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Purpose:Tafasitamab, an Fc-modified, humanized, anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody, in combination with lenalidomide, demonstrated efficacy in transplant-ineligible patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), in the single-arm, phase II L-MIND study (NCT02399085). RE-MIND, a retrospective observational study, generated a historic control for L-MIND to delineate the contribution of tafasitamab to the efficacy of the combination.Patients and Methods:Data were retrospectively collected from patients with R/R DLBCL treated with lenalidomide monotherapy for comparison with tafasitamab + lenalidomide–treated patients (L-MIND). Key eligibility criteria were aligned with L-MIND. Estimated propensity score–based Nearest Neighbor 1:1 Matching methodology balanced the cohorts for nine prespecified prognostic baseline covariates. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed best overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included complete response (CR) rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).Results:Data from 490 patients going through lenalidomide monotherapy were collected; 140 qualified for matching with the L-MIND cohort. The primary analysis included 76 patients from each cohort who received a lenalidomide starting dose of 25 mg/day. Cohort baseline covariates were comparable. A significantly better ORR of 67.1% (95% confidence interval, 55.4–77.5) was observed for the combination therapy versus 34.2% (23.7–46.0) for lenalidomide monotherapy [odds ratio, 3.89 (1.90–8.14); P < 0.0001]. Higher CR rates were achieved with combination therapy compared with lenalidomide monotherapy [39.5% (28.4–51.4) vs. 13.2% (6.5–22.9)]. Survival endpoints favored combination therapy. Lenalidomide monotherapy outcomes were similar to previously published data.Conclusions:RE-MIND enabled the estimation of the additional treatment effect achieved by combining tafasitamab with lenalidomide in patients with R/R DLBCL.

The role of macrophages (Mo) and their prognostic impact in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) remain controversial. By regulating the lipid metabolism, Liver-X-Receptors (LXRs) control Mo polarization/inflammatory response, and their pharmacological modulation is under clinical investigation to treat human cancers, including lymphomas. Herein, we surveyed the role of LXRs in DLBCL for prognostic purposes. Comparing bulk tumors with purified malignant and normal B-cells, we found an intriguing association of NR1H3, encoding for the LXR-α isoform, with the tumor microenvironment (TME). CIBERSORTx-based purification on large DLBCL datasets revealed a high expression of the receptor transcript in M1-like pro-inflammatory Mo. By determining an expression cut-off of NR1H3, we used digital measurement to validate its prognostic capacity on two large independent on-trial and real-world cohorts. Independently of classical prognosticators, NR1H3

Purpose: Tafasitamab, an Fc-modified, humanized, anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody, in combination with lenalidomide, demonstrated efficacy in transplant-ineligible patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), in the single-arm, phase II L-MIND study (NCT02399085). RE-MIND, a retrospective observational study, generated a historic control for L-MIND to delineate the contribution of tafasitamab to the efficacy of the combination. Patients and Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from patients with R/R DLBCL treated with lenalidomide monotherapy for comparison with tafasitamab + lenalidomide–treated patients (L-MIND). Key eligibility criteria were aligned with L-MIND. Estimated propensity score–based Nearest Neighbor 1:1 Matching methodology balanced the cohorts for nine prespecified prognostic baseline covariates. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed best overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included complete response (CR) rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: Data from 490 patients going through lenalidomide monotherapy were collected; 140 qualified for matching with the L-MIND cohort. The primary analysis included 76 patients from each cohort who received a lenalidomide starting dose of 25 mg/day. Cohort baseline covariates were comparable. A significantly better ORR of 67.1% (95% confidence interval, 55.4–77.5) was observed for the combination therapy versus 34.2% (23.7–46.0) for lenalidomide monotherapy [odds ratio, 3.89 (1.90–8.14); P < 0.0001]. Higher CR rates were achieved with combination therapy compared with lenalidomide monotherapy [39.5% (28.4–51.4) vs. 13.2% (6.5–22.9)]. Survival endpoints favored combination therapy. Lenalidomide monotherapy outcomes were similar to previously published data. Conclusions: RE-MIND enabled the estimation of the additional treatment effect achieved by combining tafasitamab with lenalidomide in patients with R/R DLBCL.

