Age, successive waves, immunization, and mortality in elderly COVID-19 hematological patients: EPICOVIDEHA findings.

Objectives: Elderly patients with hematologic malignancies face the highest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The infection's impact on different age groups remains unstudied in detail.

Methods: We analyzed elderly patients (age groups: 65-70, 71-75, 76-80, and >80 years old) with hematologic malignancies included in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between January 2020 and July 2022.

Bloodstream infections due to Gram-negative bacteria in patients with hematologic malignancies: updated epidemiology and risk factors for multidrug-resistant strains in an Italian perspective survey.

Bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in patients with hematological malignancies (HM) have been associated with high mortality rates, particularly with infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains. A multicenter cohort study including all consecutive episodes of GNB BSI in HM patients was conducted to update the epidemiology and antibiotic resistance patterns (compared to our previous survey conducted between 2009 and 2012) and investigate risk factors for GNB BSI due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. A total of 834 GNB were recovered in 811 BSI episodes from January 2016 to December 2018.

Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ph-neg chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms: results from the EPICOVIDEHA registry.

Background: Patients with Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) typically incur high rates of infections and both drugs and comorbidities may modulate infection risk.

Objectives: The present study aims to assess the effect of immunosuppressive agents on clinical outcomes of MPN patients affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Design: This is an observational study.

Internet of Things (IoT) for Soil Moisture Tensiometer Automation.

Monitoring of water retention behavior in soils is an essential process to schedule irrigation. To this end, soil moisture tensiometers usually equipped with mechanical manometers provide an easy and cost-effective monitoring of tension in unsaturated soils. Yet, periodic manual monitoring of many devices is a tedious task hindering the full exploitation of soil moisture tensiometers.

Simultaneous Onset of Haematological Malignancy and COVID: An Epicovideha Survey.

Background: The outcome of patients with simultaneous diagnosis of haematological malignancies (HM) and COVID-19 is unknown and there are no specific treatment guidelines. Methods: We describe the clinical features and outcome of a cohort of 450 patients with simultaneous diagnosis of HM and COVID-19 registered in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between March 2020 to February 2022. Results: Acute leukaemia and lymphoma were the most frequent HM (35.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in a Woman with Thalassemia Intermedia: Case Report and Review of Literature on Hematological Malignancies in β-Thalassemia Patients.

Patients affected by transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia are prone to developing several clinical complications, mostly related to the iron overload. We report the case of a patient affected by transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) developing acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In our case, the therapeutic management was significantly complicated not only by myocardial dysfunction, but also by the occurrence of the differentiation syndrome following all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) administration.

COVID-19 in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients: a long-term follow-up study from the European Hematology Association survey (EPICOVIDEHA).

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are at high risk of dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The optimal management of AML patients with COVID-19 has not been established. Our multicenter study included 388 adult AML patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and October 2021.

A High-Risk Profile for Invasive Fungal Infections Is Associated with Altered Nasal Microbiota and Niche Determinants.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the communities of microorganisms that populate the surfaces exposed to the external environment, termed microbiota, are key players in the regulation of pathogen-host cross talk affecting the onset as well as the outcome of infectious diseases. We have performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study in which nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected for microbiota predicting the risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in patients with hematological malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that the nasal and oropharyngeal microbiota are different, although similar characteristics differentiate high-risk from low-risk samples at both sites.

COVID-19 in vaccinated adult patients with hematological malignancies: preliminary results from EPICOVIDEHA.

In a Plenary Paper, Mittelman and colleagues assess the relative clinical efficacy of mRNA vaccination on COVID-19 disease incidence and outcomes in patients with hematologic malignancies compared with healthy matched controls. This population-based study from Israel links prior observations of poor serologic responses to vaccination to higher risk for breakthrough infection, hospitalization, and death in patients with blood cancer, especially those on active antineoplastic therapy. In an accompanying Letter to , Pagano et al provide supportive data using a multination survey approach to capture outcomes for COVID-19 in vaccinated patients with hematologic neoplasms.

Invasive aspergillosis in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia patients: Results from SEIFEM 2016-B survey.

Background: In patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (R/R AML) who received salvage chemotherapy, limited and not updated studies explored the incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and the role of antifungal prophylaxis (AP). The aims of this multicentre retrospective 'SEIFEM 2016-B' study were as follows: (1) to evaluate the current rate and the outcome of proven/probable IA and (2) to assess the efficacy of AP, in a large 'real life' series of patient with R/R AML submitted to salvage chemotherapy.

Results: Of 2250 R/R AML patients, a total of 74 cases of IA (5.

COVID-19 infection in adult patients with hematological malignancies: a European Hematology Association Survey (EPICOVIDEHA).

Background: Patients with hematological malignancies (HM) are at high risk of mortality from SARS-CoV-2 disease 2019 (COVID-19). A better understanding of risk factors for adverse outcomes may improve clinical management in these patients. We therefore studied baseline characteristics of HM patients developing COVID-19 and analyzed predictors of mortality.

Disseminated Infection in a Patient with Ph-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Case Report and Literature Review.

Invasive fungal infection (IFI) remains the major complication in patients with either acute leukemia, allogeneic stem cell transplantation setting, or both, especially regarding pulmonary localization. We report an experience of a 74-year-old Caucasian male with a Philadelphia-positive (BCR-ABL p190) Common B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who developed a pulmonary infection due to . Furthermore, we describe the management of this complication and the results of microbiological tests useful to guide the treatment.

Bacterial Inoculants Mitigating Water Scarcity in Tomato: The Importance of Long-Term Experiments.

Global population growth and climate change raise a challenge to agriculture, which, combined with the issues concerning the use of chemical fertilizers, have generated increasing attention in the use of plant-associated bacteria as a sustainable strategy in agri-food systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of five bacterial strains, previously isolated from the rhizosphere or endosphere of plants adapted to harsh environmental conditions, to act as potential plant biofertilizers in different conditions of water availability. The strain biosafety for a deliberate environmental release was investigated through a literature survey and antibiotic resistance testing.

Extramedullary Involvement in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. A Single Center Ten Years' Experience.

The incidence, risk factors, and prognostic significance of extramedullary involvement (EMI) in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have not been established yet. This study analyzed clinical and biological characteristics, the impact on prognosis, and the cumulative incidence of EMI in a monocentric retrospective series. All adult patients diagnosed with AML observed in our institution between January 2010 and December 2017 were included in the analysis.

Pharyngeal Microbial Signatures Are Predictive of the Risk of Fungal Pneumonia in Hematologic Patients.

The ability to predict invasive fungal infections (IFI) in patients with hematological malignancies is fundamental for successful therapy. Although gut dysbiosis is known to occur in hematological patients, whether airway dysbiosis also contributes to the risk of IFI has not been investigated. Nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected for functional microbiota characterization in 173 patients with hematological malignancies recruited in a multicenter, prospective, observational study and stratified according to the risk of developing IFI.

Impact of invasive aspergillosis occurring during first induction therapy on outcome of acute myeloid leukaemia (SEIFEM-12B study).

Background: Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients are at high risk of invasive aspergillosis (IA) after first induction chemotherapy (CHT). Although IA risk factors have been identified, few data are available on impact of IA, occurring during induction phase, on overall AML outcome.

Patients And Results: The end point of this multicentre, case-control, study was to evaluate whether IA, occurring after first induction CHT, can affect treatment schedule and patient's outcome.

Developments in identifying and managing mucormycosis in hematologic cancer patients.

Introduction: Mucormycoses represent a rare but very aggressive class of mold infections occurring in patients with hematological malignancies (HMs). In the past, patients at high risk of invasive mucomycosis (IM) were those affected by acute myeloid leukemia but over the last ten years the prophylaxis with a very effective mold-active drug, such as posaconazole, has completely modified the epidemiology. In fact, IM is now observed more frequently in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders who do not receive antifungal prophylaxis.