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Pleiotropy, which consists of a single gene or allelic variant affecting multiple unrelated traits, is common across cancers, with evidence for genome-wide significant loci shared across cancer and noncancer traits. This feature is particularly relevant in multiple myeloma (MM) because several susceptibility loci that have been identified to date are pleiotropic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify novel pleiotropic variants involved in MM risk using 28 684 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from GWAS Catalog that reached a significant association (P < 5 × 10−8) with their respective trait. The selected SNPs were analyzed in 2434 MM cases and 3446 controls from the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph). The 10 SNPs showing the strongest associations with MM risk in InterLymph were selected for replication in an independent set of 1955 MM cases and 1549 controls from the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMEnSE) consortium and 418 MM cases and 147 282 controls from the FinnGen project. The combined analysis of the three studies identified an association between DNAJB4-rs34517439-A and an increased risk of developing MM (OR = 1.22, 95%CI 1.13-1.32, P = 4.81 × 10−7). rs34517439-A is associated with a modified expression of the FUBP1 gene, which encodes a multifunctional DNA and RNA-binding protein that it was observed to influence the regulation of various genes involved in cell cycle regulation, among which various oncogenes and oncosuppressors. In conclusion, with a pleiotropic scan approach we identified DNAJB4-rs34517439 as a potentially novel MM risk locus.

Fragility scales are intended to help in therapeutic decisions. Here we asked if the fragility as-sessment in MM patients ≥75 years old qualified for treatment by the local physician correlates with the choice of treatment: a 2- or 3-drug regimen. Between 7/2018 to 12/2019 we prospectively enrolled 197 MM patients at the start of treatment from the 13 Polish Myeloma Group centers. The data to assess fragility were prospectively collected, but centrally assessed fragility was not disclosed to the local center. The activity of daily living (ADL) could be assessed in 192 (97.5%) and was independent in 158 (80.2%), moderately impaired in 23 (11.7%), and 11 (5.6%) in com-pletely dependent. Patients with more than 3 comorbidities were 26.9% (53 patients). Thus, ac-cording to the Palumbo calculator, 43 patients were in the intermediate-fitness group (21.8%), and the rest belonged to the frailty group (153, 77.7%). Overall, 79.7% of patients (157) received 3-drug regimens and 20.3% (40) received 2-drug regimens. In each ECOG group, more than 3/4 of patients received 3-drug regimens. According to the ADL scale, 82.3% of the independent 65.2% of moderately impaired, and 81.8% of the dependent received 3-drug regimens. Out of 53 pa-tients with at least 4 comorbidities, 71.7% received 3-drug regimens, and the rest 2-drug regi-mens. Three-drugs regimens received 34 patients from the intermediate-fit group (79.0%), and 123 (79.9%) from the frail group. Early mortality occurred in 25 patients (12.7%). No one discon-tinued treatment due to toxicity. To conclude, MM patients over 75 are mainly treated with tri-ple-drug regimens, not only in reduced doses, regardless of their frailty scores. However, the absence of prospective fragility assessment did not negatively affect early mortality and the number of treatment discontinuations which questions the clinical utility of current fragility scales in everyday practice.

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of multiple myeloma in populations of European ancestry (EA) identified and confirmed 24 susceptibility loci. For other cancers (e.g., colorectum and melanoma), risk loci have also been associated with patient survival. Methods: We explored the possible association of all the known risk variants and their polygenic risk score (PRS) with multiple myeloma overall survival (OS) in multiple populations of EA [the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMEnSE) consortium, the International Lymphoma Epidemiology consortium, CoMMpass, and the German GWAS] for a total of 3,748 multiple myeloma cases. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between each risk SNP with OS under the allelic and codominant models of inheritance. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, country of origin (for IMMEnSE) or principal components (for the others) and disease stage (ISS). SNP associations were meta-analyzed. Results: SNP associations were meta-analyzed. From the meta-analysis, two multiple myeloma risk SNPs were associated with OS (P < 0.05), specifically POT1-AS1-rs2170352 [HR = 1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09–1.73; P = 0.007] and TNFRSF13B-rs4273077 (HR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.01–1.41; P = 0.04). The association between the combined 24 SNP MM-PRS and OS, however, was not significant. Conclusions: Overall, our results did not support an association between the majority of multiple myeloma risk SNPs and OS. Impact: This is the first study to investigate the association between multiple myeloma PRS and OS in multiple myeloma.

Autophagy; Genetic variants; Multiple myeloma Autofagia; Variantes genéticas; Mieloma múltiple Autofàgia; Variants genètiques; Mieloma múltiple Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk. We performed meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of European ancestry (6863 MM patients and 6524 controls) and examined correlations of statistically significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; p < 1 × 10−9) with immune responses in whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from a large population of healthy donors from the Human Functional Genomic Project (HFGP). We identified SNPs in six loci, CD46, IKBKE, PARK2, ULK4, ATG5, and CDKN2A associated with MM risk (p = 4.47 × 10−4−5.79 × 10−14). Mechanistically, we found that the ULK4rs6599175 SNP correlated with circulating concentrations of vitamin D3 (p = 4.0 × 10−4), whereas the IKBKErs17433804 SNP correlated with the number of transitional CD24+CD38+ B cells (p = 4.8 × 10−4) and circulating serum concentrations of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP)-2 (p = 3.6 × 10−4). We also found that the CD46rs1142469 SNP correlated with numbers of CD19+ B cells, CD19+CD3− B cells, CD5+IgD− cells, IgM− cells, IgD−IgM− cells, and CD4−CD8− PBMCs (p = 4.9 × 10−4−8.6 × 10−4) and circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-20 (p = 0.00082). Finally, we observed that the CDKN2Ars2811710 SNP correlated with levels of CD4+EMCD45RO+CD27− cells (p = 9.3 × 10−4). These results suggest that genetic variants within these six loci influence MM risk through the modulation of specific subsets of immune cells, as well as vitamin D3−, MCP-2−, and IL20-dependent pathways. This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, N° 856620 and by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and FEDER (Madrid, Spain; PI17/02256 and PI20/01845), Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades and FEDER (PY20/01282), from the CRIS foundation against cancer, from the Cancer Network of Excellence (RD12/10 Red de Cáncer), from the Dietmar Hopp Foundation and the German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF: CLIOMMICS [01ZX1309]), and from National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers: R01CA186646, U01CA249955 (EEB). This work was also funded d by Portuguese National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020 and by the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000055, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

This work was partially supported by intramural funds of the University of Pisa, DKFZ, and University Hospital of Southern Jutland, Denmark, and by a grant of the French National Cancer Institute (INCA). The authors wish to thank Dr. Dominic Edelmann (Division of Biostatistics, DKFZ) for helpful advice about data analysis., There is overwhelming epidemiologic evidence that the risk of multiple myeloma (MM) has a solid genetic background. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 23 risk loci that contribute to the genetic susceptibility of MM, but have low individual penetrance. Combining the SNPs in a polygenic risk score (PRS) is a possible approach to improve their usefulness. Using 2361 MM cases and 1415 controls from the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMEnSE) consortium, we computed a weighted and an unweighted PRS. We observed associations with MM risk with OR = 3.44, 95% CI 2.53-4.69, p = 3.55 x 10(-15) for the highest vs. lowest quintile of the weighted score, and OR = 3.18, 95% CI 2.1 = 34-4.33, p = 1.62 x 10(-13) for the highest vs. lowest quintile of the unweighted score. We found a convincing association of a PRS generated with 23 SNPs and risk of MM. Our work provides additional validation of previously discovered MM risk variants and of their combination into a PRS, which is a first step towards the use of genetics for risk stratification in the general population., University of Pisa, DKFZ, University Hospital of Southern Jutland, Denmark, Institut National du Cancer (INCA) France

Monoclonal gammopathy of ocular significance (MGOS) is a rare subset of monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance occurring secondary to plasma cell disorders and causing ocular manifestations. We identified 23 patients with paraproteinemic keratopathy (PPK) in the setting of monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS, 10), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM, 3) or multiple myeloma (MM, 10). Many of these patients with PPK (11/23) presented decreased vision. All patients with MM and 40% of those with other diagnoses such as SMM and MGUS received systemic therapy with or without autologous stem cell transplantation. Four eyes of four patients were treated by penetrating keratoplasty. In most cases, neither ocular nor hematologic treatment afforded a durable improvement in the visual acuity (recurrence after a median of 11 months), despite initial responses. Further studies will be required to determine the optimal strategy to treat and prevent the relapse of ocular symptoms in patients with PPK.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous clonal malignancy of plasma cells characterized by cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities. Chromosomal abnormalities are present at diagnosis and can evolve during the progression of MM. Metaphase karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization are considered the standard diagnostic procedures performed in clinical practice. These test results are required to determine the Revised International Staging System classification, treatment algorithms, and short- and long-term prognoses. Given the dynamic development of cytogenetic and molecular research, we should expect further progress in better understanding the biology of MM and changes to patient care in the coming years.

