Epperla, Narendranath

SummaryTransplant‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA‐TMA) is a complication of allogeneic transplantation (allo‐HCT). The incidence and risk factors associated with TA‐TMA are not well known. A retrospective analysis from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) was conducted including patients receiving allo‐HCT between 2008 and 2016, with the primary objective of evaluating the incidence of TA‐TMA. Secondary objectives included identification of risk factors associated with TA‐TMA, and the impact of TA‐TMA on overall survival and the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). Among 23,665 allo‐HCT recipients, the 3‐year cumulative incidence of TA‐TMA was 3%. Variables independently‐associated with increased incidence of TA‐TMA included female sex, prior autologous transplant, primary disease (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and severe aplastic anaemia), donor type (mismatched or unrelated donor), conditioning intensity (myeloablative), GVHD prophylaxis (sirolimus + calcineurin inhibitor), pre‐transplant kidney dysfunction and acute GVHD (time‐varying effect). TA‐TMA was associated with higher mortality (HR = 3·1, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 2·8–16·3) and RRT requirement (HR = 7·1, 95% CI = 5·7–311·6). This study provides epidemiologic data on TA‐TMA and its impact on transplant outcomes. Increased awareness of the risk factors will enable providers to be vigilant of this uncommon but serious transplant complication. The results will also provide benchmarking for future study designs and comparisons.

Background Although rituximab‐based high‐dose therapy is frequently used in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto‐HCT), data supporting the benefits are not available. Herein, we report the impact of rituximab‐based conditioning on auto‐HCT outcomes in patients who have DLBCL. Methods Using the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) registry, 862 adult DLBCL patients undergoing auto‐HCT between 2003 and 2017 using BEAM (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) conditioning regimen were included. All patients received frontline rituximab‐containing chemoimmunotherapy and had chemosensitive disease pre‐HCT. Early chemoimmunotherapy failure was defined as not achieving complete remission (CR) after frontline chemoimmunotherapy or relapse within 1 year of initial diagnosis. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Results The study cohort was divided into 2 groups: BEAM (n = 667) and R‐BEAM (n = 195). On multivariate analysis, no significant difference was seen in OS ( P = .83) or progression‐free survival (PFS) ( P = .61) across the 2 cohorts. No significant association between the use of rituximab and risk of relapse ( P = .15) or nonrelapse mortality ( P = .12) was observed. Variables independently associated with lower OS included older age at auto‐HCT ( P < .001), absence of CR at auto‐HCT ( P < .001) and early chemoimmunotherapy failure ( P < .001). Older age ( P < .0002) and non‐CR pre‐HCT ( P < .0001) were also associated with inferior PFS. There was no significant difference in early infectious complications between the 2 cohorts. Conclusion In this large registry analysis of DLBCL patients undergoing auto‐HCT, the addition of rituximab to the BEAM conditioning regimen had no impact on transplantation outcomes. Older age, absence of CR pre auto‐HCT, and early chemoimmunotherapy failure were associated with inferior survival.

Abstract Introduction: AITL is a distinct clinicopathologic entity among the mature T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas, accounting for approximately 1-2% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Although autologous HCT (auto-HCT) provides high response rates, there is a high relapse risk associated with this procedure. Allo-HCT may result in a lower risk of relapse in part due to a graft-versus-lymphoma effect mediated by alloreactive donor cells. The role of allo-HCT in AITL with advanced disease (prior auto-HCT failure, or chemorefractory state) is not well described. Using the CIBMTR registry, we report here the outcomes of AITL patients undergoing an allo-HCT. Methods: We evaluated 249 adult (≥18years) patients with AITL who received a first allo-HCT during 2000-2016. Patients receiving mismatched unrelated donor, cord blood or haploidentical donor transplantation were excluded due to small numbers. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), chronic GVHD, non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse/progression (R/P) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Baseline patient characteristics are summarized in Table. The median patient age was 56 years (range=21-77 years). The graft source was mainly peripheral blood. Median follow-up of survivors was 49 months (range=4-170 months). The cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 and grade 3-4 acute GVHD at day 180 were 36% (95% CI=30-42)% and 12 (95% CI=8-17)%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD at 2 years was 58% (95% CI=51-64)%. The 1-year NRM was 19% (95% CI=14-24)%, while the 4-year R/P, PFS, and OS were 21% (95% CI=16-27)%, 49% (95% CI=42-56)% and 56% (95% CI=49-63)%, respectively [Figure]. On multivariate analysis, chemoresistant status at allo-HCT was associated with a significantly higher risk for progression (RR=1.73 95% CI=1.08-2.77), while KPS <90% was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality (RR=3.46 95% CI=1.75 - 6.87). Subgroup analysis looking at the effect of prior auto-HCT (no prior auto-HCT vs prior auto-HCT), the 4-year PFS (50% vs 47%, p=0.60) and OS (57% vs 54%, p=0.70) were not significantly different. Similarly, on comparing the disease status at allo-HCT (CR1 vs CR>1 vs PR vs refractory), there was no significant difference in the 4-year PFS (58% vs 45% vs 47% vs 38%, p=0.41) or OS (70% vs 54% vs 50% vs 52%, p=0.27). The 1-year NRM was 24%, while the 4-year R/P, PFS, and OS in patients with refractory AITL were 32%, 38%, and 52%, respectively. The most common cause of death was organ failure. Conclusion: In this largest series of mostly advanced AITL patients, allo-HCT was shown to provide durable disease control (4-year PFS=47%) with a clear plateau in relapse at 1-year post-transplantation. Allo-HCT provided durable disease control even in patients with a failed prior auto-HCT and those subjects with refractory disease at the time of allografting. Disclosures Kharfan-Dabaja: Alexion Pharmaceuticals: Speakers Bureau; Incyte Corp: Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau. Smith:BMS: Consultancy; Portola: Honoraria. Sureda:Sanofi: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria. Hamadani:Merck: Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; Sanofi Genzyme: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Ostuka: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; MedImmune: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Cellerant: Consultancy.

