirus reactivation, 0.5%). In our multicenter retrospective real-life experience, subcutaneous daratumumab was well-tolerated with an excellent safety profile with a very low (4%) IRR incidence, even in frailer MM patients with severe renal impairment or increased body weight. CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous daratumumab was safe in a real-life setting including patients with severe renal failure and advanced disease. However, further studies on larger and prospective cohorts are required to confirm our real-life observations.

The effects of combined spa therapy and rehabilitation on patients with ankylosing spondylitis being treated with TNF inhibitors.

Despite advances in pharmacological therapy, physical treatment continues to be important in the management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects and tolerability of combined spa therapy and rehabilitation in a group of AS patients being treated with TNF inhibitors. Thirty AS patients attending the Rheumatology Unit of the University of Padova being treated with TNF inhibitors for at least 3 months were randomized and assessed by an investigator independent from the spa staff: 15 were prescribed 10 sessions of spa therapy (mud packs and thermal baths) and rehabilitation (exercises in a thermal pool) and the other 15 were considered controls. The patients in both groups had been receiving anti-TNF agents for at least three months. The outcome measures utilized were BASFI, BASDAI, BASMI, VAS for back pain and HAQ. The evaluations were performed in all patients at the entry to the study, at the end of the spa treatment, and after 3 and 6 months. Most of the evaluation indices were significantly improved at the end of the spa treatment, as well as at the 3 and 6 months follow-up assessments. No significant alterations in the evaluation indices were found in the control group. Combined spa therapy and rehabilitation caused a clear, long-term clinical improvement in AS patients being treated with TNF inhibitors. Thermal treatment was found to be well tolerated and none of the patients had disease relapse.

Gastric dysmotility after liquid bolus ingestion in systemic sclerosis: an ultrasonographic study.

Gastric involvement appears quite commonly in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to evaluate gastric wall motility using ultrasonography, a noninvasive method able to track both filling and emptying of fundus and antrum. The study was performed in 20 SSc patients and 20 healthy control subjects. Gastric filling and emptying were evaluated by transabdominal ultrasonography, measuring changes in fundus and antral areas over a 1-h period after ingestion of a liquid bolus (500 ml of mineral water). Areas of both gastric fundus and antrum at basal evaluation were found to be smaller in SSc patients than in healthy controls. Gastric filling was significantly reduced after ingestion of liquid bolus. Gastric emptying was delayed both in fundus and antrum. No significant differences of gastric wall motility have been observed in different subsets of SSc patients. Our findings show that gastric dysmotility is frequent and severe in SSc patients, contributing to the gastrointestinal disturbances which are very common in this disease.

Acute liver failure with renal impairment related to the abuse of senna anthraquinone glycosides.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of chronic ingestion of very large amounts of senna fruits as an herbal tea, possibly leading to severe hepatotoxicity. CASE SUMMARY: A 52-year-old woman who had ingested, for >3 years, one liter of an herbal tea each day made from a bag containing 70 g of dry senna fruits, developed acute hepatic failure and renal impairment requiring intensive care therapy. The severity of the hepatic failure was reflected by the increase in prothrombin time (international normalized ratio >7) and the development of encephalopathy. Liver transplantation was discussed, but the patient ultimately recovered with supportive therapy. Renal impairment was consistent with proximal tubular acidosis, also with marked polyuria refractory to vasopressin administration. Suprisingly, large amounts of cadmium were transiently recovered in the urine. DISCUSSION: Cassia acutifolia and angustifolia plants are widely used as laxatives. Their chronic abuse may be associated with serious manifestations, including fluid and electrolyte loss, with chronic diarrhea. Severe hepatotoxicity is unusual, but could be explained by the exposure of the liver to unusual amounts of toxic metabolites of anthraquinone glycosides (sennosides). An objective causality assessment suggests that hepatotoxicity was possibly related to senna laxative abuse. Regarding nephrotoxicity, there are no available human data on sennosides, while experimental models suggest that anthraquinone derivatives may also accumulate in the kidneys. The finding of high urinary concentrations of cadmium would suggest contamination of the herbal tea by metals, but this hypothesis could not be verified. CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of large doses of senna laxatives may expose people to the risk of hepatotoxicity.