PURPOSE Primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is the most aggressive monoclonal gammopathy. It was formerly characterized by ≥ 20% circulating plasma cells (CTCs) until 2021, when this threshold was decreased to ≥ 5%. We hypothesized that primary PCL is not a separate clinical entity, but rather that it represents ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) characterized by elevated CTC levels. METHODS We assessed the levels of CTCs by multiparameter flow cytometry in 395 patients with newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible MM to establish a cutoff for CTCs that identifies the patients with ultra-high-risk PCL-like MM. We tested the cutoff on 185 transplant-eligible patients with MM and further validated on an independent cohort of 280 transplant-ineligible patients treated in the GEM-CLARIDEX trial. The largest published real-world cohort of patients with primary PCL was used for comparison of survival. Finally, we challenged the current 5% threshold for primary PCL diagnosis. RESULTS Newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible patients with MM with 2%-20% CTCs had significantly shorter progression-free survival (3.1 v 15.6 months; P < .001) and overall survival (14.6 v 33.6 months; P = .023) than patients with < 2%. The 2% cutoff proved to be applicable also in transplant-eligible patients with MM and was successfully validated on an independent cohort of patients from the GEM-CLARIDEX trial. Most importantly, patients with 2%-20% CTCs had comparable dismal outcomes with primary PCL. Moreover, after revealing a low mean difference between flow cytometric and morphologic evaluation of CTCs, we showed that patients with 2%-5% CTCs have similar outcomes as those with 5%-20% CTCs. CONCLUSION Our study uncovers that ≥ 2% CTCs is a biomarker of hidden primary PCL and supports the assessment of CTCs by flow cytometry during the diagnostic workup of MM.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy affecting older adults. One of the most common myeloma-defining events is the development of symptomatic lytic bone disease. The serum concentrations of calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphorus (P), and vitamin 25(OH)DIn this study, the impact of a 6-week Nordic walking (NW) exercise program on blood parameters related to calcium-phosphate metabolism and damage of skeletal muscles was assessed.A total of 33 patients with MM in the remission stage, without cytostatic treatment, were allocated and randomly assigned to one of two groups: 17 in the training group (NW) and 16 in the control group (CG). All patients were supplemented per os with vitamin D3 and calcium carbonate daily and received zoledronic acid every 4 weeks (intravenous). Nordic walking training sessions took place 3 times a week for 6 weeks, 1 h each. Blood samples were drawn before and after the 6 weeks of training sessions to assess the serum concentrations of vitamin 25(OH)DPatients from the NW group showed a statistically significant decrease in mean serum myoglobin concentration (NW training is a safe and beneficial form of physical exercise for patients with MM without inducing muscle damage. NW performed outside improves serum vitamin 25(OH)D

Plasma cell leukemia is a rare form of multiple myeloma (MM). In contrast to de novo primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL), which is very uncommon presentation of MM, there is increasing frequency of transformation to secondary plasma cell leukemia (sPCL) with increasing survival of patients (MM). The molecular basis of sPCL remains poorly understood sPCL is particularly aggressive and is associated with an extremely poor prognosis, constituting a major unmet medical need. High-quality data in sPCL regarding presentation, treatment and outcomes is limited. Herein we review the current state of knowledge on sPCL diagnostics, molecular biology, clinical characteristics, prognosis and reported treatment outcomes and the emergence of the new therapeutic strategies.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable haematological malignancy affecting approximately 7:100,000 people. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and ‘smouldering’ MM precede symptomatic MM. Cytogenetics in MM is the most powerful prognostication tool incorporated into different classifications, including the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) and the Mayo Clinic Risk Stratification for Multiple Myeloma (mSMART). Methods commonly used to test for cytogenetic aberrations include conventional karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), although the difficulty of obtaining metaphases in plasma cells results in low yields. Therefore, new genomic tools are essential to explore the complex landscape of genetic alterations in MM. These include next generation sequencing, a highly sensitive method to monitor minimal residual disease. The serial evolution of MGUS to MM is accompanied by a range of heterogenous genetic abnormalities, divided into primary (involving mostly chromosome 14 translocations and trisomies) and secondary genetic aberration events (involving mostly 17p, 1p, 13q deletions, 1q gain, or MYC translocations). Based on the primary genetic aberration results, strong prognostic features of MM have been identified with distinct clinical characteristics. High risk aberrations include 17p deletion, t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20) and chromosome 1 abnormalities. The incorporation of novel drugs and maintenance strategies in conjunction with autologous stem cell transplantation partially overcome the adverse effect of some of these genetic aberrations. Nonetheless, survival remains worse in this group compared to standard risk patients. Clinical decisions regarding treatment should be based on the cytogenetic results. The establishment of individualised and mutation-targeted therapies are of the greatest importance in future studies.

The number of newly diagnosed haematological malignancies in Polish adults and children is about 9,000 a year, which constitutes about 5.5% of all malignancies in the country. Adult patients with haematological malignancies are diagnosed and treated in 42 institutions in Poland. The scientific and educational support for this activity is provided under the umbrella of the Polish Society of Haematologists and Transfusiologists (PTHiT, Polskie Towarzystwo Hematologow i Transfuzjologow ), the Polish Adult Leukemia Group (PALG), the Polish Lymphoma Research Group (PLRG), the Polish Myeloma Study Group (PMSG), the Polish Myeloma Consortium (PMC), and consultants in haematology. The aim of this position paper is to present the current status and progress in therapy of haematological malignancies in Polish haematology adult centres, focusing on the activity of PALG, PLRG, and PMSG. The achievements of Polish haemato-oncology at the beginning of the third decade of the 21 st century are set out in this paper. Polish haemato-oncology today has an important international position based on contributions to the development of knowledge, international cooperation, and a high quality of patient care. In many instances, clinical trials run by Polish collaborative groups have influenced international standards. Polish haematologists have been the authors of treatment recommendations, and their research has indicated areas for further research.

Background: Monoclonal gammopathies and multiple myeloma should be screened in the primary care setting. Methods: The screening strategy consisted of an initial interview supported with the analysis of basic laboratory test results and the increasing laboratory workload in the following steps was developed based on characteristics of patients with multiple myeloma. Results: The developed 3-step screening protocol includes evaluation of myeloma-related bone disease, two renal function markers, and three hematologic markers. In the second step, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) were cross-tabulated to identify persons qualifying for confirmation of the presence of monoclonal component. Patients with diagnosed monoclonal gammopathy should be referred to a specialized center to confirm the diagnosis. The screening protocol testing identified 900 patients with increased ESR and normal level of CRP and 94 of them (10.4%) had positive immunofixation. Conclusions: The proposed screening strategy resulted in an efficient diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy. The stepwise approach rationalized the diagnostic workload and cost of screening. The protocol would support primary care physicians, standardizing the knowledge about the clinical manifestation of multiple myeloma and the method of evaluation of symptoms and diagnostic test results.

Dendritic cell toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the high-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor (FcεRI) may biologically interact with regard to atopic dermatitis (AD) development and, especially, severity. Our aim here was to test if such interaction can be detected on the genetic level. The combined effect of the TLR2 gene (TLR2) rs4696480 and the FcεRI α-chain gene (FCER1A) rs2252226 and rs2251746 polymorphisms on the AD severity as measured by SCORAD was assessed. The FCER1A rs2252226 and TLR2 rs4696480 polymorphisms interacted with regard to SCORAD. Higher SCORAD was observed in patients being the TLR2 rs4696480 major homozygotes and carrying at the same time the FCER1A rs2252226 minor allele, compared to those characterized by (any other of) the remaining combined rs2252226 and rs4696480 genotypes. The observation of the epistatic effect of TLR2 and FCER1A genetic variants on SCORAD is in line with the involvement of the interaction TLRs-FcεRI in the pathophysiology of AD.

