Ibrutinib followed by ofatumumab consolidation in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): GELLC-7 trial from the Spanish group of CLL (GELLC).

Background: BTK inhibitors have been concurrently administered with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, the optimal regimen for combining these two drugs remains pending.

Methods: This multi-center phase 2 study aimed to analyze whether consolidation with ofatumumab improved the response in patients with CLL receiving front-line treatment with ibrutinib.

EEG before chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and early after onset of immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome.

Background: Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) is common after chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of preinfusion electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities and EEG findings at ICANS onset for predicting ICANS risk and severity in 56 adult patients with refractory lymphoma undergoing CAR-T therapy.

Study Design: EEGs were conducted at the time of lymphodepleting chemotherapy and shortly after onset of ICANS.

Torque Teno Virus plasma DNA load: a novel prognostic biomarker in CAR-T therapy.

Torque Teno Virus (TTV) is a single-stranded circular DNA virus which has been identified as a surrogate marker of immune competence in transplantation. In this study we investigated the dynamics of plasma TTV DNAemia in 79 adult patients undergoing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, also evaluating the impact of TTV on immunotoxicities, response and survival outcomes. After lymphodepleting therapy, TTV DNA load was found to decrease slightly until reaching nadir around day 10, after which it increased steadily until reaching maximum load around day 90.

Impact of SCHOLAR-1 Criteria on Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy Efficacy in Aggressive B Lymphoma: A Real-World GELTAMO/GETH Study.

In the pre-chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy era, the SCHOLAR-1 study identified a group of patients with refractory aggressive B cell lymphoma (ABCL) with particularly poor prognoses. We recently published our real-world data from Spain, focused on this SCHOLAR-1 refractory group, and compared patients who underwent CAR-T therapy with the previous standard of care. In this study, we found that the efficacy of CAR-T therapy in refractory patients, in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), was superior to that of the treatments available in the pre-CAR-T era.

Feasibility and outcomes after dose reduction of immunochemotherapy in young adults with Burkitt lymphoma and leukemia: results of the BURKIMAB14 trial.

High dose-intensive or infusional intermediate-dose immunochemotherapy is highly effective treatment for Burkitt lymphoma irrespective of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, toxicities of these regimens are relevant, especially in older adults and elderly patients. The prospective multicenter BURKIMAB14 trial included four to six blocks of immunochemotherapy according to stage (localized: 1 and 2 non-bulky; advanced: 2 bulky, 3, 4) and age, with dose reduction in patients >55 years old.

Low-risk HPLLs/ABC score patients with splenic marginal zone lymphoma can be safely managed without treatment: Results from a prospective Spanish study.

The aims of our study were to analyse compliance with the 2014 GELTAMO SMZL Guidelines, in patients with splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL), and to evaluate the outcome according to the HPLLs/ABC-adapted therapeutic strategy. Observational prospective multicenter study of 181 SMZL patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2020. Lymphoma-specific survival (LSS), composite event-free survival (CEFS) and response rates were assessed.

SARS-CoV-2-reactive antibody waning, booster effect and breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant and cell therapy recipients at one year after vaccination.

The kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 reactive IgG antibodies after full vaccination and booster in allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT, ASCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) are of utmost importance for estimating risk of infection. A prospective multicenter registry-based cohort study, conducted from December 2020 to July 2022 was used to analyze antibody waning over time, booster effect and the relationship of antibody response and breakthrough infection in 572 recipients (429 allo-HSCT, 121 ASCT and 22 CAR-T cell therapy). A significant decline in antibody titers was observed at 3 and 6 months after full vaccination in recipients without pre-vaccine SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas recipients infected prior to vaccination showed higher and stable antibody titers over time.

Different prognostic impact of recurrent gene mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia depending on IGHV gene somatic hypermutation status: a study by ERIC in HARMONY.

Recent evidence suggests that the prognostic impact of gene mutations in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may differ depending on the immunoglobulin heavy variable (IGHV) gene somatic hypermutation (SHM) status. In this study, we assessed the impact of nine recurrently mutated genes (BIRC3, EGR2, MYD88, NFKBIE, NOTCH1, POT1, SF3B1, TP53, and XPO1) in pre-treatment samples from 4580 patients with CLL, using time-to-first-treatment (TTFT) as the primary end-point in relation to IGHV gene SHM status. Mutations were detected in 1588 (34.

Accuracy and prognostic impact of FDG PET/CT and biopsy in bone marrow assessment of follicular lymphoma at diagnosis: A Nation-Wide cohort study.

Backgound: In the workup of follicular lymphoma (FL), bone marrow biopsy (BMB) assessment is a key component of FLIPI and FLIPI2, the most widely used outcome scores. During the previous decade, several studies explored the role of FDG-PET/CT for detecting nodal and extranodal disease, with only one large study comparing both techniques.

Methods: The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and the prognostic impact of both procedures in a retrospective cohort of 299 FL patients with both tests performed at diagnosis.

Best Treatment Option for Patients With Refractory Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma in the CAR-T Cell Era: Real-World Evidence From GELTAMO/GETH Spanish Groups.

Real-world evidence comparing the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy against that of the previous standard of care (SOC) for refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is scarce. We retrospectively collected data from patients with LBCL according to SCHOLAR-1 criteria treated with commercial CAR T-cell therapy in Spain (204 patients included and 192 treated, 101 with axicabtagene ciloleucel [axi-cel], and 91 with tisagenlecleucel [tisa-cel]) and compared the results with a historical refractory population of patients (n = 81) obtained from the GELTAMO-IPI study. We observed superior efficacy for CAR-T therapy (for both axi-cel and tisa-cel) over pSOC, with longer progression-free survival (PFS) (median of 5.

Applicability of probabilistic graphical models for early detection of SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in hematological patients.

Prior studies of antibody response after full SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in hematological patients have confirmed lower antibody levels compared to the general population. Serological response in hematological patients varies widely according to the disease type and its status, and the treatment given and its timing with respect to vaccination. Through probabilistic machine learning graphical models, we estimated the conditional probabilities of having detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at 3-6 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in a large cohort of patients with several hematological diseases (n= 1166).

Multi-body-site colonization screening cultures for predicting multi-drug resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteremia in hematological patients.

Background: To investigate the multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDRB) colonization rate in hematological patients hospitalized for any cause using a multi-body-site surveillance approach, and determine the extent to which this screening strategy helped anticipate MDRB bloodstream infections (BSI).

Methods: Single-center retrospective observational study including 361 admissions documented in 250 adult patients. Surveillance cultures of nasal, pharyngeal, axillary and rectal specimens (the latter two combined) were performed at admission and subsequently on a weekly basis.

Restoration of the immune function as a complementary strategy to treat Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia effectively.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is a hematological malignancy characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of B-cells and severe immune dysfunction. Chemo(immuno)therapies (CIT) have traditionally aimed to reduce tumor burden without fully understanding their effects on the immune system. As a consequence, CIT are usually associated with higher risk of infections, secondary neoplasms and autoimmune disorders.

Real-World Characteristics and Outcome of Patients Treated With Single-Agent Ibrutinib for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Spain (IBRORS-LLC Study).

Background: Ibrutinib demonstrated remarkable efficacy and favorable tolerability in patients with untreated or relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including those with high-risk genetic alterations. The IBRORS-CLL study assessed the characteristics, clinical management and outcome of CLL patients receiving ibrutinib in routine clinical practice in Spain.

Patients: Observational, retrospective, multicenter study in CLL patients who started single-agent ibrutinib as first-line treatment or at first or second relapse between January 2016 and January 2019.

A randomized phase II study comparing consolidation with a single dose of Y ibritumomab tiuxetan maintenance with rituximab for two years in patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma responding to R-CHOP. Long-term follow-up results.

This is a randomized phase-2 trial aimed to compare consolidation vs. maintenance in untreated patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) responding to induction. 146 patients were enrolled from 25 Spanish institutions (ZAR2007; ClinicalTrials.