Disease Progression and Complications Are the Main Cause of Death in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Independent of Age and Comorbidities at Diagnosis
Abstract Introduction. CLL primarily affects elderly individuals who frequently have comorbid health conditions. It is typically assumed non-CLL-related etiologies will be the ultimate cause of death for most CLL patients, particularly those with comorbid conditions at diagnosis. Methods. Between 9/2002 and 11/2014, 1174 patients with newly diagnosed CLL were enrolled in a prospective cohort study evaluating the natural history of CLL. Comorbidities were prospectively recorded at the time of diagnosis. Comorbidities arising during the course of disease were not considered for this analysis. Standardized longitudinal follow-up was performed in all patients every 6 months for the first 3 years after diagnosis and annually thereafter through 04/2015. Internal and external medical records, death certificates, and information from next of kin were centrally reviewed to determine cause of death, using a standardized protocol. Categorical and continuous variables were evaluated using the c2 or Fisher exact tests and the Mann-Whitney test, as appropriate. Results. Baseline characteristics at time of CLL diagnosis are shown in the Table. Over 80% of patients had 2 or more comorbidities at diagnosis (median 3, range 0-11). After a median follow up of 5 years, 224 (19%) patients have died. The cause of death could be accurately determined in 183 (82%) of these patients. The cause of death was due to CLL in 135 (74%), including 84 (46%) CLL progressions, 14 (8%) infections, and 37 (20%) other cancers. Death was due to non-CLL-related causes (such as congestive heart failure, stroke or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in the remaining 48 (26%) patients. On univariable analysis, age and number of comorbid health conditions were not related to whether or not the cause of death was related/unrelated to CLL. The only specific co-morbid condition at diagnosis that predicted for non-CLL related death was stroke (8% vs 1%, p=0.04). Unmutated IGHV was the only prognostic factor thatpredicted greater likelihood of CLL-related death (70% vs 50%, p=0.03). Conclusions. The majority of patients with CLL have multiple comorbidities at time of diagnosis. Despite this fact, CLL progression and/or CLL-related complications are the primary cause of death. The number and type of comorbidities at diagnosis have minimal relationship to whether or not the ultimate cause of death was CLL-related. In contrast, the CLL-specific characteristic IGHV status (but interestingly not FISH defects) correlates with cause of death. Collectively, these findings illustrate the need for more effective CLL therapy, particularly treatments that can be tolerated by patients with comorbid health conditions. It is hoped the signaling inhibitors may help address this unmet need. Table. Number (%), median [range] N=1174 Age (years) 63 [23-89] Males Females 791 (67) 383 (33) Creatinine-Clearance > (mL/min) 86 [10-252] B2M (mg/dL) 2.3 [1.1-13.2] Rai stage 0 I-II III-IV 604 (52) 512 (38) 54 (10) CD49d positive negative 277 (30) 638 (70) CD38 positive negative 332 (30) 780 (70) ZAP70 positive negative 380 (37) 650 (63) IGHV unmutated mutated 394 (44) 506 (56) FISH del13q negative +12 del11q del17p 395 (40) 175 (18) 276 (28) 90 (9) 50 (5) Comorbid health conditions Other cancers 237 (20) Stroke 38 (3) Cardiac disease 326 (28) Hypertension 472 (40) Respiratory 210 (18) Endocrinologic 165 (14) Diabetes 118 (10) Hyperlipidemia 485 (41) Rheumatologic 489 (42) Gastrointestinal 384 (33) Genitourinary 412 (35) Psychiatric 197 (17) DVT/PE 33 (3) Substance abuse 58 (5) Sexually transmitted disease 35 (3) Obesity 376 (32) # of Comorbidities 0 1 2 3 4 > 4 66 (6) 148 (13) 203 (17) 220 (19) 206 (17) 331 (28) Disclosures Kay: Hospira: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Tolero Pharma: Research Funding. Cerhan:Kite Pharma: Research Funding.
Vitamin D Insufficiency Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Early Clinical Failure in Follicular Lymphoma
Abstract Background: Vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) has been associated with inferior outcomes in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) treated with chemotherapy and an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (immunochemotherapy; IC), but whether this association holds for other FL treatment strategies is not known. Furthermore, the subset of FL patients who experience clinical failure (progression, treatment failure) within 12 months of diagnosis have an inferior outcome compared to those achieving event-free status at 12 months (EFS12). We tested the hypothesis that VDI is predictive of early clinical failure (failure to achieve EFS12), overall survival (OS), and lymphoma-specific survival (LSS) among FL patients overall and in subgroups who were initially observed, treated with IC, rituximab monotherapy, or other therapies. Methods: We evaluated this hypothesis in a prospective cohort study of 642 newly diagnosed patients with grade 1-3a FL enrolled from 2002-2012 in the Molecular Epidemiology Resource of the Iowa/Mayo Lymphoma SPORE. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy, and VDI was defined as serum total 25(OH)D <20 ng/mL (per Institute of Medicine criteria) determined within 120 days of diagnosis. We used logistic regression to estimate Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. We adjusted for FLIPI, body mass index, and month of blood draw; for the full cohort, we additionally adjusted for treatment. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 60 years (range 23-93); 19% of patients had VDI. The median follow-up period was 59 months (range 1-144), with 297 events and 78 deaths (42 due to lymphoma). Treatment included IC (N=252), observation (N=218), rituximab monotherapy (N=76), or other (N=96). OS and EFS curves are shown in figures 1 and 2. In the full cohort, VDI was associated with inferior EFS12 (OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.18-3.54), OS (HR=2.35; 95% CI 1.37-4.02), and LSS (HR=2.97; 95% CI 1.52-5.80). In the IC subset, VDI was associated with inferior EFS12 (OR=3.00; 95% CI 1.26-7.13), OS (HR=2.86; 95% CI 1.39-5.85), and LSS (HR=2.96; 95% CI 1.29-6.79). VDI was associated with inferior OS in patients who were observed (HR=2.25; 95% CI 1.20-6.76) or received other therapies (HR=3.06; 95% CI 1.01-9.24). VDI was positively but not statistically significantly associated with inferior EFS12 in the patients who were observed (OR=1.71; 95% CI 0.70-4.17) or received other therapies (OR=2.31; 95% CI 0.41-13.07), with low power for these associations; LSS could not be estimated due to lack of deaths. There were too few events (N=10) and deaths (N=5) in the R-monotherapy group for analysis. Conclusions: We confirm previous findings that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with adverse long-term prognosis among patients with FL treated with IC, and extend these findings to patients who are initially observed or treated with other therapies. For the first time, we observed an association of vitamin D insufficiency with early clinical failure, suggesting a potentially modifiable factor to address in this subset of patients with poor outcomes. Whether treating VDI improves outcomes in FL warrants assessment. Disclosures Ansell: BMS, Seattle Genetics, Merck, Celldex and Affimed: Research Funding. Nowakowski:Celgene: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding.
A Meta-Analysis Of Hodgkin Lymphoma Reveals 19p13.3 (TCF3) As a Novel Susceptibility Loc
Abstract Background Recent genome wide association studies (GWAS) of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have identified several associations at both HLA and non-HLA loci. However, much of HL heritability remains unexplained. Methods To identify novel risk loci, we performed a meta-analysis of 3 HL GWAS including a total of 1,810 cases and 7,879 controls. Results were replicated in an independent set of 1,163 cases and 2,580 controls, for a total of 3,097 and 11,097 cases and controls combined, respectively. participants in discovery and replication stages were of European descent. quality control and imputation we conducted a meta-analysis addressing 1,004,829 variants (λ= 1.10, λ1000= 1.03). Associations between SNP genotypes and HL risk were evaluated under a log-additive model of inheritance adjusting for sex, study center and significant principal components to control for population stratification. We performed an analysis with all HL cases and then conducted stratified analyses by histological subtype (classical, nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity), age at diagnosis (nodular sclerosis among those diagnosed at 15- 35 years in all studies, and those diagnosed at 35 and older years in the European Study only) and EBV tumor status (negative and positive). We then used a bioinformatic approach (FunciSNP) to identify potential functional variants associated with HD risk correlated with risk loci of interest. We extracted publically available ENCODE data on biofeatures to identify potential functional motifs associated with the index SNP or correlated SNPs. Finally, we measured expression levels of the two alternative mRNA transcripts in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from 49 post-therapy HL patients and 25 unaffected controls. RT-PCR was carried out in triplicate. Relative expression levels were calculated relative to TBP as housekeeping gene. Linear models were used to assess correlation between genotype and TCF3expression levels. Results The meta-analysis