BackgroundThe outcomes for patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with adverse clinical prognostic factors such as a high age‐adjusted International Prognostic Index (aaIPI) are not optimal. In the current study, the authors performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the totality of evidence pertaining to the efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto‐HCT) consolidation for patients with DLBCL in first remission.MethodsThe authors searched the Cochrane and MEDLINE/PubMed databases through December 1, 2018, for studies comparing conventional chemotherapy with rituximab (R‐chemo) versus R‐chemo and auto‐HCT. Two authors independently reviewed all references for study inclusion and extracted data related to benefits (overall survival, progression‐free survival, and response rates) and harms (treatment‐related mortality and adverse events).ResultsFour studies (1173 patients) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the current analysis. The median duration of follow‐up ranged from 42 to 76 months. There was no difference noted with regard to the overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.74‐1.37), progression‐free survival (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.58‐1.04), or response rates (risk ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.92‐1.04) between patients who received R‐chemo and auto‐HCT and those who received R‐chemo alone. The risk of mortality and therapy failure was not found to be different when the analysis was limited to high aaIPI between the 2 groups. Although there was no difference noted with regard to the risk of treatment‐related mortality, there was a significantly higher incidence of CTCAE grade 3 or 4 adverse events in patients who received R‐chemo and auto‐HCT compared with patients treated with R‐chemo alone.ConclusionsThe findings from what to the authors' knowledge is the first meta‐analysis performed in the rituximab era demonstrated no beneficial effect of upfront auto‐HCT consolidation in patients with aggressive B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, including high‐risk clinical groups (high aaIPI).

Key Points There was no difference in overall survival after allogeneic transplant between patients aged 55-64 years and patients ≥65 years. Age alone should not be a determinant for allogeneic transplant eligibility among older non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

SummaryHistological transformation (HT) of follicular lymphoma (FL) to an aggressive lymphoma after chemotherapy remains a key issue. The incidence of HT after radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is unknown. This single institution study analysed the risk of HT in FL after treatment with yttrium‐90 ibritumomab tiuxetan in 115 consecutive patients treated during 1987–2012. RIT was administered for progressive FL in 111 (97%) patients and as first‐line therapy in the remaining 4. 28% (n = 32) had HT, occurring at a median of 60 months from diagnosis and 20 months after RIT. 48% (12/25) of patients who received fludarabine developed HT. The estimated 10‐year risk of HT in the fludarabine and non‐fludarabine groups was 67% and 26% respectively (P = 0·015). Only prior fludarabine was significantly associated with predicting the risk of HT after RIT. 8% (9/115) of patients developed therapy‐related myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukaemia (tMDS/AML) at a median of 41·4 months (range, 5–89). The estimated 10‐year risk of tMDS/AML in non‐fludarabine treated patients (n = 90) versus fludarabine treated (n = 25) was 13% and 29%, respectively. The estimated overall risk of FL undergoing HT at 10 years without fludarabine exposure appears similar to patients reported in the literature that have not received RIT. Patients with prior purine‐analogue therapy are at significantly higher risk of HT.