COVID-19 Severity and Survival over Time in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Population-Based Registry Study.

Mortality rates for COVID-19 have declined over time in the general population, but data in patients with hematologic malignancies are contradictory. We identified independent prognostic factors for COVID-19 severity and survival in unvaccinated patients with hematologic malignancies, compared mortality rates over time and versus non-cancer inpatients, and investigated post COVID-19 condition. Data were analyzed from 1166 consecutive, eligible patients with hematologic malignancies from the population-based HEMATO-MADRID registry, Spain, with COVID-19 prior to vaccination roll-out, stratified into early (February-June 2020; = 769 (66%)) and later (July 2020-February 2021; = 397 (34%)) cohorts.

Impact of measurable residual disease by decentralized flow cytometry: a PETHEMA real-world study in 1076 patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The role of decentralized assessment of measurable residual disease (MRD) for risk stratification in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains largely unknown, and so it does which methodological aspects are critical to empower the evaluation of MRD with prognostic significance, particularly if using multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC). We analyzed 1076 AML patients in first remission after induction chemotherapy, in whom MRD was evaluated by MFC in local laboratories of 60 Hospitals participating in the PETHEMA registry. We also conducted a survey on technical aspects of MRD testing to determine the impact of methodological heterogeneity in the prognostic value of MFC.

Impact of hematologic malignancy and type of cancer therapy on COVID-19 severity and mortality: lessons from a large population-based registry study.

Background: Patients with cancer have been shown to have a higher risk of clinical severity and mortality compared to non-cancer patients with COVID-19. Patients with hematologic malignancies typically are known to have higher levels of immunosuppression and may develop more severe respiratory viral infections than patients with solid tumors. Data on COVID-19 in patients with hematologic malignancies are limited.

Improving the prediction of acute myeloid leukaemia outcomes by complementing mutational profiling with ex vivo chemosensitivity.

Refractoriness to induction therapy and relapse after complete remission are the leading causes of death in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This study focussed on the prediction of response to standard induction therapy and outcome of patients with AML using a combined strategy of mutational profiling by next-generation sequencing (NGS, n = 190) and ex vivo PharmaFlow testing (n = 74) for the 10 most widely used drugs for AML induction therapy, in a cohort of adult patients uniformly treated according to Spanish PETHEMA guidelines. We identified an adverse mutational profile (EZH2, KMT2A, U2AF1 and/or TP53 mutations) that carries a greater risk of death [hazard ratio (HR): 3·29, P < 0·0001].

A precision medicine test predicts clinical response after idarubicin and cytarabine induction therapy in AML patients.

Complete remission (CR) after induction therapy is the first treatment goal in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and has prognostic impact. Our purpose is to determine the correlation between the observed CR/CRi rate after idarubicin (IDA) and cytarabine (CYT) 3 + 7 induction and the leukemic chemosensitivity measured by an ex vivo test of drug activity. Bone marrow samples from adult patients with newly diagnosed AML were included in this study.

Economic Analysis of the Reduction of Blood Transfusions during Surgical Procedures While Continuous Hemoglobin Monitoring Is Used.

Background: Two million transfusions are performed in Spain every year. These come at a high economic price for the health system, increasing the morbidity and mortality rates. The way of obtaining the hemoglobin concentration value is via invasive and intermittent methods, the results of which take time to obtain.

Azacitidine improves outcome in higher-risk MDS patients with chromosome 7 abnormalities: a retrospective comparison of GESMD and GFM registries.

Treatment with azacitidine (AZA) has been suggested to be of benefit for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS) patients with chromosome 7 abnormalities (Abn 7). This retrospective study of 235 HR-MDS patients with Abn 7 treated with AZA (n = 115) versus best supportive care (BSC; n = 120), assessed AZA treatment as a time-varying variable in multivariable analysis. A Cox Regression model with time-interaction terms of overall survival (OS) at different time points confirmed that, while chromosome 7 cytogenetic categories (complex karyotype [CK] versus non-CK) and International Prognostic Scoring System risk (high versus intermediate-2) retained poor prognosis over time, AZA treatment had a favourable impact on OS during the first 3 years of treatment compared to BSC (Hazard ratio [HR] 0·5 P < 0·001 at 1 year, 0·7 P = 0·019 at 2 years; 0·73 P = 0·029 at 3 years).

Sirolimus as part of immunosuppressive therapy for refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Many patients receiving allogeneic stem cells develop chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), which remains as the main cause of morbidity and mortality. Although the first line of therapy is generally with steroids, it is not well known how to manage refractory cases. Those patients are usually treated with alternative experimental agents.

Efficacy and safety of linezolid compared with vancomycin in a randomized, double-blind study of febrile neutropenic patients with cancer.

Background: Gram-positive pathogens can cause serious infections in neutropenic patients with cancer, and vancomycin therapy is often initiated empirically. Linezolid may offer an option for these patients.

Methods: To compare the safety and efficacy of linezolid and vancomycin in febrile, neutropenic patients with cancer, we conducted a double-blind, multicenter equivalence study.

Risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing transplantation with CD34+ selected blood cells from HLA-identical siblings.

A study on 315 patients undergoing transplantation with CD34+ selected blood cells from HLA-identical siblings was performed to determine risk factors for acute GVHD (aGVHD). Recipients of a dose of CD34+ cells (x 10(6)/kg) of 2 or less, more than 2 to 4, and more than 4 had a cumulative incidence of aGVHD grades I-IV of 21%, 35%, and 43%, respectively (log-rank P =.01); similarly, recipients of a dose of CD3+ cells (x 10(6)/kg) of 0.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation with monoclonal antibody purged marrow for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in second remission. Spanish Working Party for BMT in Children.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of children with acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) in second remission who have undergone high-dose chemotherapy and radiotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) with monoclonal antibody purged marrow, and to determine the main prognostic factors. From 1987 to 1992, 55 children with ALL in second remission underwent ABMT. The conditioning regimen consisted of total body irradiation (TBI) plus cyclophosphamide in 21 patients and TBI plus cyclophosphamide plus cytarabine or VP-16 in 28 patients; the remaining six patients were treated with chemotherapy alone (cyclophosphamide and busulfan, and/or VP-16).

Controlled-rate versus uncontrolled-rate cryopreservation of peripheral blood progenitor cells: a prospective multicenter study. Group for Cryobiology and Biology of Bone Marrow Transplantation (CBTMO), Spain.

Background And Objective: Cryopreservation of hemopoietic progenitors for transplantation has been traditionally performed by the use of a controlled-rate freezer. Several groups have reported successful cryopreservation of progenitor cells at -80 degrees C without a controlled-rate freezer. In an attempt to elucidate whether both methods are equally efficient, we compared controlled-rate versus uncontrolled cryopreservation of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) in a prospective, multicenter study.

Mantle cell lymphoma with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (motor neuron disease).

We describe a previously unreported case of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) associated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a 63-year-old woman with a 1-year history of weakness of arm and leg muscles. The both molecular-genetic and flow cytometry analysis of lymphocytes of peripheral blood (PB) demonstrated leukemic phase of MCL.

High-dose granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in vitro induces the growth of high proliferative potential colony forming cells (HPP-CFC) in patients undergoing blood stem cell mobilization.

We evaluated the role of high-dose granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in vitro, in inducing the generation of high-proliferative potential colony forming cells (HPP-CFC), from either mononuclear cells or purified CD34+ cells. Both normal controls and patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization and transplantation were studied. In serum-driven agar cultures, G-CSF stimulated the proliferation of HPP-CFC in a dose dependent manner (r = 0.

Subcutaneous versus intravenous low-dose IL-2 therapy after autologous transplantation: results of a prospective, non-randomized study.

Use of IL-2 therapy after autologous transplantation is currently being explored to reduce relapse rate. Low doses of the cytokine induce significant immunomodulation avoiding the severe side-effects associated with high-dose IL-2 therapy. However, low-dose IL-2 is usually given by continuous infusion through central venous lines with the consequent risks of thrombosis and infections.

IL-2 effects on allogeneic and autologous transplant haemopoietic progenitors in long-term cultures.

IL-2 therapy may be useful in situations with a low tumour burden, such as after autologous transplantation. However, conflicting reports about the deleterious effects of this cytokine on haemopoiesis have precluded its widespread use. To study IL-2 effects on haemopoietic transplant progenitors we established long-term cultures (Dexter-type) with cells from allogeneic marrow and marrow/peripheral blood cell infusates of autologous transplants with different concentrations of IL-2 (0-1000 IU/ml).

Posttransfusion hepatitis after induction chemotherapy in acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia: implications for long-term management and outcome.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate 1) the incidence of hepatitis and its influence on the clinical management of and outcome in acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) patients in first complete remission and 2) the impact of routine hepatitis C virus screening on the incidence of hepatitis in these patients.

Study Design And Methods: Clinical and blood bank charts were reviewed for 65 consecutive ANLL patients between 1985 and 1993 who achieved complete remission after a course of daunomycin and cytarabine (cytarabine: 200 mg/m2/day x 7 days in continuous infusion; daunomycin: 60 mg/m2/day for the first 3 days of the 7, as a bolus).

Results: Only 43 percent of patients who developed hepatitis completed the scheduled therapy.