identified a novel susceptibility variant at chromosome 19p13.3 (rs1860661) associated with HL risk (Odds Ratio [OR]= 0.78, P=2.0*10-8, I2=0%). variant is located in intron 2 of TCF3 (also known as E2A), a regulator of B- and T-cell lineage commitment. was also significantly associated with HL (OR= 0.85, P=0.002) in the replication series of 1,281 cases and 3,218 controls. the combined analysis consisting of the discovery and replication sets, rs1860661was strongly associated with HL (OR=0.81,=3.5*10-10), with no evidence of heterogeneity between contributing studies (Phom=0.41, I2=0%). The number of G alleles defined by rs1860661 was significantly associated with a reduced risk of each HL subtype except EBV positive HL. rs1860661 and two correlated SNPs, rs10413888 (r2=0.90) and rs8103453 (r2=0.89) identified by FunciSNP analysis map in or near marks of open chromatin and in DNAse hypersensitivity sites in TCF3 in CD20+ B cell lines., the protective minor alleles of these SNPs as defined by the G-G-G haplotype map to the binding sites for ZBTB7a (rs10413888 and rs1860661) and (rs8103453) transcription factors, likely improving the binding efficiency to the sites which may result in increased transcription rates of TCF3. TCF3 is encoded by two alternative transcripts (E12 and E47). Higher expression levels of TCF3-E47, whose transcription start site is located close to rs1860661, was associated with the rs1860661-G allele in controls (P=0.02), but not in HL patients (P=0.22). Conclusion/Discussion TCF3 is essential for the commitment of lymphoid progenitors to both B-cell and T-cell lineage development. A molecular and phenotypic hallmark of classical HL is the loss of the B-cell phenotype in HRS cells, including lack of demonstrable B-cell receptor and most B-cell specific markers such as CD19 or CD20. HRS cells have a low level of TCF3, particularly homodimers of the isoform E47, due to expression of the ABF-1 and ID2 inhibitors that bind to TCF3. Thus, higher TCF3 levels in HRS precursor cells may lead to enhanced retention of the B cell phenotype, thereby conferring a protective effect. These data suggest a link between the 19p13.3 locus including TCF3 and HL risk, indicating that TCF3 could be relevant to HL etiology and pathogenesis. Disclosures: Link: Genentech: Consultancy; Millenium: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Spectrum: Consultancy.
Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies an Immune-Related Etiology for Severe Aplastic Anemia
Introduction. Acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a life-threatening disorder characterized by severe progressive pancytopenia and hypocellular bone marrow. The etiology of acquired SAA is not understood but believed to be related to abnormal immune responses to environmental exposures. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify common germline variants associated with SAA. Methods. We identified 895 patients with SAA who underwent related or unrelated hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) with clinical data and pre-HCT blood samples available in the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database and biorepository. Pre-HCT DNA was extracted from blood of patients with SAA and genome-wide genotyping was conducted using the Illumina OmniExpress array. We excluded 93 inherited bone marrow failure cases. The SAA cases were grouped cases into discovery and validation sets based on time of batch sample receipt. Analyses were limited to patients of European ancestry based on principal component analyses to minimize the potential effect of population stratification. Controls were genomically matched and selected from previously scanned cancer-free subjects at the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI. The final analysis included 534 acquired SAA cases (359 in the discovery set and 175 in the validation set), and 2,455 controls (1,396 in the discovery set, and 1,059 in the validation set). Results. Patients with SAA in this study received HCT between 1989-2015 at a median age of 21 years, 56% were male, and the median time between SAA diagnosis and HCT was 11 months. Strong genome-wide association signals were identified across the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes encoded at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6p21 (Figure 1). The top SNP was located in the P4 binding pocket of the HLA class II gene HLA-DPB1(rs1042151A>G, p.Met105Val, pooled-odds ratio [OR]=1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.50-2.03, p=1.94x10-13). The expression of HLA-DP in CD19+ cells from 175 healthy donors was significantly different by rs1042151 A>G genotype (p=2.04x10-6) (Figure 2). A second SNP near HLA-B, rs28367832G>A, also reached genome-wide significance (pooled-OR=1.49, 95% CI=1.22-1.78, p=7.27x10-9). Copy-number variant analysis and next generation sequencing also identified somatic, clonal copy-neutral loss-of-heterozygosity affecting class I HLA genes in 8.6% of the SAA cases and none of the controls. Conclusion. This SAA GWAS identified strong association signals between common germline genetic variants in HLA class I and II genes and SAA. The main SNP is associated with changes in HLA-DP expression suggesting a key role for this locus in SAA etiology. This study adds further evidence to the connection between SAA and immune dysregulation. Disclosures Cerhan: Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; NanoString: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Lee:Incyte: Research Funding; Syndax: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Kadmon: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding.
