Publications by authors named "Bittenbring J"

Article Synopsis
  • CMV reactivation is a significant health issue for patients who have undergone stem cell or organ transplants, leading to increased risks of illness and death.
  • Three CMV-specific Fab-antibodies (A6, C1, C7) have been developed to bind to particular MHC molecules, showing effectiveness in targeting and destroying CMV-infected cells, especially when used in combination with natural killer (NK) cells.
  • The TCR-like antibodies also demonstrated the ability to activate neutrophils to kill target cells, offering a promising treatment option for patients experiencing or at risk of CMV reactivation, with a broader potential patient application than previous methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and multiple myeloma have poor outcomes. CAR-T completely changed the landscape of therapy options, improving not only response rates but also survival outcomes. Hematological toxicity after chimeric antigen receptor therapy (CAR-T) is of increasing interest, being a recognized prognostic factor in this setting.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is known as a seronegative form of spondylarthropathy. The interleukin-36 cytokine family may have a major role in disease pathogenesis and particularly the related cutaneous manifestations. In light of our recent observations on (transient) autoantibody phenotypes neutralizing endogenous anti-inflammatory receptor antagonists (progranulin, IL-1Ra) in different inflammatory conditions, we set out to investigate the potential role of such antibodies targeting IL-36 cytokine family members in PsA and psoriasis without arthritic manifestations (Pso).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN) is an adverse effect of regimens used for the treatment of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promotor region of the CEP72 gene has been identified as risk factor for the development of VIPN in children. To validate these results in adults we aimed to determine the association of the high-risk CEP72 (rs924607 TT genotype) with the occurrence and severity of VIPN.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies represent a main cause of primary graft failure specifically in the setting of haploidentical stem cell transplantation. Newer therapy strategies including daratumumab could overcome some of these limitations. We describe the case of a patient with refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma entity, and its incidence increases with age. There is a paucity of data regarding use of biweekly R-CHOP (R-CHOP-14) in patients ≥80 years of age. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with DLBCL aged ≥80 years treated with R-CHOP-14 and R-miniCHOP in two academic tertiary centers in Germany between 01/01/2005 and 12/30/2019.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: First-line treatment in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) unfit for intensive therapy is the combination of a hypomethylating agent (HMA) with venetoclax (VEN). However, retrospective data confirming the benefits of this regimen outside of clinical trials have shown conflicting results.

Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of outcomes with first-line HMA-VEN versus HMA in AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Autologous(auto-) and allogeneic(allo-) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are key treatments for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), although their roles are challenged by CAR-T-cells and other immunotherapies. We examined the transplantation trends and outcomes for DLBCL patients undergoing auto-/allo-HSCT between 1990 and 2021 reported to EBMT. Over this period, 41,148 patients underwent auto-HSCT, peaking at 1911 cases in 2016, while allo-HSCT saw a maximum of 294 cases in 2018.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Macrophages play a crucial role in the effectiveness of the anti-CD19 antibody tafasitamab, which is used to treat certain types of lymphoma.
  • The study focuses on the CD47-SIRPα interaction, which can inhibit the macrophages' ability to effectively eliminate tumor cells, and suggests that blocking CD47 may boost tafasitamab's effectiveness.
  • Experimental results showed that combining tafasitamab with an anti-CD47 antibody improved phagocytosis of lymphoma cells and resulted in better outcomes in animal models, indicating potential for clinical application.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) is a rare subtype of DLBCL and can progress into primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). To investigate the role of chronic antigenic stimulation in PVRL, we cloned and expressed B-cell receptors (BCR) from PVRL patients and tested for binding against human auto-antigens. SEL1L3, a protein with multiple glycosylation sites, was identified as the BCR target in 3/20 PVRL cases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • An 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan was conducted on a 47-year-old man with diffuse mast cell sarcoma affecting multiple organs including lymph nodes, bone, liver, spleen, and lung.
  • The scan reveals multiple intensely hypermetabolic lesions, highlighting the severity of his condition.
  • This case serves as a reminder for healthcare professionals to consider mast cell sarcoma when encountering patients with similar symptoms and lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) resemble a continuum of a rare, polygenic IL-1β-driven disease of unknown etiology.

Objective: In the present study we sought to investigate a potential role of recently described autoantibodies neutralizing the interleukin-1(IL-1)-receptor antagonist (IL-1-Ra) in the pathogenesis of Still's disease.