7517 Background: Overexpression of BCL2 and MYC, and translocation of MYC, BCL2, and BCL6, are associated with poorer outcomes in patients (pts) with DLBCL (Horn et al. Blood 2013). We previously reported progression-free survival (PFS) from POLARIX in subgroups of pts with DLBCL receiving Pola-R-CHP or R-CHOP, including pts with double expressor lymphoma (DEL; favoring Pola-R-CHP: hazard ratio [HR] 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42–0.97), and double- or triple-hit lymphoma (DHL/THL; favoring R-CHOP: HR 3.81, 95% CI 0.82–17.64) (Tilly et al. NEJM 2022). In this prespecified exploratory analysis, we further analyzed immunohistochemistry (IHC) expression status of BCL2, MYC, and rearrangements (R) of BCL2, BCL6 and MYC as independent prognostic markers. We also explored the prognostic impact of DEL within treatment arms. Methods: BCL2 and MYC protein expression were assessed by IHC and identified as IHC+ (≥50% [BCL2]/≥40% [MYC]) or IHC−; MYC-R, BCL2-R, and BCL6-R were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (Tilly et al. NEJM, 2022). Exploratory multivariate Cox regression models were adjusted for treatment, stratification factors (IPI, bulky disease, geographic region), age >60 years, cell of origin, and biomarker evaluated, as appropriate. Results: The prevalence, univariate HR, and 2-year (yr) PFS estimates of BCL2+/MYC+ and BCL2-R/ MYC-R/ BCL6-R subgroups are presented (Table) except for BCL6-R, because all 4 PFS events in this subgroup were with Pola-R-CHP. Multivariate analyses results for Pola-R-CHP vs R-CHOP in pts with BCL2+ (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.43–0.86) and in pts with MYC+ (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.45–0.89) were similar to results of univariate analyses. Multivariate analyses of other subgroups were not performed due to the low pt number with BCL2-R/ MYC-R/ BCL6-R. While pts with DEL treated with Pola-R-CHP had improved PFS vs pts treated with R-CHOP (HR 0.64, 0.42–0.97), the prognostic impact of DEL vs non-DEL was more pronounced with R-CHOP (univariate HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.06–2.21; multivariate HR 1.29, 95% CI 0.88–1.91) vs Pola-R-CHP (univariate HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.72–1.69; multivariate HR 1.42, 95% CI 0.89–2.28). Conclusions: Multivariate analyses support the benefit of Pola-R-CHP in pts with BCL2+ and MYC+ DLBCL. The poor prognostic impact associated with DEL appears reduced in Pola-R-CHP- vs R-CHOP-treated pts. Clinical trial information: NCT03274492. [Table: see text]

Introduction. The outcome of relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphomas, not eligible or cured by high dose chemotherapy due to persistent disease, is very unsatisfactory. The introduction of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) in this setting, showed impressive long-term results in registrative trials. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) and tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) are registered and reimbursed in Italy by Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) patients after at least 2 lines, with an ECOG 0-1, and an age lower than 71 years. To evaluate in real-life the patients treated in Italy with CAR-T cells, the Italian Society of Hematology (SIE) designed an observational study. Methods. The CART-SIE is an ongoing prospective and retrospective observational trial with the following aims: 1. consecutively register all DLBCL and PMBCL treated in the Italian authorized centers; 2. evaluate the intention to treat overall response rate (ORR, complete [CR] and partial response [PR]), duration of response (DOR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); 3. evaluate safety in terms of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) and long-term cytopenia; 4. compare the two different CAR-T products. Primary endpoint was to evaluate the overall response and survival at one year of the patients receiving CAR-T cells. Results. Since March 2019 to June 2021, 208 patients were enrolled and leukapheresed; 191 patients were infused (92%); 17 were not due to rapidly progressive disease and worsening of clinical conditions (11), severe infection (4), persistent complete remission (1) and manufacturing failure (1). Clinical characteristics of the 191 infused patients were: median age 53 years (range 19-70), stage III/IV 127 (69%); median number of prior lines was 3 (2-12), including 58 (30%) with prior autologous stem cell transplantation. According to local pathology reports, 134 (70%) were DLBCL, 22 (12%) high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBCL) and 35 (18%) PMBCL. Bridging therapy was delivered to 177 (93%) patients: 45 (25%) radiotherapy, 115 (65%) systemic therapy (chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy), 17 (10%) combined therapy (radiotherapy + chemotherapy). All patients received Fludarabine-Cyclophosphamide as lymphodepletion regimen. Axi-cel was infused in 92 (48%), and tisa-cel in 99 (52%) patients. Median follow-up time for infused patients was 7.66 months (IQR: 4.14-14.74). All 191 patients were evaluable for response at 30-days after the infusion: 84 (44%) CR, 61 (32%) PR, with an ORR of 76%. Median DOR was not reached for CR and PR patients, but CR patients did better than PRs (p=0.04). In the whole series, 6 and 12-months PFS were 56% (95% CI:49-65) and 47% (95%CI:39-56); 6 and 12-months OS were 80% (95%CI:74-87); 71% (95%CI:63-80), respectively. The 6-months PFS and OS by histotype were: 52% (95% CI: 44-62) and 79% (95% CI: 72-87) for DLBCL, 57% (95% CI: 39-83) and 72% (95% CI: 54-97) for HGBCL, 73% (95% CI: 59-90) and 87% (95% CI: 76-99) for PMBCL. No outcome differences between axi-cel and tisa-cel were reported: 6-months PFS and OS were 58% (95% CI: 48-70) and 81% (95% CI: 73-91) vs. 55% (95% CI: 45-66) and 79% (95% CI: 70-88), respectively. Of note, tisa-cel was not used in PMBCL. Severe (grade 3-4) CRS was observed in only 9 (5%) patients, and severe ICANS in 15 (8%). One-hundred and eight (57%) patients received at least one dose of tocilizumab and 62 (33%) received steroids; 24 (13%) patients were admitted in intensive care unit. Cytopenia beyond 90 days was reported in 59 of 179 (33%) evaluable patients. At the time of the analysis, 43 (23%) patients had died, 39 due to lymphoma progression, 4 due to complications related to subsequent therapies. Conclusions. In CART-SIE study, the outcome of patients treated with CAR-T was similar to those of the registrative trials. No differences across histotypes and commercial CAR-T products (axi-cel and tisa-cel) were observed. CRS and ICANS in real world are manageable with adequate risk management plan. Cytopenias are emerging problems in real-life setting. Disclosures Chiappella: Gilead Sciences: Other: lecture fee, advisory board; Roche: Other: lecture fee, advisory board; Takeda: Other: advisory board; Clinigen: Other: lecture fee, advisory board; Celgene Bristol Myers Squibb: Other: lecture fee, advisory board; Astrazeneca: Other: lecture fee; Janssen: Other: lecture fee, advisory board; Incyte: Other: lecture fee; Novartis: Other: lecture fee; Servier: Other: lecture fee. Santoro: Eli-Lilly: Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Arqule: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Roche: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Speakers Bureau; Sandoz: Speakers Bureau; Eisai: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Tisi: Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BWS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Perriello: Novartis: Other: Advisory Board. Corradini: AbbVie, ADC Theraputics, Amgen, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead/Kite, GSK, Incyte, Janssen, KyowaKirin, Nerviano Medical Science, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda: Consultancy; AbbVie, ADC Theraputics, Amgen, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead/Kite, GSK, Incyte, Janssen, KyowaKirin, Nerviano Medical Science, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda: Honoraria; KiowaKirin; Incyte; Daiichi Sankyo; Janssen; F. Hoffman-La Roche; Kite; Servier: Consultancy; Amgen; Takeda; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations; Novartis; Gilead; Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Travel and accommodations; BMS: Other: Travel and accommodation; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy; Novartis, Janssen, Celgene, BMS, Takeda, Gilead/Kite, Amgen, AbbVie: Other: travel and accomodations.

