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VEXAS is caused by somatic mutations in UBA1 (UBA1mut) and characterized by heterogenous systemic auto-inflammation and progressive hematologic manifestations, meeting criteria for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and plasma cell dyscrasias. The landscape of myeloid-related gene mutations leading to typical clonal hematopoiesis (CH) in these patients is unknown. Retrospectively, we screened 80 VEXAS patients for CH in their peripheral blood (PB) and correlated findings with clinical outcomes in 77. UBA1mutwere most common at hotspot p.M41 (median variant allele frequency/VAF = 75%). Typical CH mutations co-occurred with UBA1mut in 60% of patients, mostly in DNMT3A and TET2, and were not associated with inflammatory or hematologic manifestations. In prospective single-cell proteogenomic sequencing (scDNA), UBA1mutwas the dominant clone, present mostly in branched clonal trajectories. Based on integrated bulk and scDNA analyses, clonality in VEXAS followed two major patterns: with either typical CH preceding UBA1mutselection in a clone (Pattern 1), or occurring as an UBA1mutsubclone or in independent clones (Pattern 2). VAF in PB differed markedly between DNMT3A and TET2 clones (median VAF of 25% vs 1%). DNMT3A and TET2 clones associated with hierarchies representing patterns 1 and 2, respectively. Overall survival for all patients was 60% at 10 years. Transfusion-dependent anemia, moderate thrombocytopenia, and typical CH mutations, each correlated with poor outcome. In VEXAS, UBA1mut cells are the primary cause of systemic inflammation and marrow failure, being a new molecularly defined somatic entity associated with MDS. VEXAS-associated MDS is distinct from classical MDS in its presentation and clinical course.

Key Points Isolated and comutated DDX41 myeloid neoplasms have different characteristics.DDX41-mutated AML has a relatively favorable outcome comparable to core binding factor AML., Visual Abstract, DDX41 mutations (germline and somatic) are associated with late onset myelodysplastic syndromes/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML). Myeloid neoplasms (MN) with germline predisposition was identified as a distinct category in the 2016 WHO classification revision, including MN with germline DDX41 mutation. We retrospectively analyzed the molecular findings and clinical characteristics of thirty-three DDX41-mutated (mDDX41) patients at our institution. We identified 14 distinct pathogenic DDX41 variants in 32 patients and 8 DDX41 variants of unknown significance (VUS) in 9 patients. Five (16%) patients had a second DDX41 somatic mutation p.R525H and 13 (40%) had at least one additional oncogenic co-mutation in other genes. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 66 years, with male predominance (72%) and the majority of patients had normal cytogenetics (91%). Two-year overall survival (OS) was 86% and 6 (21%) MDS/AML patients with relatively preserved hematopoietic function were observed without further intervention. In comparison to AML patients with prognostically more favorable subtypes [t(8;21), n=27 and inv(16), n=40], mDDX41 patients in our cohort showed similarly favorable OS. Our study highlights that mDDX41-MN patients often have an indolent course and mDDX41-AML has comparable OS to favorable-risk AML.

Objectives SF3B1 mutations are the most common mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The International Working Group for the Prognosis of MDS (IWG-PM) recently proposed SF3B1-mutant MDS (SF3B1-mut-MDS) as a distinct disease subtype. We evaluated the spectrum and molecular landscape of SF3B1-mutated myeloid disorders and assessed the prognostication in MDS harboring SF3B1 mutations (MDS-SF3B1). Methods Cases were selected by retrospective review. Clinical course and laboratory and clinical findings were collected by chart review. SF3B1-mut-MDS was classified following IWG-PM criteria. Results SF3B1 mutations were identified in 75 of 955 patients, encompassing a full spectrum of myeloid disorders. In MDS-SF3B1, Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) score greater than 3 and transcription factor (TF) comutations were adverse prognostic markers by both univariate and multivariate analyses. We confirmed the favorable outcome of IWG-PM-defined SF3B1-mut-MDS. Interestingly, it did not show sharp prognostic differentiation within MDS-SF3B1. Conclusions SF3B1 mutations occur in the full spectrum of myeloid disorders. We independently validated the favorable prognostication of IWG-PM-defined SF3B1-mut-MDS. However it may not provide sharp prognostication within MDS-SF3B1 where IPSS-R and TF comutations were prognostic-informative. Larger cohort studies are warranted to verify these findings and refine MDS-SF3B1 prognostication.

Objectives Pure erythroid leukemia (PEL) is exceptionally rare in the pediatric setting. Four pediatric PEL cases with t(1;16)(p31;q24) NFIA-CBFA2T3 were reported previously. We present a case of an infant with PEL presenting with erythroblastic sarcoma and harboring a novel t(1;8)(p31.3;q21.3) NFIA-RUNX1T1 fusion detected by RNA sequencing and conventional karyotype. Methods Bone marrow (BM) and abdominal mass biopsies from the patient were evaluated with extensive immunohistochemical, flow cytometric, cytogenetic, and molecular studies. Results The patient was a female infant who presented between 2 and 5 months of age with cytopenias and an enlarging abdominal mass. Blasts in the BM and abdominal mass expressed CD71 and CD117 with focal expression of CD43, E-cadherin, epithelial membrane antigen, and hemoglobin A. They were negative for additional myeloid, lymphoid, and nonhematolymphoid markers. These findings were most consistent with PEL and erythroblastic sarcoma. RNA sequencing revealed the novel NFIA-RUNX1T1 fusion. Conclusions Along with the previously reported PELs with NFIA-CBFA2T3 fusions, we describe a subset of PELs that occur in children, that frequently display extramedullary disease, and that harbor rearrangements of NFIA with core binding factor genes. We hypothesize that, together, these cases represent a rare but distinct clinicopathologic group of pediatric PELs with recurrent genetic abnormality.

