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Previous studies of the immune control of cytomegalovirus infection have primarily focused on analysis of the traditional adaptive T-cell response. Donadeu et al.bring a new perspective through evaluation of multiple adaptive and innate immune subtypes in parallel with cytomegalovirus-specific cell-mediated immunity in a prospective cohort of kidney transplant recipients with findings validated in 2 independent studies. Identification of a natural killer T-cell subtype associated with cell-mediated immunity and freedom from cytomegalovirus infection demonstrates the importance of the coordinated innate and adaptive immune response for effective viral control.

Histopathologic lung allograft injuries are putative harbingers for chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). However, the mechanisms responsible are not well understood. CXCL9 and CXCL10 are potent chemoattractants of mononuclear cells and potential propagators of allograft injury. We hypothesized that these chemokines would be quantifiable in plasma, and would associate with subsequent CLAD development. In this prospective multicenter study, we evaluated 721 plasma samples for CXCL9/CXCL10 levels from 184 participants at the time of transbronchial biopsies during their first‐year post‐transplantation. We determined the association between plasma chemokines, histopathologic injury, and CLAD risk using Cox proportional hazards models. We also evaluated CXCL9/CXCL10 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and compared plasma to BAL with respect to CLAD risk. Plasma CXCL9/CXCL10 levels were elevated during the injury patterns associated with CLAD, acute rejection, and acute lung injury, with a dose–response relationship between chemokine levels and CLAD risk. Importantly, there were strong interactions between injury and plasma CXCL9/CXCL10, where histopathologic injury associated with CLAD only in the presence of elevated plasma chemokines. We observed similar associations and interactions with BAL CXCL9/CXCL10 levels. Elevated plasma CXCL9/CXCL10 during allograft injury may contribute to CLAD pathogenesis and has potential as a minimally invasive immune monitoring biomarker. This prospective multicenter study finds an association between levels of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in both plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid during allograft injury in the first year after lung transplantation. Diamond and Shtraichman comment on page 2133

Histopathologic lung allograft injuries are putative harbingers for chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). However, the mechanisms responsible are not well understood. CXCL9 and CXCL10 are potent chemoattractants of mononuclear cells and potential propagators of allograft injury. We hypothesized that these chemokines would be quantifiable in plasma, and would associate with subsequent CLAD development. In this prospective multicenter study, we evaluated 721 plasma samples for CXCL9/CXCL10 levels from 184 participants at the time of transbronchial biopsies during their first-year post-transplantation. We determined the association between plasma chemokines, histopathologic injury, and CLAD risk using Cox proportional hazards models. We also evaluated CXCL9/CXCL10 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and compared plasma to BAL with respect to CLAD risk. Plasma CXCL9/CXCL10 levels were elevated during the injury patterns associated with CLAD, acute rejection, and acute lung injury, with a dose–response relationship between chemokine levels and CLAD risk. Importantly, there were strong interactions between injury and plasma CXCL9/CXCL10, where histopathologic injury associated with CLAD only in the presence of elevated plasma chemokines. We observed similar associations and interactions with BAL CXCL9/CXCL10 levels. Elevated plasma CXCL9/CXCL10 during allograft injury may contribute to CLAD pathogenesis and has potential as a minimally invasive immune monitoring biomarker.

Age is a major risk factor for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet the mechanisms behind this relationship have remained incompletely understood. To address this, we evaluated the impact of aging on host immune response in the blood and the upper airway, as well as the nasal microbiome in a prospective, multicenter cohort of 1031 vaccine-naïve patients hospitalized for COVID-19 between 18 and 96 years old. We performed mass cytometry, serum protein profiling, anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody assays, and blood and nasal transcriptomics. We found that older age correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 viral abundance upon hospital admission, delayed viral clearance, and increased type I interferon gene expression in both the blood and upper airway. We also observed age-dependent up-regulation of innate immune signaling pathways and down-regulation of adaptive immune signaling pathways. Older adults had lower naïve T and B cell populations and higher monocyte populations. Over time, older adults demonstrated a sustained induction of pro-inflammatory genes and serum chemokines compared with younger individuals, suggesting an age-dependent impairment in inflammation resolution. Transcriptional and protein biomarkers of disease severity differed with age, with the oldest adults exhibiting greater expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins in severe disease. Together, our study finds that aging is associated with impaired viral clearance, dysregulated immune signaling, and persistent and potentially pathologic activation of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins.

