Long-term complete remission in a patient with high-risk primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma and iatrogenic symptomatic bradycardia after only two courses of DA-EPOCH-R followed by chemo-free treatment.

Most patients with Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma (PMBCL) are cured by rituximab and doxorubicin-based immunochemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy. In cases with relapsed and refractory (RR) disease the prognosis was historically poor. Recently, immune checkpoint-based strategies have been shown to be highly effective in patients with RR-PMBCL.

Patients with multiple myeloma infected with COVID-19 during autologous stem cell transplantation.

Despite the global vaccination campaigns, certain patient groups remain highly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 and are at high risk for unfavorable COVID-19 outcomes. As previously shown by our group and a more recent report by Chang Su and coworkers, patients with multiple myeloma (MM) undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) represent one of such high-risk populations. This is due to the underlying disease-related immunodeficiency, suboptimal response to vaccines, heavy exposure to dexamethasone, and the use of high-dose melphalan prior to the ASCT procedure.

Anti-PD1 Consolidation in Patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma at High Risk of Relapse after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: A Multicenter Real-Life Study.

(1) Background: Consolidation therapy is an emerging strategy for patients with relapsed/refractory (RR) Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) at high risk of failing salvage autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). (2) Objectives: To assess the safety and effectiveness of PD1-blockade consolidation for these high-risk patients. (3) Design: Multi-center retrospective analysis.

Post-exposure prophylaxis with sotrovimab for Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 variant during the aplastic phase of autologous stem cell transplantation.

Background: To date, there is no information on the safety and efficacy of the novel anti-sarbecoviruses monoclonal antibody sotrovimab administered, as a post-exposure prophylactic measure, during the aplastic phase of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).

Methods: We describe the outcomes of a Multiple Myeloma (MM) patient, who was threateningly exposed to the Omicron (B.1.

A phase II study of dose-dense and dose-intense ABVD (ABVDDD-DI ) without consolidation radiotherapy in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.

We explored activity and safety of a dose-dense/dose-intense adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine regimen (ABVDDD-DI ) in 82 patients with advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma. Patients entered a two-stage Bryant-Day Phase II study to receive six cycles of ABVDDD-DI without consolidation radiotherapy. Cycles were supported with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and delivered every 21 d; drugs were administered on days 1 and 11 at the same doses of standard ABVD except for doxorubicin (35 mg/m2; first four cycles only).

RD-CODOX-M/IVAC with rituximab and intrathecal liposomal cytarabine in adult Burkitt lymphoma and 'unclassifiable' highly aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

Specific trials on adult Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and 'unclassifiable' lymphomas with features intermediate between BL and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (BL/DLBCL) are advocated which include substantial numbers of older patients, to improve treatment feasibility, while countering risks of systemic and central nervous system (CNS) recurrences. We prospectively evaluated a modified CODOX-M/IVAC (CODOX-M: cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, high-dose methotrexate; IVAC: ifosfamide, etoposide and high-dose cytarabine) regimen by the addition of rituximab (R) and liposome-encapsulated cytarabine (D) to increase antitumour activity and halve the number of intrathecal treatments. Thirty adults (40% >60years) with BL (n=15) and BL/DLBCL (n=15) were accrued.

Efficacy and safety of the third-generation chloroethylnitrosourea fotemustine for the treatment of chemorefractory T-cell lymphomas.

Patients with recurring T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) are incurable and candidate for investigational agents. Here, we report on five patients with T-NHL refractory to multiple chemotherapy lines, including in all cases alkylators and gemcitabine, who received the third-generation chloroethylnitrosourea fotemustine at a dose of 120 mg/m(2) every 21 d, up to eight courses. Median actual dose intensity was 79%; toxicity was manageable and mainly hematological.

Biweekly rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, non-pegylated liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin and prednisone (R-COMP-14) in elderly patients with poor-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and moderate to high 'life threat' impact cardiopathy.

This Phase II study assessed feasibility and efficacy of a biweekly R-COMP-14 regimen (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, non-pegylated liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) in untreated elderly patients with poor-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and moderate to high 'life threat' impact NIA/NCI cardiac comorbidity. A total of 208 courses were delivered, with close cardiac monitoring, to 41 patients (median age: 73years, range: 62-82; 37% >75years) at a median interval of 15·6 (range, 13-29) days; 67% completed all six scheduled courses. Response rate was 73%, with 68% complete responses (CR); 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) and time to treatment failure (TTF) were 72% and 49%, respectively.

Long-term results of gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin with and without rituximab as salvage treatment for transplant-ineligible patients with refractory/relapsing B-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy and safety of the combination of gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin, with and without rituximab, in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma unsuitable for high dose therapy.

Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled in two subsequent trials, GEMOX [gemcitabine (1200 mg/m(2), days 1 and 8) and oxaliplatin (120 mg/m(2), day 2), three-weekly] and R-GEMOX [rituximab (375 mg/m(2), day 1), gemcitabine (1200 mg/m(2), day 1) and oxaliplatin (120 mg/m(2), day 2), bi-weekly], up to six courses.

Results: Sixty-two patients were enrolled: GEMOX [n = 30; median age, 66 years (range, 46-85); previous chemotherapy > or =2, 70%; PS ECOG > or = 2, 57%]; R-GEMOX [n = 32; median age, 65 years (range 32-79); previous chemotherapy > or =2, 75%; PS ECOG > or = 2, 47%].

Glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol-defective granulocytes from paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria patients show increased bacterial ingestion but reduced respiratory burst induction.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is characterized by the emergence of a GPI-defective clonal hematopoiesis. Its clinical features are hemolytic anemia, cytopenia, and thrombosis. Circulating monocytes and granulocytes are largely GPI-defective in PNH patients.

T cells from paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) patients show an altered CD40-dependent pathway.

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a haematopoiesis disorder characterized by the expansion of a stem cell bearing a somatic mutation in the phosphatidylinositol glycan-A (PIG-A) gene, which is involved in the biosynthesis of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. A number of data suggest the inability of the PIG-A mutation to account alone for the clonal dominance of the GPI-defective clone and for the development of PNH. In this context, additional immune-mediated mechanisms have been hypothesized.

GPI-defective monocytes from paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients show impaired in vitro dendritic cell differentiation.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a clonal, acquired hematopoietic disorder characterized by a phosphatidylinositol (PI) glycan-A gene mutation, which impairs the synthesis of the glycosyl-PI (GPI) anchor, thus causing the absence of all GPI-linked proteins on the membrane of the clonal-defective cells. The presence of a consistent GPI-defective monocyte compartment is a common feature in PNH patients. To investigate the functional behavior of this population, we analyzed its in vitro differentiation ability toward functional dendritic cells (DCs).