Publications by authors named "Andrea Keppler-Hafkemeyer"

Article Synopsis
  • Monoclonal B lymphocytosis (MBL) is a condition where CD5-expressing B cells expand and can be a precursor to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with about 1% of those affected progressing to CLL.
  • The study examined the B-cell receptor (BCR) in MBL siblings of CLL patients, finding that certain genetic variants linked to CLL were present in both MBL and CLL individuals.
  • Results indicated that while MBL shows a non-malignant expansion of B cells, it involves unique genetic changes that may lead to the eventual development of CLL, supporting a sequential model of disease progression.
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Individuals with hematologic malignancies are at increased risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet profound analyses of COVID-19 vaccine-induced immunity are scarce. Here we present an observational study with expanded methodological analysis of a longitudinal, primarily BNT162b2 mRNA-vaccinated cohort of 60 infection-naive individuals with B cell lymphomas and multiple myeloma. We show that many of these individuals, despite markedly lower anti-spike IgG titers, rapidly develop potent infection neutralization capacities against several severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants of concern (VoCs).

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Idiotype vaccination for follicular lymphoma is primarily being developed as remission consolidation after chemotherapy. We investigated idiotype vaccination as primary intervention for treatment-naive indolent B-cell lymphoma and in a separate cohort as remission consolidation after chemotherapy to assess immunization-induced immune responses in relation to progression-free survival (German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00000227). Twenty-one patients in each cohort received 6 intradermal injections of adjuvanted recombinant idiotype Fab fragment (Fab(Id)); 76% of patients in both groups developed anti-idiotype antibodies and/or cellular immunity as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and interferon-γ ELISpot.

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