Background: Eighty-five percent of PMBCL are cured by standard therapy, but the outcome of refractory/relapsed (R/R) PMBCL is very poor. Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have shown promising activity in relapsed PMBCL. Axibactagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) CAR-T cell therapy, can induce durable responses and is currently approved for the treatment of adult patients with R/R PMBCL. Aims of this analysis were: to register all Italian PMBCL patients candidate to CAR-T in the 6 active centers;to evaluate the intention to treat overall response rate (ORR, complete [CR] and partial response [PR]) in patients treated with axi-cel and CPIs for salvage or bridging before CAR-T and for relapse after CAR-T;to evaluate cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Methods: In August 2019 the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA) approved axi-cel; before the reimbursement by AIFA, an expanded access program supported by Kite/Gilead started. One patient slot per month per qualified center was available. Patients were included in a large national CAR-T prospective observational study approved by ethics committees. Results: Since April 2019 to March 2020, 20 R/R PMBCL were evaluated and 18 were apheresized in order to receive axi-cel; 2 were excluded because active CNS disease in one, and eligibility to transplant, while in CR, in the second one. Their clinical characteristics were: median age 38 years (range 22-50), male 8 (44%), stage II 6 (33%), advanced stage III/IV 12 (66%), bulky disease 6 (33%); LDH upper than normal 3 (2%). Median number of prior lines was 3 (2-6); 5 patients (28%) had a previous autologous stem cell transplant and 12 (66%) received a prior radiotherapy. The majority of patients, 16 (89%) were refractory to the last treatment when they were evaluated for CAR-T eligibility; 9 of 18 patients had CPI exposure before leukoapheresis: 6 pembrolizumab and 3 nivolumab in combination with brentuximab-vedotin. No manufacturing failures were reported. Bridging therapy was performed in 16 of 18 patients (88%). Seventeen patients (94%) received lymphodepleting Flu-Cy chemotherapy and only 16 pts received CAR-T for central nervous system (CNS) progression during bridging therapy (n=1) and respiratory failure due to pneumonia (n=1); the 2 patient not infused were exposed to CPIs. Median vein to vein time was 40 days (30-79). Median follow-up time for infused patients was 209 days (9-444). CRS was observed in 12 of 16 infused patients: 5 grade 2 and 7 grade 1. ICANS (2 grade 1, 2 grade 2, 1 grade 3) was recorded in 5 patients. No differences regarding CRS and ICANS occurrence were observed in patients exposed or not to CPIs. At 30-days after the infusion, all the 16 infused patients were evaluable for response: 7 (44%) CR, 5 (31%) PR, with ORR 75%, 3 (19%) stable disease (SD) and 1 (6%) progressive disease (PD). Two patients in PR at 30 days converted to CR at 90 days, with continuous CR at 180 days; all the 3 patients in SD and 1 out of 5 in PR at 30 days progressed at 90 days. Considering the 9 patients exposed to CPIs before CAR-T, 7 out of 9 were infused and all the 7 infused were evaluable for response: 2 (29%) CR, 4 (57%) PR, with ORR 86%, and 1 (14%) died because of a rapid CNS progression after infusion. Two patients in PR at 30-days converted to CR at 90-days, one with continuous CR at 180 days after CAR-T. Conclusions: In our series of 16 infused patients, axi-cel was effective with an ORR of 75% (CR 44%) at 30-days after CAR-T infusion and ORR of 54% (CR 46%) in the 13 patients evaluable at the median follow-up time (180-days after CAR-T infusion). It is important to note the 4 patients from the original real life cohort never received axi-cel. It is noteworthy that ORR was 86% in patients receiving CPIs before CAR-T and 75% in those not exposed to CPIs. With the limitation of small number, the exposure of immune-checkpoint inhibitors seems not to affect negatively response rate and adverse events. Disclosures Chiappella: Janssen: Honoraria; Iqone: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Gilead-Kite: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Zinzani:Bayer: Consultancy. Corradini:BMS: Other; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; KiowaKirin: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Context: Tafasitamab (MOR208), a humanized anti-CD19 antibody, combined with lenalidomide (LEN) showed encouraging results in the Phase II, single-arm L-MIND study ( NCT02399085 ) of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) ineligible for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Objective: To generate a LEN monotherapy matched comparator cohort for L-MIND using patient-level data to isolate the tafasitamab contribution to the efficacy of the tafasitamab + LEN combination. Design: RE-MIND ( NCT04150328 ), a retrospective observational study, used a Nearest Neighbor ePS-based 1:1 Matching methodology to balance the LEN monotherapy cohort (observational data) and combination cohort (derived from L-MIND) for nine prespecified baseline covariates: age, Ann Arbor stage, last therapy refractoriness, number of prior therapy lines, primary refractoriness, prior ASCT, LDH, neutropenia, and anemia. The primary analysis set included matched patients who received a LEN starting dose of 25 mg/day (as in L-MIND) with sufficient follow-up. Patients: LEN monotherapy-treated patients from the US and EU who met the L-MIND-aligned eligibility criteria: adult patients with R/R DLBCL; 1–3 prior systemic therapies, including 1 CD20-targeting regimen; ASCT-ineligible. Baseline characteristics, LEN dosing, and patient outcomes were collected retrospectively from health records. Main outcome measures: The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed best objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and complete response (CR) rates. Results: 490 patients were enrolled, of which 140 fulfilled the ePS matching criteria. Following matching, the primary analysis set included 76 patients from each cohort. Baseline characteristics were comparable. The primary endpoint was met. Best ORR was significantly higher in the combination cohort (67.1%) versus the monotherapy cohort (34.2%) (odds ratio 3.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.90–8.14; p Conclusions: Significantly better ORR, CR, and OS indicate potential synergistic effects of the tafasitamab + LEN combination in ASCT-ineligible R/R DLBCL. RE-MIND demonstrates the utility of real-world data in interpreting non-randomized trials.

Background An accurate diagnosis is essential to identify and manage SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and implement infection control measures. Although real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the current recommended laboratory method, several rapid antigen point-of-care tests (POCTs) were developed as frontline testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess a recently CE-approved POCT, SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test on the LumiraDx™ Platform (LumiraDx GmbH, Cologne, Germany) for the identification of SARS-COV-2 infected subjects at hospital setting. Methods LumiraDx POCT was implemented in three hospital settings: adult and pediatric emergency departments and occupational medicine department along two-month period during the second peak of Italian SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Rapid antigen testing was performed on direct nasal swabs and results were compared with those obtained by Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay. Results Overall sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were 90.3%, 92.1%, 95.1%, and 84.9%, respectively, compared to reference method. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for symptomatic group were 89.3% [95% IC 84.2-93.3], 88.2% [95% IC 72.5-96.7], 97.8% [95% IC 94.6-99.1], and 58.8% [95% IC 48.4-68.5], respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for asymptomatic group were 92.1% [95% IC 85-96.5], 92.3% [95% IC 89.9-94.4], 67.9% [95% IC 61.3-73.8], and 98.5% [95% IC 97.1-99.2], respectively. False positive and negative antigen testing results in both symptomatic and asymptomatic group were observed. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 Ag POCT may represent an interesting tool to rapidly identify symptomatic or asymptomatic infected subjects. However, in hospital setting in which false negative or false positive results may have relevant implications, confirmatory NAAT always remains necessary for the appropriate management of patients.

We evaluate the performance of BD Phoenix (BD Diagnostic; Hunt Valley, MD) and MiscroScan WalkAway (Beckman Coulter Inc; Carlsbad, CA) systems versus reference agar dilution method for fosfomycin susceptibility determination in 200 Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates. Both methods exhibit ≤89.0% of categorica agreement and ≥63.3% of very major error. All commercial antimicrobial susceptibility systems show poor concordance with reference method.

Purpose The benefit of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) as first-line treatment in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas is still a matter of debate. To address this point, we designed a randomized phase III trial to compare rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP)-14 (eight cycles) with rituximab plus high-dose sequential chemotherapy (R-HDS) with ASCT. Patients and Methods From June 2005 to June 2011, 246 high-risk patients with a high-intermediate (56%) or high (44%) International Prognostic Index score were randomly assigned to the R-CHOP or R-HDS arm, and 235 were analyzed by intent to treat. The primary efficacy end point of the study was 3-year event-free survival, and results were analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis. Results Clinical response (complete response, 78% v 76%; partial response, 5% v 9%) and failures (no response, 15% v 11%; and early treatment-related mortality, 2% v 3%) were similar after R-CHOP versus R-HDS, respectively. After a median follow-up of 5 years, the 3-year event-free survival was 62% versus 65% ( P = .83). At 3 years, compared with the R-CHOP arm, the R-HDS arm had better disease-free survival (79% v 91%, respectively; P = .034), but this subsequently vanished because of late-occurring treatment-related deaths. No difference was detected in terms of progression-free survival (65% v 75%, respectively; P = .12), or overall survival (74% v 77%, respectively; P = .64). Significantly higher hematologic toxicity ( P < .001) and more infectious complications ( P < .001) were observed in the R-HDS arm. Conclusion In this study, front-line intensive R-HDS chemotherapy with ASCT did not improve the outcome of high-risk patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Simple Summary Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder which represents less than 10% of all non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. The typical course of MCL is characterized by several relapses (“remitting-relapsing” course), and since its identification it has been considered an incurable disease. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) has represented in the past years the only treatment which could ensure prolonged remissions, at least in younger patients. In our paper, we critically revised the available data on the use of allo-SCT in MCL. The aim of our review is to identify the subgroups of patients who could best benefit from this therapeutic strategy, the optimal timing for transplantation and the best ways to bridge patients to allo-SCT, in an era in which many novel agents have been developed. Abstract MCL is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder that has been regarded as incurable since its identification as a distinct entity. Allogeneic transplantation for two decades has represented the only option capable of ensuring prolonged remissions and possibly cure. Despite its efficacy, its application has been limited by feasibility limitations and substantial toxicity, particularly in elderly patients. Nevertheless, the experience accumulated over time has been wide though often scattered among retrospective and small prospective studies. In this review, we aimed at critically revise and discuss available evidence on allogeneic transplantation in MCL, trying to put available evidence into the 2020 perspective, characterized by unprecedented development of novel promising therapeutic agents and regimens.

