Citations

Abstract Objective To describe the technique, safety profile, and outcome of computed tomography (CT)–guided atlanto-axial lateral articulation injections performed at our institution. Methods Consecutive cases of all CT-guided atlanto-axial injections performed from January 2017 to April 2022 at our institution were searched in the electronic medical records. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics, characterization of pain, potential altered anatomy, pain level before and immediately after the procedure, procedure technique, complications, and follow-up outcomes, if available. Results Forty-five injections in 40 different patients were included. The average age was 67.4 years, and 28 (70%) of the patients were female. Of the 45 injections, 43 (96%) were technically successful. The average change in pain score (0–10) from immediately before to immediately after the injection was –3.36 (SD = 2.87, range = –8 to +3). Of all injections, 14 (31%) had a postprocedural pain score of zero. In 2 cases (4%), patients reported an increase in pain score immediately after the injection. In 3 cases (7%), transient non–vertebral artery vascular uptake of contrast was documented during the procedure, which could be cleared with needle repositioning. There were no complications. Conclusion CT-guided atlanto-axial lateral articulation injection is a safe procedure with a high technical success rate. It allows for direct visualization of vital structures and provides an alternative option to the traditional fluoroscopic guidance, especially in cases of prior technically unsuccessful fluoroscopically guided injection or altered anatomy.

Abstract The overall survival (OS) has improved significantly in multiple myeloma (MM) over the last decade with the use of proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulatory drug-based combinations, followed by high-dose melphalan and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) and subsequent maintenance therapies in eligible newly diagnosed patients. However, clinical trials using auto-HSCT followed by lenalidomide maintenance have shown an increased risk of second primary malignancies (SPM), including second hematological malignancies (SHM). We evaluated the impact of SPM and SHM on progression-free survival (PFS) and OS in patients with MM after auto-HSCT using CIBMTR registry data. Adult patients with MM who underwent first auto-HSCT in the United States with melphalan conditioning regimen from 2011 to 2018 and received maintenance therapy were included (n = 3948). At a median follow-up of 37 months, 175 (4%) patients developed SPM, including 112 (64%) solid, 36 (20%) myeloid, 24 (14%) SHM, not otherwise specified, and 3 (2%) lymphoid malignancies. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that SPM and SHM were associated with an inferior PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.62, P < .001 and HR 5.01, P < .001, respectively) and OS (HR 3.85, P < .001 and HR 8.13, P < .001, respectively). In patients who developed SPM and SHM, MM remained the most frequent primary cause of death (42% vs 30% and 53% vs 18%, respectively). We conclude the development of SPM and SHM leads to a poor survival in patients with MM and is an important survivorship challenge. Given the median survival for MM continues to improve, continued vigilance is needed to assess the risks of SPM and SHM with maintenance therapy post–auto-HSCT.

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo‐HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). While many factors influence the outcomes of allo‐HCT, the independent impact of donor–recipient ABO mismatching remains unclear. Using the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database, we identified patients aged ≥18 years with AML or ALL who underwent allo‐HCT between 2008 and 2018. Our objectives were to analyze the outcomes of allo‐HCT based on the donor–recipient ABO status (match, minor mismatch, major mismatch, bidirectional mismatch). Among 4946 eligible patients, 2741 patients (55.4%) were ABO matched, 1030 patients (20.8%) had a minor ABO mismatch, 899 patients (18.1%) had a major ABO mismatch, and 276 patients (5.6%) had a bidirectional ABO mismatch. In multivariable analyses, compared to ABO matched allo‐HCT, the presence of a major ABO mismatch was associated with worse overall survival (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05–1.29; p = 0.005), inferior platelet engraftment (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.77–0.90; p < 0.001), and higher primary graft failure (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.12–2.30, p = 0.01). Relapse, acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) grades III‐IV and chronic GVHD were not significantly associated with ABO status. While donor age was not significantly associated with outcomes, older recipient age was associated with worse survival and non‐relapse mortality. Our study demonstrates that donor–recipient ABO status is independently associated with survival and other post‐transplantation outcomes in acute leukemia. This underscores the importance of considering the ABO status in donor selection algorithms and its impact in acute leukemia.