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy affecting older adults (median age 70 years). One of the most common myeloma defining events is the development of symptomatic lytic bone disease which leads to fractures and immobilization. It is caused by disturbances in bone metabolism affecting calcium-phosphate balance. Treatment of the bone disease and the underlying malignancy results in disease and symptom control.Objectives: In this study, the impact of a 6-week Nordic walking (NW) exercise program on blood parameters related to calcium-phosphate metabolism and damage of skeletal muscles was assessed. Patients and methods: 28 subjects with MM in remission stage, without cytostatic treatment were enrolled and completed the study: 15 in the training group (NW) and 13 in control group (CG). All patients were supplemented with vitamin D3, calcium carbonate daily and received zoledronic acid every 4 weeks. Two venous blood samples were drawn – before and after the 6 weeks of training sessions – to assess the serum concentrations of vitamin 25(OH)D3, inorganic phosphorus, total calcium, myoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).Results: Patients from the NW group showed a statistically significant decrease in mean serum myoglobin concentration (p=0.018) and increase in 25(OH)D3 (p3 and Ca concentrations after 6 weeks.Conclusions: NW training is a safe and beneficial form of physical exercise for patients with MM without inducing muscle damage. NW performed outside during Spring-Summer season improves serum vitamin 25(OH)D3 concentration.

Renal impairment (RI) is one of the multiple myeloma (MM)-defining events for initiating therapy. After induction therapy, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (ASCT) remains the standard of care for transplant-eligible patients with MM. According to the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), the organ criterion for kidney damage is defined by a serum creatinine concentration (CrC)2 mg/dL or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 40 mL/min. In this long-term study, we evaluated the impact of CrC and eGFR calculated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation on progression-free and overall survival using a lower threshold than the IMWG criteria.We studied the longitudinal outcomes as measured by progression-free survival and overall survival in 59 transplant-eligible patients with MM: 38 patients with normal renal function and 21 patients with RI defined as a CrC higher than upper limit of normal (≥ 1.1 mg/dL), eGFR 60 mL/min, treated with ASCT from 1998 to 2004.The risk of disease progression and death following ASCT increased by 16.5% (P = .005) and 19% (P .0009) per 1 mg/dL of CrC, respectively. The thresholds for the association of renal insufficiency and negative outcomes were CrC1.4 mg/dL and eGFR 55mL/min.We observed a negative correlation between minimal renal insufficiency and long-term outcomes. Management of patients with even marginally increased CrC and/or decreased eGFR not fulfilling IMWG RI criteria requires more concentrated effort to reverse even minimal renal insufficiency.

Purpose In this multicenter retrospective analysis of the Polish Myeloma Group we assessed the real-life application of allogeneic transplantations (alloHCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) outside clinical trials in Poland. Methods Anonymized clinical data of patients who underwent alloHCT were retrospectively collected from eight transplant centers and analyzed to identify factors affecting the outcome. Results Sixty patients (34 males, 26 females) at median age of 45 (22–59) years who received alloHCT between 1993 and 2016 were included. In this group, 16 (27%) patients underwent myeloablative conditioning and 44 (73%) reduced-intensity conditioning alloHCT. Acute graft versus host disease (GvHD) occurred in 27 (45%) patients, while chronic GvHD was diagnosed in 13 (22%) patients. With the median observation time after alloHCT of 10 months, the relapse rate was 38%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) reached 9 months (0–183) while median overall survival (OS) was 23 months (0–183). Main causes of death included disease progression in 16 (43%), infections in 10 (27%), and GvHD in 7 patients (19%). Presence of chronic GvHD was the only factor associated with prolonged PFS (28 vs. 6 months; p = 0.05), however its impact on OS was not statistically significant (73 vs. 8 months; p = 0.09). Conclusions In this relatively small and heterogeneous study we observed that alloHCT was associated with high risk of severe complications, but resulted in long-term survival in a proportion of patients. Decisions on optimal indications and timing of the alloHCT in MM need to be taken in the broader context of reported outcomes including data from large studies.

The MAF translocations, t(14;16) and t(14;20), are considered as adverse prognostic factors based on few studies with small sample sizes. We report on their prognostic impact in a large group of 254 patients - 223 (87.8%) with t(14;16) and 31 (12.2%) with t(14;20). There were no intergroup differences in survival estimates. Median progression-free survival was 16.6 months for t(14;16) and 24.9 months for t(14;20) (

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most commonly diagnosed blood cancers. One criterion for the diagnosis of MM is serum and/or urine monoclonal protein produced by clonal plasmocytes. However, about 1-2% of MM cases do not have monoclonal protein. If other diagnostic criteria are present, the possibility of a diagnosis of non-secretory MM should be considered. As the different types of non-secretory MM depend on the underlying cause, the current definition is considered insufficient. Currently, both the diagnosis and treatment of non-secretory MM are the same as those of secretory MM. Due to the rarity of non-secretory MM, most findings are from retrospective studies on small groups of patients and case reports. The method of monitoring the effectiveness of MM treatment remains a problem, as it is usually based on the assessment of the percentage of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow and imaging studies.

Background and Aims The aim of the study was to analyse the utility of retinol binding protein (RBP) in case of renal impairment in MM patients and investigate its relationship with acclaimed parameters of renal failure and markers of MM stages. Method We recruited 73 patients (35 women, 38 men, in age range of 29-90 years, mean 70 ± 10 years) with multiple myeloma (MM), including 6 (8%) with smoldering MM, 40 (55%) with International Staging System (ISS) stage I, 15 (21%) with ISS II and 12 (16%) with ISS III. The majority of patients (65, 89%) received at least one treatment scheme. Thirty patients (41%) received maintenance treatment at recruitment. Median eGFR based on serum creatinine (CKD-EPICr) equaled 67 (range 9 – 117) ml/min/1.73 m2. Results Significant correlation was observed between RBP and the ordered variable describing MM stage from smoldering myeloma to ISS III (R=0.36; p=0.002). There were no differences between patients in CR, PR, SD and PD at the time of samples’ collection. Patients who were on maintenance treatment at recruitment tended to have higher serum RBP (median 42.6 versus 37.7 mg/l), however, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.068). The patients who received steroid treatment had significantly higher RBP concentrations. There were no such association with other medications. There was no association between RBP and the number of previous treatment lines (p=0.8). Serum RBP did not differ between men and women (p=0.7) and did not correlate with age (p=0.6). Significant correlations were found between RBP and serum creatinine, cystatin C and eGFR values calculated based on creatinine and/or cystatin C (Table 1). In multiple regression, serum creatinine or cystatin C and the treatment with steroids were associated with RBP independently of ISS stage (Table 2). Moreover, RBP correlated with β2-microglobulin, LDH, leukocyte count, α-klotho, FGF-23, GDF-15, uNGAL and uIGFBP-7, however, only the associations with β2-microglobulin and sTfR were independent of serum creatinine in multiple regression (Table 1). Baseline serum RBP concentration was significantly correlated with eGFR after a median of 19 months follow-up (range 1-24 months) (R=-0.35; p=0.003), however, the correlation was not independent of baseline serum creatinine ((beta ± SE: 0.06 ± 0.10; p=0.5). To the contrary, baseline serum cystatin C (beta ± SE: -0.36 ± 0.13; p=0.009) predicted final eGFR independently of baseline serum creatinine. Conclusion RBP may be useful marker in renal damage in patients with chronic kidney injury among patients with MM. This can lead to noninvasive biomarker-targeted diagnostic interventions and contribute to early beginning of treatment that may improve life expectancy quality of life in MM.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare malignancy, characterized by clonal proliferation of plasma cells, secreting monoclonal immunoglobulin. It is usually diagnosed based on histopathologic and immunophenotypic bone marrow examination. Abnormal results of screening coagulation tests, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time, are commonly encountered in patients with plasma cell neoplasms. They do not, however, reflect bleeding tendency. We describe a 71-year-old patient who was accidentally diagnosed with multiple myeloma during coagulation diagnostics.