Malignant T-Cells and Normal Intratumoral T-Cells Have Similar Expression of Immune Checkpoint Molecules in Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma
BACKGROUND: Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) has a unique histological phenotype with a relatively small number of malignant T-cells and an extensive infiltrate of normal cells including T-cells, B-cells, NK cells and FDCs. The malignant cell has a T follicular helper (Tfh) cell phenotype with increased expression of immune checkpoint molecules including PD-1 and ICOS. With the routine use of antibodies targeting immune checkpoint molecules, clinical results in limited numbers of AITL patients have thus far been mixed with some responding patients but also some who rapidly progress. Because both malignant T-cells and normal T-cells in AITL may be PD-1 positive, we conducted a study to compare the phenotype of normal T-cells and malignant T-cells within the tumor microenvironment. We also evaluated whether soluble immune checkpoint molecules in the peripheral blood differed between AITLs, controls, and other PTCL subgroups. METHODS: We designed a novel CyTOF antibody (Ab) panel comprised of 37 markers to identify and characterize cells of T, B, NK, macrophage and FDC lineages within a cohort of biopsy specimens from 6 AITL patients compared to 6 normal controls (2 LN, 4 tonsil). Soluble immune receptors and ligands were then measured by multiplex ELISA on peripheral blood from 8 AITLs, 5 controls, and 32 additional samples from PTCL subtypes including PTCL-NOS, ALCL and CTCL. RESULTS: Malignant T-cells in AITL specimens could clearly be identified by viSNE mapping based on CyTOF expression of CD4, CD5, BCL6, CD10 (variable), CXCR5 (variable), PD-1 and ICOS. Aberrant loss of CD3 and CD7 on malignant T-cells was commonly seen. Expression of other immune checkpoint molecules was assessed. Malignant cells expressed high levels of TIGIT and moderate levels of CD27, but malignant T-cell populations were negative for expression of TIM3, LAG3, and CTLA-4. A substantial proportion of normal T-cells also expressed immune checkpoint molecules including PD-1 and CD27, and a subset of these cells also expressed TIGIT and ICOS. A small minority of normal T-cells expressed TIM3, LAG3, and CTLA-4. As others have described, the normal Tfh cell population had an immunophenotype that was otherwise relatively similar to the malignant population, but distinguishable via viSNE mapping with our CyTOF Ab panel. Expression of PD-L1 could be detected on NK-cells, macrophages, and a few select populations of normal T cells, but not on B-cells or FDCs. Malignant T-cells did not express PD-L1. Due to the potential importance of immune checkpoint molecules in this disease, we then measured soluble checkpoint receptors and ligands in the serum. Soluble PD-1 was significantly increased in the peripheral blood of AITL when compared to normal controls (average 2637 pg/mL (SE = 512.1) in AITL vs 57.87 (SE = 16.88) in controls). Similarly, soluble PD-L1 was significantly increased in AITL compared to normal controls (13.8 (SE = 10.5) in AITL vs 0.94 (SE = 0.25) in controls). CONCLUSIONS: Malignant T-cells in AITL have a unique phenotype which was able to be reliably identified through use of viSNE mapping with our CyTOF Ab panel. Furthermore, malignant T-cells were found to consistently express additional immune regulatory molecules beyond PD-1 and ICOS, including TIGIT and CD27. However, a substantial subset of normal T-cells have a very similar phenotype suggesting that activation of T-cells in this disease will likely stimulate both normal and malignant T-cells. This may explain the rapid disease progression seen in a subset of AITL patients treated with PD-1 blockade. Furthermore, soluble PD-1 is significantly increased in the serum of AITL patients and may explain the overall lack of clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibodies in treating AITL. Disclosures Cerhan: NanoString: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Research Funding. Ansell:LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Trillium: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding.