Liver transplantation (LT) from donors‐with‐HIV to recipients‐with‐HIV (HIV D+/R+) is permitted under the HOPE Act. There are only three international single‐case reports of HIV D+/R+ LT, each with limited follow‐up. We performed a prospective multicenter pilot study comparing HIV D+/R+ to donors‐without‐HIV to recipients‐with‐HIV (HIV D−/R+) LT. We quantified patient survival, graft survival, rejection, serious adverse events (SAEs), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) breakthrough, infections, and malignancies, using Cox and negative binomial regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting. Between March 2016–July 2019, there were 45 LTs (8 simultaneous liver‐kidney) at 9 centers: 24 HIV D+/R+, 21 HIV D−/R+ (10 D− were false‐positive). The median follow‐up time was 23 months. Median recipient CD4 was 287 cells/µL with 100% on antiretroviral therapy; 56% were hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐seropositive, 13% HCV‐viremic. Weighted 1‐year survival was 83.3% versus 100.0% in D+ versus D− groups (p= .04). There were no differences in one‐year graft survival (96.0% vs. 100.0%), rejection (10.8% vs. 18.2%), HIV breakthrough (8% vs. 10%), or SAEs (all p> .05). HIV D+/R+ had more opportunistic infections, infectious hospitalizations, and cancer. In this multicenter pilot study of HIV D+/R+ LT, patient and graft survival were better than historical cohorts, however, a potential increase in infections and cancer merits further investigation. A multicenter study of HIV+ donor to HIV+ recipient liver transplantation under the HOPE Act shows that patient and graft survival were better than historical cohorts, but the possible increased incidence of infections and cancer merits further investigation.

Many lung transplant candidates and recipients are older and frailer compared to previous eras. Older patients are at increased risk for pre‐ and posttransplant mortality, but this risk is not explained by numerical age alone. This manuscript represents the product of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) conference on frailty. Experts in the field reviewed the latest published research on assessment of elderly and frail lung transplant candidates. Physical frailty, often defined as slowness, weakness, low physical activity, shrinking, and exhaustion, and frailty evaluation is an important tool for evaluation of age‐associated dysfunction. Another approach is assessment by cumulative deficits, and both types of frailty are common in lung transplant candidates. Frailty is associated with death or delisting before transplant, and may be associated with posttransplant mortality. Sarcopenia, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and nutrition are other important components for patient evaluation. Aging‐associated inflammation, telomere dysfunction, and adaptive immune system senescence may also contribute to frailty. Developing tools for frailty assessment and interventions holds promise for improving patient outcomes before and after lung transplantation. The authors review the potential impact on lung transplant candidate evaluation of assessing frailty and other age‐associated dysfunction using the Fried frailty phenotype, cumulative deficits, sarcopenia, cognition, depression, nutrition, and immunosenescence.

Many lung transplant candidates and recipients are older and frailer compared to previous eras. Older patients are at increased risk for pre- and posttransplant mortality, but this risk is not explained by numerical age alone. This manuscript represents the product of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) conference on frailty. Experts in the field reviewed the latest published research on assessment of elderly and frail lung transplant candidates. Physical frailty, often defined as slowness, weakness, low physical activity, shrinking, and exhaustion, and frailty evaluation is an important tool for evaluation of age-associated dysfunction. Another approach is assessment by cumulative deficits, and both types of frailty are common in lung transplant candidates. Frailty is associated with death or delisting before transplant, and may be associated with posttransplant mortality. Sarcopenia, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and nutrition are other important components for patient evaluation. Aging-associated inflammation, telomere dysfunction, and adaptive immune system senescence may also contribute to frailty. Developing tools for frailty assessment and interventions holds promise for improving patient outcomes before and after lung transplantation.

A consensus conference on frailty in kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplantation sponsored by the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and endorsed by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), and the Canadian Society of Transplantation (CST) took place on February 11, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. Input from the transplant community through scheduled conference calls enabled wide discussion of current concepts in frailty, exploration of best practices for frailty risk assessment of transplant candidates and for management after transplant, and development of ideas for future research. A current understanding of frailty was compiled by each of the solid organ groups and is presented in this paper. Frailty is a common entity in patients with end-stage organ disease who are awaiting organ transplantation, and affects mortality on the waitlist and in the posttransplant period. The optimal methods by which frailty should be measured in each organ group are yet to be determined, but studies are underway. Interventions to reverse frailty vary among organ groups and appear promising. This conference achieved its intent to highlight the importance of frailty in organ transplantation and to plant the seeds for further discussion and research in this field.

A consensus conference on frailty in kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplantation sponsored by the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and endorsed by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), and the Canadian Society of Transplantation (CST) took place on February 11, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. Input from the transplant community through scheduled conference calls enabled wide discussion of current concepts in frailty, exploration of best practices for frailty risk assessment of transplant candidates and for management after transplant, and development of ideas for future research. A current understanding of frailty was compiled by each of the solid organ groups and is presented in this paper. Frailty is a common entity in patients with end‐stage organ disease who are awaiting organ transplantation, and affects mortality on the waitlist and in the posttransplant period. The optimal methods by which frailty should be measured in each organ group are yet to be determined, but studies are underway. Interventions to reverse frailty vary among organ groups and appear promising. This conference achieved its intent to highlight the importance of frailty in organ transplantation and to plant the seeds for further discussion and research in this field. The authors summarize the proceedings of the American Society of Transplantation consensus conference on frailty in solid organ transplantation, an emerging concept with potential consequences for patient risk stratification and optimization that arises before and after transplant.

Living kidney donation is possible for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States within research studies under the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act. There are concerns that donor nephrectomy may have an increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in PLWH due to HIV-associated kidney disease and antiretroviral therapy (ART) nephrotoxicity. Here we report the first 3 cases of living kidney donors with HIV under the HOPE Act in the United States.

The presence of CD8+ polyfunctional T cells, defined by the expression of multiple cytokines, is associated with shorter duration of BK viremia of less than 3 months in kidney transplant recipients who have BK viremia. Supplemental digital content is available in the text.

The IMPACC cohort, composed of >1,000 hospitalized COVID-19 participants, contains five illness trajectory groups (TGs) during acute infection (first 28 days), ranging from milder (TG1–3) to more severe disease course (TG4) and death (TG5). Here, we report deep immunophenotyping, profiling of >15,000 longitudinal blood and nasal samples from 540 participants of the IMPACC cohort, using 14 distinct assays. These unbiased analyses identify cellular and molecular signatures present within 72 h of hospital admission that distinguish moderate from severe and fatal COVID-19 disease. Importantly, cellular and molecular states also distinguish participants with more severe disease that recover or stabilize within 28 days from those that progress to fatal outcomes (TG4 vs. TG5). Furthermore, our longitudinal design reveals that these biologic states display distinct temporal patterns associated with clinical outcomes. Characterizing host immune responses in relation to heterogeneity in disease course may inform clinical prognosis and opportunities for intervention.

Prior research has identified frailty, comorbidity, and age as predictors of outcomes for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including mortality. However, it remains unclear how these factors play different roles in COVID-19 prognosis. This study focused on correlations between frailty, comorbidity and age, and their correlations to discharge outcome and length-of-stay in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.Clinical data was collected from 56 patients who were ≥50 years old and admitted from March 2020 to June 2020 primarily for COVID-19. Frailty Risk Score (FRS) and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were used for assessment of frailty and comorbidity burden, respectively.Age had significant positive correlation with FRS and CCI (P < .001, P < .001, respectively). There was also significant positive correlation between FRS and CCI (P < .001). For mortality, patients who died during their hospitalization had significantly higher FRS and CCI (P = .01 and P < .001, respectively) but were not significantly older than patients who did not. FRS, CCI, and age were all significantly associated when looking at overall adverse discharge outcome (transfer to other facility or death) (P < .001, P = .005, and P = .009, respectively). However, none of the 3 variables were significantly correlated with length-of-stay. Multivariate analysis showed FRS (P = .007) but not patient age (P = .967) was significantly associated with death.We find that frailty is associated with adverse outcomes from COVID-19 and supplants age in multivariable analysis. Frailty should be part of risk assessment of older adults with COVID-19.

In recipients of kidney transplants, the emergence of BK virus (BKV)-associated clinical syndromes, such as viruria, viremia, and BK nephropathy, coincided with the advent of potent immunosuppressive therapy. There is currently no standardized protocol for the management of BK viruria or viremia, or established BK nephropathy. Suggested risk factors for BKV replication and a literature overview on various treatment strategies for BKV-associated clinical syndromes are presented, followed by the authors’ proposed approach for screening, monitoring, and treatment of post-transplant BKV infection.

Extended spectrum -lactamase (ESBL)–producing gram-negative bacilli are increasingly reported in patients with a variety of risk factors including prior cephalosporin and antibiotic usage, prolonged hospitalizations, existence of comorbid conditions, and critical illness.

Lung transplantation remains the main therapy for patients with end-stage lung disease, yet survival remains limited by infection and chronic rejection. Invasive fungal infection, especially invasive aspergillosis, continues to cause a high rate of mortality after lung transplantation, and there is evidence that fungal colonization in itself may have a negative impact as well. This article reviews clinical trials in primary antifungal prophylaxis to determine whether antifungal prophylaxis after lung transplantation is indicated.

B cells are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic GVHD (cGVHD). We hypothesized that prophylactic anti–B-cell therapy delivered 2 months after transplantation would decrease allogeneic donor B-cell immunity and possibly the incidence of cGVHD. Therefore, in the present study, patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n = 22) and mantle-cell lymphoma (n = 13) received a total lymphoid irradiation of 80 cGy for 10 days and antithymocyte globulin 1.5 mg/kg/d for 5 days. Rituximab (375 mg/m2) was infused weekly on days 56, 63, 70, and 77 after transplantation. The incidence of acute GVHD was 6%. The cumulative incidence of cGVHD was 20%. Nonrelapse mortality was 3%. Rituximab treatment after allogeneic transplantation significantly reduced B-cell allogeneic immunity, with complete prevention of alloreactive H-Y Ab development in male patients with female donors (P= .01). Overall survival and freedom from progression at 4 years for chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients were 73% and 47%, respectively; for mantle-cell lymphoma patients, they were 69% and 53%, respectively. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.govas NCT00186628.

B cells are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic GVHD (cGVHD). We hypothesized that prophylactic anti–B-cell therapy delivered 2 months after transplantation would decrease allogeneic donor B-cell immunity and possibly the incidence of cGVHD. Therefore, in the present study, patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n = 22) and mantle-cell lymphoma (n = 13) received a total lymphoid irradiation of 80 cGy for 10 days and antithymocyte globulin 1.5 mg/kg/d for 5 days. Rituximab (375 mg/m2) was infused weekly on days 56, 63, 70, and 77 after transplantation. The incidence of acute GVHD was 6%. The cumulative incidence of cGVHD was 20%. Nonrelapse mortality was 3%. Rituximab treatment after allogeneic transplantation significantly reduced B-cell allogeneic immunity, with complete prevention of alloreactive H-Y Ab development in male patients with female donors (P = .01). Overall survival and freedom from progression at 4 years for chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients were 73% and 47%, respectively; for mantle-cell lymphoma patients, they were 69% and 53%, respectively. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00186628.

