Publications by authors named "Joerg Thomas Bittenbring"

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation after stem cell or solid organ transplantation remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this setting. T-cell receptor (TCR)-like antibodies bind to intracellular peptides presented in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules on the cell surface and may have the potential to replace T-cell function in immunocompromised patients. Three previously selected CMV-specific, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted (HLA-A*0101, HLA-A*0201 and HLA-B*0702) Fab-antibodies (A6, C1 and C7) were produced as IgG antibodies with Fc optimization.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.

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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.

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  • 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.
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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.

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  • * 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with the R-CHOP regime receive a high cumulative dose of prednisone. We used computer tomography-ascertained Hounsfield units (HU) as a surrogate parameter for bone mineral density (BMD) in three different locations of the L3 vertebral body at baseline and post-treatment. HU were measured in 50 patients with DLBCL of the previously published FLYER-trial which compared four cycles of R-CHOP + 2 × rituximab infusion to six cycles of R-CHOP in young, favorable DLBCL patients.

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Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) accounts for 5%-10% of all lymphomas. The disease's genetic hallmark is the t(11; 14)(q13; q32) translocation. In younger patients, the first-line treatment is chemoimmunotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation.

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The pathogenesis of autoimmune complications triggered by SARS-CoV2 has not been completely elucidated. Here, we performed an analysis of the cellular immune status, cell ratios, and monocyte populations of patients with COVID-19 treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) (cohort 1, N = 23) and normal care unit (NCU) (cohort 2, n = 10) compared with control groups: patients treated in ICU for noninfectious reasons (cohort 3, n = 30) and patients treated in NCU for infections other than COVID-19 (cohort 4, n = 21). Patients in cohort 1 presented significant differences in comparison with the other cohorts, including reduced frequencies of lymphocytes, reduced CD8+T-cell count, reduced percentage of activated and intermediate monocytes and an increased B/T8 cell ratio.

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Patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy are usually in need for central venous catheters (CVC). Due to contradictory study results, relation of insertion site and CVC-associated complication rate in these patients is not clear. We therefore retrospectively analyzed CVC-related data of all patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy with high risk of febrile neutropenia according to NCCN criteria, who received a CVC at our bone marrow transplantation unit between May 2016 and December 2019.

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  • The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is highly prevalent in adults, typically residing without symptoms until T cell immunity is weakened, potentially leading to serious health issues.
  • Researchers aimed to develop antibodies that target specific HLA/HCMV-peptides to improve therapeutic options, utilizing phage display technology to select suitable Fabs for multiple HLA alleles common in European populations.
  • These selected Fabs demonstrated the ability to bind specifically to HCMV-infected cells and, when linked to a toxin, could induce targeted cell death, suggesting potential for new treatments not only for viral infections but also for cancers.
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  • The study aimed to assess the prevalence of antibodies against progranulin (PGRN-abs) in both seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, using a sample of 481 participants.
  • PGRN-abs were found in 25.3% of seropositive and 21.0% of seronegative RA patients, leading to an overall prevalence of 23.7%, with PGRN-abs positive patients showing higher disease activity scores (DAS28).
  • The findings suggest that testing for PGRN-abs could potentially change the seronegative classification of some RA patients, indicating a need for further research to explore its role as a diagnostic marker in
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Vitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) deficiency impairs rituximab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and the outcome of patients with diffuse large B-cell and follicular lymphomas (DLBCL). Since the optimum 25-OH-D3 serum levels for NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) are unknown, we determined the 25-OH-D3 serum levels associated with maximum NK cell-mediated ADCC. CD20 antibody-loaded CD20 B-cell lymphoma cell lines were cultured with NK cells and ADCC activity was determined by lactate dehydrogenase release assays.

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