Integration of Genetic, Transcriptomic, and Immune Profiles Reveals Genomically-Distinct Populations in Low-Grade Lymphomas
Introduction: Current classifications of low-grade B-cell lymphomas (LGL), including splenic marginal zone lymphomas (SMZL), nodal marginal zone lymphomas (NMZL), and Lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas (LPL) are based on a mixture of clinical features and morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic findings from the tumor biopsy specimen. While this approach to classification makes pathologic diagnosis more precise, the corresponding clinical impact for the timing and choice of treatment is limited, and differentiating between cases can be challenging. Although LGL are considered indolent and the 10-year overall survival (OS) is about 80%, 70% of cases will eventually require treatment and approximately 30% of patients display a more aggressive phenotype and have a poor prognosis. Consequently, further investigations into the driving genetic, biological, and immune mechanisms of LGL are essential for early identification of high-risk patients and design of personalized treatments. Materials and Methods: RNA-seq was performed on 63 newly diagnosed LGL patient samples from the Mayo Clinic/University of Iowa Lymphoma SPORE: SMZL (N=48), NMZL (N=6), LPL (N=5), MALT (N=2), and BCL (N=2) as well as 5 normal memory B cell controls (CD19+CD27+). For identification of biologic clusters, filtered RNA-seq data was analyzed using the Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) clustering tool from the Broad Institute against the normal samples. Each cluster was analyzed for differential gene expression. This analysis generated cluster-specific T values for each gene. Genes that were significantly associated with a cluster (FDR<0.05) were analyzed for genetic ontology. Cibersort was used to deconvolute the tumor microenvironment (TME). We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) analyses on 60/63 matched LGL to characterize mutations and copy number alterations. Results: WES revealed the presence of previously reported mutations in genes such as MYD88, SPEN, NOTCH, and KLF2 as well as copy number alterations 7q31.2, BCL6, TNFAIP3, and BCL2. NMF clustering of RNA-seq data resulted in a best fit of 5 clusters, named LGL1 through LGL4 and "Normals". Pathologic subtypes were not exclusive to a specific cluster. Differential RNA expression analysis resulted in gene sets that were differentially expressed in each cluster. A cluster signature of the top 1% of associated genes (N=94) was created for each. LGL1 genes were associated with higher BCR signaling. LGL2 was characterized by regulatory dysfunction, particularly concerning mitochondrial integrity. LGL3 genes were associated with high TME and NOTCH and STAT signaling components. Specifically, LGL3 was associated with high CD8+ T-cell and M2 macrophage TME presence. LGL4 was distinguished by the presence of aggressive genetic programs related to B-cell activation such as NF-kB and IRF4. Consequently, LGL4 patients had significantly poorer rates of event-free survival (EFS) (P=0.029) and OS (P=0.006) when compared against the other groups. The top 1% gene signature (N=94) was next validated against an independent cohort of 84 LGL samples with gene expression data (SMZL [N=34], NZML [N=24], and LPL [N=24]). A similar cluster pattern emerged, with pathological subtypes distributing across LGL classifications based on respective transcriptomic signatures. Association of DNA variants within each cluster was also analyzed, but due to the low frequency of genomic variants detected in LGL, nothing was significantly associated. However, we did see an enrichment of BCL2, BCL6, and TNFAIP3 alterations in LGL4 and an overall lower driver gene mutation frequency in LGL2. Conclusions: Gaining a greater understanding of LGL based on their genetic, biologic, and immune profiles will establish a valuable platform for clinicians to identify high-risk cases and make better therapeutic decisions. Using a large cohort of well-annotated cases we identify novel clusters of LGL that present unique genomic and clinical profiles. Our study lays the groundwork for a precision therapy approach in LGL in which DNA or RNA profiles can be used to identify patients early in treatment who may not benefit from the current standard of care and who would benefit from closer monitoring and targeted agents. Disclosures Anagnostou: American Society of Hematology, Mayo Clinic/Iowa Lymphoma SPORE, Mayo Clinic Immune Monitoring Core, Mayo Clinic Hematology Small Grant: Research Funding. Ansell:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Trillium: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment. Cerhan:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding. Novak:Celgene Coorperation: Research Funding.