AbstractBackgroundAlthough the clinical outcomes of patients with TP53‐mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are dismal, subsets of patients eligible for curative‐intent therapies may fare better. Because racial disparities are known to affect outcome in hematologic malignancies, the authors sought to explore disparities among patients with TP53‐mutated AML.MethodsA multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in a cohort of 340 patients who had TP53‐mutated AML (275 non‐Hispanic White [NHW] and 65 non‐Hispanic Black [NHB]) to analyze differences in treatment and outcome among NHW and NHB patients.ResultsThe median patient age was comparable between NHW and NHB patients (p = .76). A higher proportion of NHB patients had therapy‐related AML (31% vs. 20%; p = .08) and had co‐mutations (74% vs. 61%; p = .06). A higher proportion of NHW patients received intensive chemotherapy compared with NHB patients (47% vs. 31%; p = .02). Conversely, a higher proportion of NHB patients received low‐intensity chemotherapy (9% vs. 5.5%; p = .02) or best supportive care (22% vs. 7%; p < .001). The complete response rate (including complete responses with or without complete count recovery) was 31% versus 24.5% (p = .39) in NHW and NHB patients, respectively. Only 5% of NHB patients received allogeneic stem cell transplantation compared with 15.5% of NHW patients (p = .02). The proportion of patients who were event‐free (18.5% vs. 8.5%; p = .49) or who remained alive (24.9% vs. 8.3%; p = .13) at 18 months was numerically higher in NHW versus NHB patients, respectively, but was not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe current study highlights disparities between NHW and NHB patients with TP53‐mutated AML. Efforts are warranted to eliminate treatment disparities in minority populations.

Abstract We conducted a multi-center study to analyze factors predicting survival among patients with TP53-mutated (m) AML receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) in the recent era. Among 370 patients, 68 (18%) patients were bridge to allo-HSCT. The median age of the patients was 63 years (range, 33–75), 82% of patients had complex cytogenetics and 66% of patients had multi-hit TP53m. Forty three percent received myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and 57% received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC). The incidence of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) was 37% and chronic GVHD was 44%. The median event-free survival (EFS) from the time of allo-HSCT was 12.4 months (95% CI: 6.24–18.55) and median overall survival (OS) was 24.5 months (95% CI: 21.80-27.25). In multivariate analysis utilizing variables that showed significance in univariate analysis, complete remission at day 100 post allo-HSCT retained significance for EFS (HR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10–0.57, p = 0.001) and OS (HR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.10–0.50, p = < 0.001). Similarly, occurrence of chronic GVHD retained significance for EFS (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09–0.46, p = < 0.001) and OS (HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.15–0.75, p = 0.007). Our report suggests that allo-HSCT offers the best opportunity to improve long-term outcome among patients with TP53m AML.

Abstract The blood–brain barrier ensures CNS homeostasis and protection from injury. Claudin-5 (CLDN5), an important component of tight junctions, is critical for the integrity of the blood–brain barrier. We have identified de novo heterozygous missense variants in CLDN5 in 15 unrelated patients who presented with a shared constellation of features including developmental delay, seizures (primarily infantile onset focal epilepsy), microcephaly and a recognizable pattern of pontine atrophy and brain calcifications. All variants clustered in one subregion/domain of the CLDN5 gene and the recurrent variants demonstrate genotype–phenotype correlations. We modelled both patient variants and loss of function alleles in the zebrafish to show that the variants analogous to those in patients probably result in a novel aberrant function in CLDN5. In total, human patient and zebrafish data provide parallel evidence that pathogenic sequence variants in CLDN5 cause a novel neurodevelopmental disorder involving disruption of the blood–brain barrier and impaired neuronal function.

Arterial stiffness is recognized as a highly clinically relevant and independent prognostic biomarker of cardiovascular disease. Arterial dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (ADUV) uses acoustic radiation force to generate propagating waves in the arterial wall and measures the wave motion to estimate arterial mechanical properties from fitting phase velocity dispersion curves to a waveguide model. ADUV measurements were made with a Verasonics V1 system with a L7-4 linear array transducer in 63 human subjects (27 male/36 female) from ages 50–88 years old. We made measurements at 10 time points within the cardiac cycle, termed cardiac stages. We estimated the phase velocity (median of cp from 400-600 Hz) and G determined from matching the dispersion curves with those from a waveguide model incorporating the artery diameter and wall thickness. Within the same study visit, we measured the intima-media thickness and diameter changes through the cardiac cycle with a General Electric Logiq E9 or E10 scanner. We also tonometry to determine the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. We report here comparisons of median phase velocity, cp, and inverted shear modulus, G, at different stages of the cardiac cycle with clinical metrics of arterial stiffness.