ABSTRACTAn immunocompromised patient with an invasive soft tissue infection due to Scedosporium apiospermumwas successfully treated with voriconazole and surgical debridement. After transition from intravenous to oral therapy, successive adjustments of the oral dose were required to achieve complete resolution. For soft tissue infections due to molds characterized by thin, septate hyphae branching at acute angles, voriconazole should be considered a first-line antifungal agent. The potential usefulness of plasma voriconazole levels for guiding optimal therapy should be investigated.

An immunocompromised patient with an invasive soft tissue infection due to Scedosporium apiospermum was successfully treated with voriconazole and surgical debridement. After transition from intravenous to oral therapy, successive adjustments of the oral dose were required to achieve complete resolution. For soft tissue infections due to molds characterized by thin, septate hyphae branching at acute angles, voriconazole should be considered a first-line antifungal agent. The potential usefulness of plasma voriconazole levels for guiding optimal therapy should be investigated.

Transcriptional control of the hgl 5 gene of Entamoeba histolytica is mediated through an unusual core promoter composed of TATA, GAAC and Initiator elements. In the hgl 5 promoter the GAAC element (AATGAACT) determines the site and rate of transcription initiation. Here we tested the role of the GAAC element in transcription activation from upstream regulatory elements (UREs) in the hgl 5 promoter. We also examined the function of the GAAC element in the ferredoxin ( fdx ) promoter and characterized the protein binding to the GAAC element. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) demonstrated that the GAAC region is necessary for higher-order nuclear protein complex assembly. The function of the GAAC element in transcription activation mediated by UREs revealed that mutation of the GAAC element did not affect transcription activation mediated by the hgl 5 URE4 but abrogated activation by the hgl 5 URE3. We compared the role of the GAAC elements in the hgl 5 and fdx promoters. Competitive gel shift assays were consistent with the same nuclear protein binding to the GAAC elements in both genes. Mutation of the GAAC element in the fdx gene decreased reporter gene expression, however, in contrast to hgl 5 gene, had no effect on the site of transcription initiation. These results support a role for the GAAC element in assembly of nuclear proteins at the core promoter and in transcription activation mediated by URE3. The differing effect on transcription initiation in the hgl 5 and fdx genes upon mutation of the GAAC element suggests a context-dependence of the GAAC-binding protein in gene expression.

The hgl5 gene of Entamoeba histolyticais negatively regulated through the upstream regulatory element 3 (URE3) DNA motif TATTCTATT. This motif is also present and significant in the function of the E. histolytica fdxgene promoter. A yeast one-hybrid screen was used to identify an E. histolyticacDNA encoding a protein (URE3-BP) that recognized this DNA motif. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence demonstrated the presence of two EF-hand motifs but identified no canonical DNA binding motifs. URE3-BP, expressed in bacteria, demonstrated Ca2+-dependent and sequence-specific recognition of the URE3 DNA sequence as assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Antibodies raised against URE3-BP blocked the formation of the URE3 DNA-protein complex by native nuclear extracts. The URE3-BP protein was present in theE. histolyticanucleus and cytoplasm with an apparent molecular mass of 22.6 kDa. Our results represent the first use of a yeast genetic screen to identify, on the basis of function, a DNA-binding protein of an early branching eukaryote. Since the URE3 DNA can modulate gene expression in both a positive and negative manner, this protein may have more than one mechanism of interaction with transcriptional machinery. Characterization of URE3-BP should provide insight into transcription regulation and virulence control in this parasite.

To study transcriptional regulation in the lower branching eukaryote Entamoeba histolytica, we have identified two sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that recognize the upstream regulatory element URE4, an enhancer that regulates expression of the Gal/GalNAc lectin heavy subunit gene hgl5. A chromatographic purification of E. histolyticanuclear extracts by gel filtration, cation exchange, and sequence-specific DNA affinity chromatography led to a 700-fold increase in URE4 binding activity and the appearance of two dominant protein species with molecular masses of 28 and 18 kDa. These proteins, termed E. histolyticaenhancer-binding proteins 1 and 2 (EhEBP1 and EhEBP2), were sequenced by tandem mass spectroscopy and their corresponding cDNA clones identified. Recombinant EhEBP1 and EhEBP2 were able to bind double-stranded oligonucleotides bearing the URE4 motif in a sequence-specific manner, and antibodies raised against EhEBP1 were able to interfere with the formation of URE4-protein complexes in crude nuclear extracts. Overexpression of EhEBP1 in E. histolyticatrophozoites resulted in a 7-fold drop in promoter activity in transiently transfected reporter gene constructs when the URE4 motif was present, confirming its ability to specifically recognize the URE4 motif and suggesting that additional cofactors may be required for transcriptional activation by URE4. Further characterization and identification of binding partners for EhEBP1 and EhEBP2, the first proteins with demonstrated sequence-specific DNA binding activity to be identified in E. histolytica, should provide new insights into transcriptional regulation in this protozoan parasite.

ABSTRACTCryptococcusspecies are known agents of opportunistic infections in healthy and immunocompromised hosts. Here we describe the first case of Cryptococcus uzbekistanensiscausing bone marrow infection in an elderly Asian man with undiagnosed T cell lymphoma presenting with fever of unknown origin, pancytopenia, and exposure to chicken manure.

Cryptococcus species are known agents of opportunistic infections in healthy and immunocompromised hosts. Here we describe the first case of Cryptococcus uzbekistanensis causing bone marrow infection in an elderly Asian man with undiagnosed T cell lymphoma presenting with fever of unknown origin, pancytopenia, and exposure to chicken manure.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Although acyclovir (ACV)-resistant herpes simplex virus (HSV) occurs in healthy patients, higher rates have been reported in 7-27% of immunocompromised patients, particularly in the setting of acyclovir prophylaxis. Infection due to ACV-resistant HSV (ACV-R HSV) is frequently severe and poses challenges to treatment, particularly following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Unfortunately, currently available alternative therapies including foscarnet, cidofovir, and ganciclovir are frequently limited by their toxicity profile. We present a series of five HCT patients from 1997-2008 with severe infections due to ACV-R HSV who were successfully treated with continuous infusion of high dose acyclovir. A Pubmed search of published literature from 1948-2009 confirmed this as the first report of ACV-R HSV in HCT patients treated with this regimen.The characteristics of the patients are summarized in the table. Patients ranged in age from 24 to 55 and had undergone an allogeneic HCT following a myeloablative preparative regimen. All grafts were composed of peripheral blood hematopoietic cells. Underlying diseases included acute myelogenous leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and essential thrombocytosis. Four of the five patients were receiving treatment for GVHD of the skin (grades 2-4), with regimens that included varying doses of prednisone. Infection was due to HSV-1 in three patients and HSV-2 in two. In vitro testing revealed that high median inhibitory concentrations were necessary to inhibit viral replication by 50% (MIC50) for all five isolates consistent with resistance to acyclovir, ganciclovir, and foscarnet. Failed HSV treatment regimens included standard, intermittent doses of acyclovir (5-10 mg/kg IV every eight hours), foscarnet, cidofovir, and/or famciclovir. Adverse reactions to these agents included severe renal insufficiency, hyponatremia, and neutropenia. The doses of ACV administered via continuous infusion ranged from 30 to 50 mg/kg per day, and time to resolution of lesions ranged from 1 week to 2 months. No patients experienced toxicity associated with continuous infusion of high dose acyclovir and therapy could be continued as an outpatient when appropriate.Continuous infusion of high dose acyclovir for acyclovir resistant HSV is an attractive and more tolerable alternative for patients failing standard dose intermittent infusion acyclovir or intolerant of alternative standard therapies such as foscarnet, cidofovir, or ganciclovir. At this time it is not clear how the altered pharmacokinetics that results from continuous infusion of high doses of acyclovir overcomes viral resistance. We are currently investigating the mechanisms by which the sustained levels of ACV provide this therapeutic advantage.No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract 2224