Central Nervous System Involvement in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma
Background: Central nervous system (CNS) involvement by peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a rare condition. Among primary CNS lymphomas, only 2% are secondary to PTCL, while the risk of CNS relapse in all cases of PTCL is estimated at 2% to 6%. Little is known about the presentation and outcomes of PTCL patients with CNS involvement given the rarity of this entity. In this study, we describe patient characteristics, histology, and clinical course of patients with CNS involvement by PTCL. Methods: The Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Database was used to identify PTCL patients with primary or secondary CNS involvement seen at our institution between 2000 and 2018. A total of 12 patients were identified and their medical records were reviewed for patient and disease characteristics, CNS-directed treatment modality, and outcomes. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for time-to-event analysis. Results: The median age at CNS diagnosis was 63 years (range 41 to 76) and 11 (93%) patients were male. The histological diagnoses were PTCL, NOS in 9 (75%) patients, enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma in 2 (17%) patients, and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 1 (8%) patient. Five patients presented with primary T-cell CNS lymphoma (all with a PTCL, NOS histology), while the remaining 7 (58%) patients also had systemic involvement. All patients presented with neurologic symptoms at the time of CNS involvement diagnosis including: focal motor deficits in 6 patients (unilateral upper extremity weakness, gait impairments, and hemiparesis), cognitive decline in 5 patients (memory impairments, reduced attention, and confusion), headache in 4 patients, and seizure in 3 patients. The CNS disease location included the brain parenchyma in 9 (75%) patients, leptomeninges in 1 (8%) patient, and lumbar plexus in 1 (8%) patient. One patient (8%) had positive CSF finding only without radiologic evidence of involvement. CSF analysis was performed in 11 patients. Elevated protein levels were noted in 3 (27%) patients, malignant cells in 2 (18%), and no clear abnormalities in the remaining 6 (55%) patients. Concomitant bone marrow involvement was seen in only 1 patient. Elevated LDH was seen in 2 patients. The a median LDH was 195 U/L (range 139 to 4,360) The most common CNS-directed therapies were: high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based regimens in 8 (67%) patients, including high-dose MTX in combination with temozolomide (n=2), or cytarabine and thiotepa (n=2). Intrathecal MTX, temozolomide and dexamethasone, lenalidomide, high-dose steroids, and surgical resection were the treatment modality used for one patient each. At a median follow up of 18 months, eight (75%) out of 12 patients were not alive at the time of last follow up. The median overall survival (OS) from diagnosis was 16 months (95% CI: 2.8-173). The median progression free survival (PFS) from initiation of CNS-directed therapy was 9 months (95% CI: 1.6-33) (figure). Four patients had a PFS longer than 12 months. These 4 patients were treated with: temozolomide/dexamethasone, high-dose MTX, lenalidomide, and high-dose MTX followed by cytarabine/thiothepa. Conclusion: CNS involvement by T-cell lymphoma is a rare complication that carries a poor prognosis. Early onset of neurologic symptoms should trigger prompt investigation of CNS involvement. Despite the short OS and PFS, some patients may achieve a relatively longer disease free interval. Disclosures Bennani: Adicet Bio: Other: Advisory board; Seattle Genetics: Other: Advisory board; Purdue Pharma: Other: Advisory board; Seattle Genetics: Other: Advisory board; Seattle Genetics: Other: Advisory board; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Other: Advisory board; Kite Pharma: Other: Advisory board; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Adicet Bio: Other: Advisory board; Purdue Pharma: Other: Advisory board; Purdue Pharma: Other: Advisory board; Adicet Bio: Other: Advisory board; Kite Pharma: Other: Advisory board. Cerhan:Celgene: Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Nowakowski:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding; Selvita: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Ansell:Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Affimed: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Paludo:Celgene: Research Funding; Verily Life Sciences: Research Funding; Verily Life Sciences: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding.
Prevalence and the Impact of Hypogammaglobulinemia in Newly Diagnosed, Untreated Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
Background: While there is evidence in the literature of increased prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), there are no studies evaluating the prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia in newly diagnosed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or the relationship between hypogammaglobulinemia and presentation or outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients and to test the hypothesis that DLBCL patients with baseline hypogammaglobulinemia have a distinct clinical profile and outcome. Methods: We obtained banked frozen sera from 200 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve, DLBCL patients from the Lymphoma SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER), a prospective cohort study conducted at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Iowa. IgG/A/M levels were measured using immunoturbidimetric assay whereas IgE level was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay; deficiency was defined using standard reference ranges. IgE levels were considered deficient if <2 UI/ml. The associations between Ig deficiencies and clinical factors were evaluated with Wilcoxon rank sum and chi-squared (Fisher's exact, where appropriate) tests. Event-free survival (EFS) was defined as time from diagnosis to progression, relapse, retreatment, or death, and EFS24 was defined as EFS at 24 months after diagnosis (achieve or failure to achieve EFS24). The association of Ig levels with EFS24 was estimated using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from logistic regression, and with EFS, overall survival (OS), and lymphoma-specific survival (LSS) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves and hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CI from Cox regression. Results: The mean age (SD) of the cohort was 65.6 (13.4) years, 54% were males and 98% of the patients were white. Over a median follow-up of five years, there were 59 (29.5%) deaths. The prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia, defined as any deficiency, in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve DLBCL was 22.1% (44/199) in our cohort, and the most common Ig deficiency was for IgG (<700 mg/dL, 13.5%), followed by IgM (<40 mg/dL, 9.0%), IgE (<2 UI/ml, 7.5%) and IgA (<70 mg/dL, 4.0%) (Table1). There were no statistically significant differences between Ig deficient and non-deficient patients in terms of age at diagnosis, gender, stage, cell of origin, or MYC double hit status. However, median LDH levels were higher in Ig deficient patients (228 vs 194, p<0.01). Any immunoglobulin deficiency was associated with inferior EFS (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.16-3.24) (Figure 1) and OS (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.17-3.49), and these associations were not attenuated after adjustment for the international prognostic index (IPI). Any Ig deficiency was also associated with failure to achieve EFS24 (OR=2.13, 95% CI 1.00-4.60) after adjusting for IPI. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia in treatment naïve DLBCL. We found that any Ig deficiency was not uncommon in our cohort and it was associated with an inferior EFS and OS in DLBCL patients. The prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia in DLBCL patients seems to be lower than has been described in CLL patients. While the underlying relationship between these two immunologic disorders deserves further study, our findings highlight the interaction between global immune dysfunction and emergence of a clonal B cell process. Disclosures Nowakowski: Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Selvita: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; NanoString: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding. Farooq:Celgene: Honoraria; Kite Pharma: Research Funding. Cerhan:NanoString: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Event-Free Survival at 24 Months Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Introduction: Front-line immunochemotherapy (IC) with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is expected to cure 60-70% of newly diagnosed DLBCL. Up to one third of newly diagnosed DLBCL patients will have relapsed or refractory (r/r) disease.1 Current standard of care for these patients is salvage chemotherapy and, if chemosensitive, to be followed by high dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic cell rescue (autoHCT).2,3 Event-free survival at 24 months (EFS24) after frontline IC is associated with excellent long-term outcomes with overall survival (OS) similar to that of age- and sex-matched controls.4 In comparison, those achieving EFS24 following autoHCT for relapsed or refractory disease may have increased risk for late-mortality compared to the general population with advanced age and intensive salvage therapy contributing to the risk of late complications.5 We sought to better characterize EFS24 after autoHCT to determine the utility of this end-point for informed clinical decisions, patient management, and future clinical trials. Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled onto the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa/ Mayo Clinic Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). Patients were followed for relapse, retreatment, and death; all events were validated by medical record review. For this analysis patients were included if they were consented within 9 months of initial diagnosis of DLBCL between 2002-2012, had received anthracycline-based IC (R-CHOP, or similar), and eventually had undergone autoHCT for r/r DLBCL. Patients with primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma or post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) were excluded. Overall survival (OS) was defined as time from autoHCT until death due to any cause. Event-free survival (EFS) was defined as time from autoHCT until progression, relapse, retreatment, or death due to any cause. OS from achieving EFS24 after autoHCT was compared to age- and sex-matched general US population. Results: 108 patients underwent autoHCT for relapsed DLBCL between 2002 and 2017. Median age at autoHCT of the patients was 60 years (range 20-78) and 72 (67%) were male. The most common transplant conditioning regimen was BEAM (82%). At a median follow-up after autoHCT of 85 months (range 1-171), 72 patients (67%) had an event and 64 patients (59%) had died. Kaplan-Meier estimates for EFS and OS at 24 months from the time of autoHCT were 49% (95% CI: 40-59) and 61% (95% CI: 52-71), respectively. 52 patients had a progression within 24 months of autoHCT; OS from progression was poor (median OS=2.8 months, 95% CI: 1.8-6.0; 5 year OS = 9%, 95% CI: 2-22). 48 patients achieved EFS24 after autoHCT; median OS from achieving EFS24 was 136 months (95% CI: 92-NE) and 5 year OS was 79% (95% CI: 68-93). This was inferior to the background population (Figure 1, SMR=3.64, 95% CI: 2.11-6.27, p<0.0001). Eight patients had a progression after achieving EFS24 from autoHCT. OS from progression in these 8 patients (median OS=27.3 months, 95% CI: 14.4-NE; 5 year OS = 16%, 95% CI: 3-93) was improved compared to progression within 24 months of autoHCT (p=0.072, figure B). Cause of death (COD) in EFS24 achievers was progression of lymphoma (n=6), infection (n=1), secondary malignancy related to therapy (n=3), heart disease (n=1), and unknown (n=1). Conclusions: Patients achieving EFS24 after salvage chemotherapy and autoHCT have a favorable long-term prognosis; however, overall survival remained inferior to the general population. Most common COD after achieving EFS24 was progression of lymphoma. In spite of this, EFS24 remains a valuable end-point for informed clinical decisions, patient management, and future clinical trials. Figure 1 Disclosures Maurer: Morphosys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Research Funding; Nanostring: Research Funding. Ansell:Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding. Cerhan:Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; NanoString: Research Funding. Farooq:Celgene: Honoraria; Kite Pharma: Research Funding.
Genomic Analysis of R2CHOP-Treated DLBCL Reveals a High-Risk Population Driven By Inflammatory Pathways
Introduction: New Diffuse Large B-cell (DLBCL) treatments remain a clinical need despite the success of rituximab combined with CHOP chemotherapy (RCHOP), which results in durable responses in 60-70% of patients. Those refractory to, or who relapse following, first-line therapy have a very poor outcome, with only 20% surviving beyond 5 years. Rationally-targeted frontline strategies are needed, especially for those with high-risk disease. Significant advances have been made in the genomic classification of DLBCL, but none have impacted the design of phase III trials for untreated DLBCL patients. Building on new genetic profiling studies to personalize clinical treatment, an NCI initiative, could allow clinicians to add targeted therapies to the RCHOP backbone based on individual tumor signatures. The phase II ECOG-ACRIN1412 trial, which compared RCHOP combined with lenalidomide (R2CHOP) versus RCHOP showed significantly superior event free survival (EFS) and overall survival benefits for those treated with R2CHOP. Herein, we report the profile of a high-risk ABC/non-GCB subset of DLBCL driven by genomic alterations in inflammatory genes that are susceptible to front-line R2CHOP, but continue to experience poor outcome with RCHOP alone. Methods: We studied a total of 196 DLBCL patients. 47 were treated with R2CHOP from an investigator-initiated, open-label, single-arm phase II study (NCT00670358). 149 were newly diagnosed DLBCL cases treated with RCHOP, or R-immunochemotherapy (herein called RCHOP), and followed prospectively through the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE that served as a contemporary cohort. Patients from each treatment group were divided based on their event free survival at 24 months (EFS24). DNA alterations within these populations were identified through whole exome sequencing (WES). Variants were analyzed for their presence in EFS24 achievement or failure groups in both RCHOP and R2CHOP. Both tumor and germline sequencing was performed for 47/47 R2CHOP cases and 49/149 RCHOP cases. Gene expression data from the PanCan panel of 730 B-cell-related genes was analyzed to determine gene expression profiles characteristic of the high-risk/R2CHOP-profile on 59 available non-GCB DLBCL cases (45 RCHOP; 14 R2CHOP). A two-sided comparative marker analysis T statistic test was applied to assess what genes displayed differential expression based on achieving EFS24 in both R2CHOP and RCHOP populations. Positive values represented associations with achieving EFS24 and negative values were associated with cases of EFS24 failure. Results: Three genes were enriched in the RCHOP cases that failed EFS24 but achieved EFS24 with R2CHOP among non-GCB patients: PIM1, SPEN, and MYD88 (L265P), herein referred to as Responder Alterations. In R2CHOP cases, patients with a Responder Alteration had a better overall EFS (P = 0.051) compared to wild type patients. In contrast, RCHOP treated patients with a Responder Alteration in their tumor had a significantly worse overall EFS (P = 0.0004) compared to patients without a mutation. Together, PIM1, SPEN, or MYD88 (L265P) mutations were present in 38.0% (30/79) of all non-GCB cases. Collective R2CHOP and RCHOP EFS24 differential gene expression T values were significantly different for 18 previously-defined signatures. The R2CHOP cases that achieved EFS24 were enriched for genes involved in cell cycle, JAK-STAT, cytokine signaling, and NF-κB pathways based on these signatures and ontology analyses. Lastly, cases with WES and PanCan data were analyzed together to observe differential gene expression patterns between cases with and without signature mutations. These data suggest that R2CHOP disrupts tumors reliant on IRF4, NF-κB, and STAT transcription factors, leading to a loss of proliferative feedback systems. Conclusions: Our combined analysis of DNA and RNA across R2CHOP and RCHOP treatment cohorts identifies a high-risk non-GCB phenotype that encompasses approximately 38% of non-GCB patients, is capable of sustaining JAK-STAT and NF-κB signaling, and is sensitive to R2CHOP. Our study lays the groundwork for a precision therapy approach in DLBCL in which DNA or RNA profiles can be used to identify patients early in treatment who may not benefit from the current standard of care, RCHOP, and who would benefit from the addition of lenalidomide or other targeted agents. Disclosures Gandhi: Celgene Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Ansell:LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Trillium: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; Mayo Clinic Rochester: Employment; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; LAM Therapeutics: Research Funding. Cerhan:Celgene: Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Nowakowski:Curis: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding; Selvita: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Novak:Celgene Coorperation: Research Funding.