8020 Background: Patients with R/R DLBCL ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) have a poor prognosis. In these patients, tafasitamab (anti-CD19 antibody) plus lenalidomide (LEN) has shown encouraging results in the open-label, single-arm, phase II L-MIND study (n = 81; NCT02399085). To evaluate the contribution of tafasitamab to the activity of this doublet, we conducted a global, real-world study of patients treated with LEN monotherapy (RE-MIND; NCT04150328). Here we present the primary analysis of a 1:1 patient-level matched comparison between the L-MIND and RE-MIND cohorts. Methods: Patients treated with LEN monotherapy for R/R DLBCL were enrolled in the observational, retrospective RE-MIND cohort. As in L-MIND, patients had 1–3 prior systemic therapies, including ≥1 CD20-targeting regimen; were aged ≥18 years; and were not eligible for ASCT. A 1:1 estimated propensity score (ePS) matching methodology ensured balancing of nine pre-specified baseline covariates. The primary analysis set, Matched Analysis Set 25 (MAS25), included patients who received a LEN starting dose of 25 mg/day. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed best objective response rate (ORR). Key secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and complete response (CR) rate. Results: 490 patients were enrolled in RE-MIND across 58 centers in the US and Europe, of which 140 fulfilled the ePS matching criteria. The MAS25 included 76 patients each from the two cohorts. Baseline characteristics between cohorts were comparable. The primary endpoint was met with a significantly better ORR of 67.1% (95% CI: 55.4–77.5) for the L-MIND cohort versus 34.2% (95% CI: 23.7–46.0) for the RE-MIND cohort (odds ratio 3.89; 95% CI: 1.90–8.14; p < 0.0001). The CR rate was 39.5% (95% CI: 28.4–51.4) in the L-MIND cohort and 13.2% (95% CI: 6.5–22.9) in the RE-MIND cohort. A significant difference in OS favored the L-MIND cohort (HR = 0.499; 95% CI: 0.317–0.785). ORR and CR outcomes in the RE-MIND cohort were similar to the published literature for LEN monotherapy in R/R DLBCL. Conclusions: Significantly better ORR, CR and OS indicate potential synergistic effects of the tafasitamab + LEN combination in ASCT-ineligible R/R DLBCL. ePS-based 1:1 matching allows robust estimation of the treatment effect of tafasitamab when added to LEN. RE-MIND demonstrates the utility of real-world data in interpreting non-randomized trials. Clinical trial information: NCT04150328 .

A prospective trial conducted in the period 2000-2005 showed no survival advantage for high-dose chemotherapy with rituximab and autograft (R-HDS) versus conventional chemotherapy with rituximab (CHOP-R) as first-line therapy in 134 high-risk follicular lymphoma patients aged

There are few data on clinical relevance of adrenal dysfunction and its relationship with occult microbial DNA in noninfected haemodynamically stable cirrhotic patients with ascites.The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic role of adrenal dysfunction, microbial DNA, and their relationship.Adrenal function was assessed in 93 consecutive patients following a corticotropin stimulation test. Adrenal dysfunction was defined as: basal cortisol10 μg/dl, delta cortisol9 μg/dl, or peak cortisol18 μg/dl. Microbial DNA was assessed in blood and ascites of 54 consecutive patients. Patients were followed up until liver transplantation or death.Adrenal dysfunction was not significantly associated with mortality, while the risk of death rose significantly with an increase in basal cortisol values (HR 1.13 per 1-μl/dl increase; 95% CI 1.01-1.26). Microbial DNA was independently associated with reduced survival (HR 8.05, 95% CI 1.57-41.2). In microbial DNA-positive patients a significant correlation was found between Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and basal cortisol values (Pearson's r=0.5107; p=0.018).Microbial DNA and MELD score, but not adrenal function, were the best independent predictors of mortality in noninfected cirrhotic patients with ascites. High serum cortisol levels may be a systemic reaction to microbial translocation, increasing in parallel with deterioration of liver function.

Purpose The GALLIUM study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01332968) showed that obinutuzumab (GA101; G) significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in previously untreated patients with follicular lymphoma relative to rituximab (R) when combined with cyclophosphamide (C), doxorubicin, vincristine (V), and prednisone (P; CHOP); CVP; or bendamustine. This report focuses on the impact of chemotherapy backbone on efficacy and safety. Patients and Methods A total of 1,202 patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma (grades 1 to 3a), advanced disease (stage III or IV, or stage II with tumor diameter ≥ 7 cm), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 2, and requiring treatment were randomly assigned 1:1 to G 1,000 mg on days 1, 8, and 15 of cycle 1 and day 1 of subsequent cycles or R 375 mg/m2 on day 1 of each cycle, for six to eight cycles, depending on chemotherapy (allocated nonrandomly by center). Responding patients received G or R for 2 years or until disease progression. Results Baseline Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index risk, bulky disease, and comorbidities differed by chemotherapy. After 41.1 months median follow-up, PFS (primary end point) was superior for G plus chemotherapy (overall hazard ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.87; P = .0016), with consistent results across chemotherapy backbones (bendamustine: HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.88; CHOP: HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.48 to 1.10; CVP: HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.42 to 1.47). Grade 3 to 5 adverse events, notably cytopenias, were most frequent with CHOP. Grade 3 to 5 infections and second neoplasms were most frequent with bendamustine, which was associated with marked and prolonged reductions in T-cell counts. Fatal events were more frequent in patients treated with bendamustine, possibly reflecting differences in patient risk profiles. Conclusion Improved PFS was observed for G plus chemotherapy for all three chemotherapy backbones. Safety profiles differed, although comparisons are confounded by nonrandom chemotherapy allocation.

This phase II, single-arm, multicenter study examined the efficacy and safety of coltuximab ravtansine (an anti-CD19 antibody drug conjugate) in 61 patients with histologically documented (de novo or transformed) relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who had previously received rituximab-containing immuno-chemotherapy. Patients had received a median of 2.0 (range 0-9) prior treatment regimens for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and almost half (45.9%) had bulky disease (≥1 lesion >5 cm) at trial entry. Patients received coltuximab ravtansine (55 mg/m2) in 4 weekly and 4 biweekly administrations until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Forty-one patients were eligible for inclusion in the per protocol population. Overall response rate (International Working Group criteria) in the per protocol population, the primary end point, was 18/41 [43.9%; 90% confidence interval (CI:) 30.6-57.9%]. Median duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival (all treated patients) were 4.7 (range 0.0-8.8) months, 4.4 (90%CI: 3.02-5.78) months, and 9.2 (90%CI: 6.57-12.09) months, respectively. Common non-hematologic adverse events included asthenia/fatigue (30%), nausea (23%), and diarrhea (20%). Grade 3-4 adverse events were reported in 23 patients (38%), the most frequent being hepatotoxicity (3%) and abdominal pain (3%). Eye disorders occurred in 15 patients (25%); all were grade 1-2 and none required a dose modification. Coltuximab ravtansine monotherapy was well tolerated and resulted in moderate clinical responses in pre-treated patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. (Registered at: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 01472887). ispartof: HAEMATOLOGICA vol:103 issue:8 pages:1351-1358 ispartof: location:Italy status: published

The emergence of antibiotic resistant strains poses a great concern for gonorrhea treatment. The aim of this study was to characterize penicillinase–producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) isolates collected in Italy in two time frames, 2003–2004 and 2014–2015. A total of 80 PPNG were characterized for the blaTEM gene variant and the plasmid type. Furthermore, gonococci were typed using Neisseria gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing. Antibiotic susceptibility assay was performed for penicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and spectinomycin by Etest and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test strip methods. The β-lactamase production was detected using nitrocefin test. Among PPNG isolates, four blaTEM alleles were identified as follows: blaTEM-1, blaTEM-228, blaTEMP14S, and blaTEM-135. The African plasmid possessed the blaTEM-1, blaTEM-228, and blaTEMP14S, whereas blaTEM-135 was identified in Toronto/Rio and Asian plasmids. The percentage of isolates with the blaTEM-1-carrying African plasmid increa...

// Giuseppe Gritti 1 , Andrea Gianatti 2 , Fiorella Petronzelli 3 , Rita De Santis 3 , Chiara Pavoni 1 , Riccardo Lorenzo Rossi 4 , Laura Cattaneo 2 , Luigi Giusto Spagnoli 5 , Silvia Ferrari 1 , Andrea Rossi 1 , Anna Maria Barbui 1 and Alessandro Rambaldi 1, 6 1 Hematology Unit, Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy 2 Pathology Unit, Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXII, Bergamo, Italy 3 Sigma Tau S.p.A. Biotech Products R and D, Pomezia, Italy 4 Bioinformatics, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Milan, Italy 5 Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Universita di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy 6 Department of Oncology and Oncohematology, Universita degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy Correspondence to: Alessandro Rambaldi, email: alessandro.rambaldi@unimi.it Keywords: T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma; peripheral T-cell lymphoma; cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; tenascin-C; radioimmunotherapy Received: May 13, 2017 Accepted: November 03, 2017 Published: January 03, 2018 ABSTRACT The clinical outcome of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is poor and innovative treatments are needed. Tenascin-C is a large extracellular glycoprotein not expressed under physiological conditions, but overexpressed in cancer. Aim of the study was to evaluate tenascin-C expression within pathologic tissue of T-cell NHL and determine its clinical significance. We used an immunohistochemistry approach using the anti-tenascin-C monoclonal antibody Tenatumomab in 75 systemic T-cell NHL (including 72 mature and 3 precursor T-cell NHL), and 25 primary cutaneous T-cell NHL. Data were analyzed in terms of staining intensity, proportion of involved areas and histologic pattern, and results were correlated with clinical characteristics and outcome. Ninety-three percent of the cases were tenascin-C positive and 59% of systemic diseases were characterized by a predominant involvement (>50%). Stromal expression was detected in all the cases while vascular and vascular plus cytoplasmic expression was present in 49% and 23%. The constant overexpression of the tenascin-C gene was observed in two independent publicly available T-cell NHL gene expression datasets. In conclusions, tenascin-C represents an attractive target that sets the rationale to investigate the therapeutic activity of radiolabeled Tenatumomab in T-cell NHL.