The phase 3 CLARION study compared carfilzomib-melphalan-prednisone (KMP) with bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone (VMP) in transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients. Patients were randomized 1:1 to KMP or VMP for nine 42-day cycles (C). Patients received carfilzomib on days (D) 1, 2, 8, 9, 22, 23, 29, 30 (20 mg/m2: C1D1, C1D2; 36 mg/m2 thereafter) or bortezomib on D1, 4, 8, 11, 22, 25, 29, 32 (1.3 mg/m2; D4, 11, 25, 32 omitted for C5-9). Melphalan (9 mg/m2) and prednisone (60 mg/m2) were administered on D1-4. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Nine hundred fifty-five patients were randomized (intention-to-treat population: KMP, n = 478; VMP, n = 477). Median PFS was 22.3 months with KMP vs 22.1 months with VMP (hazard ratio [HR], 0.906; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.746-1.101; P = .159). Median overall survival was similar and not reached in either group (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.82-1.43). Overall response rate was 84.3% for KMP and 78.8% for VMP. Complete response rate was 25.9% for KMP and 23.1% for VMP. Minimal residual disease–negative rates were 15.7% (KMP) and 15.5% (VMP). Adverse events (AEs) of interest (any grade) occurring with a ≥5% higher patient incidence in the KMP arm were acute renal failure (13.9% [KMP] vs 6.2% [VMP]) and cardiac failure (10.8% vs 4.3%). Grade ≥3 AE rates were 74.7% (KMP) and 76.2% (VMP). Grade ≥2 peripheral neuropathy was lower for KMP vs VMP (2.5% vs 35.1%). Treatment with KMP in CLARION did not yield a statistically significant difference in PFS vs VMP. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01818752.

StreszczenieLiczba chorych na szpiczaka plazmocytowego zwiększa się, co jest skutkiem zarówno skuteczniejszej diagnostyki, jak również istotnego przedłużania przeżycia chorych. Zawdzięczamy to dostępności nowych leków w pierwszej i kolejnych liniach leczenia, zmianie koncepcji leczenia i przedłużaniu czasu trwania leczenia, stosując leczenie konsolidujące oraz podtrzymujące do progresji choroby. Poza zmianą koncepcji leczenia, zmienia się obecnie również kryterium czasu rozpoczęcia terapii uwzględniające biomarkery aktywności choroby oraz dużą uwagę przywiązuje się optymalizacji leczenia w oparciu o dowody pochodzące z badań klinicznych. W artykule tym przedstawiono także zalecenia dotyczące rozpoznania i leczenia makroglobulinemii Waldenströma i innych dyskrazji plazmocytowych.

We aimed to describe the clinical presentation, treatment, outcome and report on factors associated with mortality over a 90-day period in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were performed on data collected in a retrospective case-control study conducted in nine hospitals from seven European countries. A total of 624 patients were included, of which 415 were deceased (cases) and 209 were still alive 90 days after a CDI diagnosis (controls). The most common antibiotics used previously in both groups were β-lactams; previous exposure to fluoroquinolones was significantly (p = 0.0004) greater in deceased patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the factors independently related with death during CDI were older age, inadequate CDI therapy, cachexia, malignancy, Charlson Index, long-term care, elevated white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), bacteraemia, complications, and cognitive impairment. In addition, older age, higher levels of WBC, neutrophil, CRP or creatinine, the presence of malignancy, cognitive impairment, and complications were strongly correlated with shortening the time from CDI diagnosis to death. CDI prevention should be primarily focused on hospitalised elderly people receiving antibiotics. WBC, neutrophil count, CRP, creatinine, albumin and lactate levels should be tested in every hospitalised patient treated for CDI to assess the risk of a fatal outcome.

Background Due to the use of new therapeutic strategies, patients with multiple myeloma (MM) live much longer, hence skeletal and neurological dysfunctions related to MM and advancing age are clinically significant. Properly selected training can bring bone health benefits, both in terms of fitness and blood parameters, as well as contribute to the improvement in the severity of peripheral polyneuropathy symptoms. Method The study involved 28 MM patients after therapy in remission were divided into 2 groups: participating in exercise training (NW, n=15) and control group (CG, n=13). Subjects from the NW group participated in moderate intensity Nordic walking training sessions (60-70% of estimated HRmax) for 1 hour, 3 times a week, for 6 weeks. The intensity of performed exercises was monitored in all subjects individually with the use of a heart rate monitor. Venous blood was collected twice in all participants: at baseline before the beginning of the training cycle and after 6 weeks (at the end of training cycle). Myeloma-related parameters and vitamin 25(OH)D3 concentration were analyzed. After completing the training cycle patients were also asked for determination of changes in the severity of symptoms of peripheral polyneuropathy. The research was approved by a local bioethics committee and all subjects voluntarily signed informed consent prior to participation. Results The applied training cycle (NW group) significantly increased the number of white blood cells (median by 0.56 103/µl, p=0.01), including neutrophils (by 0.62 103/µl, p=0.05). However, no significant impact of NW training on red cell and platelet parameters was observed. Participation in trainings was associated with a decrease in the serum levels of IgA, IgG and IgM, but only the changes in IgG concentration were statistically significant (by 1 g/l, p=0.017). The training contributed to the decrease in the concentrations of κ free light chains in the blood (by 2.2 mg/l, p=0.001) and the κ/λ ratio (by 0.7, p=0.005). However, no significant changes were observed for the concentrations of λ free light chains, beta-2-microglobulin, or monoclonal protein in serum. Serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations were significantly increased in all patients in the NW group (by 10.1 ng/ml, p Conclusions Nordic walking has proven to be a safe form of health training for patients with MM. NW has a positive effect on IgG levels, serum free kappa light chain concentration and κ/λ ratio and the concentration of 25(OH)D3. High initial vitamin 25(OH)D3 serum concentration leads to an improvement in symptoms of peripheral polyneuropathy as a result of participation in Nordic walking training.

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is still incurable and characterized by clonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). Therefore, effective therapeutic interventions must target both myeloma cells and the BM niche. Methods Cell proliferation, drug resistance, and chromosomal instability (CIN) induced by CHEK1 were confirmed by Giemsa staining, exon sequencing, immunofluorescence and xenograft model in vivo. Bone lesion was evaluated by Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. The existence of circCHEK1_246aa was evaluated by qPCR, Sanger sequencing and Mass Spectrometer. Results We demonstrated that CHEK1 expression was significantly increased in human MM samples relative to normal plasma cells, and that in MM patients, high CHEK1 expression was associated with poor outcomes. Increased CHEK1 expression induced MM cellular proliferation and evoked drug-resistance in vitro and in vivo. CHEK1-mediated increases in cell proliferation and drug resistance were due in part to CHEK1-induced CIN. CHEK1 activated CIN, partly by phosphorylating CEP170. Interestingly, CHEK1 promoted osteoclast differentiation by upregulating NFATc1 expression. Intriguingly, we discovered that MM cells expressed circCHEK1_246aa, a circular CHEK1 RNA, which encoded and was translated to the CHEK1 kinase catalytic center. Transfection of circCHEK1_246aa increased MM CIN and osteoclast differentiation similarly to CHEK1 overexpression, suggesting that MM cells could secrete circCHEK1_246aa in the BM niche to increase the invasive potential of MM cells and promote osteoclast differentiation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that targeting the enzymatic catalytic center encoded by CHEK1 mRNA and circCHEK1_246aa is a promising therapeutic modality to target both MM cells and BM niche.

Contains fulltext : 232394.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) We evaluated the association between germline genetic variants located within the 3'-untranlsated region (polymorphic 3'UTR, ie, p3UTR) of candidate genes involved in multiple myeloma (MM). We performed a case-control study within the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMEnSE) consortium, consisting of 3056 MM patients and 1960 controls recruited from eight countries. We selected p3UTR of six genes known to act in different pathways relevant in MM pathogenesis, namely KRAS (rs12587 and rs7973623), VEGFA (rs10434), SPP1 (rs1126772), IRF4 (rs12211228) and IL10 (rs3024496). We found that IL10-rs3024496 was associated with increased risk of developing MM and with a worse overall survival of MM patients. The variant allele was assayed in a vector expressing eGFP chimerized with the IL10 3'-UTR and it was found functionally active following transfection in human myeloma cells. In this experiment, the A-allele caused a lower expression of the reporter gene and this was also in agreement with the in vivo expression of mRNA measured in whole blood as reported in the GTEx portal. Overall, these data are suggestive of an effect of the IL10-rs3024496 SNP on the regulation of IL10 mRNA expression and it could have clinical implications for better characterization of MM patients in terms of prognosis.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Grant/ Award Number: 81274; Huntsman Cancer Institute Pilot Funds; Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Grant/Award Number: 6067-09; the National Institute of Health/National Cancer Institute, Grant/Award Numbers: P30 CA016672, P30 CA042014, P30 CA13148, P50 CA186781, R01 CA107476, R01 CA134674, R01 CA168762, R01 CA186646, R01 CA235026, R21 CA155951, R25 CA092049, R25 CA47888, U54 CA118948; Utah Population Database, Utah Cancer Registry, Huntsman Cancer Center Support Grant, Utah State Department of Health, University of Utah; VicHealth, Cancer Council Victoria, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Grant/Award Numbers: 1074383, 209057, 396414; Victorian Cancer Registry, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian National Death Index, Australian Cancer Database; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center; University of Pisa and DKFZ, The authors thank all site investigators that contributed to the studies within the Multiple Myeloma Working Group (Interlymph Consortium), staff involved at each site and, most importantly, the study participants for their contributions that made our study possible. This work was partially supported by intramural funds of University of Pisa and DKFZ. This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Health/National Cancer Institute (R25 CA092049, P30 CA016672, R01 CA134674, P30 CA042014, R01 CA186646, R21 CA155951, U54 CA118948, P30 CA13148, R25 CA47888, R01 CA235026, R01 CA107476, R01 CA168762, P50 CA186781 and the NCI Intramural Research Program), Leukemia Lymphoma Society (6067-09), Huntsman Cancer Institute Pilot Funds, Utah PopulationDatabase, Utah Cancer Registry, Huntsman Cancer Center Support Grant, Utah StateDepartment of Health, University of Utah, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Grant number 81274), VicHealth, Cancer Council Victoria, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (Grants 209057, 396414, 1074383), Victorian Cancer Registry, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian National Death Index, Australian Cancer Database and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.Open Access funding enabled and organized by ProjektDEAL., The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions., Gene expression profiling can be used for predicting survival in multiple myeloma (MM) and identifying patients who will benefit from particular types of therapy. Some germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) act as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) showing strong associations with gene expression levels. We performed an association study to test whether eQTLs of genes reported to be associated with prognosis of MM patients are directly associated with measures of adverse outcome. Using the genotype-tissue expression portal, we identified a total of 16 candidate genes with at least one eQTL SNP associated with their expression with P < 10(-7) either in EBV-transformed B-lymphocytes or whole blood. We genotyped the resulting 22 SNPs in 1327 MM cases from the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMEnSE) consortium and examined their association with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), adjusting for age, sex, country of origin and disease stage. Three polymorphisms in two genes (TBRG4-rs1992292, TBRG4-rs2287535 and ENTPD1-rs2153913) showed associations with OS at P < .05, with the former two also associated with PFS. The associations of two polymorphisms in TBRG4 with OS were replicated in 1277 MM cases from the International Lymphoma Epidemiology (InterLymph) Consortium. A meta-analysis of the data from IMMEnSE and InterLymph (2579 cases) showed that TBRG4-rs1992292 is associated with OS (hazard ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.26, P = .007). In conclusion, we found biologically a plausible association between a SNP in TBRG4 and OS of MM patients., Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) 81274, Huntsman Cancer Institute Pilot Funds, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 6067-09, United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) P30 CA016672 P30 CA042014 P30 CA13148 P50 CA186781 R01 CA107476 R01 CA134674 R01 CA168762 R01 CA186646 R01 CA235026 R21 CA155951 R25 CA092049 R25 CA47888 U54 CA118948, Utah Population Database, Utah Cancer Registry, Huntsman Cancer Center Support Grant, Utah State Department of Health, University of Utah, VicHealth, Cancer Council Victoria, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council 1074383 209057 396414, Victorian Cancer Registry, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian National Death Index, Australian Cancer Database, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, University of Pisa, Helmholtz Association

Background and Aims Transgelin (SM22) is a cytoskeletal actin-binding protein involved in differentiation of smooth muscle cells, osteoblasts and adipocytes. It is present in fibroblasts, some epithelium, immune cells and acts as a tumor suppressor. It was found as a marker of interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis. Transgelin upregulation depends on the etiology of the disease in various cells (glomerular parietal or visceral, or tubular interstitial cells). Elevated SM22 expression was detected in glomerular and in tubulointerstitial injury. Among patients with multiple myeloma (MM) up to 50% suffer from renal insufficiency (RI) in early stages. Free light chains (FLCs), potential nephrotoxic substances, where lambda light chains are more commonly associated with renal damage, appear to have a prognostic value in MM and indicate the stages of MM. The aim of the study was to analyse the utility of transgelin in case of renal impairment in MM patients and investigate its relationship with acclaimed parameters of renal failure and markers of MM stages. Method The analysis included 126 patients (73 women and 53 men) in mean age 66 ± 10 years. Symptomatic MM was diagnosed in 119 patients, including 84 (67%) with ISS stage 1, 20 (16%) with stage 2 and 15 (12%) with stage 3; 7 (6%) patients had smoldering MM. Mean baseline eGFR (CKD-EPICr) was 74 ± 24 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 31 (25%) patients had eGFR Results Median serum transgelin in the whole studied group was 84.1 (IQR: 65.4; 116.4) ng/ml. Transgelin concentrations were higher in men (median 96.2 versus 78.8 ng/ml; p=0.022) and in patients with smoldering MM (median 149.2 versus 82.4 ng/ml; p=0.003). Transgelin did not differ according to ISS stage (p=0.3) or disease state (regression, stable disease or progression) (p=0.3). Significant correlations were detected between transgelin and serum creatinine (R=0.29; p=0.001), eGFR (CKD-EPICr) (R=-0.25; p=0.007), uric acid (R=0.19; p=0.036), alanine (R=0.18; p=0.048) and aspartate (R=0.26; p=0.003) aminotransferases, ferritin (R=-0.22; p=0.049), hepcidin (R=-0.25; p=0.033), and urine cystatin C (R=0.19; p=0.042). Moreover, after exclusion of patients with smoldering MM, transgelin significantly correlated with serum FLC lambda (R=0.18; p=0.047) and serum periostin (R=-0.22; p=0.013). After median follow-up of 21 (IQR: 15; 24) months, eGFR decreased in 47 (37%) of patients and increased in 71 (56%) patients (no follow-up data were available in 8, i.e. 6% of patients). Patients in whom eGFR decreased had higher transgelin (median 106.6 versus 83.9 ng/ml), although the difference was marginally significant (p=0.05). However, baseline transgelin positively correlated with serum creatinine after follow-up (R=0.37; p Conclusion Transgelin may be useful in investigating renal damage because of its proven role in regulation of fibrosis, especially in kidney. As a biomarker it may indicate diagnosis and etiology of MM-related chronic kidney disease, which can lead to beginning of early therapeutic interventions and improved overall survival and quality of life in patients with MM. Moreover, elevated transgelin at the beginning of the disease may induce future development of chronic kidney disease.

Background and Aims Urine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) seem to be novel kidney injury related biomarkers, especially in tubular cells damage. Free light chains (FLCs) are associated with renal failure in multiple myeloma (MM) and appear to have a prognostic value and indicate stages in MM. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between new biomarkers and acclaimed parameters of renal failure and markers of MM stages and prognosis. Method The study included 124 patients with MM in the mean age of 66 +/- 10 years, with median time from MM diagnosis of 30 (lower; upper quartile 14; 63) months. There were 7(6%) patients with smoldering MM, 80(65%) with ISS stage 1, 22 (18%)with stage 2 and 15 (12%) with stage 3 MM. Mean eGFR was 71 +/- 25 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 30 (24%) patients had eGFR Results Except for urine cystatin C and urine TIMP-2, all the studied markers were higher among patients with eGFR Serum and urine IGFBP-7 and urine NGAL were also higher among patients with ISS grade 3 comparing to the rest of the group (p=0.008, p Conclusion Urine TIMP-2 and IGFBP-7 may be useful in investigating tubular renal damage in patients with chronic kidney injury among patients with MM. This can lead to noninvasive biomarker-targeted diagnostic interventions and contribute to early beginning of treatment that may improve life expectancy quality of life in MM.