Benign clonal T-cell expansions in reactive immune responses often complicate the laboratory diagnosis T-cell neoplasia. We recently introduced a novel flow cytometry assay to detect T-cell clones in blood and bone marrow, based on the identification of a monophasic T-cell receptor (TCR) β chain constant region-1 (TRBC1) expression pattern within a phenotypically distinct TCRαβ T-cell subset. In routine laboratory practice, T-cell clones of uncertain significance (T-CUS) were detected in 42 of 159 (26%) patients without T-cell malignancy, and in 3 of 24 (13%) healthy donors. Their phenotype (CD8+/CD4−: 78%, CD4−/CD8−: 12%, CD4+/CD8+: 9%, or CD4+/CD8−: 2%) closely resembled that of 26 cases of T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) studied similarly, except for a much smaller clone size (p

FLT3-internal tandem duplication occurs in 20–30% of acute myeloid leukemia and confers an adverse prognosis with its allelic ratio being a key risk stratifier. The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved FLT3 inhibitors midostaurin and gilteritinib in FLT3 mutation-positive acute myeloid leukemia. Historically, FLT3 was tested by fragment analysis, which has become the standard method endorsed by international guidelines. However, next generation sequencing is increasingly used at acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis given its ability to simultaneously evaluate multiple clinically informative markers. As FLT3-internal tandem duplication detection was known to be challenging by next generation sequencing and the results carry profound prognostic and therapeutic implications, it is important to thoroughly examine its performance in FLT3-internal tandem duplication detection and allelic ratio classification. In a comparative study with fragment analysis, we retrospectively reviewed our experience using a custom-designed, hybridization capture-based, targeted next generation sequencing panel. Among 7902 cases, FLT3-internal tandem duplication was detected in 335 with variable sizes (3–231 bp) and insertion sites. Fragment analysis was also performed in 402 cases, demonstrating 100% concordance in FLT3-internal tandem duplication detection. In 136 dual-tested, positive cases, 128/136 (94%) exhibited concordant high/low allelic ratio classifications. The remaining 6% showed borderline low allelic ratio by next generation sequencing. The two methods were concordant in FLT3-tyrosine kinase domain mutation detection at the hotspot D835/I836 targeted by fragment analysis. Furthermore, seven mutations which may benefit from FLT3 inhibitor therapy were detected by next generation sequencing, in regions not covered by fragment analysis. Our study demonstrates that using a hybridization capture-based chemistry and optimized bioinformatics pipeline, next generation sequencing can reliably detect FLT3-internal tandem duplication and classify its allelic ratio for acute myeloid leukemia risk stratification. Next generation sequencing also exhibits superior comprehensiveness in FLT3 mutation detection and may further improve personalized, targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia.

Objectives Acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) is a heterogeneous category with a broad range of underlying genetic abnormalities. We investigated the significance of genetic factors in a large series of AML-MRC cases. Methods The morphologic findings, genetic data, and patient outcomes were assessed in 186 AML-MRC cases. Results The median overall survival (OS) was dismal in AML-MRC patients (median, 7.6 months; 95% confidence interval, 5-10.6 months). Karyotypically normal cases and cytogenetically abnormal cases without myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-related cytogenetic abnormalities showed similar OS, significantly better than cases carrying MDS-related cytogenetic abnormalities. MDS-related cytogenetic abnormalities, monosomal or complex karyotype, and history of MDS or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm were all associated with dismal outcome. Conclusions AML-MRC predicts a poor prognosis. Our study supports the finding that the genetic profile plays a key role in determining prognosis in AML-MRC as defined according to the World Health Organization revised fourth edition (2017) diagnostic criteria.

Germline predisposition syndromes (GPS) result from constitutional aberrations in tumor suppressive and homeostatic genes, increasing risk for neoplasia in affected kindred. In this study, we present clinical and genomic data on 144 Mayo Clinic patients with GPS; 59 evaluated prospectively using an algorithm-based diagnostic approach in the setting of a dedicated GPS/ inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS) clinic. Seventy-two (50%) patients had IBMFS (telomere biology disorders-32,Fanconi anemia-18, Diamon Blackfan Anemia - 11, congenital neutropenia-5, Schwachman-Diamond Syndrome-5 and Bloom Syndrome-1), 27 (19%) had GPS with antecedent thrombocytopenia (RUNX1-FPD-15, ANKRD26-6, ETV6-2, GATA1-1, MPL-3), 28 (19%) had GPS without antecedent thrombocytopenia (GATA2 haploinsufficiency-16, DDX41-10, CBL-1 and CEBPA-1) and 17 (12%) had general cancer predisposition syndromes (ataxia telangiectasia-7, heterozygous ATM variants-3, CHEK2-2, TP53-2, CDK2NA-1, NF1-1 and Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome-1). Homozygous and heterozygous ATM pathogenic variants were exclusively associated with lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD), while DDX41 GPS was associated with LPD and myeloid neoplasms. The use of somatic NGS-testing identified clonal evolution in GPS patients, with ASXL1, RAS pathway genes, SRSF2 and TET2 being most frequently mutated. Fifty-two (91%) of 59 prospectively identified GPS patients had a change in their management approach, including additional GPS-related screening in 42 (71%), referral for allogenic HSCT workup and screening of related donors in 16 (27%), medication initiation and selection of specific conditioning regimens in 14 (24%), and genetic counseling with specific intent of fertility preservation and preconceptual counselling in 10 (17%) patients; highlighting the importance of dedicated GPS screening, detection and management programs for patients with hematological neoplasms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are linked to relapse in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The LSC17 gene expression score robustly captures LSC stemness properties in AML and can be used to predict survival outcomes and response to therapy, enabling risk-adapted, upfront treatment approaches. The LSC17 score was developed and validated in a research setting. To enable widespread use of the LSC17 score in clinical decision making, we established a laboratory-developed test (LDT) for the LSC17 score that can be deployed broadly in clinical molecular diagnostic laboratories. We extensively validated the LSC17 LDT in a College of American Pathologists/Clinical Laboratory Improvements Act (CAP/CLIA)-certified laboratory, determining specimen requirements, a synthetic control, and performance parameters for the assay. Importantly, we correlated values from the LSC17 LDT to clinical outcome in a reference cohort of patients with AML, establishing a median assay value that can be used for clinical risk stratification of individual patients with newly diagnosed AML. The assay was established in a second independent CAP/CLIA-certified laboratory, and its technical performance was validated using an independent cohort of patient samples, demonstrating that the LSC17 LDT can be readily implemented in other settings. This study enables the clinical use of the LSC17 score for upfront risk-adapted management of patients with AML.

