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Objective To test the ability of machine learning (ML) approaches with clinical and genomic biomarkers to predict methotrexate treatment response in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Demographic, clinical, and genomic data from 643 patients of European ancestry with early RA (mean age 54 years; 70% female) subdivided into a training (n = 336) and validation cohort (n = 307) were used. The genomic data comprised 160 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with RA or methotrexate metabolism. Response to methotrexate monotherapy was defined as good or moderate by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) response criteria at the 3‐month follow‐up. Supervised ML methods were trained with 5 repeats and 10‐fold cross‐validation using the training cohort. Prediction performance was validated in the independent validation cohort. Results Supervised ML methods combining age, sex, smoking, rheumatoid factor, baseline Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) scores and 160 SNPs predicted EULAR response at 3 months with the area under the receiver operating curve of 0.84 ( P = 0.05) in the training cohort and achieved a prediction accuracy of 76% ( P = 0.05) in the validation cohort (sensitivity 72%, specificity 77%). Intergenic SNPs rs12446816, rs13385025, rs113798271, and ATIC (rs2372536) had variable importance above 60.0 and along with baseline DAS28 scores were among the top predictors of methotrexate response. Conclusion Pharmacogenomic biomarkers combined with baseline DAS28 scores can be useful in predicting response to methotrexate in patients with early RA. Applying ML to predict treatment response holds promise for guiding effective RA treatment choices, including timely escalation of RA therapies.

Abstract Background Based on expert opinion, solid organ transplant recipients from donors with bacteremia are treated with 7-14 days of pre-emptive antibiotic therapy (PAT). However, studies addressing necessity, optimal duration of therapy, and outcomes in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are lacking. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all kidney transplants performed at our institution from 01/01/2015-01/01/2021 to identify those cases where matched deceased donors had positive blood cultures. Bacteremia was defined per CDC criteria. We analyzed rate of infection in the KTR with the same organism identified in the donor blood culture within 30 days of transplantation. Results A total of 56 KTRs with donor positive blood cultures were identified. Demographic data are summarized in Table 1. Twenty of 56 cases (35.8%) had bacteremia and 36 (64.2%) had organisms classified as common commensals. The most common organisms in the bacteremia group were Gram-negative bacteria (12/20) and Staphylococcus aureus (6/20). Most common commensals were coagulase-negative staphylococci (26/36) (Table 2). All KTR received preoperative antibiotics at the time of transplantation, primarily cefazolin (15/20), and vast majority received TMP/SMX prophylaxis, for Pneumocystis jirovecii, post-transplant (19/20). PAT was administered in 70% (14/20) cases of bacteremia for a median of 8.5 days (IQR 7-14), while six cases were left untreated (Table 2). In contrast, majority of cases with common commensals were not treated (75%, 27/36). Of the cases treated (9/36), median duration of therapy was 7 days (IQR 5-14). No cases of infection with the same organism identified in the donor blood culture were reported in KTR within 30 days of transplantation. Conclusion KTR donors with bacteremia who were treated received a median of 8.5 days of PAT with no instances of breakthrough infection. In contrast, majority of donor blood cultures with organisms classified as common commensals were not treated and did well. Future studies are needed to assess whether perioperative antibiotics coupled with TMP/SMX prophylaxis post-transplantation are sufficient in select cases of transplantation from donors with bacteremia. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Abstract Background Nocardia more commonly causes infection in immunocompromised individuals, notably with a relapse rate of approximately 5%. Solid organ transplant recipients will often receive post-treatment prophylaxis as the underlying immunosuppression is unable to be completely removed. However, data supporting this practice is sparse. We sought to evaluate recurrence of nocardiosis in solid organ transplant recipients, specifically evaluating the role of post-treatment prophylaxis. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients at our medical center diagnosed with nocardiosis from 2000 through 2020. We included adult SOT recipients who completed their course of Nocardia therapy. Patients were excluded if they had not yet completed therapy, died prior to completing therapy, or there was no post-therapy follow-up. The primary outcome was Nocardia recurrence. Continuous variables were presented as mean or median with interquartile range (IQR). Results 108 patients meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed. 72 (66.7%) were male and median age was 60 years (IQR 52-65). Most common SOT types were kidney (47.2%), heart (17.6%), kidney-pancreas (11.1%), and lung (11.1%). Median time from transplantation to diagnosis of nocardiosis was 396 days (IQR 154-1071). Most common sites of infection were lung (88.0%), skin (16.7%), brain (13.9%), and blood (6.5%). Multi-organ infection was present in 22.2% and 24.1% were on trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis at diagnosis. Post-treatment prophylaxis was utilized in 55 (50.9%) patients (Table 1). TMP-SMX was the most common prophylaxis (87.3%; Figure 1). Four patients experienced Nocardia recurrence, 2 of which were receiving TMP-SMX prophylaxis at time of relapse (Table 2). These were dosed as double strength tablet daily and weekly, respectively. Median time from treatment completion to relapse was 255.5 days (range 107-871). Figure 1. Post-Treatment Prophylaxis Regimens for Nocardia in 55 Patients Conclusion Nocardia recurrence in solid organ transplant recipients is an uncommon occurrence. Double strength daily and weekly TMP-SMX prophylaxis does not appear to be entirely protective and relapse may be dependent upon other factors such as primary treatment length. Further study into the use of post-treatment prophylaxis is warranted. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

The role of adipose tissue (AT) inflammation in AT function in humans is unclear. We tested whether AT macrophage (ATM) content, cytokine gene expression, and senescent cell burden (markers of AT inflammation) predict AT insulin resistance measured as the insulin concentration that suppresses lipolysis by 50% (IC50). We studied 86 volunteers with normal weight or obesity at baseline and a subgroup of 25 volunteers with obesity before and after weight loss. There was a strong positive relationship between IC50 and abdominal subcutaneous and femoral fat cell size (FCS). The positive, univariate relationships between IC50 and abdominal AT inflammatory markers CD68, CD14, CD206 ATM/100 adipocytes, senescent cells, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA were not significant after adjustment for FCS. A 10% weight loss significantly reduced IC50; however, there was no reduction in adipose ATM content, senescent cells, or cytokine gene expression. Our study suggests that commonly used markers of AT inflammation are not causally linked to AT insulin resistance, whereas FCS is a strong predictor of AT insulin resistance with respect to lipolysis.

Abstract Background: Thrombosis is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in pts with Polycythemia Vera (PV). Current risk stratification is based on 2 variables: age >60y and history of thrombosis. Additional thrombotic risk factors in PV are generic cardiovascular risk factors and leukocytosis. JAK2V617F (JAK2VF) variant allele frequency (VAF) at diagnosis is highly heterogeneous. A VAF>75% was associated with higher rate of all thrombosis after diagnosis (Vannucchi AM et al, Leukemia 2007), and a VAF ≥ 60% correlated with increased rate of venous thrombosis (VT) in high-risk pts (Guglielmelli P et al, ASH 2018); however, predictive role of JAK2VF VAF is still debated. Aim: To evaluate the impact of JAK2VF VAF on rate of arterial and venous thrombosis in PV pts. Patients and methods: A cohort of 576 strictly 2016 WHO-defined PV pts followed at Univ. of Florence (1981-2020) were included. All pts were annotated for JAK2VF VAF, determined <3 years from diagnosis, and thrombosis at diagnosis and follow-up (FU). Arterial thromboses (AT) included stroke, transient ischemic attacks, retinal artery occlusion, coronary artery disease, and peripheral arterial disease; VT included cerebral venous thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism. Splanchnic vein thromboses (SVT) were excluded. Only first occurring event was considered. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for univariate and multivariable analysis. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was used for time-to-event assessment, compared by log-rank test. Results: Median age was 61.4 y (range, 16.2-91.8), 58.2% were male; 62% were high-risk based on current classification. Median JAK2VF VAF was 41.5% (range, 0.3-100). A total of 76 (13.2%) pts had an AT event before/at PV diagnosis and 49 (8.5%) pts had an AT during FU. As regards VT, 64 (11.1%) and 39 (6.8%) pts had a VT before/at or after PV diagnosis, respectively. We found that JAK2 VAF as a continue variable was correlated with the risk of VT in FU (p=0.003) but not with AT (p=0.8). ROC analysis to determine the best cut-off level for JAK2 VAF predicting VT had an AUC of 0.72 and a best cut-off value of VAF=50%. VT at FU were significantly enriched in pts with VAF >50%: 14.5% versus 2.4%, p=<0.0001. VT -free survival (VT-FS) by KM was significantly shorter in the presence of a JAK2 VAF >50% (HR 4, CI 1.9-8.6, p<0.0001) (Figure 1A), whereas no difference was found for AT (HR 0.9). In addition to JAK2VF VAF>50%, univariate analysis for VT-FS identified history of VT (HR 2.9; CI 1.4-6.1, p=0.006), leukocytosis ≥11x10 9/L (HR 1.9; CI 1.1-3.4, p=0.02) and palpable splenomegaly (HR 1.9, CI 1-3.6; p=0.04) as risk factors. Multivariable analysis confirmed VAF>50% (HR 3.8, CI 1.8-8.1, p=0.0006) and previous VT (HR 2.4, CI 1.1-5.1; p=0.02) as independent risk factors for future VT. In contrast, univariate analysis for AT-free survival (AT-FS) identified history of AT (HR 2.5; CI 1.3-4.9, p=0.007), diabetes (HR 3.3; CI 1.6-6.5, p=0.0007), hyperlipidemia (HR 3.1; CI 1.7-5.6, p=0.0003) and hypertension (HR 2, CI 1.1-3.8; p=0.03) as predictors of future AT; age >60y showed only a trend (p=0.08). Multivariable analysis for AT-FS identified diabetes (HR 2.4, CI 1.2-5; p=0.02), hyperlipidemia (HR 2.3; CI 1.2-4.3, p=0.01) and previous AT (HR 2.1, CI 1-4.2; p=0.04) as independent predictors of future AT. Validation: Our findings were validated in an independent cohort of 315 2016-WHO defined PV pts from Policlinico Gemelli, Catholic Univ., Rome. After exclusion of 26 pts with SVT, analysis was conducted on 289 pts, 38 of them with thrombosis as heralding event (21 AT and 17 VT). Multivariable analysis confirmed JAK2VF VAF >50% (HR 2.3, CI 1.03-5.0, p=0.04) and previous VT (HR 4.5, CI 2.0-10.1; p=0.0003) as independent risk factors for future VT. In pts with VAF >50%, the rate of VT at FU was 19.9% vs 7.7%, P=0.005. KM curve showed that VT-FS was significantly shorter in pts with a JAK2VF VAF >50% (HR 2.2, CI 1.2-4.2; p=0.01) (Figure 1B). Of note, impact of JAK2 VAF>50% on VT at FU was statistically significant particularly in conventionally low-risk pts, accounting for an HR of 9.4 (CI 1.2-72) and HR 3.6 (CI 1.3-10) in Florence and Rome cohorts, respectively. Conclusions: These data support JAK2VF VAF as a strong independent predictor for future venous thrombosis in PV, in association with history of prior venous events, reinforcing that AT and VT are associated with unique risk factors in pts with PV. Supported by AIRC, Project Mynerva n.21267 Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Vannucchi: BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Abstract Background Current NCCN and ELN guidelines lack supporting evidence in regards to initiation of cytoreductive therapy in essential thrombocythemia (ET) with extreme thrombocytosis (ExT) ≥1500 x 10 9/L (NCCN guidelines: myeloproliferative neoplasms, version 2. 2019, Barbui, Leukemia, 2018).; we sought to determine prevalence and establish phenotype and genotype correlates for ET with ExT and assess its impact on thrombotic and bleeding events, in the context of aspirin therapy or cytoreduction. Methods 1,249 WHO-defined ET patients evaluated over five decades (1967-2021) were retrospectively recruited from the Mayo Clinic. Conventional criteria were used to define major arterial and venous thrombosis and major hemorrhage. Conventional statistical methods were applied using JMP Pro 14.0.0 software package, SAS Institute, Cary, NC. Results i) Phenotype and genotype correlates Among 1,249 consecutive patients with ET, 104 (8%) displayed Ext ≥1500 x 10 9/L, at time of initial diagnosis; these patients were characterized by younger age (median 47 vs 59 years; p<0.001) female gender (80% vs 62%; p<0.001), CALR mutation (39% vs 25%; p=0.004), lower hemoglobin (median 13.1 vs 13.7 g/dl; p<0.0001), leukocytosis ≥11 x 10 9/l (42% vs 23%; p<0.0001), and palpable splenomegaly (22% vs 14%; 0.03); multivariable analysis confirmed associations with age, anemia, leukocytosis, and CALR mutation. Acquired von Willebrand syndrome was reported in 4/9 (44%) vs 27/78 (35%) tested patients, with or without Ext ≥1500 x 10 9/L, respectively (p=0.57); however, comparison using platelet ≥1000 x 10 9/L resulted in near-signficant difference (46% vs 29%; p=0.11). NGS was performed in 297 patients and showed a non-sigificant association with U2AF1 mutations (5% vs 0.4%; p=0.11). ExT ≥1500 x 10 9/L was present in 25/986 (3%), 42/891 (5%), and 15/558 (3%) in the validation cohort; the limited number of cases precluded comparative analyses. ii )Correlation with vascular events at/prior to diagnosis Arterial or venous thrombosis at/prior to diagnosis occurred in 190 (15%) and 111 (9%) patients, respectively, and major hemorrage in 50 (4%). Ext ≥1500 x 10 9/L was associated with major hemorrhage (HR 2.9; 1.3-6.3), but not with arterial (p=0.15) or venous (p=0.41) thrombotic events, at/prior to diagnosis. Instead, multivariable analysis for events at/prior to diagnosis identified male gender (p=0.02), JAK2 mutation (p=0.01), and cardiovascular risk factors (p=0.001) as risk factors for arterial thrombosis and JAK2 mutation (HR 2.8; 1.4-5.7) as a risk factor for venous thrombosis. iii ) Correlation with vascular events after diagnosis At median follow-up of 10 years, arterial or venous thrombosis occurred in 222 (18%) and 97 (8%) patients, respectively, and major hemorrage in 128 (11%). Ext ≥1500 x 10 9/L at diagnosis was not associated with arterial (p=0.35) or venous (p=0.23) thrombosis-free survival or hemorrhage-free survival (p=0.24). Instead, multivariable analysis identified age >60 years, presence of cardiovascular risk factors, and history of arterial thrombosis, as risk factors for arterial thrombosis-free survival; and male gender and history of venous thrombosis as risk factors for venous thrombosis-free survival; and age >60 years and leukocytosis of ≥11 x 10 9/L as risk factors for hemorrhage-free survival. In addition, aspirin therapy was idependently protective of venous thrombosis (HR 0.5; 0.2-0.9), and also of arterial thrombosis, in univariate analysis (HR 0.6; 0.3-0.9), without being associated with an increased risk of major hemorrhage (p=0.64); by contrast, beneficial effect from cytoreductive therapy was not evident for either arterial (p=0.37) or venous (p=0.77) thrombosis. In low-risk patients with Ext ≥1500 x 10 9/L, both aspirin and cytoreductive therapy were protective of venous events (Figure 1), without affecting hemorrhage-free survival. Conclusion ExT ≥1500 x 10 9/L in ET was associated with major hemorrhage at diagnosis but did not affect thrombosis-free or hemorrhage-free survival. Initial therapy with aspirin and/or cytoreductive therapy was protective of venous events in ET patients with ExT ≥1500 x 10 9/L, including those with low-risk disease, without enhancing the risk of hemorrhage. The limited number of informative cases with ExT in the validation cohort, underscore the foreseeable challenges associated with controlled studies. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Szuber: Novartis: Honoraria. Vannucchi: AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte Corporation: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Barbui: AOP Orphan: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Abstract Background. The tendency towards thrombosis in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) is linked to the JAK2-mutant clone which leads to hypercellularity and functional interplay between abnormal erythrocytes, platelets, leukocytes and dysfunctional endothelium. The resulting cell activation that also involves stromal cells in their microenvironment, has been shown associated with chronic, systemic, subclinical pro-inflammatory state, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of thrombosis in MPN. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel inflammatory marker found to be associated with the severity and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases but there is little evidence for its prognostic significance in MPN. We investigated whether NLR could predict the onset of arterial and venous thrombosis in polycythemia vera (PV). Methods. Subjects of this study were 1508 patients included in the ECLAP trail with NLR evaluation available. In addition to standard statistical methods, we used proportional hazards additive models (GAM) as they can provide an excellent fit in the presence of nonlinear relationships, for the prediction of total, arterial and venous thrombosis as smooth functions with cubic splines of different blood parameters. Results. After a median follow-up of 2.76 years, 169 thrombotic events (10.3%) were objectively diagnosed and analyzed: 87 arterial (MI, Stroke, TIA, PAT) and 88 venous thrombosis (DVT±PE, superficial thrombophlebitis). In univariate analysis, arterial thrombosis was associated with age (p=0.003) and previous thrombosis, especially if arterial (p<0.001), and with the presence of at least one cardiovascular risk factor (p=0.009). No association between baseline platelet and leukocyte counts and NLR with arterial events was found. Conversely, in venous thrombosis, beside age (p=0.039) and history of venous thrombosis (p<0.001), additional risk factors were low hemoglobin (p=0.039) and increasing values of NLR (p=0.002) resulting from a simultaneous increase of neutrophils (p=0.002) and to a decrease of absolute number lymphocytes (p=0.002).To predict outcomes, we tested total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets and NLR by GAM to evaluate their trend in continuous scale of thrombotic risk. A significant association between the risk of venous thrombosis and the progressive lower counts of lymphocytes (p=0.002) emerged, leading