Functional control of CMV reactivation is profoundly influenced by CMV serostatus after nonmyeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation following a TLI-ATG preparative regimen Joanna M. Schaenman1,2, Marcy L. Vana2, Chanu Rhee2, Jonathan Wong1, Shelly Navato2, Laura Johnston2, Ruby M. Wong2, Dora Y. Ho1, and Janice M. Brown1,2 Divisions of Infectious Diseases1 and Blood and Marrow Transplantation2, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5623, USA. A substantial body of data supports the importance of recapitulation of effective immune function for control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). However, many questions remain regarding immune reconstitution of functional viral control after nonmyeloablative (NMA) HCT, especially with preparative regimens containing total lymphoid irradiation and antithymocyte globulin (TLI-ATG). We analyzed 197 patients who underwent NMA HCT at Stanford University Hospital between 2001 and 2007; 126 patients had either donor or recipient seropositivity for CMV. TLI was administered 11 days prior to transplant, and ATG on D-11 to -7. Nine patients were eliminated from analysis for either participation in a CMV prophylaxis trial or for insufficient data. HCT recipients were screened weekly for CMV reactivation using the Amplicor CMV test (Roche Molecular Diagnostics) on peripheral blood for the first 100 days after HCT. Any positive result led to preemptive treatment with intravenous ganciclovir or valganciclovir. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS Enterprise Guide. There were no significant differences between groups with respect to sex, age, race, underlying hematologic disease, or donor type. 35% had acute leukemia as their underlying diagnosis, 18% chronic leukemia, 32% lymphoma, and 15% myelodysplastic syndrome. 63 patients received HCT from siblings including one partially matched related donor (53%), 6 patients received haplo-identical transplants (5%), and 48 patients had unrelated donors (41%). Data regarding reactivation by serogroup Serogroup No. patients Patients with CMV reactivation (%) Median days to first reactivation No. patients with multiple reactivations (%)* Average no. reactivations per patient Max. no. reactivations * Patients included if there was less than one month of missing data: D+/R− 15 patients, D+/R+ 55 patients, D−/R+ 35 patients evaluated. D+/R− 15 2 (13.3) 56 0 (0) 0.1 1 D+/R+ 57 27 (47.4) 17 5 (9.1) 0.6 3 D−/R+ 45 29 (64.4) 12 5 (14.3) 0.9 5 Analysis by logistic regression with correction for age, diagnosis, donor type, and steroid use was statistically significant (p=0.005) for the comparison of all three serogroups. Other covariates reaching statistical significance were diagnosis (increased reactivation with acute leukemia and lymphoma) and donor type (OR 2.7 for unrelated versus related donors (95% confidence interval 1.2–6.1, p=.016). There was no difference in the degree of chimerism in whole blood on day 28 with a mean of 80% for the D+/R+ and 79% for the D−/R+ patients (t test, pooled p-value 0.90). The incidence and severity of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) (Grade > II) were not statistically different between groups, with 0 D+/R− patients, 2 D+/R+ patients, and 4 D−/R+ patients with acute GVHD. Sustained CMV viral load was significantly greater in the D−/R+ group based on analysis by a mixed effect model with correction for the covariates listed above (p=.0006 for serogoup*time). None of the other covariates analyzed had a statistically significant effect in this model. CMV serostatus of both donor and recipient had a significant effect on CMV reactivation over the first 100 days after NMA HCT following a TLI-ATG preparative regimen. The relative paucity of reactivation and the longer time to first reactivation in the D+/R− group is predicted by previously published observations. Donor CMV serology did not influence the timing of CMV reactivation in the D+/R+ compared with the D−/R+ group, however, donor seropositivity did play an important role in the reconstitution of effective antiviral immune function as manifested by an increased burden of detectable CMV in the D−/R+ as compared with the D+/R+ group. These observations have led us to an ongoing exploration of the kinetics of the antiviral immune response in an animal model in an attempt to refine our understanding of the interaction between the magnitude and timing of CMV exposure and the reconstitution of functional immunologic control after HCT.