Accurate classification of somatic genetic alterations detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays is of paramount importance to ensure the provision of high-quality clinical data. Clinical significance of variants can be assessed and tiered based on guidelines from the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the College of American Pathology for the interpretation of somatic sequence variants identified in cancer. We sought to develop a formal structured approach for the classification of somatic variants in hematologic neoplasms, to account for both a variant’s clinical significance and its ability to drive tumorigenesis, by adapting elements from these existing guidelines. However, we additionally utilized key criteria from the American College of Medical Genetics/AMP standards for variant reporting to focus evaluation into specific categories of evidence and to gauge the effect of a given variant on tumorigenesis. The combined approach was applied to the annotation of 87 variants identified by a targeted NGS panel for myeloid neoplasms. In the application of our variant evaluation, we classified 2/87 variants as benign, 6/87 as likely benign, 56/87 as variants of unknown significance (VUS), 13/87 variants as likely pathogenic, and 10/87 variants as pathogenic. Well-established oncogenic alterations were accurately classified as pathogenic. Although there is no defined benchmark for the remaining variants, drawing from two existing guidelines enabled the creation of a modified curation process for variant interpretation that emphasizes systematic review of relevant evidence.

Between 2004 and 2017, a total of 1123 adult patients (median age 65 years; 61% males) with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), not including acute promyelocytic leukemia, were seen at the Mayo Clinic. Treatment included intensive (n = 766) or lower intensity (n = 144) chemotherapy or supportive care (n = 213), with respective median survivals of 22, 9, and 2 months (p p = 0.4). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) was documented in 259 patients and provided the best survival rate (median 55 months; p 60 years (HR 2.2, 1.9–2.6), adverse karyotype (HR 2.9, 1.9–4.9), intermediate-risk karyotype (HR 1.6, 1.02–2.6), post-myeloproliferative neoplasm AML (HR 1.9, 1.5–2.4), and other secondary AML (HR 1.3 (1.1–1.6) as risk factors for shortened survival. These risk factors retained their significance after inclusion of FLT3/NPM1 mutational status in 392 informative cases: FLT3+NPM1− (HR 2.8, 1.4–5.6), FLT3+/NPM+ (HR 2.6 (1.3–5.2), and FLT3−NPM1− (HR 1.8, 1.0–3.0).

Acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL) is a very rare hematologic neoplasm that expresses no markers specific for either myeloid or lymphoid lineages. While commonly observed in several acute leukemias, KMT2A rearrangements in AUL have been rarely reported in the literature. We report the third case to our knowledge of AUL harboring a KMT2A rearrangement. Furthermore, the KMT2A/GIMAP8 gene fusion identified in this case represents a novel KMT2A rearrangement.

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) status provides an important prognostic indicator for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a very common type of mature B-cell leukemia. Owing to the adverse prognosis associated with an unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable (IGHV) status, SHM testing is performed as a standard of care in CLL. Conventionally, SHM testing has been performed using labor intensive and primarily analog Sanger sequencing method following PCR amplification of the clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements in CLL cells. In comparison, recent availability of next generation sequencing (NGS) allows more versatile detection and direct identification of clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in neoplastic B-cell populations. The ability to identify specific clonal IGHV signature(s) in both baseline (diagnostic) and post-treatment settings enables unique clinical applications of NGS such as determination of SHM status, minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring, clonal heterogeneity and B cell receptor IG stereotypy. We provide a review of current practices and recommendations for SHM determination using NGS including examples of difficult cases.

Patients with a sole del(20q) chromosomal abnormality and without morphologic features of a myeloid neoplasm (MN) have shown variable clinical outcomes. To explore the potential risk stratification markers in this group of patients, we evaluated their genetic mutational landscape by a 35-gene MN-focused next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel and examined the association of mutations to progression of MNs. Our study included 56 patients over a 10-year period with isolated del(20q), of whom 23 (41.1%) harbored at least one mutation. With a median follow-up of 32.6 months (range: 0.1−159.1), 9 of 23 patients with mutation(s) progressed to MNs, while all 33 patients without mutations did not progress to MN. Kaplan−Meier survival analysis demonstrated the presence of mutation(s) as a significant risk factor for progression to MN (P < 0.0001). MN progression was strongly associated with the presence of non-DNMT3A/TET2/ASXL1 epigenetic modifiers and nonspliceosome mutations (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference among patients with and without MN progression with respect to the number of mutations, variant allele frequency, percentage of del(20q), and other clinical/laboratory variables. This study illustrates the underlying genetic heterogeneity and complexity of isolated del(20q), and underscores the prognostic value of NGS mutational analysis in these cases.

Objective To develop a new risk model for primary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) that integrates information on mutations, karyotype, and clinical variables. Patients and Methods Patients with World Health Organization–defined primary MDS seen at Mayo Clinic (MC) from December 28, 1994, through December 19, 2017, constituted the core study group. The National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) provided the validation cohort. Model performance, compared with the revised International Prognostic Scoring System, was assessed by Akaike information criterion and area under the curve estimates. Results The study group consisted of 685 molecularly annotated patients from MC (357) and NTUH (328). Multivariate analysis of the MC cohort identified monosomal karyotype (hazard ratio [HR], 5.2; 95% CI, 3.1-8.6), "non-MK abnormalities other than single/double del(5q)" (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6), RUNX1 (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.1) and ASXL1 (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.3) mutations, absence of SF3B1 mutations (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.4), age greater than 70 years (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.6-3.1), hemoglobin level less than 8 g/dL in women or less than 9 g/dL in men (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.7-3.1), platelet count less than 75 × 109/L (HR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.1), and 10% or more bone marrow blasts (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.8) as predictors of inferior overall survival. Based on HR-weighted risk scores, a 4-tiered Mayo alliance prognostic model for MDS was devised: low (89 patients), intermediate-1 (104), intermediate-2 (95), and high (69); respective median survivals (5-year overall survival rates) were 85 (73%), 42 (34%), 22 (7%), and 9 months (0%). The Mayo alliance model was subsequently validated by using the external NTUH cohort and, compared with the revised International Prognostic Scoring System, displayed favorable Akaike information criterion (1865 vs 1943) and area under the curve (0.87 vs 0.76) values. Conclusion We propose a simple and contemporary risk model for MDS that is based on a limited set of genetic and clinical variables.

Objectives Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) remains a poorly defined entity, even with the discovery of MYD88L265P mutations and association with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). Among bone marrow (BM)-based, low-grade B-cell lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation (LGBLPD) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) paraproteins, we sought to determine whether MYD88L265P defines a distinct entity and can help refine diagnostic criteria for LPL. Methods BMs diagnosed with LGBLPD or LPL and serum IgM paraprotein were studied (2007-2013). Clinicopathologic features were reviewed and specimens were tested for MYD88L265P. Results In total, 138 (87%) of 159 cases had MYD88L265P, and 158 of 159 were clinically considered WM. MYD88L265P cases had higher disease burden than MYD88WT. Features associated with MYD88L265P include increased mast cells and lymphocyte (not plasma cell)-predominant infiltrate. Hemosiderin, Dutcher bodies, and paratrabecular growth were not associated with MYD88L265P. Conclusions Our data support a clinicopathologic approach to LPL diagnosis and recognition that it may manifest with varying morphologies, phenotypes, and molecular features.

Although T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) is a clinically indolent disorder, patients with moderate to severe cytopenia require therapeutic intervention. The recent discovery of STAT3 mutations has shed light on the genetic basis of T-LGLL pathogenesis. However, the association of STAT3 mutational status with patients' clinical, histopathologic, and other laboratory features has not been thoroughly evaluated in T-LGLL. In this study, STAT3 mutations were identified in 18 of 36 patients with T-LGLL (50%), including Y640F (12/18, 66.7%), N647I (3/18, 16.7%), E638Q (1/18, 5.6%), I659L (1/18, 5.6%), and K657R (1/18, 5.6%). Interestingly, pure red cell aplasia was seen exclusively in T-LGLL patients without STAT3 mutations (6/15 in the wild-type STAT3 group versus 0/13 in the mutant STAT3 group; P = .02); these patients also were the only responders to T-LGLL therapy (mainly cyclophosphamide) in wild-type STAT3 group. Patients harboring STAT3 mutations were more prone to rheumatoid arthritis (4/13 versus 0/15 in the wild-type STAT3 group; P = .04), frequently requiring therapy for neutropenia/neutropenia-associated infections, and demonstrated good therapeutic responses to methotrexate. No significant differences were seen in complete blood count, flow cytometric immunophenotypic features, T-cell receptor γ V-J rearrangement repertoire, and bone marrow biopsy morphology among the STAT3-mutation and wild-type groups other than significantly larger tumor burden in patients with STAT3 mutations. The distinct disease association and therapeutic responses observed in patients with mutant and wild-type STAT3 warrant further investigation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. They also highlight the importance of identifying STAT3 mutational status in patients with T-LGLL, which may aid in clinical therapeutic choice.

Objective : We describe the Mayo Clinic experience in 797 newly-diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) serially treated with 7+3 induction chemotherapy that included 3 days of daunorubicin at a daily dose of 60 mg/m2 (dauno-60; n=239) or 90 mg/m2 (dauno-90; n=52), or idarubicin 12 mg/m2 (IDA-12; n=506). Our objective was to compare overall (OS) and relapse-free (RFS) survival outcome. Methods : Newly-diagnosed AML patients seen at our institution and received intensive induction chemotherapy were identified from the Mayo Clinic AML database. Treatment period spanned from January 2004 through May 2021. Follow-up information was updated as of June 2021. Conventional criteria were used to diagnose AML, assign cytogenetic risk category, and classify treatment response. Results : The study group included 797 patients (median age 60 years, range 18-88; 58% males): 506 (63%) patients received IDA-12, 239 (30%) dauno-60, and 52 (7%) dauno-90. The respective median (range) ages were 60 (18-88), 61 (19-82), and 53 (22-72) years (p=0.01) (Table). Primary, secondary, and therapy-related AML accounted for 65%, 25% and 10% of patients treated with IDA-12, 69%, 22%, and 9% of those treated with dauno-60, and 75%, 23% and 2% of patients treated with dauno-90, respectively (p=0.1). The corresponding frequencies of adverse karyotype were 34%, 25% and 25% (p=0.05). CR/CRi was documented in 78% (620/793) of all evaluable patients: IDA-12 80% (400/503), dauno-60 75% (175/238), and dauno-90 87% (45/52) (p=0.1). 210 (34%) patients underwent allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT), including 125 (25%), 59 (25%) and 26 (50%) patients, in the three treatment groups, respectively (p=0.0004). After a median (range) follow up 19 (0.2-203) months, 348 (54%) relapses and 518 (65%) deaths were documented. Median (range) survivals for IDA-12, dauno-60 and dauno-90 groups were 21 (0.3-243), 14.5 (0.45-198), and 27.7 (0.2-180) months (p=0.07; figure 1). The respective 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 67%, 42%, and 34% (IDA-12); 66%, 37%, and 30% (dauno-60); and 78%, 51%, and 49% (dauno-90), respectively; the trend favoring dauno-90 was no longer apparent during age-adjusted analysis (p=0.33). Multivariable analysis that accounted for age, cytogenetic risk category, FLT3-ITD/NPM1 status and AML subtype confirmed the lack of additional contribution from IDA-12 vs dauno-60 vs dauno-90 (p=0.2) while affirming the independent prognostic value of the other four variables; AHSCT carried an additional predictive value for superior survival without altering these results. A total of 348 (54%) relapses were documented: 228 (57%) in the IDA-12; 99 (57%) in the dauno-60; and 21 (47%) in the dauno-90 cohorts (p=0.7); RFS was similar in the three treatment groups (p=0.1; figure 2). Conclusion :In the current large single-institution study of consecutive adult patients with AML, neither the choice of anthracycline (idarubicin vs daunorubicin) or the dose of daunorubicin (60 vs 90 mg/m2) appeared to effect outcome in terms of remission rates or overall or relapse-free survival. The study otherwise confirms the independent favorable effect of younger age, non-adverse karyotype, FLT3-ITD-/NPM1+ status, and AHSCT. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Patnaik: Kura Oncology: Research Funding; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Al-Kali: Astex: Other: Research support to institution; Novartis: Research Funding. Litzow: Pluristem: Research Funding; Actinium: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Jazz: Other: Advisory Board; Biosight: Other: Data monitoring committee; Omeros: Other: Advisory Board; AbbVie: Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding.

