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Advancements in lymphoma treatment have increased the number of long-term survivors who may experience late effects such as impaired sexual function and testosterone deficiency. The aim of this review was to determine the prevalence of testosterone deficiency and sexual dysfunction among male lymphoma survivors; and associations between the two. A systematic search identified 20 articles for inclusion. The prevalence of low total testosterone was 0%-50 %, with mean values within reference levels, and for luteinizing hormone above reference levels in 0%-80 %. Four studies included SHBG and free testosterone, with mixed results. Compromised sexual health was found in 23%-61 %. Overall, total testosterone and sexual health were associated. The risk of bias (ROBINS-E and RoB 2) was high/very high, leading to low/very low overall confidence in the bulk of evidence (GRADE). Longitudinal studies evaluating biologically active testosterone and sexual health are needed, to develop evidence based standard procedures for follow-up of sexual health., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interestsSigne Micas Pedersen reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by Besins Healthcare. Peter de Nully Brown reports a relationship with Roche that includes: consulting or advisory. Peter de Nully Brown reports a relationship with Gilead Sciences Inc that includes: consulting or advisory. Peter de Nully Brown reports a relationship with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum that includes: consulting or advisory. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an overall improvement in patient mortality. However, haematological malignancy patients continue to experience significant impacts from COVID-19, including high rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and mortality. In comparison to other haematological malignancy patients, individuals with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) generally have better prognosis. This study, conducted using a large haematological malignancy patient database (EPICOVIDEHA), demonstrated that the majority of CML patients experienced mild infections. The decline in severe and critical infections over the years can largely be attributed to the widespread administration of vaccinations and the positive response they elicited. Notably, the mortality rate among CML patients was low and exhibited a downward trend in subsequent years. Importantly, our analysis provided confirmation of the effectiveness of vaccinations in CML patients.

Objectives: Elderly patients with hematologic malignancies face the highest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The infection's impact on different age groups remains unstudied in detail., Methods: We analyzed elderly patients (age groups: 65-70, 71-75, 76-80, and >80 years old) with hematologic malignancies included in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between January 2020 and July 2022. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were conducted to identify factors influencing death in COVID-19 patients with hematological malignancy., Results: The study included data from 3,603 elderly patients (aged 65 or older) with hematological malignancy, with a majority being male (58.1%) and a significant proportion having comorbidities. The patients were divided into four age groups, and the analysis assessed COVID-19 outcomes, vaccination status, and other variables in relation to age and pandemic waves. The 90-day survival rate for patients with COVID-19 was 71.2%, with significant differences between groups. The pandemic waves had varying impacts, with the first wave affecting patients over 80 years old, the second being more severe in 65-70, and the third being the least severe in all age groups. Factors contributing to 90-day mortality included age, comorbidities, lymphopenia, active malignancy, acute leukemia, less than three vaccine doses, severe COVID-19, and using only corticosteroids as treatment., Conclusion: These data underscore the heterogeneity of elderly hematological patients, highlight the different impacts of COVID-19 waves and the pivotal importance of vaccination, and may help in planning future healthcare efforts., Competing Interests: Declarations of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir are antivirals used to prevent progression to severe SARS-CoV-2 infections and decrease hospitalisation and mortality rates. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was authorised in Europe in December 2021, whereas molnupiravir is not yet licensed in Europe as of February 2022. Molnupiravir may be an alternative to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir because it is associated with fewer drug-drug interactions and contraindications. A caveat for molnupiravir is the mode of action induces viral mutations. Mortality rate reduction with molnupiravir was less pronounced than that with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in patients without haematological malignancy. Little is known about the comparative efficacy of the two drugs in patients with haematological malignancy at high-risk of severe COVID-19. Thus, molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were compared in a cohort of patients with haematological malignancies., Methods: Clinical data from patients treated with molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir/ritonavir monotherapy for COVID-19 were retrieved from the EPICOVIDEHA registry. Patients treated with molnupiravir were matched by sex, age (±10 years), and severity of baseline haematological malignancy to controls treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir., Results: A total of 116 patients receiving molnupiravir for the clinical management of COVID-19 were matched to an equal number of controls receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. In each of the groups, 68 (59%) patients were male; with a median age of 64 years (interquartile range [IQR] 53-74) for molnupiravir recipients and 64 years (IQR 54-73) for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir recipients; 56.9% (n=66) of the patients had controlled baseline haematological malignancy, 12.9% (n=15) had stable disease, and 30.2% (n=35) had active disease at COVID-19 onset in each group. During COVID-19 infection, one third of patients from each group were admitted to hospital. Although a similar proportion of patients in the two groups were vaccinated (molnupiravir n=77, 66% vs. nirmatrelvir/ritonavir n=87, 75%), more of those treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir had received four vaccine doses (n=27, 23%) compared with those treated with molnupiravir (n=5, 4%) (P<0.001). No differences were detected in COVID-19 severity (P=0.39) or hospitalisation (P=1.0). No statistically significant differences were identified in overall mortality rate (P=0.78) or survival probability (d30 P=0.19, d60 P=0.67, d90 P=0.68, last day of follow up P=0.68). Deaths were either attributed to COVID-19, or the infection was judged by the treating physician to have contributed to death., Conclusions: Hospitalisation and mortality rates with molnupiravir were comparable to those with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in high-risk patients with haematological malignancies and COVID-19. Molnupiravir is a plausible alternative to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for COVID-19 treatment in patients with haematological malignancy., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous disease, both regarding clinical presentation, response to treatment and outcome. Recently, subclassification of DLBCL based on mutational profile has been suggested, and next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis may be relevant as part of the diagnostic workflow. This will, however, often be based on analysis of one tumor biopsy. Here, we present a prospective study where multi-site sampling was performed prior to treatment in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. Two spatially different biopsies from 16 patients were analyzed using NGS with an in-house 59-gene lymphoma panel. In 8/16 (50%) patients, mutational differences were found between the two biopsy sites, including differences in TP53 mutational status. Our data indicate that a biopsy from the extra-nodal site may represent the most advanced clone, and an extra-nodal biopsy should be preferred for analysis, if safely accessible. This will help ensure a standardized stratification and treatment decision.

