Low-risk polycythemia vera treated with phlebotomies: clinical characteristics, hematologic control and complications in 453 patients from the Spanish Registry of Polycythemia Vera.

Hematological control, incidence of complications, and need for cytoreduction were studied in 453 patients with low-risk polycythemia vera (PV) treated with phlebotomies alone. Median hematocrit value decreased from 54% at diagnosis to 45% at 12 months, and adequate hematocrit control over time (< 45%) was observed in 36%, 44%, and 32% of the patients at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. More than 5 phlebotomies per year in the maintenance phase were required in 19% of patients. Worsening thrombocytosis, age > 60 years, and microvascular symptoms constituted the main indications for starting cytoreduction. Median duration without initiating cytoreduction was significantly longer in patients younger than 50 years (< 0.0001). The incidence rate of thrombosis under phlebotomies alone was 0.8% per year and the estimated probability of thrombosis at 10 years was 8.5%. The probability of arterial thrombosis was significantly higher in patients with arterial hypertension whereas there was a trend to higher risk of venous thrombosis in cases with high JAK2V617F allele burden. Rates of major bleeding and second primary neoplasm were low. With a median follow-up of 9 years, survival probability at 10 years was 97%, whereas the probability of myelofibrosis at 10 and 20 years was 7% and 20%, respectively. Progression to acute myeloid leukemia was documented in 3 cases (1%). Current management of low-risk PV patients is associated with low rate of thrombosis and long survival. New treatment strategies are needed for improving hematological control and, in the long term, reducing progression to myelofibrosis.

BOREAS: a global, phase III study of the MDM2 inhibitor navtemadlin (KRT-232) in relapsed/refractory myelofibrosis.

Patients with myelofibrosis (MF) who discontinue ruxolitinib due to progression/resistance have poor prognoses. JAK inhibitors control symptoms and reduce spleen volumes with limited impact on underlying disease pathophysiology. Murine double minute 2 (MDM2), a negative regulator of p53, is overexpressed in circulating malignant CD34+ MF cells. The oral MDM2 inhibitor navtemadlin (KRT-232) restores p53 activity to drive apoptosis of wild-type TP53 tumor cells by inducing expression of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. Navtemadlin demonstrated promising clinical and disease-modifying activity and acceptable safety in a phase II study in patients with relapsed/refractory MF. The randomized phase III BOREAS study compares the efficacy and safety of navtemadlin to best available therapy in patients with MF that is relapsed/refractory to JAK inhibitor treatment.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a rare blood cancer that disrupts normal blood cell production and causes fibrosis (tissue thickening/scarring) in bone marrow, reduced red blood cells in the circulation, and an enlarged spleen. Although currently approved treatments can help relieve some effects, they have limited impact on the underlying cause of the disease. Navtemadlin is a new therapy that inhibits a protein frequently overexpressed in cancer cells found in MF patients called murine double minute 2 (MDM2), which regulates a common tumor suppressor protein called p53. By inhibiting MDM2, navtemadlin restores normal p53 function and its ability to kill MF cancer cells. BOREAS is a large clinical study of navtemadlin for MF patients whose disease is not responding to current therapy.

Predictive factors for anemia response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in myelofibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are commonly used to treat the anemia of myelofibrosis (MF), but information on the predictors of response is limited. METHODS: Results of ESA therapy were analyzed in 163 MF patients with severe anemia, most of whom had inadequate erythropoietin (EPO) levels (<125 U/L) at treatment start. RESULTS: According to the revised criteria of the International Working Group for Myelofibrosis Treatment and Research, anemia response was achieved in 86 patients (53%). Median response duration was 19.3 months. In multivariate analysis, baseline factors associated with a higher response rate were female sex (P=.007), leukocyte count ≥10×109 /L (P=.033), and serum ferritin <200 ng/mL (P=.002). Patients with 2 or 3 of the above features had a significantly higher response rate than the remainder (73% vs 28%, respectively; P<.001). Over the 373 patient-years of follow-up on ESA treatment, nine patients developed thrombotic complications (six arterial, three venous), accounting for 2.41 events per 100 patient-years. Survival time from ESA start was longer in anemia responders than in non-responders (P=.011). CONCLUSION: Besides the already established predictive value of EPO levels, these data can help to identify which MF patients are more likely to benefit from ESA treatment.

