Project description:Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We hypothesized that pre-transplant genetic susceptibility is evident in adult TA-TMA patients at the level of TMA-associated variants and further investigated the association of genetic variants with clinical outcomes. We studied 30 patients with TA-TMA at a median of 73 (9-540) post-transplant days, donors of 18/30 patients and 30 control non-TMA HCT recipients, without significant differences in transplant characteristics. Genomic DNA from pre-transplant peripheral blood was analyzed by targeted next generation sequencing for complement regulatory genes and ADAMTS13. Donors presented significantly lower frequency of rare variants (p=0.049) and variants in exonic/splicing/UTR regions (p=0.025), compared to TA-TMA patients. Controls also showed a significantly lower frequency of rare variants in ADAMTS13 (p=0.001), CD46 (p=0.002), CFH (p=0.010) and CFI (p=0.031). Pathogenic variants were found in ADAMTS13, CFH, CFI and CFB, while homozygous pathogenic variants in ADAMTS13 and CFB were evident in only 4 TA-TMA patients (p=0.038). Patients refractory to conventional treatment (70%) were significantly (p=0.045) enriched for variants in exonic/splicing/UTR regions compared to responders. Nineteen of 30 patients (63%) succumbed to transplant-related mortality, which was also associated with significantly (p=0.012) increased frequency of variants in exonic/splicing/UTR regions. In conclusion, increased incidence of pathogenic, rare and variants in exonic/splicing/UTR regions of TA-TMA patients suggests genetic susceptibility not evident in controls or donors. Notably, variants in exonic/splicing/UTR regions were associated with poor response and survival. Therefore, pre-transplant genomic screening may be useful to intensify monitoring and early intervention in high-risk patients.
Project description:Our data indicate that endothelial injury is increased in auto-stem cell transplant patients receiving the specific conditioning regimen carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan and is associated with clinical TA-TMA. Moreover, our data identify specific pathways that can be targeted to treat or prevent TA-TMA.
Project description:Intravenous (IV) vitamin C improves organ function and reduces inflammation in sepsis, an inflammatory state like the post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (SCT) milieu. The safety and efficacy of parenteral vitamin C after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) were evaluated in a phase I/II trial and clinical outcomes compared with a propensity score - matched historical control.MethodsPatients with advanced hematologic malignancies were enrolled in a phase 2 clinical trial, receiving IV vitamin C, 50mg/kg/d, divided into 3 doses given on days 1-14 after HSCT, followed by 500 mg bid oral from day 15 until 6 months post-SCT.Results55 patients received IV vitamin C: these include 10/10 HLA-MRD and MUD (n=48) and 9/10 HLA MUD recipients (n=7). All patients enrolled were deficient in vitamin C at day 0 and had restoration to normal levels for the remainder of the course. Vitamin C recipients had lower non-relapse mortality (11% vs. 25%, p-value = 0.07) and consequently, improved survival compared to historical controls (82% vs 62% p=0.06), with no attributable grade 3 and 4 toxicities to vitamin C. Patients with myeloid malignancies had improved survival (83% vs. 54%, p=0.02) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) (10% vs. 37%, p=0.009), as well as chronic GVHD, with similar relapse rates compared to controls.ConclusionsIn patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT the administration of IV vitamin C is safe and reduces non-relapse mortality improving overall survival. Randomized trials are needed to confirm the utility of this easily available and inexpensive therapy.
Project description:Allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) is a well-established curative modality for adults with high-risk ALL; yet large data describing alloHCT outcomes in Philadelphia (Ph)-like ALL is lacking. We retrospectively analyzed archived DNA samples from consecutive adults with B-cell Ph-negative ALL who underwent alloHCT in complete remission (CR) (n= 127) at our center between 2006 and 2020. Identification of fusions associated with Ph-like were performed using accumulative results from RNAseq, conventional cytogenetics, FISH, and whole genome array studies. Fusions associated with Ph-like were detected in 56 (44%) patients, of whom 38 were carrying CRLF2r; and the rest (n=18) were non-CRLF2r. Compared to other non-Ph-like (n=71), patients with fusions associated with Ph-like ALL were more frequently Hispanic (P=0.008), less frequently carried high-risk cytogenetics (P<0.001), and more likely to receive blinatumomab prior to HCT (P=0.019). With the median follow-up of 3.5 years, patients with Ph-like ALL fusions had comparable post-transplant outcomes compared to other B-cell ALL: 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) [41% vs. 44%, P=0.36], overall survival (OS) [51% vs. 50%, P=0.59] and relapse [37% vs. 31%, P=0.47]. In multivariable analysis, age (P= 0.023), disease status at the time of transplant (P<0.001), and donor type (P=0.015) influenced OS. RFS (primary endpoint) was significantly influenced by disease status (P<0.001) and conditioning regimen intensity (P=0.014). Relapse rate was associated with disease status (P=0.028) and conditioning regimen intensity (P=0.028). In conclusion, our data suggest that alloHCT consolidation results in similarly favorable survival outcomes in adult patients with Ph-like fusions and other high-risk B-cell ALL.