to increase the NLR values (p=0.005). However, given the greater precision of the NLR estimates and the markedly wide confidence interval of lymphocyte counts estimates, NLR was used in multivariate model. Conversely, neither absolute values of neutrophils and lymphocytes nor NLR were found associated with arterial events.In multivariate model, adjusted for age, gender and treatments at baseline, the risk of venous thrombosis was independently associated with previous venous events (HR=5.48, p ≤0.001) and NLR values ≥5 -the best cut-off resulted applying the Liu's method (HR=2.13, p=0.001). NLR effect for total venous thrombosis was not modified by excluding superficial venous thrombosis (HR=2.90, p=0.001) in a sensitivity analysis. Older age (i.e., ≥65 years, HR=1.88, p=0.005) and previous arterial thrombosis (HR=1.92, p=0.003) retained the prognostic statistical significance for arterial thrombosis.Our learning cohort findings, indicating a correlation between NLR values and venous thrombosis, have been validated in two Italian independent external cohorts (Florence, n=282 and Rome, n=173) of contemporary PV patients (Figure 1). Conclusions. The NLR is an inexpensive and easily accessible test compared to other inflammatory markers. We found that NLR-alone is an independent predictor of venous thrombosis and could be included in a new scoring system. In addition to guiding the stratification of thrombotic risk, these data confirm that inflammation is a relevant target of antithrombotic therapy in PV. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Vannucchi: Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Barbui: AOP Orphan: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Abstract Background: BCL-2 inhibition with venetoclax has proved to be highly effective treatment for patients with CLL. However, when administered to patients with CLL who have a high tumor burden, venetoclax is associated with an elevated risk of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). Because of this risk, venetoclax is initiated with a gradual, 5-week dose ramp-up, requiring close laboratory monitoring over an extended period. Lisaftoclax (APG-2575) is a novel, potent, selective BCL-2 inhibitor under clinical development for hematologic malignancies (HMs). Preliminary data in 18 patients with CLL treated in a first-in-human study suggested the feasibility of an abbreviated ramp-up of lisaftoclax that might also result in a lower incidence of neutropenia (Ailawadhi et al, J Clin Oncol 39, 2021; abstr 7502). Methods: This new study is a global, open-label, multicenter, two-part phase 1b dose escalation and dose expansion study to assess the safety and tolerability of lisaftoclax (Part 1) and lisaftoclax combined with rituximab or acalabrutinib (Part 2), including dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD). The trial is enrolling adults with (1) histologically confirmed CLL/SLL (by 2018 iwCLL criteria) that is relapsed or refractory to ≥ 1 prior therapy and requires treatment (also by 2018 iwCLL criteria); (2) adequate bone marrow function (in the absence of growth factors), including absolute neutrophils ≥ 1.0 × 10 9/L in patients without bone marrow involvement (not required in CLL/SLL patients with bone marrow involvement); and (3) adequate renal and hepatic function. Exclusion criteria: (1) recent history of allogeneic stem cell transplantation or CAR T-cell therapy (< 90 days); (2) prior treatment with a BCL-2 inhibitor (unless patient discontinued such therapy without disease progression); (3) treatment with vitamin K anticoagulants or previous discontinuation of treatment due to acalabrutinib toxicity (in acalabrutinib plus lisaftoclax cohort); (4) active Richter's syndrome; (5) infection (e.g. HIV, hepatitis); (6) CNS involvement; (7) prior cancer that has recurred within 2 years of screening and requires treatment (apart from adequately treated cervical or breast carcinoma in situ); (8) uncontrolled and other serious concomitant illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes; (9) failure to recover adequately after surgical procedures; and (10) active graft-vs-host disease or a requirement for immunosuppressive treatment. In a standard "3+3" dose escalation design (Part 1), lisaftoclax is being administered orally once daily in a 28-day cycle, with full doses of 200 to 1,200 mg (by 200-mg increments at 4 dose levels (400, 600, 800, and 1,000 mg) in parallel. The ramp-up is performed in the hospital with close monitoring for TLS and consists of the following doses and days of lisaftoclax treatment: 20 mg on Day 1, 50 mg on Day 2, 100 mg on Day 3, 200 mg on Day 4, 400 mg on Day 5, 600 mg on Day 6, 800 mg on Day 7, and 1,000 mg on Day 8. Patients who experience TLS on any of these days have their dose held until resolution of TLS before proceeding to the next dose. Part 2 includes a further standard 3+3 dose escalation of lisaftoclax combined with rituximab or acalabrutinib (in separate cohorts), with a further planned dose expansion at recommended phase 2 doses of these combination regimens. Primary outcome measures are (1) DLTs observed during cycle 1; and (2) MTD (measured over the same interval). DLT criteria are defined as grade 4 thrombocytopenia or neutropenia lasting > 7 days, grade 3 ≥ thrombocytopenia with bleeding, grade 4 febrile neutropenia, or grade 3 ≥ non-hematologic toxicities. As of July 19, 2021, 71 patients have been enrolled (of 144 planned). Clinicaltrial.gov identifier: NCT04215809. Disclosures Davids: Ascentage Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astra-Zeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Verastem: Consultancy, Research Funding; Surface Oncology: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Eli Lilly and Company: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Research to Practice: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Siddiqi: Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BeiGene: Other: DSM Member, Speakers Bureau; PCYC: Speakers Bureau; Jannsen: Speakers Bureau; Dava Oncology: Honoraria; ResearchToPractice: Honoraria. Pagel: Gilead: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy; Incyte/MorphoSys: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy; Actinium Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics/AbbVie: Consultancy. Pylypenko: Communal nonprofit enterprise "Cherkasy regional oncology dispensary of Cherkasy oblast council: Current Employment. Kriachok: Takeda, Roche, Abbivie, Janssen, MSD: Consultancy; Takeda, Roche, Abbvie, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Usenko: Abbvie: Honoraria; Acerta: Honoraria; Ascentage: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Il Yang: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Karyopharm: Honoraria; Oncopeptides: Honoraria; Rigel: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; UCB: Honoraria. Chen: Ascentage Pharma (Suzhou) Co., Ltd: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Huang: Ascentage Pharma (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Li: Ascentage Pharma (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ahmad: Ascentage Pharma Group Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Mudenda: Ascentage Pharma Group Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Yang: Ascentage Pharma (Suzhou) Co., Ltd: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership and other ownership interests, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Zhai: Ascentage Pharma (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership and other ownership interests, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Ascentage Pharma Group Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Leadership and other ownership interests, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding.

AbstractBackgroundImmunocompromised individuals are at risk for Nocardia infection, with a recurrence rate of approximately 5%. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients often receive secondary prophylaxis due to their requirement of lifelong immunosuppression. However, data supporting this practice is sparse. We sought to evaluate Nocardia recurrence in SOT recipients, specifically evaluating secondary prophylaxis.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of SOT recipients diagnosed with nocardiosis from 2000 through 2020. We included adult SOT recipients who completed their course of Nocardia therapy and had at least 6 months of posttherapy follow‐up. The primary outcome was Nocardia recurrence, which included relapse and reinfection.ResultsOne hundred two patients met inclusion criteria. Sixty‐six (64.7%) were male and mean age was 58.6 ± 11.7 years. Most common SOT types were kidney (46.1%), heart (18.6%), kidney‐pancreas (11.8%), and lung (10.8%). Most common sites of infection were lung (85.3%), skin (17.6%), and brain (14.7%). Secondary prophylaxis was utilized in 53 (52.0%) patients. Trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (TMP‐SMX) single‐strength daily was the most common prophylaxis agent and dose. Five patients (4.9%) experienced Nocardia recurrence, three of which were receiving secondary prophylaxis at time of recurrence. Two recurrences were with the same Nocardia species. Factors associated with recurrence were lung transplantation (p = .011), chronic lung disease (p = .032), and treatment ≤120 days (p = .006). Time from treatment completion to recurrence ranged from 107 to 875 days.ConclusionsNocardia recurrence in SOT recipients is an uncommon event. TMP‐SMX secondary prophylaxis is incompletely protective and recurrence may be dependent upon other factors. Further study of secondary prophylaxis is warranted.