Background Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a risk factor for development of myeloid neoplasms (MN) such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (t-MN) is defined as the development of a MN in the context of prior DNA damaging therapies including chemotherapy, radiation, and immunosuppressive therapies. CCUS diagnosed in the setting of prior DNA damaging therapy (t-CCUS) and its outcomes are not known. The aim of this study was to study clinicopathological features and outcome of t-CCUS and compare it with t-MN. Methods Patients who had received DNA-damaging therapy and subsequently determined to have CCUS or t-MN were identified. The diagnosis of CCUS was made if the patient had non-diagnostic bone marrow biopsy evaluation combined with evidence of pathogenic myeloid somatic genetic alterations using conventional cytogenetics or next generation sequencing (NGS) panel. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PV) were stratified by DTA (DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1) genes vs. others. Event-free survival (EFS) was calculated using interval from t-CCUS to t-MN with death as a competing risk. Overall survival (OS) for t-CCUS and t-MN patients was calculated using interval from t-CCUS or t-MN diagnoses respectively to the last follow up. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP (v14.1, SAS Institute). Results We identified 30 patients with t-CCUS and 259 patients with t-MN. Eleven (37%) t-CCUS patients developed t-MN and were included in both cohorts (Fig. A). Clinical characteristics of t-CCUS patients are shown in Table 1. Briefly, age (median, interquartile range or IQR) at the diagnosis of primary malignancy and t-CCUS was not different between those who developed t-MN and those did not (P=0.09 and 0.378 respectively). There was no difference in hemoglobin, white blood cells, or ANC between the two groups. Patients who developed t-MN had a significantly lower platelet count (68 vs. 130, P At t-CCUS diagnosis, cytogenetics was abnormal in 11 (37%) patients and none had complex karyotype (CK). Paired cytogenetic analysis at t-CCUS and t-MN was available for 10 patients: 4 had unchanged karyotype at t-MN, whereas 6 had cytogenetic evolution. In contrast, 213 (83%) of 256 t-MN patients with available cytogenetics had abnormalities and 126/256 (49%) had CK. Thus, a significantly higher proportion of patients had CK t-MN compared to t-CCUS (χ 2 26.4, P A 42-gene NGS panel identified 36 PV in 21 patients (median 1, range 1-4) at t-CCUS. The most common PV were in TET2 (37.1%), TP53 (11.4%), DNMT3A (8.6%), and ZRSR2 (8.6%) genes. Two patients had paired NGS available at t-CCUS and t-MN: one had BCOR and U2AF1 PV at t-CCUS and acquired an additional NRAS PV at t-MN. The second patient had 2 PV in TP53 at t-CCUS diagnosis, that remained the only PV identified at t-MN. In the t-MN cohort, median number of PV was 2 (range 1-9). The most common PV identified were TP53 (21.5%), TET2 (6.7%), DNMT3A (6.4%), and ASXL1 (6.4%), whereas 4.8% patients had no PV. Three of 22 patients in the t-CCUS cohort had TP53mut, compared to 55 of 157 in the t-MN cohort (χ 2 4, P=0.05). Management strategies for t-CCUS included observation (20), growth factors (4), treatment of primary malignancy (2), immunosuppressives (1), hypomethylating agent followed by allogeneic SCT (1), and others (2). Following t-CCUS, 9 patients progressed to MDS and 2 to AML with a median of 3.5 months (IQR 1.7-43.4). EFS was 43.4 months (IQR 6.8-80.9). The presence of abnormal cytogenetics (Fig. B) and the absence of DTA-mutations (Fig. C) predicted shorter EFS. At last follow up, 12 (40%) deaths were noted. Four (33%) patients died without developing t-MN. Causes of death in the t-CCUS cohort were: t-MN (3), primary malignancy (1), progressive cytopenia without MN (1), infection (1), graft-vs.-host-disease (1), and undetermined (5). t-MN patients had a significantly shorter survival compared to t-CCUS (Fig. D). Conclusion More than 10% of t-MN patients had a precursor t-CCUS. On the other hand, t-CCUS patients are at a high risk of progression to MN. t-MN is characterized by the acquisition of TP53mut, genomic instability, and a significantly shorter survival compared to t-CCUS. The presence of abnormal cytogenetics and the absence of DTA mutations at t-CCUS predict shorter EFS. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Litzow: Omeros: Other: Advisory Board; AbbVie: Research Funding; Jazz: Other: Advisory Board; Amgen: Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding; Pluristem: Research Funding; Actinium: Research Funding; Biosight: Other: Data monitoring committee. Patnaik: Kura Oncology: Research Funding; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Al-Kali: Novartis: Research Funding; Astex: Other: Research support to institution.

Clinical significance of somatic gene variants needs to be comprehensively characterized for their diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic actionability in patient management. However, challenges remain due to discrepancies in interpretation and reporting of these somatic variants among different testing labs. Therefore, standardized curation, clinical interpretation and reporting of somatic variants in hematologic cancers is critical. To address this issue, the Hematologic Cancer Taskforce (HCT), composed of 52 multi-disciplinary experts including oncologists, molecular pathologists, lab directors, genomic scientists and biocurators, was formed in January 2020 within the ClinGen Somatic Cancer Clinical Domain Working Group (CDWG) with a goal to undertake systematic curation and evidence-based clinical interpretation of genes/somatic variants associated with hematologic malignancies. In collaboration with the Clinical Interpretation of Variants in Cancer (CIViC) (civicdb.org) knowledgebase, HCT members curate, edit, and verify Evidence Items for each variant extracted from peer-reviewed publications. Monthly discussions based on these Evidence Items lead to the preparation of variant Assertions, which summarize the state of the field consensus variant interpretation and include tiering based on the AMP/ASCO/CAP guidelines (PMID: 27993330). FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) encodes a class III receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in hematopoietic cells. FLT3 mutations, including both internal tandem duplication (ITD) and mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD), are the most common mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), occurring in approximately 30% of all AML cases. Implementing FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in different treatment regimens for FLT3 mutated AML patients has led to significantly improved overall survival. Type I FLT3 inhibitors, including midostaurin, gilteritinib, sunitinib, lestaurtinib, and crenolanib, bind to the ATP-binding site when the receptor is in active conformation. Type II FLT3 inhibitors, including sorafenib, ponatinib, and quizartinib, interact with a hydrophobic region directly adjacent to the ATP-binding domain that is only accessible when the receptor is inactive, which prevents receptor activation. Generally in AML cells, type I FLT3 inhibitors prevent activity for both ITD and TKD mutations, while Type II inhibitors target ITD but lack efficiency against TKD mutations. The development of TKD mutations in AML cells with ITD have proved to be a mechanism of acquired, or secondary resistance to Type II FLT3 inhibitors. The HCT is piloting curation assessments of FLT3 alterations, including ITD, TKD and non-TKD variants, in AML. So far, the HCT has curated 75 evidence items for FLT3 somatic variants. FLT3-ITD, as well as D835 and I836 were asserted as tier 1 level A variants based on the prediction of response to gilteritinib in relapsed/refractory AML (PMIDs: 27993330, 31665578, 28645776, 28516360, 27908881). Recent curation activities are focused on FLT3 D839G and N676K, as clinical trials using large AML patient cohorts are lacking in their ability to validate drug response/resistance associations of these two TKD variants due to their low frequency. Functional studies showed both variants result in increased proliferation and protection from apoptosis, supporting the oncogenic potential of these two variants (PMIDs: 26891877, 2468088). FLT3 D839G combined with ITD confers resistance to pexidartinib and ponatinib, both Type II FLT3 inhibitors (PMIDs: 25847190, 23430109). FLT3 N676K predicts response to the Type I FLT3 inhibitor, gilteritinib, when N676K is present alone or in combination with ITD. Interestingly, FLT3 N676K in the absence of ITD predicts response to sorafenib, a Type II FLT3 inhibitor (PMIDs: 32040554, 32984009). However, these results are mostly derived from in vitro studies. Two separate Tier II, Level D Assertions have been submitted for FLT3-ITD&D839G for its response to pexidartinib and ponatinib, and more evidence is being collected to form an Assertion for FLT3 N676K. The complexity of the prediction of response/resistance associated with FLT3 D839G and N676K supports the importance of evidence-based curation and collection for these variants in the context of the overall mutation profile, disease context and specific FLT3 TKIs to clearly define their clinical impact. Disclosures Pullarkat: Stemline Therapeutics: Honoraria.