Summary Background Selinexor combined with dexamethasone has shown activity in patients with heavily pre-treated multiple myeloma. In a phase 1b/2 study, the combination of oral selinexor with bortezomib (a proteasome inhibitor) and dexamethasone induced high response rates with low rates of peripheral neuropathy, the main dose-limiting toxicity of bortezomib. We aimed to evaluate the clinical benefit of weekly selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone versus standard bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with previously treated multiple myeloma. Methods This phase 3, randomised, open-label trial was done at 123 sites in 21 countries. Patients aged 18 years or older, who had multiple myeloma, and who had previously been treated with one to three lines of therapy, including proteasome inhibitors, were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive selinexor (100 mg once per week), bortezomib (1·3 mg/m2 once per week), and dexamethasone (20 mg twice per week), or bortezomib (1·3 mg/m2 twice per week for the first 24 weeks and once per week thereafter) and dexamethasone (20 mg four times per week for the first 24 weeks and twice per week thereafter). Randomisation was done using interactive response technology and stratified by previous proteasome inhibitor therapy, lines of treatment, and multiple myeloma stage. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Patients who received at least one dose of study treatment were included in the safety population. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03110562 . The trial is ongoing, with 55 patients remaining on randomised therapy as of Feb 20, 2020. Findings Of 457 patients screened for eligibility, 402 were randomly allocated—195 (49%) to the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group and 207 (51%) to the bortezomib and dexamethasone group—and the first dose of study medication was given between June 6, 2017, and Feb 5, 2019. Median follow-up durations were 13·2 months [IQR 6·2–19·8] for the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group and 16·5 months [9·4–19·8] for the bortezomib and dexamethasone group. Median progression-free survival was 13·93 months (95% CI 11·73–not evaluable) with selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone and 9·46 months (8·11–10·78) with bortezomib and dexamethasone (hazard ratio 0·70 [95% CI 0·53–0·93], p=0·0075). The most frequent grade 3–4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (77 [39%] of 195 patients in the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group vs 35 [17%] of 204 in the bortezomib and dexamethasone group), fatigue (26 [13%] vs two [1%]), anaemia (31 [16%] vs 20 [10%]), and pneumonia (22 [11%] vs 22 [11%]). Peripheral neuropathy of grade 2 or above was less frequent with selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (41 [21%] patients) than with bortezomib and dexamethasone (70 [34%] patients; odds ratio 0·50 [95% CI 0·32–0·79], p=0·0013). 47 (24%) patients in the selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone group and 62 (30%) in the bortezomib and dexamethasone group died. Interpretation A once-per-week regimen of selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone is a novel, effective, and convenient treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three previous lines of therapy. Funding Karyopharm Therapeutics.

BACKGROUND Upfront autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT) remains an important therapy in the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), a disease of older adults. METHODS The authors investigated the outcomes of AHCT in patients with MM who were aged ≥70 years. The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database registered 15,999 patients with MM in the United States within 12 months of diagnosis during 2013 through 2017; a total of 2092 patients were aged ≥70 years. Nonrecurrence mortality (NRM), disease recurrence and/or progression (relapse; REL), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were modeled using Cox proportional hazards models with age at transplantation as the main effect. Because of the large sample size, a P value

IntroductionThe prognostic factors in autotransplanted multiple myeloma (MM) patients with concomitant advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) are poorly understood, limited, and controversial.Material and methodsWe retrospectively analysed 44 patients with MM and CKD (eGFR < 40 ml/min), present both at diagnosis and at autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), with no improvement of renal function in-between.ResultsPatients exhibiting deeper paraprotein responses to pre-transplant treatment predicted better response post ASCT (odds ratio (OR) = 11.6, p = 0.028) and longer progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.23, p = 0.017). Higher albumin concentration (per increase of 1 g/dl) (HR = 0.41, p = 0.03) and melphalan 140 mg/m2 versus higher melphalan doses (HR = 0.86, p = 0.008) were associated with longer PFS. Performance status (ECOG 0-1 versus ≥ 2) (HR = 0.28, p = 0.0036), higher albumin concentration (HR = 0.43, p < 0.037), and melphalan 140 mg/m2 versus higher melphalan doses (HR = 0.48, p = 0.081) decreased the risk of death. Three of 32 dialysis-dependent patients became dialysis independent (DID), and 5 of 12 in the DID group had eGFR improvement post ASCT. The median PFS was 2.3 years, which was shorter for DID compared to DD patients (0.7 vs. 3.3 years, respectively). The median overall survival (OS) was 3.6 years, there was no difference in median OS between the groups (4.0 vs. 3.5 years, respectively).ConclusionsOptimal patient selection including good performance status and higher albumin concentration (with every increase of 1 g/dl), chemotherapy-responsive disease pre-ASCT, melphalan dose adjusted to CKD, and intensive post-transplant supportive care are crucial to achieve acceptable results of treatment of MM patients with CKD.

Introduction Deletion of chromosome 17p [del(17p)] in patients with multiple myeloma is associated with a poor prognosis. High‑dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remains the standard of treatment in this population. Objectives The aim of the study was to compare the treatment outcomes with high‑dose chemotherapy and ASCT with standard treatment in patients with del(17p). Patients and methods We collected data from 12 Polish centers between 2011 and 2017. The records of 97 patients with p53 deletion were assessed, including 29 individuals treated with ACST and 68 receiving standard treatment alone. Results During the follow‑up, 45 patients died and the overall survival (OS) for the whole group was 33 months (range, 1–66 months), with a median progression‑free survival (PFS) of 13 months (range, 1–46 months). The prognostic factors of OS in a multivariable analysis were calcium levels at diagnosis within the reference range (hazard ratio [HR], 0.24; 95% CI, 0.12–0.48) and at least partial remission achieved after the first‑line treatment (HR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.12–0.51). Treatment with ASCT was an important factor in improving survival (HR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.52–6.84). Abnormal kidney function at the time of diagnosis reduced the PFS (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.22–0.94). When the analysis was limited only to patients who could be candidates for ASCT, the survival benefit of the procedure was lost (P = 0.21). Conclusions Patients with multiple myeloma with del(17p) do not benefit from high‑dose chemotherapy followed by ACST.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy characterized by an uncontrolled clonal proliferation of plasma cells (PCs) in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. PCL has been defined by an absolute number of circulating PCs exceeding 2.0 × 109/L and/or >20% PCs in the total leucocyte count. It is classified as primary PCL, which develops de novo, and secondary PCL, occurring at the late and advanced stages of multiple myeloma (MM). Primary and secondary PCL are clinically and biologically two distinct entities. After the diagnosis, treatment should be immediate and should include a proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulator-based combination regimens as induction, followed by stem cell transplantation (SCT) in transplant-eligible individuals who have cleared the peripheral blood of circulating PCs. Due to the rarity of the condition, there have been very few clinical trials. Furthermore, virtually all of the myeloma trials exclude patients with active PCL. The evaluation of response has been defined by the International Myeloma Working Group and consists of both acute leukemia and MM criteria. With conventional chemotherapy, the prognosis of primary PCL has been ominous, with reported overall survival (OS) ranging from 6.8 to 12.6 months. The use of novel agents and autologous SCT appears to be associated with deeper response and an improved survival, although it still remains low. The PCL prognostic index provides a simple score to risk-stratify PCL. The prognosis of secondary PCL is extremely poor, with OS of only 1 month.

The t(14;16) translocation, found in 3%-5% of newly diagnosed (ND) multiple myeloma (MM), has been associated with adverse outcomes. However, the studies establishing the characteristics of t(14;16) included solely small cohorts. The goal of the current international, multicenter (n = 25 centers), retrospective study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of t(14;16) patients in a large, real-world cohort (n = 223). A substantial fraction of patients had renal impairment (24%) and hemoglobin10 g/dL (56%) on initial presentation. Combined therapy of both immunomodulatory drug and proteasome inhibitor (PI) in the first line was used in 35% of patients. Autologous stem cell transplantation was performed in 42% of patients. With a median follow up of 4.1 years (95% CI 3.7-18.7), the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from first line therapy were 2.1 years (95% CI 1.5-2.4) and 4.1 years (95% CI 3.3-5.5), respectively. Worse OS was predicted by age 60 years (HR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.05-2.58]), as well as revised International Scoring System (R-ISS) 3 (vs R-ISS 2; HR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.59-4.24]). In conclusion, based on the largest reported cohort of t(14;16) patients, quarter of this subset of MM patients initially presents with renal failure, while older age and the R-ISS 3 predict poor survival.