Methods: Serum or plasma samples from Still's disease patients (AOSD, n = 23; sJIA, n = 40) and autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease controls (n = 478) were analyzed for autoantibodies against progranulin (PGRN), IL-1Ra, IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), and IL-36Ra, as well as circulating IL-1Ra and IL-36Ra levels by ELISA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) is a major cause of death for patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Effective management of moderate to severe aGvHD remains challenging despite recent advances in HSCT, emphasizing the importance of prophylaxis and risk factor identification.

Methods: In this study, we analyzed data from 1479 adults who underwent HSCT between 2005 and 2017 to investigate the effects of aGvHD prophylaxis and time-dependent risk factors on the development of grades II-IV aGvHD within 100 days post-HSCT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma have better outcomes from rituximab immuno-chemotherapy when they have adequate vitamin D levels, particularly among women.
  • - A study on vitamin D supplementation showed that NK cells had increased expression of several IFN-α subtypes after reaching sufficient vitamin D levels, enhancing their cytotoxic abilities.
  • - While some pathways related to cytokine production and certain genes were downregulated post-supplementation, the increase in IFN-α expression helps explain the improved immune response in patients with adequate vitamin D.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct subtype of B-cell lymphoma and commonly used induction immunochemotherapies include the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab. However, efficacy data for rituximab regarding overall survival (OS) in first line MCL therapy remain conflicting.We report long-term outcomes of a pooled trials analysis comparing Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicine, Vincristine, Prednisone (CHOP) to R-CHOP in MCL to confirm efficacy on failure free survival (FFS) and OS in relevant subgroups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite recent advances in the therapy of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (DLBCL), around 30% of patients develop refractory disease or relapse after first-line treatment. Recently, Ars2 was reported as the auto-antigenic target of the B-cell receptor (BCR) in approximately 25% of activated B-cell DLBCL cases. Ars2 could be used to specifically target B cells expressing Ars2-reactive BCRs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasia (BPDCN) is a rare myeloid malignancy with a generally poor prognosis. Although preliminary evidence suggests that hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) could improve outcome in patients with BPDCN, the individual contributions of conditioning and graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects to HCT success are undefined. We present a retrospective study of 162 adult patients who underwent a first HCT (allogeneic 146, autologous 16) between 2009 and 2017, and were registered with the EBMT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases have a greater risk of severe COVID-19 and may not produce sufficient immune responses after vaccination, particularly if they are undergoing active treatment.
  • A study found that 26% of patients did not develop detectable antibody levels after receiving two COVID-19 vaccine doses, with most of these patients receiving active therapy.
  • Those on certain therapies, especially anti-CD20 treatment, exhibited significantly lower antibody responses compared to healthy controls, highlighting the need for careful monitoring of vaccine efficacy in these populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy has substantially improved outcomes for patients with B-cell malignancies. The mechanisms of action of rituximab include activation of natural killer cells. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) mediate natural killer cell function through interaction with HLA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * In a study of 36 patients receiving high-dose melphalan before CAR T-cell therapy or allogeneic SCT, 66.7% showed a treatment response, with 39.4% experiencing partial remission and 27.73% achieving complete remission.
  • * Despite promising remission rates, the overall two-year survival was only 15.8%, largely due to high non-relapse mortality associated with intensive treatments, particularly in allogeneic SCT patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Lymphomas are a variety of cancer that develop from lymphoid tissues, and recent research has focused on identifying genetic changes associated with these diseases.
  • The World Health Organization now includes many of these genetic alterations in their diagnostic criteria, making accurate identification essential for patient evaluation.
  • Advances in molecular diagnostics not only enhance understanding and monitoring of lymphomas but also influence treatment decisions and stratification based on risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Precision cancer medicine (PCM) uses comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to guide targeted therapies, but its cost-effectiveness is still uncertain due to challenges in outcome measurement.
  • Early trials showed only modest treatment benefits, but evaluating endpoints like the progression-free survival (PFS) ratio may help clarify results.
  • Although costs for next-generation sequencing (NGS) are decreasing, targeted therapies can be expensive; clinical frameworks from organizations like ESMO are crucial for optimizing the use of PCM and enhancing its value in treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF