CAR-T from cord blood in a patient with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapsing after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

While there is intense interest in the production of allogeneic CAR-T cells from umbilical cord units, little is known about the reactivity and persistence of CAR-T cells of umbilical origin. We report the case of a patient at our hematological center with multiple relapsing Ph+ B-ALL, notably a Blinatunomab non-responder, who underwent therapy with Brexucabtagene Autoleucel following relapse on Ponatinib post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The patient achieved a rapid CAR-T expansion and durable remission presenting in good clinical conditions 6 months post-CAR-T infusion, without manifestations of graft-versus-host disease.

Unlocking Predictive Power: Quantitative Assessment of CAR-T Expansion with Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR).

Flow cytometry (FCM) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) are conventional methods for assessing CAR-T expansion, while digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) is emerging as a promising alternative. We monitored CAR-T transcript expansion in 40 B-NHL patients post-infusion of CAR-T products (axi-cel; tisa-cel; and brexu-cel) with both His-Tag FCM and ddPCR techniques. Sensitivity and predictive capacity for efficacy and safety outcomes of ddPCR were analyzed and compared with FCM.

PlentiPlex™ MYD88 Waldenström lymphoma qPCR assay: A highly sensitive method for detection of MYD88 L265P mutation.

Introduction: Agarose gel-based conventional and real-time allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) assays are currently used for sensitive detection and quantification of MYD88 L265P mutation. Visual inspection of an agarose gel can often be ambiguous. We propose a new allele-specific quantification PCR (AS-qPCR) assay, PlentiPlex™ MYD88 Waldenström lymphoma qPCR assay, that uses Intercalating Nucleic Acid (INA®) technology for increased affinity and specificity.

Serological and Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis C Virus-Related Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis in Patients without Cryoprecipitate.

Prolonged B cells stimulation due to the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can result in autoimmunity, stigmatized by rising levels of cryoglobulins (CGs), the rheumatoid factor (RF), and free light chains (FLC) of immunoglobulins (Ig) associated with a range of symptoms, from their absence to severe cryoglobulinemic vasculitis and lymphoma. Here, we aimed to identify an immunological signature for the earliest stages of vasculitis when cryoprecipitate is still not detectable. We firstly analyzed the IgG subclasses, FLC, and RF in 120 HCV-RNA-positive patients divided into four groups according to the type of cryoprecipitate and symptoms: 30 asymptomatic without cryoprecipitate (No Cryo), 30 with vasculitis symptoms but without CGs that we supposed were circulating but still not detectable (Circulating), 30 type II and 30 type III mixed cryoglobulinemia (Cryo II and Cryo III, respectively).

Single-dose versus short-course prophylactic antibiotics for peroral endoscopic myotomy: a randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been recommended for achalasia treatment. To prevent the potential of infective risk, antibiotic prophylaxis is usually administered, whereas the additional need of antibiotic therapy after POEM is uncertain. The primary endpoint was to determine whether prophylaxis versus prophylaxis plus short therapy was needed after POEM.