Background: The DEAD-box helicase 41 (DDX41), an RNA helicase, have been described as a component of the RNA spliceosome (Cheah et al. International Journal of Hematology 2017). Although DDX41 mutations predispose to late-onset higher grade myeloid neoplasms (MN), these patients may have a trend toward favorable prognosis and outcomes. In this work, we describe the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of isolated and co-mutated DDX41 patients (pts). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4,524 consecutive pts who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) (OncoHeme 42 genes panel, Mayo Clinic) testing and included 32 pts harboring pathogenic DDX41 mutation and one pt with proven DDX41 germline variant of unknown significance (VUS). Chart review of DDX41-mutated (m) cases between 2009 and 2021 was conducted after IRB approval. We compared overall survival (OS) of unmatched 27 t(8;21)AML and 40 inv(16) AML pts with 10 m DDX41-AML pts. JMP® Pro 14.1.0 Software was used for statistical analysis. Results: DDX41 mutations characteristics: Our cohort included 19 (58%) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 10 (30%) acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 2 (6%) myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), one clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) (3%) and one (3%) germline carrier. Germline testing was carried out in 10 pts, 9 of whom (90%) were confirmed to be germline). The start-loss variant (p.M1I) was the most common mutation type (N=10, 31%). Other types were frameshift (N=9, 28%), missense mutation (N=8, 25%), nonsense (N=3, 9%), and splice site mutation (N=2, 2%). Twenty-one (65.6%) DDX41 mutations clustered in the N-terminus (NT), 7 (22%) in the helicase-C domain (HCD), and 4 (12.5%) in the DEAD-box domain. Compared to NT mutations, patients with HCD mutation had no family history of solid tumors and were more likely to have an accompanying additional DDX41-VUS (0% vs 70%; p=.001) and (N=6, 86% vs. N=2,10%; p=.0001); respectively. I solated vs. co-mutated DDX41: Twenty (60%) pts were isolated-DDX41 and 13 (40%) were co-mutated. The median DDX41-VAF was 48% vs. 45% (p= .2) in the isolated compared to the co-mutated cases, respectively. The median number of co-mutations in the 13 co-mutated cases was 1 (range,1-3) with DNMT3A (38%), ASXL1 (30%), JAK2 (N=3, 23%), and EZH2 (N=2, 15%) were the most common co-mutations detected. Isolated DDX41 had more males (85% vs. 54%, p=.05), the p.M1I variant (47% vs. 8%, p=.02), normal cytogenetics (100% vs. 91%, p= .02), and less family history of solid tumors (77% vs. 33%, p= .02) compared to their co-mutated counterparts. However, there was no difference in OS (p=.99). Comparison of clinical characteristics and hematological features of isolated and co-mutated DDX41 pts are reported in (Table 1). Treatment and survival outcomes in DDX41-MDS/AML : Twenty-three (80%) patients were treated, MDS pts received hypomethylating agents (HMA) (N=10, 71%), HMA plus Venetoclax (HMA+VEN) (N=1, 7%), erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (N=2, 14%) and lenalidomide (N=1 ,7%). AML pts were treated with induction chemotherapy (N=6, 67%) and HMA+VEN (N=3, 33%). Overall response rate of MDS/AML patients was 77% and 100% of AML pts achieved complete remission (CR) when treated with induction chemotherapy or HMA+VEN regimen. There was no significant difference in OS between responders vs. non-responders 2-yr-OS (90% vs. 50%; p=.38) and treated vs. untreated 2-yr-OS (83% vs. 100%; p=.52). Comparing m DDX41-AML vs. core binding factor-AML: After a median follow-up of 33.3 months, all m DDX41-AML patients were alive. There was a significantly better OS in mDDX41-AML patients compared to pts with t(8;21) AML with 2-yr-OS (100% vs. 51%; p=.024) and a trend of better survival when compared to inv(16) AML 2-yr-OS (100% vs. 84%; p=.2). Conclusion We describe the characteristics and outcomes of m DDX41 patients. We demonstrated that isolated and co-mutated m DDX41 patients have different features. Isolated DDX41 patients had male predominance, more p.M1I variant, normal cytogenetics and less family history of solid tumors. In this study we found that m DDX41 AML has high response to treatment and has comparable (if not possibly better) OS compared to other "favorable risk" AML. This study, although limited by the small number of patients, supports the universal testing for DDX41 mutation in adults with MN diagnosis. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Al-Kali: Astex: Other: Research support to institution; Novartis: Research Funding. Foran: abbvie: Research Funding; OncLive: Honoraria; boehringer ingelheim: Research Funding; trillium: Research Funding; pfizer: Honoraria; takeda: Research Funding; revolution medicine: Honoraria; bms: Honoraria; gamida: Honoraria; actinium: Research Funding; aptose: Research Funding; novartis: Honoraria; servier: Honoraria; taiho: Honoraria; syros: Honoraria; sanofi aventis: Honoraria; certara: Honoraria; kura: Research Funding; h3bioscience: Research Funding; aprea: Research Funding; sellas: Research Funding; stemline: Research Funding. Badar: Pfizer Hematology-Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Salama: Mayo Clinic: Current Employment, Other: Mayo Clinic had the contractual work for the central pathology review for this study and I was one of the reviewing pathologists; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Litzow: Astellas: Research Funding; Biosight: Other: Data monitoring committee; Amgen: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Actinium: Research Funding; Pluristem: Research Funding; Jazz: Other: Advisory Board; Omeros: Other: Advisory Board. Patnaik: Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kura Oncology: Research Funding; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Background: DDX41 gene is located on chromosome 5q35 and is believed to be a tumor suppressor gene involved in splicing of mRNA. Mutated DDX41 have been identified as germline mutation (m) in families with cases of myeloid neoplasm and have shown to cause acquisition of other somatic mutations resulting in MDS/AML. At the same time, somatic pathogenic DDX41 mutations are known to occur. Variant of unknown significance (VUS) is an intermediate tier between benign and pathogenic (path) mutations (hence uncertain) and can be re-classified based on their clinical impact. In this report we analyzed the clinical impact and relevance of DDX41VUS in patients (pts) being evaluated for myeloid disorders. Methods: We reviewed 4,524 consecutive pts who underwent NGS (MC OncoHeme 42 genes panel) testing between 2018 and 2021 performed on cases of suspected or known myeloid disorders. We identified 58 (1%) consecutive pts with DDX41VUS, among them one pt had proven concurrent DDX41 germline VUS and 7 pts with DDX41VUS had concurrent DDX41path mutation. We analyze clinical characteristics of pts with DDX41VUS and compared it with cohort of 32 DDX41path mutated pts. Results: Baseline characteristics are summarized in Table 1, and Figure 1 illustrates DDX41VUS per case with variant allele frequency (VAF) and observed concurrent mutations. The median VAF for DDX41 VUS was 48 % (range, 14-91%). Co-mutations were found in 14 (28%) pts with VUS, and the reminder (n=44, 72 %) had isolated DDX41VUS. Among them AML (16 [32%]), MDS (14 [28%]), cytopenia (14 [28%]) MPN (3 [6%]), CNL (1 [2%]) and aplastic anemia (1 [2%]) were the commonly occurring myeloid disorder (Table 1, Figure 1). Eleven of 14 pts with isolated cytopenia had isolated DDX41VUS. Conversely, among 15 evaluable pts with isolated DDX41VUS, 13 (87%) pts had normal cytogenetics and 40% of pts had family history of solid or hematological malignancies. We observed a significant difference in hematologic diagnoses: DDX41VUS patients were significantly less often diagnosed with MDS or CCUS, and more often associated with cytopenias NOS. Recurrent, non-random DDX41VUS sequences were observed; most frequent occurring amino acid change among the 58 pts were Gly173Arg (n=6), Met155lle (n=5), Pro258Leu (n=3) Arg479Gln (n=3), Val303Met (n=2), Lys331del (n=2), Arg479His (n=2) and Tyr33His (n=2) (Figure 1). 5 of 6 pts with Gly173Arg had isolated DDX41VUS, and among them 4 were diagnosed with MDS suggesting this could be a clonal event, and possible driver mutation, notable in Figure 1. The median overall survival (OS) of pts with high risk MDS/AML harboring DDX41VUS was not reached (60% alive at 2 years). Between pts with DDX41path and DDX41VUS, proportion of pts with co-mutations (p >0.99), cytogenetic abnormalities (p >0.99), family history of malignancies (p 0.52), time to treatment (p >0.99), MDS progression to AML (p 0.36) and OS (among high risk MDS/AML pts) (p 0.55) was not significantly different, suggesting that phenotypic features of DDX41VUS are similar to DDX41path , and that both carry a similar, more indolent prognosis (Table 1). Conclusion: Our reports demonstrated that DDX41VUS occurs in 1% of patients with myeloid disorders and shares distinct diagnostic features but comparable prognostic features vs. DDX41path, including family history of hematological malignancies. It is possible that many of the cases with 'cytopenias' and DDX41VUS would meet criteria for CCUS if the variant was isolated classified as pathogenic, confirming the importance of extending our understanding of DDX41 variants. Further analysis to characterize the biological impact of DDX41VUS is underway. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Badar: Pfizer Hematology-Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Al-Kali: Novartis: Research Funding; Astex: Other: Research support to institution. Patnaik: Kura Oncology: Research Funding; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Stemline Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Litzow: Astellas: Research Funding; Omeros: Other: Advisory Board; Jazz: Other: Advisory Board; Pluristem: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Biosight: Other: Data monitoring committee; Actinium: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding. Foran: boehringer ingelheim: Research Funding; abbvie: Research Funding; takeda: Research Funding; trillium: Research Funding; revolution medicine: Honoraria; bms: Honoraria; servier: Honoraria; novartis: Honoraria; pfizer: Honoraria; aptose: Research Funding; taiho: Honoraria; certara: Honoraria; sanofi aventis: Honoraria; syros: Honoraria; actinium: Research Funding; gamida: Honoraria; OncLive: Honoraria; kura: Research Funding; h3bioscience: Research Funding; aprea: Research Funding; sellas: Research Funding; stemline: Research Funding.