Currently, bone marrow (BM) biopsy (BMB) is recommended in the initial staging of patients with the presumed primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL). However, the added value of BMB in the era of positron emission tomography (PET-CT) has been challenged in other lymphoma subtypes. We analyzed BM findings in patients with biopsy-proven CNS lymphoma and a negative PET-CT scan for disease outside CNS. A comprehensive Danish population-based registry search was performed to identify all patients with CNS lymphoma of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) histology with available BMB results and staging PET-CT without systemic lymphoma. A total of 300 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of them, 16% had a previous history of lymphoma, while 84% were diagnosed with PCNSL. None of the patients had DLBCL in the BM. A minority (8.3%) had discordant BMB findings, mainly low-grade histologies that did not influence treatment choice in any case. In conclusion, the risk of overlooking concordant BM infiltration in patients with CNS lymphoma of DLBCL histology and negative PET-CT scan is negligible. As we did not find any patient with DLBCL in the BMB, our results suggest that BMB can be safely omitted in the diagnostic workup in patients with CNS lymphoma and a negative PET-CT., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment decreases the hospitalisation rate in immunocompetent patients with COVID-19, but data on efficacy in patients with haematological malignancy are scarce. Here, we describe the outcome of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment in a large cohort of the latter patients., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study from the multicentre EPICOVIDEHA registry (NCT04733729) on patients with haematological malignancy, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and September 2022. Patients receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were compared to those who did not. A logistic regression was run to determine factors associated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir administration in our sample. Mortality between treatment groups was assessed with Kaplan-Meier survival plots after matching all the patients with a propensity score. Additionally, a Cox regression was modelled to detect factors associated with mortality in patients receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir., Findings: A total of 1859 patients were analysed, 117 (6%) were treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, 1742 (94%) were treated otherwise. Of 117 patients receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, 80% had received ≥1 anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose before COVID-19 onset, 13% of which received a 2nd vaccine booster. 5% were admitted to ICU. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment was associated with the presence of extrapulmonary symptoms at COVID-19 onset, for example anosmia, fever, rhinitis, or sinusitis (aOR 2.509, 95%CI 1.448-4.347) and 2nd vaccine booster (aOR 3.624, 95%CI 1.619-8.109). Chronic pulmonary disease (aOR 0.261, 95%CI 0.093-0.732) and obesity (aOR 0.105, 95%CI 0.014-0.776) were not associated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir use. After propensity score matching, day-30 mortality rate in patients treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was 2%, significantly lower than in patients with SARS-CoV-2 directed treatment other than nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (11%, p = 0.036). No factor was observed explaining the mortality difference in patients after nirmatrelvir/ritonavir administration., Interpretation: Haematological malignancy patients were more likely to receive nirmatrelvir/ritonavir when reporting extrapulmonary symptoms or 2nd vaccine booster at COVID-19 onset, as opposed to chronic pulmonary disease and obesity. The mortality rate in patients treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was lower than in patients with targeted drugs other than nirmatrelvir/ritonavir., Funding: EPICOVIDEHA has received funds from Optics COMMIT (COVID-19 Unmet Medical Needs and Associated Research Extension) COVID-19 RFP program by GILEAD Science, United States (Project 2020-8223)., Competing Interests: The authors do not declare conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript. The funder of the study had no role in study design, data analysis, interpretation, or writing of the report. All authors had full access to the data and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Patients with hematological malignancies are prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine due to their high risk for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection-related disease and mortality. To understand T cell immunity, its long-term persistence, and its correlation with antibody response, we evaluated the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-specific immune response in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and myeloid dysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Longitudinal analysis of CD8 + T cells using DNA-barcoded peptide-MHC multimers covering the full SARS-CoV-2 Spike-protein (415 peptides) showed vaccine-specific T cell activation and persistence of memory T cells up to six months post-vaccination. Surprisingly, a higher frequency of vaccine-induced antigen-specific CD8 + T cells was observed in the patient group compared to a healthy donor group. Furthermore, and importantly, immunization with the second booster dose significantly increased the frequency of antigen-specific CD8 + T cells as well as the total number of T cell specificities. Altogether 59 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine-derived immunogenic responses were identified, of which 23 established long-term CD8 + T cell memory response with a strong immunodominance for NYNYLYRLF (HLA-A24:02) and YLQPRTFLL (HLA-A02:01) epitopes. In summary, we mapped the vaccine-induced antigen-specific CD8 + T cells and showed a booster-specific activation and enrichment of memory T cells that could be important for long-term disease protection in this patient group., Competing Interests: SH is the cofounder of PokeAcell and is the co-inventor of the patents WO2015185067 and WO2015188839 for the barcoded MHC technology which is licensed to Immudex and co-inventor of the licensed patent for Combination encoding of MHC multimers EP2088/009356, licensee: Sanquin, NL. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Hernandez, Hersby, Munk, Tamhane, Trubach, Tagliamonte, Buonaguro, Gang, Hadrup and Saini.)

Background: The immune pathogenesis underlying the diverse clinical course of COVID-19 is poorly understood. Currently, there is an unmet need in daily clinical practice for early biomarkers and improved risk stratification tools to help identify and monitor COVID-19 patients at risk of severe disease., Methods: We performed longitudinal assessment of stimulated immune responses in 30 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. We used the TruCulture whole-blood ligand-stimulation assay applying standardized stimuli to activate distinct immune pathways, allowing quantification of cytokine responses. We further characterized immune cell subsets by flow cytometry and used this deep immunophenotyping data to map the course of clinical disease within and between patients., Results: Here we demonstrate impairments in innate immune response pathways at time of COVID-19 hospitalization that are associated with the development of severe disease. We show that these impairments are transient in those discharged from hospital, as illustrated by functional and cellular immune reconstitution. Specifically, we identify lower levels of LPS-stimulated IL-1β, and R848-stimulated IL-12 and IL-17A, at hospital admission to be significantly associated with increasing COVID-19 disease severity during hospitalization. Furthermore, we propose a stimulated immune response signature for predicting risk of developing severe or critical COVID-19 disease at time of hospitalization, to validate in larger cohorts., Conclusions: We identify early impairments in innate immune responses that are associated with subsequent COVID-19 disease severity. Our findings provide basis for early identification of patients at risk of severe disease which may have significant implications for the early management of patients hospitalized with COVID-19., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

T cells are important for effective viral clearance, elimination of virus-infected cells and long-term disease protection. To examine the full-spectrum of CD8 + T cell immunity in COVID-19, we experimentally evaluated 3141 major histocompatibility (MHC) class I-binding peptides covering the complete SARS-CoV-2 genome. Using DNA-barcoded peptide-MHC complex (pMHC) multimers combined with a T cell phenotype panel, we report a comprehensive list of 122 immunogenic and a subset of immunodominant SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes. Substantial CD8 + T cell recognition was observed in COVID-19 patients, with up to 27% of all CD8 + lymphocytes interacting with SARS-CoV-2-derived epitopes. Most immunogenic regions were derived from open reading frame (ORF) 1 and ORF3, with ORF1 containing most of the immunodominant epitopes. CD8 + T cell recognition of lower affinity was also observed in healthy donors toward SARS-CoV-2-derived epitopes. This pre-existing T cell recognition signature was partially overlapping with the epitope landscape observed in COVID-19 patients and may drive the further expansion of T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly the phenotype of the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 + T cells, revealed a strong T cell activation in COVID-19 patients, while minimal T cell activation was seen in healthy individuals. We found that patients with severe disease displayed significantly larger SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell populations compared to patients with mild diseases and these T cells displayed a robust activation profile. These results further our understanding of T cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection and hypothesize that strong antigen-specific T cell responses are associated with different disease outcomes., (Copyright © 2021, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)

A 20-month-old girl diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was treated according to the Nordic NOPHO ALL2000 protocol. The patient developed severe immunosuppression and experienced life-threatening adenovirus infection, which was treated with ribavirin and cidofovir. α-fetoprotein was 20- to 30-fold elevated, and genetic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of ataxia telangiectasia. Despite receiving only 7 weeks of anti-leukemic therapy, she has stayed in first remission now 8 years after the diagnosis. We speculate that this could be because of increased chemosensitivity of ATM-mutated leukemic cells, adenovirus causing a direct oncolytic effect, and/or high levels of endogenous cortisol during her severe infection.