Impact of Individual Comorbidities on Survival of Patients with Myelofibrosis.

The comorbidity burden is an important risk factor for overall survival (OS) in several hematological malignancies. This observational prospective study was conducted to evaluate the impact of individual comorbidities on survival in a multicenter series of 668 patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) or MF secondary to polycythemia vera (PPV-MF) or essential thrombocythemia (PET-MF). Hypertension (hazard ratio (HR) = 4.96, p < 0.001), smoking (HR = 5.08, p < 0.001), dyslipidemia (HR = 4.65, p < 0.001) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) (HR = 4.26, p = 0.015) were most adversely associated with OS. Diabetes (HR = 3.01, p < 0.001), pulmonary disease (HR = 3.13, p < 0.001) and renal dysfunction (HR = 1.82, p = 0.037) were also associated with an increased risk of death. Multivariate analysis showed that pulmonary disease (HR = 2.69, p = 0.001), smoking (HR = 3.34, p < 0.001), renal dysfunction (HR = 2.08, p = 0.043) and HCV (HR = 11.49, p = 0.001) had a negative impact on OS. When ruxolitinib exposure was included in the model, the effect of each comorbidity on survival was modified. Therefore, individual comorbidities should be taken into account in determining the survival prognosis for patients with MF.

Effect of CPAP on oxidative stress and circulating progenitor cell levels in sleep patients with apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome is associated with elevated oxidative stress, which is associated with reduced levels and functional impairment of progenitor cells. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether one month of CPAP treatment affects circulating-progenitor-cell levels and oxidative stress in patients with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. METHODS: We enrolled 13 patients with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome who required nasal CPAP. We evaluated white-blood-cell oxidative stress and CD45-, CD34+, KDR+, and CD133+ cell levels via flow-cytometry, before and one month after CPAP treatment. RESULTS: Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide were reduced, and markers of protection against oxidative stress were increased after CPAP. Progenitor-cell levels increased significantly after CPAP. There was a significant negative correlation between CD45-, CD34+, KDR+, and CD133+ cell levels and the severity of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome and superoxide anion. CONCLUSIONS: CD45-, CD34+, KDR+, and CD133+ cell levels rose significantly and reached values close to those in the control group after one month of CPAP. This change was accompanied by a significant decrease in oxidative stress, and no change in anthropometric or metabolic variables, including insulin resistance, weight, blood pressure, or lipid levels; consequently, the increase in progenitor-cell levels might be attributable to reduced oxidative stress.

