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At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Marrow Donor Program mandated the cryopreservation of hematopoietic cell grafts from volunteer unrelated donors due to numerous patient and donor safety concerns and logistical hurdles. Using the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) outcomes database, we report the impact of cryopreservation on overall survival (OS) and other outcomes within one year following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We analyzed 1,543 recipients of cryopreserved allografts receiving HCT at US centers during the first 6-months of the pandemic and compared them to 2,499 recipients of fresh allografts during the same 6-month period in 2019. On multivariable regression analysis, we observed no difference in OS (HR, 1.12; 95% CI: 0.98-1.28; P=0.09), non-relapse mortality (HR, 1.01; 95% CI: 0.84-1.22; P=0.89), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), or GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (HR 1.03; 95% CI 0.93-1.14; P=0.58) in recipients of cryopreserved versus fresh allografts. Disease-free survival (DFS) was lower in the cryopreserved group (HR, 1.18; 95% CI: 1.05-1.33; P=0.006) due to a higher risk of relapse (HR, 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04-1.41; P=0.01). Primary graft failure was higher with cryopreservation (OR 1.48; 95% CI: 1.10-2.00; P=0.01) and the risk of chronic GVHD was lower (HR, 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50-0.84; P=0.001). In conclusion, while there was no negative impact of cryopreservation on OS, relapse was higher and DFS was lower. Fresh grafts are recommended as the pandemic related logistical hurdles resolve. Cryopreservation should be considered an option for patients when fresh grafts are not feasible.

Preclinical research shows that stress-induced activation of the sympathetic nervous system can promote hematopoietic malignancies via β-adrenoreceptor–mediated molecular pathways. Hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients exposed to conditions of chronic stress show activation of a conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) gene expression profile, which in turn is associated with increased relapse and decreased disease-free survival. We conducted a randomized controlled phase 2 biomarker trial testing the impact of the nonselective β-antagonist propranolol on CTRA-related gene expression of 25 individuals receiving an autologous HCT for multiple myeloma. Propranolol was administered for 1 week prior to and 4 weeks following HCT. Blood was collected at baseline, day −2, and day +28. Intention-to-treat analyses controlling for demographic characteristics, high-risk disease (International Myeloma Working Group risk score), and tumor stage tested effects on a 53-gene CTRA indicator profile and measures of CTRA-related cellular processes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Twelve participants were randomized to the intervention and 13 to the control. Relative to the control group, propranolol-treated patients showed greater decreases from baseline to HCT day −2 and day +28 for both CTRA gene expression (P = .017) and bioinformatic measures of CD16− classical monocyte activation (P = .005). Propranolol-treated patients also showed relative upregulation of CD34+ cell–associated gene transcripts (P = .011) and relative downregulation of myeloid progenitor–containing CD33+ cell–associated gene transcripts (P = .001). Ancillary analyses identified nonsignificant trends toward accelerated engraftment and reduced posttransplant infections in propranolol-treated patients. Peri-HCT propranolol inhibits cellular and molecular pathways associated with adverse outcomes. Changes in these pathways make propranolol a potential candidate for adjunctive therapy in cancer-related HCT.

Introduction. There is little information on the effect of donor body mass index (BMI) on mobilization response to Filgrastim (G-CSF), especially in the unrelated donor setting. Obesity has been associated with chronic low-grade inflammation due to chronic activation of the innate immune system. Obesity-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines can interfere with bone marrow SDF1/CXCR4 axis and promote mobilization of progenitor cells leading to persistent leukocytosis and an increase in number of circulating progenitor cells. Given a higher number of circulatory progenitor cells in obese individuals compared to non-obese, a reduced G-CSF dose in obese donors may elicit adequate response, thus reducing the adverse events associated with peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of donor BMI on G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cell yield in healthy donors. This study also examines whether there is a G-CSF dose threshold above which there is a significant increase in skeletal pain and other acute toxicities from mobilization without an appreciable increase in progenitor cell yield. Methods. The primary outcome was examination of CD34+ per liter of blood processed (x106/L) on Day 5 of G-CSF administration as a measure of collection yield. The secondary outcomes were the incidence of skeletal pain and highest toxicity level across selected body symptoms (fatigue, nausea, anorexia, insomnia, dizziness) at 24 hours after first G-CSF dose, day 1 to 5 of G-CSF administration, 2 days and 1-week post collection. The population studied was domestic unrelated G-CSF mobilized PBSC donors reported to the NMDP/CIBMTR between 2006 and 2016. G-CSF dosing was based on the NMDP weight-based dosing schema rounded to the nearest vial content. Donors were divided into normal, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese categories based on BMI. Multivariate analysis of collection yields between cohorts were done using linear regression analysis. Stepwise variable selection was used to add variables to the model: BMI group and G-CSF dose was forced into the final model as the variables of interest. Pain and acute toxicities at each time point were described using frequencies and compared between groups using chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test after adjusting for donor and baseline characteristics. Results. Examination of 20, 884 PBSC donors mobilized by G-CSF revealed a significant increase in collection yield in obese and morbidly obese compared to normal and overweight donors. Median CD34+ per liter of blood processed (x106/L) on Day 5 of G-CSF was 29.6, 36.4, 40.8 and 42.9 in normal, overweight, obese and morbidly obese donors, respectively (p Figure 1 shows the time course and degree of toxicities in different BMI categories. Obese and morbidly obese were more likely to experience grade 2-4 pain and toxicities compared with normal or overweight in both the peri-collection and early post-donation recovery period but by one week after donation most toxicities abated and there was no difference. Donors with a higher BMI were more likely to experience grade 2 to 4 skeletal pain 24 hours post first G-CSF dose, 2 days post donation and at day 1 to 5 G-CSF administration. In addition, donors with higher BMI were more likely to have grade 2-4 toxicities (fatigue, anorexia, insomnia) at day 1 to 5 of G-CSF and 2 days after collection. However, within each BMI group, incremental increase in G-CSF dose was not associated with greater pain or other toxicities. Conclusions. Our data indicates a correlation between average daily G-CSF dose and CD34+ cell yield in normal and overweight donors. However, in obese and morbidly obese donors, there was no benefit in CD34+ yield with increasing average daily G-CSF dose above 780 mcg and 900 mcg respectively. Therefore, there appears to be a maximum effective G-CSF dose for mobilization in obese and morbidly obese donors where higher doses of G-CSF add no additional benefit and may result in additional complications. Download : Download high-res image (677KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Pulsipher: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria; Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy.