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Although the application of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) has enabled better prediction of transplant-related mortality (TRM) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (AHSCT), data from developing countries are scarce. This study prospectively evaluated the HCT-CI and the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation (ACE-27), in its original and in a modified version, as predictors of post-transplant complications in adults undergoing a first related or unrelated AHSCT in Brazil. Both bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) as graft sources were included. We analyzed the cumulative incidence of granulocyte and platelet recovery, sinusoidal obstructive syndrome, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, relapse and transplant-related mortality, and rates of event-free survival and overall survival. Ninety-nine patients were assessed. Median age was 38 years (18–65 years); HCT-CI ≥ 3 accounted for only 8% of cases; hematologic malignancies comprised 75.8% of the indications for AHSCT. There was no association between the HCT-CI or the original or modified ACE-27 with TRM or any other studied outcomes after AHSCT. These results show that, in the population studied, none of the comorbidity indexes seem to be associated with AHSCT outcomes. A significantly low frequency of high-risk (HCT-CI ≥ 3) in this Brazilian population might justify these results.

Although CD34 cell dose is known to influence outcome of peripheral stem cell– and/or T-cell–depleted transplantation, such data on unmanipulated marrow transplantation are scarce. To study the influence of CD34+ cell dose on hematopoietic reconstitution and incidence of infections after bone marrow transplantation, we retrospectively analyzed 212 patients from January 1994 to August 1999 who received a transplant of an unmanipulated graft from an HLA-identical sibling donor. Median age was 31 years; 176 patients had hematologic malignancies. Acute graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis consisted mainly in cyclosporin associated with methotrexate (n = 174). Median number of bone marrow nucleated cells and CD34+ cells infused were 2.4 × 108/kg and 3.7 × 106/kg, respectively. A CD34+ cell dose of 3 × 106/kg or more significantly influenced neutrophil (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.37, P = .04), monocyte (HR = 1.47, P = .02), lymphocyte (HR = 1.70, P = .003), erythrocyte (HR = 1.77, P = .0002), and platelet (HR = 1.98,P = .00008) recoveries. CD34+ cell dose also influenced the incidence of secondary neutropenia (HR = 0.60,P = .05). Bacterial and viral infections were not influenced by CD34 cell dose, whereas it influenced the incidence of fungal infections (HR = 0.41, P = .008). Estimated 180-day transplantation-related mortality (TRM) and 5-year survival were 25% and 56%, respectively, and both were highly affected by CD34+ cell dose (HR = 0.55, P = .006 and HR = 0.54, P = .03, respectively). Five-year survival and 180-day TRM were, respectively, 64% and 19% for patients receiving a CD34+ cell dose of 3 × 106/kg or more and 40% and 37% for the remainders. In conclusion a CD34+ cell dose of 3 × 106/kg or more improved all hematopoietic recoveries, decreased the incidence of fungal infections and TRM, and improved overall survival.

Childhood cancer is a group of heterogeneous complex diseases. Although 80% of these children are cured with conventional therapies, it remains the first cause of death among children in Western countries. A significant number of refractory/relapse patients will eventually succumb to their disease and the lack of therapeutic advances for these patients is even more worrisome. Indeed, no significant progress has been noted over the last decade for these patients, urging the need for new and more effective therapeutic approaches. Precision medicine and more effective personalized targeted therapies (PTT) are a major breakthrough leading to increased cure rates and decreased treatment-related morbidity and mortality for the patients with refractory or relapsed tumors. To address this challenge, the TRICEPS study was initiated on April 2014 at the Sainte-Justine UHC (Montreal, Canada) with an overreaching goal to explore the feasibility of performing genomic-driven targeted therapy in pediatric and adolescent (aged 0-21 years) patients with relapsed or refractory childhood cancer. This study offers in-depth genomic and transcriptomic investigation of patient’s tumoral material to identify patient-specific alterations and actionable driver mutation(s) that can be targeted with approved targeted drug and within a reasonable clinically relevant timeframe to assess the feasibility of going from biopsy to a detailed tumor analysis report. Over a period of 30 months, 44 relapsed/refractory cancer patients were recruited. Twenty-two of them underwent extensive genomic investigation (exomic and transcriptomic sequencing) within a median timeframe of 9.7 weeks from patient enrolment to return of results. Patient screen failures occurred due to benign/necrotic tumor biopsies or low tumor purity resulting in suboptimal DNA/RNA quantity or quality for genomic analysis. In all 22 patients, we have identified clinically relevant genomic alterations (SNVs, indels, fusions, CNAs) and relapse-specific mutations influencing patient management and providing options for personalized interventions. We assessed the functional impact of some of these cancer-specific alterations. This was the case of a novel relapse-specific rearrangement, identified on relapsed childhood ETP-ALL, and leading to asparagine synthetase (ASNS) up-regulation through a promoter exchange. The expression of this fusion was associated with reduced apoptosis following l-asparaginase treatment. This study shows that PPT based on next generation sequencing technology is a powerful approach that could be implemented in the clinic within a foreseeable future to guide treatment of hard-to-treat childhood cancers and to further improve patient care and outcomes. Citation Format: Fida Khater, Stephanie Vairy, Sylvie Langlois, Jasmine Healy, Sophie Dumoucel, Mathieu Lajoie, Thomas Sontag, Pascal St-Onge, Henrique Bittencourt, Dorothée Dal Soglio, Anne-Sophie Carret, Sonia Cellot, Josette Champagne, Michel Duval, Maja Krajinovic, Jean-Marie Leclerc, Valerie Larouche, Natalie Patey, Sébastien Perreault, Nelson Piché, Yvan Samson, Pierre Teira, Monia Marzouki, Daniel Sinnett. Identification of actionable targets for refractory/relapsed childhood cancer leading to personalized targeted therapy (TRICEPS Study) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4885. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4885

10523 Background: The global ELIANA trial (NCT02435849) evaluates the efficacy and safety of CTL019, a single infusion of genetically modified autologous chimeric antigen receptor–expressing T cells targeting CD19+ cells in pediatric and young adult r/r B-ALL pts. Analyses show a complete response rate of 82% with or without complete blood count recovery ≤ 3 months. A serious adverse event rate of 71% was observed in ≤ 8 weeks of infusion, decreasing to 17% at > 8 weeks (Grupp S, et al. Blood. 2016;128(22) [abstract 221].). This analysis further evaluates the clinical benefit of CTL019. QOL was assessed before and after CTL019 infusion. Methods: Infused pts were 3-23 y/o with CD19+ B-ALL who were chemo refractory, relapsed after allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT), or otherwise ineligible for SCT. Pts ≥ 8 y completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and EuroQol EQ-5D at baseline and following CTL019 infusion. Minimal clinically important differences are estimated to be 4.4 and 7 to 10 for PedsQL and EQ-5D, respectively. Results: 62 of 81 enrolled pts were infused; 56% had relapsed after SCT with median of 3 prior therapies. At interim analysis, 50 pts were treated ≥ 3 months prior to data cutoff and eligible for primary efficacy analysis. A total of 39 pts were ≥ 8 y. Mean PedsQL total and EQ-5D VAS scores, respectively, were 58.4 and 69.4 at baseline. Mean changes from baseline for the PedsQL total and EQ VAS scores, respectively, were 13.9 and 13.7 at month 3 and 12.8 and 10.9 at month 6, supporting clinically meaningful improvements in QOL. Similar trends were observed with each PedsQL subscale. With EQ-5D, the proportions of pts reporting problems with mobility, self-care, usual activities, anxiety/depression, or pain/discomfort were notably decreased at months 3 and 6 compared with baseline. Conclusions: Clinically meaningful improvements in QOL were observed at 3 and 6 months after CTL019 therapy in pediatric and young adult r/r B-ALL pts, including fewer problems in each EQ-5D domain. These results suggest improved QOL after this one-time immunocellular therapy beyond the period of acute toxicities. Clinical trial information: NCT02435849.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia is potentially a highly curable type of leukemia that usually presents with pancytopenia, coagulopathies and bleeding. We describe a case of an unusual presentation of acute promyelocytic leukemia. A 53 year-old male was admitted complaining of pain and weakness in his legs. He presented at examination a spastic paraparesis with a sensitive level at the eighth thoracic medullar (T8) segment. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a posterolateral extradural mass from T6 through T8 segments with medullar compression. A complete blood count showed anemia, thrombocytopenia and the presence of promyelocytes and blasts. Marrow examination was compatible with the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia by cytogenetics and polymerase chain reaction for the PML-RARα gene. He was treated with all-trans-retinoic acid therapy plus daunorubicin and presented an all-trans-retinoic acid syndrome. Despite hematological remission, the patient presented neurologic deterioration and had to be treated with radiotherapy (total dose 3000 cGy) of the extradural lesion. The patient evolved with severe sepsis and died without any recovery from his neurologic deficit. Extramedullary infiltration is a very rare complication in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Most cases are related to relapse after initial treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid. The skin and the central nervous system are the most frequently involved sites. This is possibly the first case reported of this condition in which the patient had a symptomatic extradural mass.

BACKGROUND The optimal monitoring strategy for cyclosporine (CsA) in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients remains unclear. Although there is a growing interest in the use of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), measurement of AUC in clinical settings is often impractical. The objective of this study was to identify and validate limited sampling strategies (LSSs) for the prediction of CsA AUC after intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) administration in this population. METHODS Sixty-eight pediatric patients who underwent HSCT and received CsA were investigated. Twelve-hour pharmacokinetic profiles (n = 138) performed per standard of care were collected. Weighted multiple linear regression was used to investigate all possible LSSs consisting of 4 or less concentration-time points. Their predictive performance was evaluated by leave one out cross validation and external validation by measuring the root mean squared relative error (RMSE%) and the 95th percentile of the absolute relative error (AE%). Values less than 20% were considered clinically acceptable. RESULTS Nine LSSs (4 IV and 5 PO) convenient for clinical application proved to have clinically acceptable performance. Notably, LSS based on C0, C2, and C4 was found to be accurate for estimation of CsA exposure after both IV and PO administration with the 95th percentile of AE% of 19.7% and 17.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS LSSs using 3 or 4 concentration-time points obtained within 4 hours postdose provide a convenient and reliable method to estimate CsA exposure in this population. These LSSs may facilitate future research aiming at better defining the relationship between AUC and clinical outcomes.

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We describe here the case of a boy with history of induction failure of a T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who presented a life-threatening situation of nonengraftment and rituximab-refractory PTLD after the first hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We decided to use an unusual strategy of combining a nonmyeloablative conditioning (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide) with a calcineurin inhibitor-free GvHD prophylaxis (sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil). This strategy had permitted the control of an Epstein-Barr virus PLTD in umbilical cord blood transplantation without further reactivation.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) and flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) likely have a role in the oxidation of intermediate metabolites of busulfan (Bu). In vitro studies to investigate the involvement of these enzymes are cumbersome because of the volatile nature of the intermediate metabolite tetrahydrothiophene (THT) and the lack of sensitive quantitation methods. This study explored the association between the CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2B6 and FMO3 genotypes and sulfolane (Su, a water soluble metabolite of Bu) plasma levels in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The relationship between these genotypes and the effectiveness of myeloablative conditioning was also analyzed. Sixty-six children receiving an intravenous Bu-based myeloablative conditioning regimen were genotyped for common functional variant alleles in CYP2C9 (*2 and *3), CYP2C19 (*2 and *17), FMO3 (rs2266780, rs2266782 and rs1736557) and CYP2B6 (*5 and *9). The plasma levels of Bu and its metabolite Su were measured after the ninth Bu dose in a subset of 44 patients for whom plasma samples were available. The ratio of Bu to Su was considered the metabolic ratio (MR) and was compared across the genotype groups. Higher MRs were observed in CYP2C9*2 and *3 allele carriers (mean±s.d.: 7.8±3.6 in carriers vs 4.4±2.2 in non-carriers; P=0.003). An increased incidence of graft failure was observed among patients with an MR>5 compared with those with MR values

In order to study the influence of bone marrow CD34(+) cell dose on the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we analysed the results of BMT from HLA-identical siblings donors in 50 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The median numbers of nucleated cells (NC) and CD34(+) cells infused were 2.18 x 10(8)/kg (0.05-4.14 x 10(8)/kg) and 3.12 x 10(6)/kg (0.35-8.52 x 10(6)/kg), respectively. All patients engrafted. In univariate analysis, there was no correlation between the number of CD34(+) cells infused and the time to neutrophil recovery (P = 0.17). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) at day 100 was 53 +/- 14% and 2-year survival was 46 +/- 15%. A number of CD34(+) cells infused greater than the median was the main factor increasing survival (P = 0.0006) and decreasing 100 day transplant-related mortality (P = 0.009). Patient-, disease- and transplant-related characteristics were not statistically different among patients receiving more or less than the median number of CD34(+) cells. The rate of infectious deaths was significantly higher in patients receiving less than 3.12 x 10(6) CD34/kg (48% vs 16%, P = 0.01). In a multivariable analysis, two factors associated with increased risk of death were advanced disease status at transplant (HR: 2.5 (95% CI: 1.09-5.75), P = 0.03) and a lower number of marrow CD34(+) cells infused/kg (HR: 4.55 (95% CI: 1.87-10.90), P = 0.0008).

A single-center trial of CD19 directed, lentiviral transduced chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells (CTL019) for relapsed and refractory (r/r) B-ALL pediatric patients showed rates of CR >90% with prolonged CAR T cell persistence/CR without further therapy in the majority of patients infused (Maude NEJM 2014). We report here the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the first multicenter global pivotal registration CAR T cell trial. Features of this trial include: i) the first trial in which industry-manufactured cells were provided to all patients; ii) enrollment across 25 centers in the US, EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan; iii) successful transfer and manufacturing of cells in a global supply chain; and iv) successful implementation of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) management across a global trial. All patients had CD19 positive B-ALL with morphologic marrow tumor involvement at registration (>5% blasts), and were either primary refractory; chemo-refractory after first relapse, relapsed after second line therapy; or ineligible for allogeneic SCT. CTL019 was manufactured from patient PBMC under GMP conditions in the US, at a centralized "sponsor-owned" manufacturing facility, and supplied to all sites. The primary endpoint of overall remission rate (CR+CRi) within 3 months and secondary endpoints (EFS, DOR, OS and safety) were assessed by an independent review committee. Based on preliminary data as of March 2016, 57 patients were enrolled. There were 3 manufacturing failures (5%), 5 patients were not infused due to death or adverse events (9%), and 15 patients were pending infusion at the data cut off. Following fludarabine/cyclophosphamide lymphodepleting chemotherapy in the majority of the patients, 34 patients (median age 11 [3-23], 50% with prior HSCT) were infused with a single dose of CTL019 at a median dose of 2.9 x106 transduced CTL019 cells/kg (0.2 to 4). Among 29 patients reaching D28 prior to the data cutoff, 83% (24/29) achieved CR or CRi by local investigator assessment, all of which were MRD-negative. Two early deaths occurred prior to initial disease assessment, one due to disease progression and one due to intracranial hemorrhage. Two patients did not respond. One patient was in CR by BM at D28, but CSF was not assessed, therefore this patient was classified as "incomplete" assessment. Safety was managed by a protocol-specified CRS algorithm with no cases of refractory CRS. Using the Penn CRS grading scale, 82% of patients experienced CRS, with 7 grade 3 (21%) and 8 grade 4 (24%) events. 44% patients with CRS required anti-cytokine therapy; all received tocilizumab with or without other anti-cytokine therapy, with complete resolution of CRS. Besides CRS, the most common grade 3 and 4 non-hematologic AEs were febrile neutropenia (29%), increased bilirubin (21%), increased AST (21%), and hypotension (21%). 21% of patients experienced grade 3 or 4 neuropsychiatric events including confusion, delirium, encephalopathy, agitation and seizure; no cerebral edema was reported. CTL019 in vivo cellular kinetics by qPCR demonstrated transgene persistence in blood in responding patients at and beyond 6 months. Overall exposure (AUC 0-28d) and maximal expansion (Cmax) of CTL019 DNA measured by qPCR was higher in responding compared with non-responding patients. In summary, this pivotal global study in pediatric and young adult patients with r/r B-ALL receiving CTL019, confirms a high level of efficacy and a similar safety profile to that shown in the prior single center experience. Safety was effectively and reproducibly managed by appropriately trained investigators. The study has completed accrual. At the meeting, updated data from a planned formal interim analysis including safety, efficacy (primary and selected secondary endpoints), cellular kinetics, and impact of anti-cytokine therapy will be presented for more than 50 patients infused at 25 global sites. Disclosures Grupp: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy. Laetsch:Novartis: Consultancy; Loxo Oncology: Consultancy. Bittencourt:Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Other: Educational Grant. Maude:Novartis: Consultancy. Myers:Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Rives:Novartis: Consultancy; Jazz Pharma: Consultancy. Nemecek:Medac, GmbH: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; National Marrow Donor Program: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Schlis:Novartis: Honoraria. Martin:Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Other: One time discussion panel; Novartis: Other: Support of clinical trials. Bader:Medac: Consultancy, Research Funding; Riemser: Research Funding; Neovii Biotech: Research Funding; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria. Peters:Novartis: Consultancy; Jazz: Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Medac: Consultancy. Biondi:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Advisory Board; Cellgene: Other: Advisory Board; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Baruchel:Servier: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Baxalta: Research Funding. June:University of Pennsylvania: Patents & Royalties; Johnson & Johnson: Research Funding; Celldex: Consultancy, Equity Ownership; Pfizer: Honoraria; Immune Design: Consultancy, Equity Ownership; Novartis: Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: Immunology, Research Funding; Tmunity: Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, stockholder . Sen:Novartis: Employment. Zhang:Novartis: Employment. Thudium:Novartis: Employment. Wood:Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Employment, Other: Stock. Taran:Novartis: Employment. Pulsipher:Chimerix: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceutical: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Study Steering Committee; Medac: Other: Housing support for conference.

Background. Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a common complication following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). In rare cases, it can be severe, inducing kidney failure and sepsis, and become life-threatening. Methods. We report three cases of severe HC in stem cell transplant recipients. Risk factors and the management of these patients were studied, as well as severe HC cases reported in the literature. Results. All three patients received high-dose cyclophosphamide in addition to total body irradiation or busulfan in their preparative regimen. They underwent allogeneic SCT, one of them from unrelated cord blood. BK viruria was detected in two cases at the onset of hematuria. HC lasted for more than 3 months, resulting in urinary tract obstruction and sepsis. Ultimately, cystectomy was the last therapeutic procedure available to treat this life-threatening complication. Conclusion. We describe three patients, among a total of more than 1300 patients treated in our unit by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, in whom HC was severe and long lasting enough to require cystectomy as a life-saving procedure.

We report outcomes after single (s) and double (d) umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) after myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimen for 239 patients transplanted for acute leukemia in first complete remission (CR1). All sUCBT patients received a total nucleated cell dose >2.5 x 10(7)/kg. Conditioning regimen for sUCBT was total body irradiation (TBI) 12 Gy-or busulfan (BU)based +/- fludarabine (Flu) (n = 68, group 1), thiotepa + BU + Flu (TBF) (n = 88, group 2), and for dUCBT it was TBI12 Gycyclophosphamide +/- Flu (n = 83, group 3). dUCBT recipients were younger, received higher cell dose and less frequently antithymocyte globulin. In multivariate analysis, we found similar neutrophil recovery among the three groups; however, acute graft-versus-host disease II-IV was higher in dUCBT compared with others. Non-relapse mortality and relapse incidence were not statistically different among the three groups. Leukemia-free survival was 30% for sUCBT using TBI-or BU-based MAC compared with 48% for sUCBT TBF and 48% for dUCBT (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively), and it was not statistically different between sUCBT with TBF and dUCBT. In conclusion, use of sUCBT with adequate cell dose (42.5 +/- 107/kg) and a specific conditioning regimen in the MAC setting results in similar outcomes as dUCBT. The choice of TBF conditioning regimen for sUCBT may improve results, and whether this regimen may be effective in dUCBT should be further analyzed.

Preformed anti-HLA antibodies (AHA) are known to be associated with delayed engraftment and reduced overall survival after adult hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, limited data is available in pediatric patients. In this study, we explored the role of AHA on clinical outcomes in 70 pediatric patients who received a single unit of HLA mismatch cord blood for hematologic malignancies, immunodeficiencies or metabolic diseases. The presence of AHA was detected in 44% (31/70) of the patients. Preformed class I AHA was associated with an increased occurrence of grade 1–4 acute graft-versus host disease (p

In Canada, about 1500 pediatric cancers are diagnosed each year. Despite improvements in risk-stratified treatments, around 20% of childhood cancer patients do not respond to current therapies and ultimately succumb to their disease, urging the need for new and more effective therapeutic approaches. Personalized targeted therapy (PTT) based on next generation sequencing (NGS) may be a key component to increase cure rates and decrease treatment-related morbidity and mortality. To assess the feasibility of performing PTT clinical trials in the context of childhood cancers, a pilot study is currently underway at the Sainte-Justine UHC, Montreal, where 30 relapsed or refractory cancer patients (aged 0-21 years) are being recruited over a 2 year period and offered in-depth genomic and transcriptomic investigation to identify patient-specific alterations. This pilot study will allow us to determine the number of children with cancer who are suitable candidates for targeted therapy, to determine the number and type of driver mutation(s) found in the recurrent or refractory childhood cancers, to determine the number of cancer patients who harbor actionable driver mutation(s) that can be targeted with a Health Canada/FDA approved targeted drug and to assess the feasibility of going from biopsy to a detailed tumour analysis report within a clinically-relevant timeframe. Thus far, sixteen patients have been recruited in this study between April 2014 and July 2015. Study subject accrual has been successful with 100% compliance. Eight patients have undergone extensive genomic investigation in a real-time manner. We identified clinically relevant genomic alterations (singe nucleotide variants or structural variations) that can be used to inform clinical management for 8/8 of these patients. Patient screen failures occurred due to benign tumor biopsies, necrotic tumor tissue or low tumor purity, resulting in suboptimal DNA/RNA quantity or quality for NGS. Identified relapse-specific mutations allowed follow up of minimal residual disease, particularly post-transplant for relapsed leukemia cases, influenced patient management and revealed alternative therapeutic options for future personalized targeted therapy. This feasibility study shows that PTT based on NGS technology is a useful approach that could be implemented in the clinic within a foreseeable future to guide treatment of relapsed or refractory childhood cancer patients. The following step toward translating our results into novel personalized therapeutic approaches will be the development of phase II clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of these targeted therapies in terms of therapeutic response, survival, and overall quality of life. Our overreaching goal is to be able to offer personalized targeted therapy options to all patients upon primary diagnosis of their cancer. Citation Format: Sylvie Langlois, Jasmine Healy, Mathieu Lajoie, Sophie Dumoucel, Fida Khater, Thomas Sontag, Pascal St-Onge, Patrick Beaulieu, Henrique Bittencourt, Dorothée Dal Soglio, Anne-Sophie Carret, Sonia Cellot, Josette Champagne, Michel Duval, Maja Krajinovic, Jean-Marie Leclerc, Natalie Patey, Nelson Piché, Yvan Samson, Pierre Teira, Monia Marzouki, Daniel Sinnett. TRICEPS: A feasibility study of personalized targeted therapy in relapsed/refractory childhood cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research: From Mechanisms and Models to Treatment and Survivorship; 2015 Nov 9-12; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(5 Suppl):Abstract nr A41.

To address the prognostic value of minimal residual disease (MRD) before unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we analyzed 170 ALL children transplanted in complete remission (CR) after myeloablative conditioning regimen. In all, 72 (43%) were in first CR (CR1), 77 (45%) in second CR (CR2) and 21 (12%) in third CR (CR3). The median interval from MRD quantification to UCBT was 18 days. All patients received single-unit UCBT. Median follow-up was 4 years. Cumulative incidence (CI) of day-60 neutrophil engraftment was 85%. CI of 4 years relapse was 30%, incidence being lower in patients with negative MRD before UCBT (hazard ratio (HR)=0.4, P=0.01) and for those transplanted in CR1 and CR2 (HR=0.3, P=0.002). Probability of 4 years leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 44%, (56, 44 and 14% for patients transplanted in CR1, CR2 and CR3, respectively (P=0.0001)). Patients with negative MRD before UCBT had better LFS after UCBT compared with those with positive MRD (54% vs 29%; HR=2, P=0.003). MRD assessment before UCBT for children with ALL in remission allows identifying patients at higher risk of relapse after transplantation. Approaches that may decrease relapse incidence in children given UCBT with positive MRD should be investigated to improve final outcomes.

Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) has been used to treat malignant and non-malignant diseases. UCBT offers the advantages of easy procurement, immediate availability, and acceptable partial HLA mismatches. Still, patients treated with UCBT show delayed hematopoietic and immunological recoveries, and have higher rates of infection. The problem of slower hematopoietic recovery post-UCBT has been addressed using different approaches: infusion of two CB units, ex-vivo expansion of CB, transplantation of a UCB combined with a selected CD34+ peripheral stem cell unit from an haplo-identical donor. Intrabone (IB) injection is a known emergency access route for infusion of fluids and drugs in children. Frassoni et al published a study on the IB injection of a single unit of CB into 32 adult patients (Frassoni F, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2008) and showed a neutrophil (0.5x10^9/L) and platelet (20x10^9/L) recoveries with a median of 23 and 36 days, respectively, with a median nucleated cell dose of only 2.6 x 10^7 cells/kg. These results have been confirmed in a retrospective study comparing IB infusion of CB with infusion of two units of CB in adult patients (Rocha V, et al. Transplantation. 2013). The only data of IB infusion in pediatric patients is a case report of 5 patients (Saglio F, et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2012). In order to confirm the role of IB infusion of CB to improve hematopoietic reconstitution after UCBT in pediatric patients, we started a Phase II single arm, exploratory clinical trial (NCT01711788). Our primary hypothesis is that use of IB infusion of CB reduces stem cell trapping seen with IV infusion, maximizing the number of stem cells and providing a faster short- and robust long-term engraftment. Inclusion criteria includes age up to 21 years, diagnosis of hematopoietic disorders (malignant or not), availability of a single CB with at least 3 x 10^7 nucleated cells (NCs)/kg at freezing (use of two CB units is allowed provided a single CB unit fulfilling the above criteria is not available), and use of a myeloablative-conditioning regimen. On the day of UCBT, frozen CB unit is thawed, washed and re-suspended in 20 ml of a saline/albumin solution and aliquoted into four 5-ml syringes. Patient is sedated with propofol and ketamine according to the current protocol for sedation in children. After sedation, a first aliquot of CB stem cell suspension is injected into the bone marrow, followed by a of 0.5-1 ml saline solution rinse. This procedure is repeated for all remaining aliquots at different places and can be performed in one or both iliac crests, depending on patient size. Each injection is performed within a 2-minute timeframe. If patient requires two CB units, one unit is infused IB while the second unit is infused IV after recovery from sedation. G-CSF is given from D+7. A total of 12 patients has been included since Nov/2012. Eight were male, and median age was 7 (2 - 15) years. Diagnosis were AML (n=6), ALL (n=4) and sickle cell anemia (n=2). Most UCB were unrelated (n=10) and 6/6, 5/6 and 4/6 HLA matching comprised four, five and three UCBT. Busulfan-based conditioning was used in eight patients. Ten patients received a single unit UCB. Median NC infused was 3.4 (2.17-8.4) x 10^7/kg. There was no toxicity related to IB infusion. Engraftment occurred in 10 out of 12 patients and median time to engraftment (neutrophil ≥ 0.5x10^9/L) was 14.5 days. Platelet recovery (≥ 50x10^9/L) occurred in just 6/12 patients (due mainly to early relapse) and median time to recovery was 41 (28-77) days. Three patients presented a grade II aGVHD. There were three relapses. Ten out of twelve patients are alive, one patient died from UCBT complication (ARDS) and other from relapse. In conclusion, IB infusion of UCB is feasible in pediatric patients without any particular toxicity and there is a positive impact on neutrophil recovery. Inclusion of more patients are needed to confirm the impact of IB-UCBT on platelet recovery, duration of hospitalisation, and survival. IB-UCBT might be a more affordable alternative to improve hematopoietic recovery comparing to other methods of UCB expansion. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction: Busulfan (Bu) is a component of several conditioning regimens before hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Bu has a narrow therapeutic window. High exposure was associated to higher rates of GVHD, VOD and mortality and low exposure to relapse or graft failure. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies demonstrated high intra- and inter-patient variability. Several factors such as age, gender and weight have been associated to this variability (Vassal 1993, McCune 2009, Lee 2012, Veal 2012). The contribution of GSTA1 polymorphisms has been also documented. Haplotype *A2 was associated to higher clearance and less SCT-related complications, whereas haplotype *B (-69T) was associated to more frequent VOD occurrence (Ansari 2013). This study aims to analyse the influence of GSTA1 genotypes/haplotypes on Bu clearance. Methods: Eighty-nine patients underwent a SCT after Bu-based conditioning with therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) from October 2000 to August 2010 at our center CHU Sainte Justine, Montreal. The median age was 8.2 (IQR 1.6 to 13.9) years, 50.6% were males, most with malignancies (64.4%). Most patients received BuCy (77%) as conditioning regimen. Bu four times daily dose was given as previously described (Ansari 2014) and ulterior doses were calculated depending on the TDM. Bu AUC, steady-state concentration (Css) and Clearance were assessed after the first dose in all patients. New PK studies could be performed between sixth and ninth dose. Adjusted doses were calculated assuming a linear correlation between dose and desired AUC. Bu clearancewas expressed in base to an allometric representation of patients' size accounting for age, body weight and body composition: Normal Fat Mass (NFM). The NFM of 62Kg corresponds to an allometrically-scaled body weight of 70kg. Then, clearance was normalized by 62Kg NFM as described previously (McCune 2014). GSTA1 genotypes was classified as carriers of *A/*B haplotypes and their subtypes (Ansari 2013). Continuous data was expressed as median and interquartile range (IQR). A linear mixed model was performed to evaluate the association of normalized clearance to GSTA1 genotypes/haplotypes. Subjects were considered as random effects of repeated measures. Results: Two hundreds and eighty PK measurements were performed (from one to 5 times per patient during the Bu exposure time). Median of Bu prescribed doses during the conditioning was 0.97mg/Kg. A TDM-based change of dose was possible from the 6th dose (30 hours after Bu initial dose). A dose change was made in 69.3% of patients. Median change was +32% (IQR 0 to +48.3%) of the initial dose. Eight percent of doses had to be decreased. Overall normalized clearance was 16.8 l/h/62 Kg NFM (IQR 13.7 to 19.4). Eighty-six percent were genotyped by GSTA1. In a model including age, gender and NFM normalized dose, clearance was significantly associated with GSTA1 haplotypes (p Conclusion: We have demonstrated that GSTA1 *B1a haplotype is an independent factor related to diminished Bu clearance. We suggest that GSTA1 genotyping should be included in the work-up before Bu-based conditioning regimens. Adjusted doses depending on *B1a status would limit the exposure to Bu in patients with lower rates of elimination and higher risk of HSCT-related complications, ensuring a more individualized and safer conditioning. However, it lacks Bu first dose prediction models accounting for genetics components such as GSTA1 haplotypes. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Relapse remains a major barrier to the long-term overall survival (OS) of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Allogeneic HSCT is a potentially curative option for these patients and its mechanism relies on graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) and delivery of high-dose chemotherapy. However, the mechanism and degree of GvL in curing ALL is not fully understood. Unrelated cord blood (CB) is an attractive donor option for these patients due to rapid procurement and lenient HLA matching without increased graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Despite less GvHD, relapse is not increased when compared to other donor sources. Therefore, through collaboration between Eurocord, PDWP-EBMT and Duke University, we performed a retrospective analysis to identify risk factors associated with relapse, and the role of GvHD (as time dependent co-variate) in preventing relapse after unrelated CB transplantation (CBT) for children with ALL. We analyzed 640 children ( Considering CR1 patients only, the median age at CBT was 5.3 y. Most were diagnosed with B-cell ALL (75%) and approximately half of those with known cytogenetics were considered poor risk. The median duration from diagnosis to CBT was 6.7 months and median follow up was 47 months. Estimated OS and LFS at 5 y for CR1 patients was 59% and 52%, respectively. Improved OS and LFS were associated with TBI-containing regimens and younger age at time of CBT (Table 1). The CI of relapse at 5 y was 23% for CR1 patients. In a multivariate analysis (MVA) the presence of acute GvHD (grade II-IV) and TBI-containing regimens were both protective of relapse (Table 1). No impact of GvHD was observed on OS, LFS or NRM. In CR2 patients, the median age at CBT was 6.9 y. Disease was primarily B-lineage ALL (82%) with intermediate or poor risk cytogenetics in 40% and 28% of patients, respectively. Median time from diagnosis to CBT was 36 months and median follow up was 54 months. Estimated OS and LFS in CR2 patients were 46% and 44%, respectively. In MVA, younger age and longer duration from diagnosis to CBT (>30 months) was associated with improved OS and LFS (Table 2). Conversely, the use of ATG was associated with lower OS. In CR2 patients, the CI of relapse was 28%. In MVA, longer duration from diagnosis to CBT (>30 months) and receiving TBI were both associated with less relapse. Importantly, receiving a fully matched HLA CB graft was a strong risk factor for increased relapse compared to mismatched CB recipients. Acute GvHD (II-IV) in this cohort was associated with higher mortality but not with relapse. In this large retrospective collaborative study, we investigated the impact of GvHD as a marker of GvL in pediatric ALL patients after CBT. In CR1 patients, acute GvHD and use of TBI were protective of relapse. However in CR2 patients, use of TBI, longer duration from diagnosis to CBT and HLA mismatched grafts were associated with decreased incidence of relapse but not with the presence of GvHD. These results showed that the impact of GvHD as a GvL marker is more evident in CR1 patients than CR2. Whereas, the impact of HLA mismatch CB on relapse is more important in CR2 patients. Decreasing immunosuppression more rapidly for CR1 patients or avoiding HLA identical CB for CR2 patients should be further investigated. In both cohorts, TBI has shown to be an important protective factor for relapse. Disclosures Bader: Riemser: Other: Institutional grants; Neovii: Other: Institutional grants; Medac: Other: Institutional grants; Amgen: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy.

Introduction: Donor and recipient polymorphisms of immune defense and inflammatory cytokine genes have been associated with outcomes after bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (SCT), but have not been described in the setting of umbilical cord blood transplantation (CBT). Material and Methods: We evaluated the impact of genetic polymorphisms of recipients and CBU units on survival and other CBT outcomes using the following candidate genes related to immune response: NACHT-leucine-rich repeat with a pyrin domain at N-terminus (NLRP1-rs5862, NLRP2-rs043684, NLRP3-rs10754558), Toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain containing adaptor protein (TIRAP/Mal-rs8177374), interleukin-10 (IL10-rs1800872), V-rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog (REL-rs13031237), tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily - member 1B (TNFRSF1B-rs1061622) and associated protein 4 of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTLA4-rs3087243). Seven Netcord banks provided pre-transplant DNA samples from 851 CBU units and 173 recipients. All patients underwent CBT at EBMT centers. Malignant (n=696) and non-malignant (n=155) diseases were analyzed separately. Results: Among the 851 recipients, 57% were male and 61% adults. Degree of HLA matching between CBU unit and recipient (HLA-A, -B at antigen level and -DRB1 at allele level) was 6/6 in 12%, 5/6 in 40%, and ≤4/6 in 48% of transplants. Myeloablative conditioning was used in 77% of cases and anti-thymocyte globulin or monoclonal antibodies in 82% of cases. Median infused total nucleated cells (TNC) and CD34+ cells were 3.7x107/kg and 1.6x105/kg, respectively. In the cohort with malignant diseases, multivariable analysis adjusted for patient-, donor- and disease-related variables showed that recipients of CBU with GG CTLA4 genotype had a poorer neutrophil engraftment (HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.09-1.40; p=0.03), increased NRM (HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.35-1.72%; p Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, CBU gene polymorphisms CTLA4 and TNFSF1B impacted CBT outcomes. Importantly, CTLA4 GG genotype was associated with inferior survival and the AA genotype with lower relapse rate in patients with malignant disorders. The possible biological explanation of the impact of CTLA4 is that GG genotype is associated with decreased production of soluble CTLA4 (whose primarily functions is to inhibit T-cell activation) which contributes to decrease suppression of T-cell alloimune responses post CBT If these findings are confirmed in further studies, CTLA4 gene polymorphisms can be used among other factors to select CBU with the aim to improve survival after CBT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction: Busulfan (Bu) is a component of conditioning before stem cell transplant (SCT). Bu has a narrow therapeutic window. High exposure was associated to higher rates of GVHD, VOD and mortality and low exposure to relapse or graft failure. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies demonstrated high intra- and inter-patient variability. Several factors such as age, gender, weight and genetic components have been associated to this variability (McCune 2009, Vassal 1993, Ansari 2013). Certain models and nomograms have been used to predict Bu first dose, in theory precluding need of further adjustments. Recent comparison of 12 different models showed acceptable performances but high coefficients of variation (CV) and failure to reach target AUC in at least 24% of cases (Zao 2015). The present study aims to evaluate the role of GSTA1 haplotypes on different methods' performances in predicting of Bu first dose. Methods: A hundred and ten patients underwent a SCT after Bu based conditioning from October 2000 to October 2011 and 104 had PK data. Median of age was 6.9 (IQR 2 to 13.7) years, 55.5% were males and most had malignancies (69%). Most received Bucy (78.2%) as conditioning regimen. Four-time daily dose of Bu was calculated as previously described (Ansari 2014). Bu AUC, steady-state concentration (Css) and Clearance (Cl) were assessed for all patients after the first dose. The same parameters were predicted based on 11 other methods previously described (Zao 2015) to calculate the initial dose of Bu assuming a linear relationship between predicted doses and AUC. For each model that predicted individualized clearances, a mean prediction error (MPE) was calculated as follows: MPE=(Clpredicted-Clobserved)/Clobserved. Target AUC was from 900μM.min through 1500μM.min. Two haplotypes, found previously to influence Cl were included in the analysis: haplotype *B1a (-1142G, -631G, -513C, -69T) and *A2 (-1142C, -631G, -513T, -69C) in heterozygous and homozygous state (Ansari 2013). X2 test was used to compare methods' performances and observed values. Continuous data was expressed as median and interquartile range (IQR). Multivariate linear model was used to evaluate the association of Cl MPE and the GSTA1 haplotypes. Results: Initial doses of Bu, calculated by the different methods, varied from 0.47 to 1.6mg/kg. Predicted AUCs varied from 392 to 2,968μ.min with CV ranging from 21.5 to 37.1%. Ability to predict the target AUC was from 28.8% to 76%, with 0 to 20% of measures above the range. Bartelink's (p Conclusion: Bartelink's and McCune's models seemed to be adequate methods to calculate the initial dose of Bu and demonstrated better performances than the method used in our center. For the clearance-predictor methods, although McCune's seemed to be the most reliable model for most patients, it had limited performance in GSTA1 haplotypes previously associated to extreme clearances. It suggests that genetic factors such as GSTA1 genotyping should be included in a future model design to better predict the initial dose of Bu. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Neste trabalho, os autores relatam um estudo que teve o objetivo de identificar a frequencia de utilizacao de ferramentas de gerenciamento de projetos. Os autores comecaram selecionando na literatura um total de 47 ferramentas. Em seguida, um questionario usando uma escala do tipo Likert foi construido e submetido a uma amostra de gerentes de projetos, produzindo 168 questionarios preenchidos, dos quais 64 por profissionais da construcao civil e 104 por profissionais de outras areas. Os resultados mostram que muitas ferramentas nao sao utilizadas, ou sao muito pouco utilizadas, mas isso depende do conhecimento e da proficiencia do usuario. O estudo, no entanto, nao procurou medir o grau de conhecimento sobre as ferramentas, apenas sua utilizacao, com base nas respostas, uma vez que os respondentes eram profissionais da administracao de projetos. Os resultados tambem mostram sutis diferencas entre as praticas dos projetos de construcao e os das demais areas de aplicacao. Essas diferencas ensejam uma discussao sobre a ideia da complexidade como variavel determinante da escolha das ferramentas e da abordagem de gerenciamento dos projetos.

A presente obra aborda a experiência recente de empresas brasileiras no gerenciamento continuado de ambientes multiprojetos pelo Método da Corrente Crítica, ou CCPM, Critical Chain Path Method, através de um estudo de casos múltiplos, conduzido frente às empresas EMBRAER e EMBRACO. O desenvolvimento do estudo bibliográfico permitiu pontuar as diferenças conceituais de gerenciamento de portfólios, gerenciamento de programas, gerenciamento de projetos e gerenciamento de ambientes multiprojetos, posicionar o CCPM dentro do rol de algoritmos de solução de ambientes multiprojetos e identificar as características que expliquem sua maior difusão no universo da administração de projetos, em detrimento de outras proposições matematicamente até mais robustas que ele. A pesquisa de campo identificou que, dentre as seis práticas preconizadas pela filosofia gerencial Visão Viável para a condução do CCPM, três delas despontam como fatores críticos de sucesso para o gerenciamento de ambientes multiprojetos: reduzindo a multitarefa nociva, planejando e executando. Por fim, os dados coletados evidenciaram que o CCPM traz ganhos quantitativamente significativos ao desempenho do gerenciamento de ambientes multiprojetos, especialmente no que diga respeito ao incremento da capacidade de entrega de projetos (throughput) de um pool de recursos de tamanho constante, e que sua efetiva implementação é impactada pela estrutura organizacional e pela maturidade em administração de projetos da empresa. The present work discusses the recent experience of Brazilian companies in continued management of multi-project environments by means of Critical Chain Path Method, or CCPM, through a multiple case study conducted on the companies EMBRAER and EMBRACO. The bibliographic study allowed the determination of conceptual differences among portfolio management, program management, project management and multi-project environment management, positioned the CCPM inside the roll of multi-project solution algorithms and identified characteristics that explain its widest adoption in the universe of project management, to the detriment of other propositions, although mathematically even more robust than CCPM itself. The field research identified that, among the six practices advocated by the managerial philosophy Viable Vision for the conduction of CCPM, three of them stand out as critical success factors for managing multi-project environments: reducing harmful multitasking, planning and executing. Finally, the data collected indicated that the CCPM brings significant performance gains to the management of multi-project environments, especially related to the throughput increase of project delivery, considering a constant size pool of resources, and that their effective implementation is impacted by the organizational structure and the maturity in project management of the company.

This is a case study with a qualitative approach carried out to discuss the experience of a family facing a bone marrow transplant, and the nursing care based on the Calgary Model of Family Assessment and Intervention. Data were collected in June 2005, through interviews with the subjects, concomitant with the development of the genogram and eco-map during hospitalization in the Transplant Unit of Hospital das Clinicas, Federal University of Minas Gerais. It was found that the family re-organized itself to face the emerging health situation, with the support of the multidisciplinary transplant team, especially the care of nurses. The study allowed understanding how this family takes care, identifies potential problems and efforts to share responsibility in a situation of insecurity and suffering with an unfavorable prognosis. However, it was concluded that it is vital that the nursing team act as a facilitator in the search for their own solutions.

To investigate cardiac effects of imatinib at an extended follow-up (median 12.4 months), 12 chronic myeloid leukemia patients underwent cardiac screening. No significant changes on the frequency of cardiovascular signs and symptoms, electrocardiographic abnormalities, echocardiographic measurements and BNP levels were observed. Median ejection fraction was 67% at baseline versus 68% at follow-up (median intra-patient change 0.5%). Median BNP levels were 8.3 versus 7.3 pg/mL (median intra-patient change 0.2 pg/mL). Troponin I measures were below the lower limit of detection, whereas strain measures were similar to healthy control. This pilot study suggests that it is probably safe to perform cardiac monitoring on an annual basis. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary complications are important cause of mortality and morbidity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, in 30% to 60% of the patients. Improvements in prophylaxis and treatment of infectious complications have been increasing the rate of non-infectious complications. Early diagnosis and treatment of those complications can significantly change the evolution of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation receptors. The objective of this study is to review the most frequent non-infection complications associated to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation since the first bone marrow transplantation performed in 1957. A systematic literature review was performed, using the PICO strategy to ask the questions. The descriptors hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, non-infectious pulmonary complications, systematic review, in portuguese and their english correspondents, were used to access the following databases: MEDLINE, EBM, Embase, Cocrane Library, LILACS and SciELO. In this review, 263 studies were identified, from which 31 were selected for full analyzis. The non-infection pulmonary complications most frequently found were: bronchiolitis obliterans, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, pulmonary edema, idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, delayed pulmonary toxicity syndrome, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, engrafment syndrome and pulmonary cytolitic thrombi.

To determine the diagnostic properties of oral manifestations and histological features of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) screening tests in the diagnosis of systemic chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Sixty patients having undergone allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation were selected. The patients were submitted to a clinical oral examination to assess symptoms and clinical changes in the oral mucosa. Histopathologic analysis of the lower lip oral mucosa (LLOM) and salivary glands (SG) was also performed. Systemic cGVHD was used for a comparison to oral cGVHD. The accuracy of oral cGVHD tests was low for all methods (58.4% and 52.6% for white lesions and white/red lesions, respectively, in the clinical analysis; 50.4% for the presence of oral pain; and 66.8% and 55.1% for LLOM and SG histopathologic tests, respectively). However, the presence of oral pain had good diagnostic properties [specificity: 100.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 88.0–100.0; positive predictive value (PPV): 100.0, 95% CI: 94.4–100.0; and negative predictive value (NPV): 72.0, 95% CI: 57.3–83.3]. Moreover, SG alterations revealed by the histopathological analysis also exhibited good diagnostic properties (sensitivity: 98.6, 95% CI: 81.5–99.8; PPV: 71.1, 95% CI: 62.1–79.7; NPV: 85.9 95% CI: 32.9–99.4). The clinical severity of oral lesions and histophatological changes in the LLOM did not exhibit adequate diagnostic properties, whereas both oral pain and SG histopathological analysis exhibited adequate properties for the diagnosis of systemic cGVHD. Histological changes in lip oral mucosa and salivary glands together with a clinical manifestation of the disease in the oral mucosa can be useful to determining the systemic cGVHD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Disease evolution depends in part on the source of transplanted cells. Therefore, we compared outcomes after allogeneic bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation in patients who underwent transplant at Hospital das Clinicas of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 364 patients who received allogeneic BM (n=142) or PBSC transplantation (n=222) between July 1995 and May 2005. The median age of the patients was 31 years (range, 3.1-58 years). Chronic myeloid leukemia was the predominant diagnosis (41.2%). A conditioning regimen with cyclosphosphamide and busulfan was used in 79.4% (n=289) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was cyclosporine/methotrexate in 95.9% (n=349) of cases. RESULTS: The patients in the PBSC group had faster neutrophil (P

As leucemias agudas são doenças com alta morbimortalidade para as quais o transplante alogênico de medula óssea é uma opção terapêutica eficaz. Neste artigo, relatamos a experiência de um centro brasileiro com pacientes apresentando leucemia aguda que receberam um enxerto de medula óssea ou células-tronco periféricas de um doador familiar HLA idêntico no período de julho de 1995 a dezembro de 2005. Foi realizado um estudo de coorte retrospectivo, analisando dados de 125 pacientes com mediana de idade de 28,7 anos. Oitenta e um pacientes (64,8%) apresentavam leucemia mieloide aguda; 38 (30,4%), leucemia linfoide aguda; e seis (4,8%), leucemia bifenotípica. Trinta e dois pacientes encontravam-se em primeira remissão completa, 23 em segunda remissão e 70 com doença avançada (refratários, recidivados ou além da segunda remissão). A sobrevida global estimada em 10 anos foi de 22,9%. Em relação à situação clínica do paciente no momento do transplante, a sobrevida global em dez anos foi de 56,3% para pacientes em primeira remissão, 38% para os pacientes em segunda remissão, e 3,7% para os pacientes com doença avançada. Considerando-se os pacientes transplantados em primeira e segunda remissão, a evolução foi semelhante aos dados disponíveis na literatura. Entretanto, os resultados dos pacientes transplantados em fase avançada foram ruins, devendo-se discutir o papel do transplante para este grupo. Acute leukemias are a group of diseases with high morbimortality. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is an efficacious therapeutic option for their treatment. We report the experience of a Brazilian center in respect to acute leukemia patients who received a bone marrow or peripheral blood allograft from a HLA-matched sibling from July 1995 to December 2005. Data were retrospectively collected. The median age of the 125 patients included in the study was 28.7 years. Eighty-one patients presented with acute myeloid leukemia, 38 with acute lymphocytic leukemia and six patients with biphenotypic leukemia. Thirty-two patients were in first complete remission, while 23 were in second remission and 70 were transplanted in an advanced disease stage (refractory, relapsed, or beyond second remission). Overall expected survival at 10 years was 22.9%; the expected survival was 56.3%, 38%, and 3.7% for patients in first remission, second remission and for patients with advanced disease, respectively. In conclusion, the evolution of patients transplanted in first or second remission was similar to other published studies. On the contrary, patients with advanced disease showed a dismal prognosis. The role of allogeneic transplantation in this group of patients should be further discussed.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) represents a major complication in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) recipients. Although studies have been conducted concerning the investigation of cytokine polymorphisms in the development of acute GVHD (aGVHD), the contribution of recipients and donors as regards cytokine levels has not yet been thoroughly assessed.The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of IL-10 polymorphisms on cytokine levels in blood and saliva, in addition to the occurrence and severity of aGVHD.Fifty-eight consecutive allo-HSCT recipients and their donors were included in this prospective study. Saliva and/or blood samples were obtained from recipients and donors to determine IL10 polymorphisms. The IL-10 levels in the blood and saliva were also assessed. The samples were collected from seven days before transplant (day -7) to 100 days after allo-HSCT (day +100), once a week or until the death of recipient.No association was found between recipient and donor IL10 polymorphism and IL-10 levels in the saliva with aGVHD. In contrast, IL-10 levels in the blood were associated with the occurrence of aGVHD. The high producer phenotype in the recipient was also associated with high levels of IL-10 in the blood and saliva.Although IL10 polymorphisms were not associated with the occurrence and severity of aGVHD, the genetic background of the recipient did in fact influence the production of the cytokine. Furthermore, as IL-10 levels in the blood were associated with the disease development, this parameter may well be a useful predictor of aGVHD development.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of oral HSV-1 shedding on the survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplanted (allo-HSCT) patients.One hundred nineteen allo-HSCT patients were included in the study and divided in three groups: before transplant, 100 days after transplant and 1 year of allo-HSCT. Healthy volunteers matched by age and gender were also selected. Oral swabs were performed and the nested PCR was used to detect HSV-1 presence in the oral mucosa. In statistical analysis, chi-square test was used to test the distribution of HSV1 shedding among the three groups. Time to death after allo-HSCT was displayed by means of the Kaplan-Meier method and the results were compared by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards multivariate model was used to evaluate the survival.We observed that HSV-1 shedding was similar at different points after allo-HSCT. However, HSV-1 shedding before allo-HSCT was associated with worst survival rates after allo-HSCT in multivariate analysis.Our data demonstrates that HSV-1 shedding in oral mucosa before transplant is associated with worst survival rate of allo-HSCT patients.

The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of socioeconomic status (SeS) on the outcome of allo-SCT at a Brazilian SCT center. In total, 201 patients receiving HLA-identical related allo-SCTs were studied. The median age was 30 years. Overall, 163 patients had malignancies (CML 68, ALL/AML 63, myelodysplastic syndrome 12 and others 20). SeS was defined according to the Brazilian Association of Market Research Agencies classification, where people are clustered in groups A-E (richest to poorest). In total, 146 patients (72%) were classified as richest (A+B+C) and 55 (28%) as poorest (D+E). The D+E SeS group was associated with a higher incidence of chronic GVHD and acute GVHD (hazard ratio (HR)=2.61; P=0.001 and HR=2.62; P=0.001, respectively), better platelet and neutrophil engraftment (HR=1.94; P=

Imatinib mesylate (IM) is now first-line treatment for CML. To study the results of treatment with IM after IFN failure/intolerance versus allogeneic BMT (allo-BMT), we retrospectively analyzed 264 patients treated for CML in first chronic phase in three different institutions. Over a 6-year period (2001–2006), 174 patients received IM after failure of or intolerance to IFN. During the same period of time, 90 patients received an allo-BMT from an HLA-matched sibling (n=83) or an unrelated donor (n=7). The IM group was older (41 versus 33 years, P

Fifty-three patients with hematological malignancies who underwent Allo-SCT from HLA-identical siblings were randomly assigned to receive glutamine-enriched parenteral nutrition—PN (GlPN, n=27) or standard PN (PN, n=26), in isonitrogenous solutions. Deaths (D+100 and D+180), infections, acute GVHD, length of stay, time of neutropenia and intestinal permeability (IP) were studied. Ages, gender, diagnosis, disease status and treatment variables were equally distributed between groups. Survival on D+180 was increased in GlPN (74%) vs PN (46%), P=0.03 (log-rank), as on D+100 (P=0.05). Most deaths occurred before D+100, especially in PN (10/26, 39%) vs GlPN (4/27, 15%). GVHD was the most frequent cause of death (8/21, 38%), especially in PN (n=6, five before D+100). Other outcomes were not affected. IP was affected on admission, was not affected by glutamine enrichment, but consistently worsened throughout the study. Results showed that GlPN was efficacious in increasing short-term survival after Allo-SCT. Benefits of glutamine seem to be independent of mucosal protection, as IP was not affected by its use. A trend to a lower incidence of GVHD deaths may suggest an immunomodulatory role of glutamine.

We studied 103 consecutive patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia on treatment with imatinib (IM) and 57 patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders not treated with IM in order to evaluate its cardiotoxicity. There was no statistical difference regarding cardiac symptoms and signs, BNP levels and echocardiographic measurements for IM and control groups, except for peripheral oedema, more frequent in the IM group. Four patients in the IM group presented a BNP level >100pg/ml, one of them with depressed LVEF. IM was not related to systematic deterioration of cardiac function, but there is still a possibility of isolated cases of cardiotoxicity.

We report an increased incidence of high relapse risk features in 157 APL Brazilian patients. Out of 134 patients treated with ATRA and anthracyclines, only 91 (67.9%) achieved remission because 43 (32%) died during induction. The death rate during consolidation was 10.5%. Bleeding complications were the most frequent cause of failure (21.6%).

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the effect of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) on cytomegalovirus (CMV) shedding in the saliva by nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) and its impact on patient survival. Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty-four HSCT patients and 124 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Oral swabs were taken before, after 100 days and 1 year of HSCT at the buccal mucosa. Nested PCR was used to detect CMV in the saliva. Time of death after HSCT was displayed, by means of the Kaplan–Meier method, for the following parameters: age and gender of the patient, donor gender, primary disease, stem cell source, platelet number, chronic graft vs host disease (cGVHD) of salivary glands and oral mucosa, and oral CMV shedding. Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate survival analysis. Results: While none of the individuals in the control group showed positive swabs for CMV, the frequency of positive CMV oral swabs in patients at day + 100 after HSCT (45.2%) was statistically higher than before (7.2%) and 1 year after HSCT (17.5%). The presence of CMV was not associated with cGVHD and did not have any impact on post-transplant survival. Conclusions: The present study shows that oral CMV shedding occurs after HSCT, especially at day +100 post-transplant. Identification of CMV in the saliva might be important for the early diagnosis of CMV infection in allo-HSTC.

Despite all recent advances in cancer's treatment, 18% of children will die from their cancer. New tools that enable better individual tumor characterization and classification are required to improve patient care and outcomes on children. Personalized targeted therapy has proven to be a promising strategy for first line treatment in adult cancer. Given the high heterogeneity in childhood cancers, access to histopathology-based clinical trials for targeted therapy is challenging and facilitated by the capacity to sequence individual childhood tumors in real time. A feasibility study is currently underway at the CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, where 30 relapse or refractory cancer patients between 0 and 21 years, are being offered in-depth genomic and transcriptomic investigation to identify patient-specific alterations that may be targetable with alternative therapies. This pilot study will allow us to address the following questions: 1) determine the number of children with cancer who are suitable candidates for targeted therapy at our institution each year, 2) determine the number and type of driver mutation(s) found in our population of recurrent or refractory cancers, 3) determine the number of cancer patients who harbour actionable driver mutation(s) that can be targeted with a Health Canada approved targeted drug, 4) assess the feasibility of obtaining high quality/quantity biospecimen, performing genomic sequencing and data analysis, identifying a drug based on the genomic data and offering this information to the medical team, the patient and the family within a 10-week time frame. The following step toward translating our results into novel personalized therapeutic approaches will then be the development of phase II clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of these targeted therapies in terms of therapeutic response, survival, and overall quality of life. Our overreaching goal is to be able to offer personalized targeted therapy options to all patients upon primary diagnosis of their cancer.

Background: Growing evidence indicates that aberrant DNA hypermethylation is associated with leukemogenesis, drug resistance, and relapse. It has been shown that pre-treating leukemia cells with AZA or decitabine could partially reverse the aberrant DNA methylation, restore the expression of tumor suppressor genes, and sensitize cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Study design : TACL2011-002 was a phase I study with an expansion cohort, examining the use of AZA in sequence with chemotherapy in pediatric leukemia. The objectives were 1) to evaluate the feasibility and toxicity profile of this combination; 2) to obtain preliminary response data in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML); 3) to study the extent of hypomethylation pre- and post-AZA therapy. Children 1-21 years of age with relapsed/refractory (R/R) leukemia were eligible for the phase I portion. A rolling six design was employed followed by an expansion to 12 response evaluable AML patients at the selected dose. Patients received AZA at a dose of 75mg/m2/day (dose level 1, DL1) subcutaneously on days 1-5, followed by intravenous (IV) fludarabine (30mg/m2/dose daily) and IV cytarabine (2gm/m2/dose daily) on days 6-10. If < 2 patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), then DL1 would be the expansion cohort dose. If ≥ 2 patients experienced DLT, the dose of AZA was to be reduced to 50mg/m2/day (DL0). Patients were to receive up to 2 courses of therapy. DNA methylation was evaluated at days 0, 5 and the end of course 1 using PCR and the Infinium HumanMethylation450 assay. Results : Fifteen patients were enrolled, 13 with AML and 2 with ALL. Fourteen patients were evaluable for toxicity and response. One AML patient was removed from study after day 3 due to central nervous system treatment needs and was replaced. The median number of prior treatment regimens was 2 (range 1-5). 5/12 patients with AML had prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) while none with ALL had prior HSCT. Toxicities were typical of intensive chemotherapy regimens. Non-hematologic toxicities ≥ grade 3 attributed to AZA included: febrile neutropenia (n=6), infections (n=3), AST elevation (n=1), oral hemorrhage (n=1), hypokalemia (n=1). No patients experienced DLT. 7/12 AML patients had complete response (CR) or CRi (CR with incomplete count recovery), including 3/5 that had received prior HSCT. 1/2 ALL patients had partial response (PR). DNA methylation analysis was performed in 4 patients to date. Compared to baseline, all patients had DNA demethylation by G-LINE analysis on day 5. At the end of course 1, DNA demethylation persisted in 2 patients who achieved CR, wheras no demethylation were detected in the other 2 patients who were non-responders. Conclusions: AZA at 75mg/m2/day plus fludarabine and cytarabine is well tolerated in pediatric patients with relapsed leukemia. The favorable toxicity profile and encouraging response rates in AML warrants further testing of AZA in this patient population. Methylation analysis is ongoing to assess the possible correlation between DNA demethylation and response. | Response | AML | ALL | Overall | | ------------------------------ | --- | --- | ------- | | Patient evaluable for response | 12 | 2 | 14 | | CR | 6 | | 6 | | CRi | 1 | | 1 | | PR | 1 | 1 | 2 | | SD* | 1 | 1 | 2 | | PD# | 3 | | 3 | Table *SD = Stable Disease; #PD = Progression of Disease ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: [NCT01861002][1] This study was supported by Gateway for Cancer Research Disclosures Off Label Use: Azacitidine is not approved by FDA to treat childhood leukemia. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT01861002&atom=%2Fbloodjournal%2F124%2F21%2F3764.atom

Busulfan (BU) dose adjustment following therapeutic drug concentration monitoring improves outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Further improvement could be achieved through genotype-based BU dose adjustments. Studies with large and homogeneous samples are essential to establish the utility of genetic factors as a predictor of BU dose and outcomes of HSCT. In this multicentric study, we included 139 children aged between 0.1 to 19.9 years (65 females) receiving BU based myeloablative conditioning regimen prior to allogeneic HSCT. Genetic predictors of BU plasma levels, dose adjustment, and clinical outcomes post HSCT were prospectively evaluated. Patients received BU in a conventional 6 h dosing schedule as a two hours infusion for four days in combination with cyclophosphamide (CY; n=106), or CY and etoposide (15) or melphalan and CY (15).The remaining patients received BU with melphalan (2) or fludarabine (1). BU first dose pharmacokinetic parameters (PKs) in patients were estimated and were adjusted to steady state concentrations (Css) of 600-900 ng/mL. All the patients were genotyped for defining GSTA1*A1,*A2, *B1 and *B2 haplotypes, GSTM1, GSTT1 null alleles, CYP2C9*2,*3, CYP2C19*2,*17, CYP2B6*5, *9 and GSTP1 1578A>G, GSTP1 2293 C>T polymorphisms. Standard criteria were followed for defining clinical outcomes of HSCT such as neutrophil recovery, platelet recovery, acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD), sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), event-free survival (EFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), hemorrhagic cystitis (HC), and graft failure (Ther Drug Monit. 2014;36:93-9; Bone Marrow Transplant. 2013; 48:939-46; Pharmacogenomics J. 2014; 14:263-71). PKs such as BU clearance (CL), area under the curve concentration (AUC), and Css were compared among genotype groups using non-parametric tests. The PKs and genetic variants or haplotypes were also associated with the clinical outcomes individually or in combinations in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Statistical significance was set at p Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Double UCBT (dUCBT) has been used in adults to reach an acceptable cell dose. For most children a single unit with a total nucleated cell (TNC) dose >3x107/Kg can be easily identified, but that is not always the case for heavier patients (pts). Use of dUCBT might decrease relapse and increase graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD). Data on dUCBT in children are scarce in the literature. A recent randomized study in children has described similar outcomes after double compared to single UCBT. Our study provides an overview of the use of dUCBT in the pediatric population reported to Eurocord. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of unrelated dUCBT in 177 children transplanted between 2002 and 2012 in 61 EBMT centres. Analysis was performed separately for pts with malignant (n=139) and non-malignant (NM, n=38) diseases. Among pts with malignancies, 76 had ALL, 40 AML, 6 MDS, 2 CML, 11 NHL, 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma and 1 Multiple Myeloma. Median age at dUCBT was 15 years (1.3-17.9) and median weight was 55 kg (13-97). Disease status at dUCBT was 1st complete remission (CR) (36%), ≥2nd CR (34%) or advanced (25%), and missing in 5% of the pts. In this group, 117pts received a myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and 22 a reduced intensity regimen (RIC). Cyclophosphamide+fludarabine+TBI was administered to 41% of the pts; 55% received ATG in the conditioning. Median number of collected TNC was 5.7x107/kg (3,6-12,8). Considering the unit with the higher number of HLA incompatibilities with the recipient, 56% had 2 mismatches. GvHD prophylaxis was cyclosporine-A (CSA) based in 93% of the pts (58% received CSA + mycofenolate mofetil). Median follow-up was 31 months. Cumulative incidence (CI) of neutrophil (PMN) and platelet (PLT) engraftment was 88% at 60 days and 64% at 180 days after dUCBT, and it was achieved with a median time of 24 and 45 days, respectively. Among the 122 pts with PMN engraftment, 85/94 with available data on chimerism were full donor and, of these, 20% had dual chimerism. CI of acute GvHD grade II-IV and grade III-IV at 100 days was 51% and 26%, respectively; it was significantly higher in pts who did not receive ATG (grade II-IV: 35% vs 67%, p=0.004; grade III-IV: 12% vs 37%, p=0.0075). Chronic GvHD was observed in 24/104 pts at risk (60% extensive; 2-year (yr) CI: 18%). The 2-yr CI of relapse was 31%. In univariate analysis, RIC, advanced stage at transplantation and a collected TNC dose lower than the median, were significantly associated with higher rates of relapse.The 2-yr CI of transplant related mortality (TRM) was 27%. Overall, 73 pts died: 35 of relapse, 15 of infections, 9 of GvHD and 14 of other causes. The 2-yr disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 42% and 45%, respectively. Among pts with NM disorders, 24 had bone marrow failure syndrome (BMFS) (10 Fanconi Anemia, 13 Acquired Aplastic Anemia and 1 other inherited BMFS), 2 hemoglobinopathies, 7 immune deficiencies and 5 metabolic disorders. Median age at dUCBT was 11 years (0.7-17.9) and the median weight was 40 kg (13-70). In this group, 27 pts received a RIC (40% TBI based), 10 a MAC (90% busulfan based), and 1 no conditioning regimen. ATG was administered to 82% of the pts and GvHD prophylaxis was CSA-based in 77%. The median number of collected TNC was 8.4x107/kg (1,2-11,2) and 60% of the grafts had ≥2 HLA mismatches with the recipient. Median follow-up was 39 months. Overall, 28 pts achieved PMN engraftment and 16 PLT engraftment, with a median time of 23 and 61 days, respectively. In univariate analysis, pts with BMFS compared to others had a significantly lower CI of PMN engraftment (58% vs 100%, p=0.002). Among the 10 pts who did not engraft, 3 had autologous reconstitution and 3 had a subsequent allogeneic HSCT. Forteen pts developed acute GvHD grade II-IV and 10/25 pts at risk had chronic GvHD (3 extensive). Overall 21 pts died (17 with BMFS): 9 of infections, 5 of GvHD and 7 of other causes. The 2-yr OS was 42% and it was significantly lower in pts with BMFS compared to those affected by other NM disorders (28% vs 70%, p=0.03). In pts with malignancies, despite a higher incidence of acute GvHD, DFS and OS seem to be comparable to those reported in the literature for single UCBT or HSCT from other alternative stem cell sources. In the NM disorders group, despite the high cell dose, dUCBT did not seem to improve results in pts with BMFS. This survey suggests that dUCBT is feasible in children and should be considered when a single unit with an adequate cell dose is not available. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Poor graft function (PGF) is a frequent cause of morbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). To study the value of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in PGF, we retrospectively analyzed 81 episodes of PGF in 66 patients transplanted from 01/94 to 01/99 from an HLA-identical sibling (n = 45) or an unrelated (n = 21) donor. Median age was 29 years, 55 patients had malignancies. A total of 11 patients received a CD34+ selected graft. Viral infections (25%), myelotoxic drug (33%), fungal/bacterial infections (14%), and GVHD (31%) were present before PGF diagnosis. Median time from allo-HSCT to PGF was 75 (25-474) days. All patients were treated with G-CSF. In 77/81 episodes, there was a response that was sustained in 57. A total of 27 patients presented an increase of white cell count (WBC)0.1 x 10(9)/l after 3 days of G-CSF. The 5-year survival was 37% and was significantly better in patients with increased WBC0.1 x 10(9)/l after 3 days of G-CSF (65 vs 18%, P0.0001). In multivariate analysis, increased WBC0.1 x 10(9)/l after 3 days of G-CSF (P = 0.002) was associated with better survival, while BuCy-based conditioning (P = 0.02) and GVHD (P = 0.005) were associated with higher risk of death. In conclusion, hematological response after 3 days with G-CSF predicted a better survival for patients with PGF after allo-SCT.

Nas duas últimas décadas, houve uma mudança radical na terapia e na evolução do mieloma múltiplo(MM), neoplasia hematológica ainda considerada fatal. As pesquisas e investimentos em medicamentos que interferem com a fisiopatogenia e com o microambiente medular estão permitindo o controle e a regressão do clone plasmocitário maligno, mudando as perspectivas da doença. A idéia nova de usar uma droga velha, a talidomida, tem-se mostrado efetiva no MM. Em 1997, apostando nos efeitos imunomoduladores e antiangiogênicos da talidomida, foram iniciados ensaios clínicos para MM refratários. A partir daí, outras ações sobre o plasmócito e microambiente medular foram eficazes contra a doença, não somente em refratários ou recaídos, mas também como terapia de indução e/ou de manutenção da remissão. No Serviço de Hematologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre foram acompanhados 35 portadores de mieloma múltiplo, em uso de doses baixas (100 mg) de talidomida, pelas indicações: 13 - manutenção pós-TMO, 11 - pós-indução, 5 - recaída, 4 - refratariedade e 2 - terapia de indução. O estudo vigorou entre março/01 a dez/03. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: nível Hb, pico da imunoglobulina sérica ou urinária e o número de plasmócitos na medula óssea. As medidas foram tomadas pré-talidomida e após 3, 6 e 12 meses. A taxa de imunoglobulina foi o padrão ouro para avaliação de resposta. Os resultados: a dose terapêutica tolerada em 48% dos pacientes foi 100 mg; 65% dos tratados para induzir remissão (11 pacientes) apresentaram melhora entre 25%-50% no nível da imunoglobulina sérica; 87,5% daqueles que usaram para manutenção de remissão (13 pós-TMO/ 11 pós-indução) mantiveram o mesmo plateau inicial. Over the last two decades, we have seen a radical change in therapy and progression of multiple myeloma, a malignant hematologic disease that is still considered fatal. Recent investment and research on mechanisms that interfere in the physiopathogenesis and bone marrow microenvironment are turning control and regression of the malignant plasma cell clone into something achievable, which may change expectations related to this disease. The new idea of using an old drug, thalidomide, has shown to be effective in multiple myeloma. In 1997, using the known effects of immunomodulation and anti-angiogenesis of this drug, clinical trials were started in patients with unresponsive disease. Other therapeutic interventions in the bone marrow microenvironment and plasma cells have been added and proved to be efficacious, not only as a therapy for refractory patients, but also for induction and/or remission maintenance therapy. Thirty-five patients with multiple myeloma were treated with low-dose thalidomide (100 mg) and followed up. Thirteen were on maintenance therapy after bone marrow transplantation, eleven started thalidomide after induction therapy, five after relapse, four were refractory to usual therapies and two had induction therapy with thalidomide. The study took place in the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation service of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, from March 2001 to December 2003. Hemoglobin levels, serum or urine immunoglobulin peaks and bone marrow plasma cell counts were evaluated. These parameters were assessed before starting with the drug and after 3.6 and 12 months of usage. The immunoglobulin level was considered the gold standard to evaluate the response. The results showed that 100 mg was the tolerable dose for 51% of the patients. Sixty-five percent of those who used thalidomide for induction therapy showed a 25 to 50% improvement in immunoglobulin serum levels and 90% of the patients on maintenance therapy (13 after bone marrow transplantation, 11 after induction), sustained the same immunoglobulin levels of the initial plateau.

Nos últimos vinte anos, nosso serviço recebeu os pacientes com a suspeita de Leucemia Mielóide Aguda (LMA) provenientes de todas as regiões do estado. Entre março de 1980 e dezembro de 1999 analisamos 195 pacientes com idades superior a 12 e inferior a 70 anos, apresentando LMA "de novo" excetuando o subtipo M3. Na década de 80 foram registrados 102 pacientes: 47 homens e 55 mulheres. Destes, 84 receberam quimioterapia de indução com Citarabina e Daunorrubicina (esquema "7+3"), resultando no índice de remissão de 51% (43/84). As médias de sobrevidas livre de doença e global foram dez meses em 35% e 12 meses em 13% respectivamente. De jan/90 a dez/93 houve 41 novos diagnósticos e todos foram submetidos à quimioterapia com esquema "7+3" atingindo a taxa de 66% de remissão. As sobrevidas livre de doença e global foram estatisticamente (p

We made the hypothesis that donor and recipient gene polymorphisms that drive the host response to microorganisms could be associated with infections after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). HLA-identical BMT was performed for patients with acute (n = 39) or chronic leukemia (n = 68). Genotyping was performed in 107 D/R DNA pairs for gene polymorphisms of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] and TNF-beta, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist [IL-1Ra], IL-6, and IL-10), adhesion molecules (CD31 and CD54), Fcgammareceptors (FcgammaRIIa, IIIa, IIIb), mannose-binding lectin (MBL), and myeloperoxidase (MPO). First infection (overall) and first episodes of bacterial, viral, or invasive fungal infection were studied retrospectively for 180 days after BMT. Univariate and multivariate analyses, using death as a competing event, were performed to study risk factors. In multivariate analysis, first overall infections were increased in patients with the FcgammaRIIa R-131 genotype (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.92; P =.04), and severe bacterial infections were increased when the MPO donor genotype was AG or AA (HR = 2.16; P =.03). Viral and invasive fungal infections were not influenced by any genetic factor studied. Interestingly, we also found that (1) time to neutrophil recovery was shorter when donors were FcgammaRIIIb HNA-1a/HNA-1b (HR = 1.77; P =.002); (2) donor IL-1Ra (absence of IL-1RN*2) increased the risk for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (II-IV) (HR = 2.17; P =.017); and (3) recipient IL-10 (GG) and IL-1Ra genotypes increased the risk for chronic GVHD (P =.03 and P =.03, respectively). Finally, 180-day transplantation-related mortality rates were increased when donors were FcgammaRIIIb HNA-1a/HNA-1a or HNA-1b/HNA-1b (HR = 2.57; P =.05) and donor MPO genotype was AA (HR = 5.14; P =.004). In conclusion, donor and recipient gene polymorphisms are informative genetic risk factors for selecting donor/recipient pairs and could help in the understanding of mechanisms involved in host defenses of BM transplant recipients.

Reports on treatment outcomes in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Brazil are sparse. To evaluate the outcome of patients with ALL managed by the public healthcare system, we studied 42 adults treated from 1990 to 1997 in the Division of Hematology at Hospital de Clínicas, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Of these patients, 14/42 were females and their median age at diagnosis was 26 (17–64) years. The diagnosis of ALL was based on cytological examination of marrow smears, and immunophenotypic and cytogenetic studies, when available. Fifty percent of the patients expressed CD10, 30% were CD10 negative and CD19 positive and 20% expressed T markers. Philadelphia chromosome was found in 4 (7.14%). The chemotherapy protocol was adapted from the German Multicenter ALL (GMALL) 02-84 protocol. The complete remission rate was 93% and the overall survival at 5 years was 41%. No particular risk factor was identified in our series. These results are comparable to the findings of other international studies.