Functional control of CMV reactivation is profoundly influenced by CMV serostatus after nonmyeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation following a TLI-ATG preparative regimen

Background: B cells are implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic GVHD. We hypothesize that prophylactic anti-B cell therapy delivered two months after reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) transplantation would prevent or reduce chronic GVHD incidence from the historical 50%. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) were the target diseases as they are B cell malignancies with clear allogeneic GVL benefit. Methods: CLL and MCL patients were conditioned with total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) 80 cGy in 10 fractions, d-11 to d-1 and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) 1.5mg/kg/day, d-11 to d-7 (total 7.5mg/kg). PBPC were infused on day 0. Primary GVHD prophylaxis was cyclosporine (CSA) on d-3 with taper by 6 months, and MMF from day 0 until d28 for related donors, d100 for unrelated donors. Rituximab (375 mg/m2/week ×4) was infused on days 56, 63, 70, and 77 post-transplant. Results: 36 patients accrued to the study (median age 57, range 31–66 yrs), with 34 patients completing the 4 rituximab infusions. All 22 CLL patients were high risk (fludarabinerefractory, unmutated VH-IgG, or P53 deletion). The 14 MCL patients included 4 patients in PR and 10 patients in CR status at transplant. Median follow-up is 20 months. Twenty patients had sibling donors; 16, unrelated donors. Median CD34 cell dose was 7.5 CD34/kg. All patients had donor cell engraftment except for one patient who had graft failure with stable autologous recovery. Full donor chimerism (PB CD3>95%) was achieved in 14 out of 31 patients (45%) by day 90. However, all but 5 patients had achieved full donor chimerism at 1 year. The incidence of grade 2–4 acute GVHD was 6%. The incidence of chronic GVHD was 18%. Day 100 NRM was 0% and 1-year NRM was 3%. Ten relapses have occurred (5 CLL, 5 MCL). Estimated FFP and OS at 2 years for CLL patients is 82%(CI +/−16%) and 73% (CI +/−33%), respectively; for MCL patients, 64% and 68%, respectively Full donor chimerism was associated with persistent disease remission. Twelve of 19 VHIg mutated CLL patients have achieved minimal residual disease (MRD) by quantitative allele-specific oligonucleotide-IgH PCR (ASO-Q-PCR). DLI was given to 5 CLL patients and 1 MCL who had relapsed and had not achieved full donor chimerism.. There were no infusional toxicities with rituximab. Transient rituximab related neutropenia occurred in 10 patients d100–150. Post-transplant infections included influenza B, RSV, fungal sinusitis, pseudomonas, klebsiella infection, VZV reactivation, and one PTLD before day 56 rituximab. All recovered Of 22 patients at risk for CMV reactivation, 10 reactivated ( range 4 to 56 days post-HCT). Therefore, rituximab did not contribute to the CMV reactivation or increase infection incidence. Conclusion: Prophylactic rituximab infusion post RIC transplantation is well tolerated, provides safe donor B cell depletion without detrimental effect on engraftment or infection incidence, and is associated with a low incidence of chronic GVHD while maintaining GVL. A randomized trial of rituximab prophylaxis after allogeneic HCT is warranted.

Background: B cells are implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic GVHD. We hypothesize that prophylactic anti-B cell therapy delivered two months after reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) transplantation would prevent or reduce chronic GVHD incidence from the historical 50%. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) were the target diseases as they are B cell malignancies with clear allogeneic GVL benefit.