Eltrombopag for advanced myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukaemia and severe thrombocytopenia (ASPIRE): a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is a life-threatening complication in patients with advanced myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). In this study (ASPIRE), we aimed to assess eltrombopag, an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist, for thrombocytopenia (grade 4) treatment in adult patients with advanced MDS or AML. METHODS: ASPIRE consisted of an open-label, double-blind phase for 8 weeks and a randomised, double-blind phase (parts 1 and 2, reported here) for 12 weeks, and an open-label extension (part 3). Eligible patients were men and women aged 18 years or older, with intermediate-2 or high-risk MDS or AML, with bone marrow blasts of 50% or less, and had either grade 4 thrombocytopenia due to bone marrow insufficiency (platelet counts <25 × 109 per L) or grade 4 thrombocytopenia before platelet transfusion, with 25 × 109 platelets per L or greater after transfusion. Additionally, eligible patients had at least one of the following within the screening period of 4 weeks: platelet transfusion, symptomatic bleeding, or platelet count of less than 10 × 109 per L. During part 1, patients received eltrombopag, and dose-escalation criteria for part 2 were determined. In part 2, we randomly allocated patients 2:1 using an interactive voice-response system to eltrombopag or placebo, stratified by baseline platelet count (<10 × 109 platelets per L vs ≥10 × 109 platelets per L) and disease (MDS vs AML). In parts 1 and 2, patients received supportive standard of care and initiated eltrombopag or placebo at 100 mg per day (50 mg per day for patients of east-Asian heritage) to a maximum of 300 mg per day (150 mg per day for patients of east-Asian heritage). The part 2 primary objective was assessed by a composite primary endpoint of clinically relevant thrombocytopenic events (CRTE) during weeks 5-12, defined as one of the following events, either alone or in combination: grade 3 or worse haemorrhagic adverse events; platelet counts of less than 10 × 109 per L; or platelet transfusions. Efficacy analyses were based on intention to treat; clinically meaningful efficacy was defined as 30% absolute difference between groups. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01440374. FINDINGS: In part 1, 17 patients received eltrombopag and 11 patients completed treatment; four experienced significantly increased platelet counts, and ten had reduced platelet transfusion requirements. In part 2 we randomly allocated 145 patients to receive supportive care plus eltrombopag (n=98) or placebo (n=47); similar proportions had MDS (50 [51%] patients to eltrombopag, 22 (47%) patients to placebo) or AML (48 [49%] patients to eltrombopag, 25 [53%] patients to placebo). Average weekly CRTE proportions from weeks 5-12 were significantly lower with eltrombopag (54% [95% CI 43-64]) than with placebo (69% [57-80], odds ratio [OR] 0·20, 95% CI 0·05-0·87; p=0·032) although the difference between treatment groups was less than 30%. The most common grade 3 and grade 4 adverse events were fatigue (six [6%] in the eltrombopag group and one [2%] in the placebo group), hypokalaemia (six [6%] and two [4%]), pneumonia (five [5%] and five [11%]), and febrile neutropenia (five [5%] and six [13%]). Serious adverse events were reported in 56 (58%) eltrombopag-treated patients and 32 (68%) placebo-treated patients. Seven eltrombopag recipients and two placebo recipients had serious adverse events that were suspected to be study drug-related (eltrombopag: acute kidney injury, arterial thrombosis, bone pain, diarrhoea, myocardial infarction, pyrexia, retinal vein occlusion, n=1 each; placebo: vomiting, white blood cell count increased, n=1 each). Two eltrombopag recipients (arterial thrombosis n=1; myocardial infarction n=1) and no placebo recipients experienced fatal serious adverse events suspected to be study drug-related. INTERPRETATION: No new safety concerns were noted with eltrombopag and the trial met the primary objective of a reduction in CRTEs; eltrombopag might be a treatment option for thrombocytopenic patients with AML or MDS who are ineligible for other treatment and who are not receiving disease-modifying treatment. FUNDING: Novartis Pharma AG.

Effectiveness and safety of different azacitidine dosage regimens in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukemia.

We investigated the effectiveness and tolerability of azacitidine in patients with World Health Organization-defined myelodysplastic syndromes, or acute myeloid leukemia with 20-30% bone marrow blasts. Patients were treated with azacitidine, with one of three dosage regimens: for 5 days (AZA 5); 7 days including a 2-day break (AZA 5-2-2); or 7 days (AZA 7); all 28-day cycles. Overall response rates were 39.4%, 67.9%, and 51.3%, respectively, and median overall survival (OS) durations were 13.2, 19.1, and 14.9 months. Neutropenia was the most common grade 3-4 adverse event. These results suggest better effectiveness-tolerability profiles for 7-day schedules.

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy reduces oxidative stress markers and blood pressure in sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome patients.

Sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is characterized by recurrent episodes of hypoxia/reoxygenation, which seems to promote oxidative stress. SAHS patients experience increases in hypertension, obesity and insulin resistance (IR). The purpose was to evaluate in SAHS patients the effects of 1 month of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on oxidative stress and the association between oxidative stress and insulin resistance and blood pressure (BP). Twenty-six SAHS patients requiring CPAP were enrolled. Measurements were recorded before and 1 month after treatment. Cellular oxidative stress parameters were notably decreased after CPAP. Intracellular glutathione and mitochondrial membrane potential increased significantly. Also, total antioxidant capacity and most of the plasma antioxidant activities increased significantly. Significant decreases were seen in BP. Negative correlations were observed between SAHS severity and markers of protection against oxidative stress. BP correlated with oxidative stress markers. In conclusion, we observed an obvious improvement in oxidative stress and found that it was accompanied by an evident decrease in BP with no modification in IR. Consequently, we believe that the decrease in oxidative stress after 1 month of CPAP treatment in these patients is not contributing much to IR genesis, though it could be related to the hypertension etiology.