A diagnosis of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis was made in a 59-year-old man with a secondary acute myeloid leukemia a few days after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Prompt treatment with combined antifungal therapy (liposomal amphotericin B and isavuconazole) followed by a procedure of endoscopic sinus surgery resulted in the resolution of the infection. Therapeutic drug monitoring of isavuconazole was performed during the year of treatment showing an increment of plasma concentrations in correspondence with the improvement of intestinal GvHD, thus suggesting that in this or similar conditions TDM for isavuconazole can be of value. A literature review of cases of rhino-orbital-cerebral and rhino-cerebral mucormycosis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients was performed.

Presence of epithelial desquamation, erythema, and erosions on gingival tissue is usually described in the literature as desquamative gingivitis (DG). A wide range of autoimmune/dermatologic disorders can manifest as DG, although the two more common are oral lichen planus and mucous membrane pemphigoid. The aim of this study is to investigate prevalence of 11 periodontopathogenic microorganisms in patients with DG and to compare it with the microbiologic status of individuals affected by plaque-induced gingivitis (pGI).Cross-sectional clinical and microbiologic data were obtained from 66 patients (33 in each group). Subgingival plaque samples were analyzed using semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis.Statistically significant difference, but with little clinical significance, was observed in gingival conditions between the two groups, probably due to the worse home control hygiene of patients with DG. Prevalence and levels of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Eikenella corrodens, and Fusobacterium nucleatum/periodonticum were statistically higher in samples from patients with DG than in those with pGI. In multivariate regression models, subgingival colonization of A. actinomycetemcomitans and F. nucleatum/periodonticum was not statistically associated with DG, whereas, high levels of E. corrodens were associated with 13-fold increased odds for DG.Microbiologic differences were found in subgingival plaque for patients with DG and pGI. This may suggest possible association between periodontal pathogens and DG.

Objective To report our experience on the safety and tolerability of moxifloxacin for treating children affected by pulmonary TB. Study Design Children receiving a moxifloxacin-containing anti-TB regimen were included in the study. Their medical records were revised at the end of follow-up. Methods We describe nine children treated with moxifloxacin for pulmonary TB at Regina Margherita Children's Hospital (Turin, Italy) between 2007 and 2012. Moxifloxacin was administered orally at 10 mg/kg/day once daily (maximum dose = 400 mg/day) following World Health Organization indications. During treatment, patients were systematically assessed for the development of side effects. Results Eight children were considered cured at the end of treatment; one child was lost to follow-up after 3 months of treatment. Two children had side effects during treatment: one developed arthritis of the ankle; the other had liver toxicity, whose relationship with moxifloxacin could not be ruled out. We did not observe any case of QT prolongation, central nervous system disorders, growth defects or gastrointestinal disturbances. Conclusions A moxifloxacin-containing regimen might be considered for the treatment of TB in children, especially for drug-resistant and extensive forms. However, vigilance for possible side effects is recommended, especially if other drugs are concomitantly used. Studies on wider populations are needed to better define the impact of long-term treatments with quinolones on children's growth and psychomotor development and to outline regulatory indications on moxifloxacin use in the pediatric setting. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:372–376. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Due to the increasing number of refugees from East Africa, louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) has become an emergent disease in Europe. No single case of LBRF has been reported in Europe in refugees from other parts of Africa.We report a case of LBRF in a refugee from Mali, likely acquired in Libya, where several migration routes into Europe meet. The disease must be considered in any febrile refugee regardless the country of origin.

Matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a useful tool for rapid identification of microorganisms. Unfortunately, its direct application to positive blood culture is still lacking standardized procedures. In this study, we evaluated an easy- and rapid-to-perform protocol for MALDI-TOF MS direct identification of microorganisms from positive blood culture after a short-term incubation on solid medium. This protocol was used to evaluate direct identification of microorganisms from 162 positive monomicrobial blood cultures; at different incubation times (3, 5, 24 h), MALDI-TOF MS assay was performed from the growing microorganism patina. Overall, MALDI-TOF MS concordance with conventional methods at species level was 60.5, 80.2, and 93.8% at 3, 5, and 24 h, respectively. Considering only bacteria, the identification performances at species level were 64.1, 85.0, and 94.1% at 3, 5, and 24 h, respectively. This protocol applied to a commercially available MS typing system may represent, a fast and powerful diagnostic tool for pathogen direct identification and for a promptly and pathogen-driven antimicrobial therapy in selected cases.