Cereblon (CRBN) is crucial for antiproliferative and immunomodulatory properties of immunomodulatory drugs. The objective of this study was to verify whether germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the

Objectives Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an acute gastrointestinal infection caused by anaerobic, toxin-producing bacteria. During the course of CDI, there is a general inflammatory state. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the role of fatty acids (FAs) in the pathogenesis of acute infection we analyzed their plasma content in both patients with CDI and controls. Methods The study groups included 40 patients with CDI and 40 healthy volunteers. Plasma FA content was analyzed by gas chromatography, resolvin D1 (RvD1) level using ELISA assay, and we assessed the white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Results Patients with CDI were characterized by significantly higher values of WBC, neutrophils, platelets and CRP compared with the control group. The saturated FA index was statistically higher and total n-3 FA was significantly decreased in the plasma of CDI patients as compared with the control group. RvD1 content was significantly higher in the control group as compared with patients with CDI. Conclusion In patients with good outcomes, we probably observed the effective resolution of inflammation, as reflected in n-3 FA metabolism and their significant decrease in plasma. This may indicate the therapeutic role of n-3 FA in CDI infection.

We report the history of a 59-year old patient with systemic AL amyloidosis of intraoral manifestation. The patient first presented with complaints about dysphagia and remarkable enlargement of the tongue with highly reduced mobility, as well as bilateral submucosal thickenings on the cheeks. Histopathological examination of the incisional biopsy of the buccal mucosa and underlying tissues revealed AL amyloidosis. The microscopic presentation was, however, unique, as the amyloid deposits were present intracellularly in the striated muscles. The subsequent bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of primary amyloidosis/multiple myeloma - associated amyloidosis.

Transgelin is a 22-kDa protein involved in cytoskeletal organization and expressed in smooth muscle tissue. According to animal studies, it is a potential mediator of kidney injury and fibrosis, and moreover, its role in tumorigenesis is emerging in a variety of cancers. The study included 126 ambulatory patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Serum transgelin-2 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. We evaluated associations between baseline transgelin and kidney function (serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate—eGFR, urinary markers of tubular injury: cystatin-C, neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin—NGAL monomer, cell cycle arrest biomarkers IGFBP-7 and TIMP-2) and markers of MM burden. Baseline serum transgelin was also evaluated as a predictor of kidney function after a follow-up of 27 months from the start of the study. Significant correlations were detected between serum transgelin-2 and serum creatinine (R = 0.29; p = 0.001) and eGFR (R = −0.25; p = 0.007). Transgelin significantly correlated with serum free light chains lambda (R = 0.18; p = 0.047) and serum periostin (R = −0.22; p = 0.013), after exclusion of smoldering MM patients. Patients with decreasing eGFR had higher transgelin levels (median 106.6 versus 83.9 ng/mL), although the difference was marginally significant (p = 0.05). However, baseline transgelin positively correlated with serum creatinine after the follow-up period (R = 0.37; p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with eGFR after the follow-up period (R = −0.33; p < 0.001). Moreover, higher baseline serum transgelin (beta = −0.11 ± 0.05; p = 0.032) significantly predicted lower eGFR values after the follow-up period, irrespective of baseline eGFR and follow-up duration. Our study shows for the first time that elevated serum transgelin is negatively associated with glomerular filtration in MM and predicts a decline in renal function over long-term follow-up.