Introduction/Objective Myeloid neoplasms associated with DDX41 germline genetic alterations are becoming increasingly recognized as a unique subset of hematologic cancer predisposition syndromes. As such, we sought to review their clinicopathologic characteristics. Methods/Case Report We searched our next-generation sequencing database for cases with two DDX41 variants; one variant at heterozygous variant allele fraction (VAF) indicating known or putative germline status, and second variant at low VAF consistent with an acquired subclone. We reviewed the clinicopathologic features. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) We identified 18 cases - male:female ratio 2.6:1, average age at presentation, 69 years (range 57-89). The diagnoses included no diagnostic abnormality (3), MDS-MLD (1), MDS-EB1 (1), increased blasts only(5-19%) (7), and AML (6). All had anemia [average hemoglobin (10.2) (range 6.5-12.9 g/dL)], 17/18 with thrombocytopenia [average 87 (range 22-222 K)], 17/18 with neutropenia [average absolute neutrophil count (ANC) (819) (range 90-1800)] and 13/18 with macrocytosis [average (101.5) (range 83.7-114 fL)]. Bone marrow cellularity (corrected for increased blasts >20%) was predominantly hypocellular (11/19) followed by normocellular (5/19). 3/19 cases showed erythroid dysplasia; no cases demonstrated granulocytic dysplasia; 7/19 cases showed megakaryocytic dysplasia. Of non-AML cases, 8/12 cases showed increased blasts [average 10% (range 5-19%)]. Of 4 cases without an increase in blasts, 1 showed MDS, 2 no dysplasia [1 -ANC of 666 and preserved platelets (222); 2- thrombocytopenia with preserved ANC (1800)] and 1 had slight megakaryocytic atypia. 16/17 cases were karyotypically normal. 14/18 of the patients are alive (median follow-up, 48) (8-125 months). Conclusion This cohort finds that myeloid neoplasms arising from DDX41 germline predisposition syndrome tend to present in older individuals, have infrequent dysplasia and are associated with a prolonged clinical course despite elevated blast counts at diagnosis. Recognition of these disorders is challenging and DDX41 testing should be included as part of genetic profiling. The presence of a suspected DDX41 germline variant may prompt confirmatory and familial testing, particularly in the event a hematopoietic transplant is a treatment option.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients progressed early on ibrutinib often develop Richter transformation (RT) with a short survival of about 4 months. Preclinical studies suggest that programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway is critical to inhibit immune surveillance in CLL. This phase 2 study was designed to test the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab, a humanized PD-1-blocking antibody, at a dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks in relapsed and transformed CLL. Twenty-five patients including 16 relapsed CLL and 9 RT (all proven diffuse large cell lymphoma) patients were enrolled, and 60% received prior ibrutinib. Objective responses were observed in 4 out of 9 RT patients (44%) and in 0 out of 16 CLL patients (0%). All responses were observed in RT patients who had progression after prior therapy with ibrutinib. After a median follow-up time of 11 months, the median overall survival in the RT cohort was 10.7 months, but was not reached in RT patients who progressed after prior ibrutinib. Treatment-related grade 3 or above adverse events were reported in 15 (60%) patients and were manageable. Analyses of pretreatment tumor specimens from available patients revealed increased expression of PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and a trend of increased expression in PD-1 in the tumor microenvironment in patients who had confirmed responses. Overall, pembrolizumab exhibited selective efficacy in CLL patients with RT. The results of this study are the first to demonstrate the benefit of PD-1 blockade in CLL patients with RT, and could change the landscape of therapy for RT patients if further validated. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02332980.

Introduction Germline predisposition syndromes (GPS) are inherited disorders associated with germinal aberrations that increase the risk of malignancies. While aberrations in certain genes increase the risk for all types of malignancies (Tp53, ATM, CDKN2A, CHEK2), there is a growing list of genes associated specifically with hematological malignancies (GATA2, RUNX1, DDX41, ETV6, ANKRD26). At our institution, we have established a hematology GPS clinic to diagnose and manage GPS and with this report, detail our experience with 130 patients. Methods GPS were investigated in pediatric and adult patients with one or more first degree relatives with hematological/visceral malignancies or in those with antecedent thrombocytopenia (ANKRD26, RUNX1, ETV6), or with specific syndromic features (short telomere syndromes/STS, GATA2 haploinsufficiency, Fanconi anemia/FA, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome/SDS). Depending on the phenotype, specific functional assays such as flow-FISH for telomere length assessment and chromosomal breakage assays were ordered. After informed consent and genetic counselling, germline testing was carried out on peripheral blood mononuclear cell, skin fibroblast, or hair follicle-derived DNA. A custom-designed marrow failure NGS panel (200 genes) was used in most cases and interrogation of variants, in silico studies, and functional assays were carried out as previously described (Mangaonkar et al MC Proc 2019). Copy number variations were identified by aCGH. At the time of progression/worsening cytopenias, bone marrow/lymph node biopsies and NGS (next generation sequencing) were carried out where indicated. Results 130 patients with germline predisposition have been identified to date. The spectrum of disorders seen include STS 29 (22%), FA 17 (13%), GATA2 16 (12%), Diamond Blackfan anemia/DBA 13 (10%), RUNX1-FPD 12 (9%), ATM deletions/mutations 11 (8%), ANKRD26 6 (5%), SDS 5 (4%), DDX41 4 (3%), MPL 3 (2%), CHEK2, MECOM, Tp53 mutations 2 (2%) each, and CBL, CEPBA, ELANE, NF1, CDKN2A, CSF3R, ETV6, and GATA1 mutations, 1 (1%) each. Evidence for clonal evolution (CCUS) and hematological malignancies were seen in 51 (39%) patients, involving all the aforementioned genes/syndromes with the exception of DBA, CBL, ETV6, MPL, CSF3R, and GATA1. Seven (64%) of 11 patients with germline ATM deletions/mutations developed lymphoid malignancies; homozygous ATM (Follicular NHL-1, Burkitt lymphoma-1, T-ALL-1, T-LPD-1) and heterozygous ATM (T-PLL-1, DLBCL-1, CLL-1). Clonal evolution occurred in 11 (69%) of 16 GATA2 haploinsufficient patients (CCUS-2, MDS-3, CMML-1, AML-5) and in 7 (58%) of 12 RUNX1-FPD patients (CCUS-1, MDS-1, MDS/MPN-3, AML-2). Five of 29 (17%) STS patients had clonal progression (CCUS-2, MDS-2, AML-1), and 5 (29%) of 17 FA patients progressed to MDS-2 or AML-3. JMML was seen in one patient with a germline NF1 mutation, while 1 (20%) of 5 SDS patients progressed to AML. NGS data at progression was available in 24 (55%) of 44 myeloid/CCUS progressions, with somatic truncating ASXL1 mutations being most frequent (29%), followed by RAS pathway mutations (15%). AML/MDS progressions in STS, FA, and SDS were universally associated with complex/monosomal karyotypes, translating to refractory disease. Seventeen (39%) of 44 patients with myeloid predisposition underwent allogenic HCT (GATA2-7, FA-3, RUNX1-FPD-3, STS-2, NF1-1, Tp53-1), with 10 (59%) being alive at last follow up (Table 1). Conclusion We demonstrate the spectrum of germline aberrations associated with predisposition to hematological malignancies and outline the phenotypic heterogeneity of clonal transformation. The advent of NGS allows identification of clonal progression earlier than morphological changes, with mutations in ASXL1 and RAS pathway genes being commonly implicated. This study supports the universal development of dedicated germline predisposition clinics. Disclosures Pruthi: CSL Behring: Honoraria; Genentech Inc.: Honoraria; Bayer Healthcare: Honoraria; HEMA Biologics: Honoraria; Instrumentation Laboratory: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria.