Further characterization of clinical and laboratory features in VEXAS syndrome: large-scale analysis of a multicentre case series of 116 French patients.

BACKGROUND: A new autoinflammatory syndrome related to somatic mutations of UBA1 was recently described and called VEXAS syndrome ('Vacuoles, E1 Enzyme, X-linked, Autoinflammatory, Somatic syndrome'). OBJECTIVES: To describe clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and outcomes of VEXAS syndrome. METHODS: One hundred and sixteen patients with VEXAS syndrome were referred to a French multicentre registry between November 2020 and May 2021. The frequency and median of parameters and vital status, from diagnosis to the end of the follow-up, were recorded. RESULTS: The main clinical features of VEXAS syndrome were found to be skin lesions (83%), noninfectious fever (64%), weight loss (62%), lung involvement (50%), ocular symptoms (39%), relapsing chondritis (36%), venous thrombosis (35%), lymph nodes (34%) and arthralgia (27%). Haematological disease was present in 58 cases (50%): myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS; n = 58) and monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (n = 12; all patients with MGUS also have a MDS). UBA1 mutations included p.M41T (45%), p.M41V (30%), p.M41L (18%) and splice mutations (7%). After a median follow-up of 3 years, 18 patients died (15·5%; nine of infection and three due to MDS progression). Unsupervised analysis identified three clusters: cluster 1 (47%; mild-to-moderate disease); cluster 2 (16%; underlying MDS and higher mortality rates); and cluster 3 (37%; constitutional manifestations, higher C-reactive protein levels and less frequent chondritis). The 5-year probability of survival was 84·2% in cluster 1, 50·5% in cluster 2 and 89·6% in cluster 3. The UBA1 p.Met41Leu mutation was associated with a better prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: VEXAS syndrome has a large spectrum of organ manifestations and shows different clinical and prognostic profiles. It also raises a potential impact of the identified UBA1 mutation.

Combined medico-surgical strategy for invasive sino-orbito-cerebral breakthrough fungal infection with Hormographiella aspergillata in an acute leukaemia patient.

Hormographiella aspergillata is a rare causative agent of invasive filamentous breakthrough infection, mostly arising after echinocandin exposure. We report a neutropenic patient who developed a severe sino-orbito-cerebral H. aspergillata infection while receiving empirical caspofungin, successfully controlled by an aggressive strategy associating surgical debridement and combined high-dose regimen of antifungal drugs.

Subcutaneous omacetaxine mepesuccinate in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant patients: review and perspectives.

The treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has been revolutionized by the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), however, with the exception of ponatinib, none of the existing licensed agents seem to eradicate the reservoir of Philadelphia positive stem cells, thus sustaining the disease over time, and retaining activity in cells and patients harboring an ABL T315I mutation. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate (OMA), formerly known as homoharringtonine, is a cephalotaxus alkaloid derivative and an inhibitor of protein synthesis without tyrosine kinase activity developed 35 years ago by Chinese investigators in the treatment of leukemia. This compound demonstrates specific activity in CML and has been recently commercialized in the U.S. for the treatment of patients in chronic or accelerated phase CML with resistance and/or intolerance to two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors or harboring a T315I ABL mutation. CML patients with a T315I mutation experienced poor overall survival rates in the pre-ponatinib era (median for CP CML 24 months). Recent studies demonstrate the activity of OMA even in such a poor prognosis population. We hereby detail the development of OMA as an effective agent in CML in these patients.