Background: Tumor burden in multiple myeloma (MM) is routinely evaluated in the bone marrow, though its prognostic value is not proven. There is an increasing interest in liquid biopsies due to its minimally invasive nature and more comprehensive evaluation of tumor burden. Growing evidence supports the quantification of circulating plasma cells (cPCs) measured by multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) as a powerful diagnostic biomarker suitable for risk stratification of newly diagnosed transplant eligible MM (Garces et al, EHA 2021). Nevertheless, there are virtually no data regarding prognostic impact of cPCs in MM patients ineligible for transplantation. Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare and most aggressive monoclonal gammopathy with dismal outcomes defined by more than 20% of cPCs and/or absolute cPCs count of ≥2 x10 9/L. Recently, there have been many efforts to redefine these criteria as lower number of cPCs probably portends equally poor prognosis. Aims: To evaluate prognostic significance of cPCs in a large cohort of transplant ineligible (Tx-ineligible) newly diagnosed MM patients and to define cut-offs for risk stratification. Moreover, to establish cut-off identifying ultra high risk MM patients mimicking the prognosis of pPCL and propose new definition of pPCL. Methods: Circulating PCs were measured by 8 color flow cytometry in 402 Tx-ineligible MM patients (including n=7 pPCL) diagnosed between 2012 and 2019 at University Hospitals Brno and Ostrava, Czech Republic. Patients were treated in real-world setting and the clinical analysis was performed retrospectively based on data from the Czech Registry of Monoclonal Gammopathies. Median follow-up was 20.5 months. The intermediate cutoff was identified using ROC analysis considering overall survival (OS). Moreover, data from the large published cohort of pPCL patients treated in real-world setting were used to find a new cut-off identifying these ultra-high-risk pPCL-like patients (Jurczyszyn et al. BJH,2018). Results: Circulating PCs were detected in peripheral blood (PB) of 303/402 (75%) patients. In 303 patients with detectable cPCs the median percentage was 0.06% with range 0.0008% - 79%. The median limit of detection of MFC technique was 0.006 (sensitivity 10e-5). Patients stratification into 3 subgroups according to quantification of cPCs (low: ≤ 0.2%; intermediate: 0.2 - 2% and high: >2.0%) resulted in significantly different OS (36.5 vs. 28.1 and 13.6 months; p < 0.0001) and progression free survival (PFS) (17.9 vs. 14.7 and 3.4 months; p < 0.0001). Patients with no detected cPCs (0%) did not separate from subgroup >0% to 0.05) suggesting that next-generation flow cytometry (NGF) with sensitivity 10e-6 is needed for the identification of this favorable prognostic group. In order to demonstrate that patients with more than 2% of cPCs have similarly poor outcome as pPCL patients, we compared those with 2% - 20% (n=15) vs. those with >20% (n=7) of cPCs. The outcomes were practically identical with median PFS of 3.1 vs. 4.2 months (p = 0.23) and median OS of 13.6 vs. 14.6 months (p=0.23). Next, we analyzed patient´s characteristics in association with the level of cPCs (low, intermediate and high) and we demonstrated that there was significantly higher proportion of patients with ISS III stage (38%, 52% and 82%), elevated LDH level (8%, 19% and 55%) and high risk cytogenetics (12%, 21% and 36%) hand in hand with increasing number of cPCs. CPCs were identified as the most powerful prognostic marker in univariate (HR=2.7 for OS and HR=6.3 for PFS; p=0.001) and multivariate analysis (HR=4.2 for OS and HR=5.8 for PFS; p Conclusion: The quantification of cPCs in PB of newly diagnosed MM is the most powerful prognostic factor as we demonstrated on a large cohort of transplant ineligible patients. We defined 2% of cPCs as a new cut-off for ultra high risk myeloma resembling behavior of primary PCL. We propose this 2% cut-off for redefinition of pPCL criteria that warrants further investigation in prospective setting. To identify subgroup with especially favorable outcome with no detectable cPCs, NGF with high sensitivity of 10e-6 is needed. Quantification of cPCs by MFC is easy, fast, affordable and worldwide available procedure providing highly relevant prognostic information that might be implemented into routine clinical practice. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Jurczyszyn: Janssen-Cilag, Amgen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Castillo: Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding. Hajek: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharma MAR: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Introduction: Treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has greatly improved over the last two decades. However, most pts will relapse and develop refractory disease. Most anti-cancer regimens require dose modifications (interruption, reduction, or discontinuation) during the treatment course in order to optimize the therapeutic window; appropriate modifications improve tolerability while maintaining anti-cancer activity. Selinexor, an oral selective inhibitor of XPO1-mediated nuclear export (SINE) compound, enforces the nuclear retention and functional activation of tumor suppressor proteins within the nucleus and prevents the translation of oncoproteins. The combination of once weekly (QW) selinexor, QW bortezomib, and dexamethasone (XVd) is FDA approved for previously treated MM. Compared to standard twice weekly (BIW) bortezomib plus dexamethasone (Vd) and using 40% less bortezomib and 25% less dexamethasone, XVd demonstrated significantly prolonged median progression-free survival (PFS) and time-to-next-treatment (TTNT), increased the overall response rate (ORR), reduced rates of peripheral neuropathy, and showed a trend towards improved overall survival (OS) in the Phase 3 randomized BOSTON study (NCT03110562). The recommended starting dose of selinexor in XVd is 100mg QW, but the median dose administered in BOSTON was 80 mg QW. Here, we analyzed the efficacy outcomes and adverse events (AEs) in pts whose dose was reduced compared to those where it was not. Methods: The BOSTON study consisted of two arms: pts treated with selinexor QW (100mg), bortezomib QW (1.3mg/m 2) and dexamethasone BIW (20 mg) (XVd; n=195 in the intention-to-treat [ITT] population) compared to standard BIW Vd. Results: Of the XVd pts in the BOSTON study, 126 had a dose reduction of selinexor and 69 did not. The median age was 66.0 in both groups (range: with reduction, 47-87; without, 40-84) and the median number of prior therapies was 1.0 (range, 1-3) for both groups (Table 1). The median time to dose reduction in these pts was 68 days (range, 8-561 days). The median duration of study treatment for these pts was 34.5 weeks (range, 3-120 weeks) compared to 20.0 weeks (range, 1-118) in pts with no dose reduction. In the group with dose reduction, the median dose of selinexor received per week was 71.3 mg (range, 29.7, 101.4) compared to 100 mg (range, 33.3, 136.7) in pts with no reduction. Pts who dose reduced had a median PFS of 16.6 months compared to 9.2 months in pts who did not (one-sided p value, The most common adverse events (AEs; dose reduction and without dose reduction) of any grade were thrombocytopenia (69.8% and 42.0%), nausea (55.6% and 40.6%), and fatigue (49.2% and 29.0%). The rate of treatment discontinuation in the dose reduced group was 24.6% and 14.5% without dose reductions. In the dose reduced group, there were 6 (4.8%) deaths and 6 (8.7%) in the group with no dose reduction. As pts with a dose reduction stayed on therapy for a prolonged period of time, to best understand the impact of dose reduction on the AE, we present the duration-adjusted incidence rates of AEs of clinical interest. The duration-adjusted incidence rates of AE were considerably lower after dose reduction of selinexor compared to the rates on or before dose reduction: thrombocytopenia (62.5% vs 47.6%), nausea (31.6% vs 7.3%), fatigue (28.1% vs 9.9%), decreased appetite (21.5% vs 6.4%), anemia (17.9% vs 10.3%), and diarrhea (12.9% vs 5.2) (Table 3). Conclusions: While all pts on XVd initiated therapy at 100mg selinexor QW, and it was associated with very low rates of progressive disease (1 in 195 pts), appropriate dose reductions of selinexor were associated with a longer PFS, DOR, and TTNT, and significantly reduced AE with improved tolerability, highlighting dose reductions as an important tool to personalize and optimize the therapeutic window for pts with RRMM. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Jagannath: Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy; Legend Biotech: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Badros: Janssen: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Research Funding; J&J: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding. Levy: Takeda, Celgene, Seattle Genetics, AbbVie, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals,Janssen.: Consultancy. Moreau: Celgene BMS: Honoraria; Oncopeptides: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Delimpasi: Takeda: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Kriachok: Takeda, Roche, Abbivie, Janssen, MSD: Consultancy; Takeda, Roche, Abbvie, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Gavriatopoulou: Takeda: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; GSK: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Karyopharm: Honoraria; Genesis: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria. Auner: Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda, Karyopharm: Other: Advisory role. Leleu: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Carsgen Therapeutics Ltd: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria; Janssen-Cilag: Honoraria; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria; Mundipharma: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Oncopeptides: Honoraria; Pierre Fabre: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Other: Non-financial support. Usenko: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acerta: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Ascentage: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Celgene: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Il-Yang: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Karyopharm: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Oncopeptides: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Rigel: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; Takeda: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator; UCB: Other: Clinical Trials Investigator. Hajek: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharma MAR: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Venner: BMS: Honoraria; Amgen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria. Garg: University Hospital Leicester: Current Employment; Amgen Janssen Novartis Sanofi Takeda: Honoraria; Takeda Janssen Novartis Sanofi: Other: Travel Accommodations, Expenses. Gironella Mesa: BMS, Janssen: Honoraria. Jurczyszyn: Janssen-Cilag, Amgen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Robak: Biogen, Abbvie, Octapharma, Janssen: Honoraria, Other: Advisory board; AstraZeneca, Abbvie, Janssen, Octapharma, Gilead,Oncopeptides AB, Pharmacyclics, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Biogen: Research Funding; Medical University of Lodz: Current Employment. Galli: BMS, Celgene, Janssen, Sanofi, Takeda: Honoraria. Radinoff: Janssen, Pfizer, Novartis, Servier etc.: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen, Bayer, Takeda, etc.: Research Funding; the Bulgarian Minister of Health: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Liberati: abbvie, amgen, archigen, beigene, BMS, celgene, DR REDDY'S LABORATORIES SPA, fibrogen, glaxo, Janssen, Karyopharm, Morphosys, Novartis, Onconova, Oncopeptides ab, Roche, Sanophi, Secura Bio, Takeda, Verastem,: Research Funding. Quach: Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Antengene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen/Cilag: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; CSL: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Bila: Takeda, AMGEN, Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Katodritou: GSK, Amgen, Karyopharm, Abbvie, Janssen-Cilag, Genesis Pharma, Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding. DeCastro: Karyopharm: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Chai: Karyopharm: Current Employment. Van Domelen: Karyopharm: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Mishal: Karyopharm: Current Employment. Bentur: Karyopharm Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Shah: Karyopharm: Current Employment. Shacham: Karyopharm: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Patents & Royalties: (8999996, 9079865, 9714226, PCT/US12/048319, and I574957) on hydrazide containing nuclear transport modulators and uses, and pending patents PCT/US12/048319, 499/2012, PI20102724, and 2012000928) . Kauffman: Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Richardson: GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Regeneron: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; Protocol Intelligence: Consultancy; Secura Bio: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Introduction Monoclonal gammopathy of ocular significance (MGOS) is a rare subset of monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance (MGCS) occurring secondary to plasma cell dyscrasia resulting in ocular manifestations. Given the rarity of these conditions, optimal management strategies are not defined; the approach is dependent upon the underlying cause of the monoclonal gammopathy and whether or not the patient's vision is affected. We report our review of 23 cases with MGOS, more specifically on paraproteinemic keratopathy (PPK) the most common form, to obtain a better understanding of the patient characteristics, diagnosis and treatments. Methods We report an international retrospective series of patients with MGOS. Data was collected on patients with MGOS:there were no other inclusion criteria besides monoclonal gammopathy with an ophthalmologic manifestation; however, this report focuses only on patients with PPK. Efficacy outcomes were the hematologic and the ocular responses in patients with PPK. Hematologic responses were reported according to the IMWG response criteria. The ophthalmologic response to treatment was assessed by each contributing physician and reported as either complete, partial or no sight recovery. Results We identified 23 patients with PPK in the setting of monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), or multiple myeloma (MM) diagnosed between 2006 and 2019 in 7 countries. Table 1 summarizes the patients' characteristics. The ocular diagnosis was typically made at the same time or after the hematologic diagnosis. Eleven of 23 patients presented decreased vision. Four were treated by penetrating keratoplasty with or without systemic therapy, including chemotherapy with new generation anti-MM agents with or without autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). All patients with MM and 40% of those with other diagnoses such as SMM or MGUS received systemic therapy. In most cases, neither ocular nor hematologic treatment, even when ASCT was performed, afforded a durable improvement in the visual acuity despite initial responses. MGOS typically relapsed within one year of the initial response (Table 2). Conclusion To date, this is the largest retrospective study focusing on MGOS patients with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits accumulating in the cornea and resulting in visual impairment. Further studies will be required to determine the optimal strategy to treat and prevent the relapse of ocular symptoms in patients with PPK and specifically to address the timing of keratoplasty and systemic chemotherapy and the role of maintenance therapy. Patients with corneal manifestation of unknown origin should undergo a hematologic check-up and patients with paraproteinemia should have a periodic ocular health assessment. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Garderet: Takeda: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy. Munder: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Incyte: Research Funding. Gozzetti: AbbVie: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Rosinol: Janssen, Celgene, Amgen and Takeda: Honoraria. Jurczyszyn: Janssen-Cilag, Amgen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau.