Impact of Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease on Late Relapse and Survival on 7,489 Patients after Myeloablative Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Leukemia

Comparable relapse incidence after unrelated allogeneic stem cell transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide versus conventional anti-graft versus host disease prophylaxis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia: A study on behalf of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

We compared relapse incidence (RI) post-unrelated transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) versus no PTCy graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, in 7049 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in remission, 707 with PTCy, and 6342 without (No PTCy). The patients in the PTCy group were younger, 52.7 versus 56.6 years (p < .001). There were more 9/10 donors in the PTCy group, 33.8% versus 16.4% (p < .001), and more received myeloablative conditioning, 61.7% versus 50.2% (p < .001). In the No PTCy group, 87.7% of patients received in vivo T-cell depletion. Neutrophil and platelet engraftment were lower in the PTCy versus No PTCy group, 93.8% and 80.9% versus 97.6% and 92.6% (p < .001). RI was not significantly different in the PTCy versus the No PTCy group, hazard ratio (HR) of 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9-1.37) (p = .31). Acute GVHD grades II-IV and III-IV, were significantly lower in the PTCy versus the No PTCy group, HR of 0.74 (95% CI 0.59-0.92, p = .007) and HR = 0.56 (95% CI 0.38-0.83, p = .004), as were total and extensive chronic GVHD, HRs of 0.5 (95% CI 0.41-0.62, p < .001) and HR = 0.31 (95% CI 0.22-0.42, p < .001). Non-relapse mortality (NRM) was significantly lower with PTCy versus the No PTCy group, HR of 0.67 (95% CI 0.5-0.91, p = .007). GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) was higher in the PTCy versus the No PTCy group, HR of 0.69 (95% CI 0.59-0.81, p = .001). Leukemia-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) did not differ between the groups. In summary, we observed comparable RI, OS, and LFS, significantly lower incidences of GVHD and NRM, and significantly higher GRFS in AML patients undergoing unrelated donor-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with PTCy versus No PTCy GVHD prophylaxis.

Immunosuppression-Free Status at 1 Year after Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide

The development of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in 1-year survivors after matched related or unrelated hematopoietic cell transplantation was shown to be associated with higher nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and worse overall survival (OS). The impact of chronic GVHD requiring immunosuppression (IS) for recipients of haploidentical transplantation (HIDT) with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) who have survived to 1 year post-transplantation has not been studied previously and was investigated for this analysis. A total of 322 adult patients who underwent HIDT at our center were included in this study. The effect of IS-free status on post-transplantation outcomes was assessed. The median follow-up for survivors was 63.9 months (range, 18.3 to 165 months). A total of 163 patients (65%) were IS-free at 1 year post-HIDT. Baseline characteristics of this group were similar to those of patients still requiring IS, except for higher percentages of female donor-male recipient pairs (28% versus 15%; P =.03) and female donors (48% versus 30%; P =.008). Logistic regression to identify patients more likely to be on IS at 1 year post-HIDT identified the use of a female donor as a significant risk factor (odds ratio, 2.11; P = .009). In a Cox regression analysis, patients requiring IS at 1 year post-transplantation had higher NRM (hazard ratio [HR], 4.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80 to 6.72; P < .001) and showed a trend toward worse disease-free survival (DFS) (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, .95 to 2.66; P =.08), with no impact on OS (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, .90 to 2.31; P = .13) or relapse (HR, .77; 95% CI, .37 to 1.61; P = .49). These results indicate that use of a female donor is a significant risk factor for requiring IS at 1 year post-HIDT. Additionally, chronic GVHD requiring IS at 1-year post-HIDT no significant effect on relapse but is associated with higher NRM and a trend toward worse DFS.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Mortality in Cutaneous Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease

Importance

Chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is associated with impaired quality of life and symptom burden. The independent association of skin involvement with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and their utility as a clinical prognostic marker remain unknown. Identification of patients with cutaneous chronic GVHD and impaired PROs could assist in initial risk stratification and treatment selection.

Objective

To compare the association of sclerotic and epidermal-type chronic GVHD with longitudinal PROs and to evaluate whether PROs can identify patients with cutaneous chronic GVHD at high risk for death.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This multicenter prospective cohort study involved patients from the Chronic GVHD Consortium of 9 US medical centers, enrolled between August 2007 and April 2012, and followed up until December 2020. Participants included adults 18 years and older with a diagnosis of chronic GVHD requiring systemic immunosuppression and with skin involvement during the study period.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Patient-reported symptom burden was assessed using the Lee Symptom Scale (LSS) skin subscale with higher scores indicating worse outcomes. Quality of life was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation (FACT-BMT) instrument with lower scores indicating worse outcomes. Nonrelapse mortality, overall survival, and their association with PROs at diagnosis were also assessed.

Results

Among 436 patients with cutaneous chronic GVHD (median [IQR] age at transplant, 51 [41.5-56.6] years; 261 [59.9%] male), 229 patients had epidermal-type chronic GVHD (52.5%), followed by 131 with sclerotic chronic GVHD (30.0%), and 76 with combination disease (17.4%). After adjusting for confounders, patients with sclerotic chronic GVHD had mean FACT-BMT scores 6.1 points worse than those with epidermal disease (95% CI, 11.7-0.4; P = .04). Patients with combination disease had mean LSS skin subscale scores 9.0 points worse than those with epidermal disease (95% CI, 4.2-13.8; P < .001). Clinically meaningful differences were defined as at least 7 points lower for FACT-BMT and 11 points higher for LSS skin subscale. At diagnosis, clinically meaningful worsening in FACT-BMT score was associated with an adjusted odds of nonrelapse mortality increased by 9.1% (95% CI, 2.0%-16.7%; P = .01). Similarly, for clinically meaningful worsening in LSS skin subscale score, adjusted odds of nonrelapse mortality increased by 16.4% (95% CI, 5.4%-28.5%; P = .003). These associations held true after adjusting for clinical severity by the National Institutes of Health Skin Score.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this cohort study demonstrated that skin chronic GVHD was independently associated with long-term PRO impairment, with sclerotic and combination disease carrying the highest morbidity. The degree of impairment at skin chronic GVHD diagnosis was a prognostic marker for mortality. Therefore, PROs could be useful for risk stratification and treatment selection in clinical practice and clinical trials.

The graft versus leukemia effect: donor lymphocyte infusions and cellular therapy

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potentially curative therapy for many hematologic malignancies as well as non-malignant conditions. Part of the curative basis underlying HSCT for hematologic malignancies relies upon induction of the graft versus leukemia (GVL) effect in which donor immune cells recognize and eliminate residual malignant cells within the recipient, thereby maintaining remission. GVL is a clinically evident phenomenon; however, specific cell types responsible for inducing this effect and molecular mechanisms involved remain largely undefined. One of the best examples of GVL is observed after donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI), an established therapy for relapsed disease or incipient/anticipated relapse. DLI involves infusion of peripheral blood lymphocytes from the original HSCT donor into the recipient. Sustained remission can be observed in 20-80% of patients treated with DLI depending upon the underlying disease and the intrinsic burden of targeted cells. In this review, we will discuss current knowledge about mechanisms of GVL after DLI, experimental strategies for augmenting GVL by manipulation of DLI (e.g. neoantigen vaccination, specific cell type selection/depletion) and research outlook for improving DLI and cellular immunotherapies for hematologic malignancies through better molecular definition of the GVL effect.

Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease-Associated Muscle Cramps: Severity and Response to Immunomodulatory Therapies

Muscle cramps in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) are common and associated with impaired quality of life and symptom burden. Muscle cramps are not currently captured in the 2014 National Institutes of Health (NIH) response criteria, and thus characterization and response to immunomodulatory therapies are lacking. The objective of this study was to characterize muscle cramp frequency, duration, and pain level in patients with steroid-refractory cGVHD undergoing extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP). A single-center cohort of patients who underwent ECP for the indication of steroid-refractory cGVHD with muscle cramps at treatment initiation were followed from April 2021 to April 2023. Of 22 patients receiving ECP for cGVHD during the study period, 9 (41%) had muscle cramps at ECP initiation (6 males [66%]; median age, 59 years; range, 25 to 66 years). Seven of these 9 patients (78%) had multiple organs involved, and 7 (78%) had severe disease by the NIH Global Severity scale. Over a median treatment duration of 28 weeks (range, 10 to 48 weeks), 8 patients (89%) had decreased frequency of muscle cramps from a median of 5 episodes per week (range, 3 per day to 2 per week) to a median of <1 episode per week (range, 1 per month to 3 per week). The pain and duration of muscle cramps were not changed meaningfully. The NIH Global Severity score remained unchanged in 6 patients (67%) and was improved in 3 patients (33%). Muscle cramping is a morbid feature of cGVHD that may be sensitive to change with standard immunomodulatory therapies. Muscle cramp frequency should be further validated as a response measure in cGVHD.

Outcomes of CMML patients undergoing allo-HCT are significantly worse compared to MDS-a study of the CMWP of the EBMT

Although CMML since long has been separated from MDS, many studies continue to evaluate the outcomes of both diseases after hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) together. Data evaluating outcomes of a large CMML cohort after allo-HCT compared to MDS are limited. We aim to compare outcomes of CMML to MDS patients who underwent allo-HCT between 2010 and 2018. Patients ≥18 years with CMML and MDS undergoing allo-HCT reported to the EBMT registry were analyzed. Progression to AML before allo-HCT was an exclusion criterion. Overall survival (OS), progression/relapse-free survival (PFS), relapse incidence (including progression) (REL), and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were evaluated in univariable and multivariable (MVA) Cox proportional hazard models including interaction terms between disease and confounders. In total, 10832 patients who underwent allo-HCT were included in the study, there were a total of 1466 CMML, and 9366 MDS. The median age at time of allo-HCT in CMML (median 60.5, IQR 54.3-65.2 years) was significantly higher than in the MDS cohort (median 58.8, IQR 50.2-64.5 years; p < .001). A significantly higher percentage of CMML patients were male (69.4%) compared to MDS (61.2%; p < .001). There were no clinically meaningful differences in the distribution of Karnofsky score, Sorror HCT-CI score at allo-HCT, and donor type, between the CMML and MDS patients. RIC platforms were utilized in 63.9% of CMML allo-HCT, and in 61.4% of MDS patients (p = .08). In univariable analyses, we found that OS, PFS, and REL were significantly worse in CMML when compared with MDS (all p < .0001), whereas no significant difference was observed in NRM (p = .77). In multivariable analyses, the HR comparing MDS versus CMML for OS was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.74-0.88, p < .001), PFS 0.76 (95% CI 0.70-0.82, p < .001), relapse 0.66 (95% CI 0.59-0.74, p < .001), and NRM 0.87 (95% CI 0.78-0.98, p = .02), respectively. The association between baseline variables and outcome was found to be similar in MDS and CMML (all interaction p > .05) except for a decreasing trend over time of the risk of relapse in CMML (HR allo-HCT per year later 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.98), whereas no such trend was observed in MDS (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98-1.02). The poor outcome observed for CMML could be related to variables not measured in this study or to factors inherent to the disease itself. This study demonstrates that outcomes of CMML patients after allo-HCT are significantly worse compared to MDS. The results of this study may contribute to future recommendations for allo-HCT in CMML patients.

Graft-versus-host disease after an outpatient peripheral blood hematopoietic cell transplant using reduced-intensity conditioning: a single-center LATAM experience

BACKGROUND

HLA compatibility predicts allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) outcomes. There is insufficient information regarding GvHD outcomes for outpatient HLA-identical and haploidentical-HCT employing reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We compare GvHD outcomes between donor types and report risk factors associated with GvHD. Stem cell source was T-cell replete peripheral blood. GvHD prophylaxis was post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-CY), mycophenolic acid, and calcineurin inhibitors for haploidentical (n = 107) and oral cyclosporine (CsA) plus methotrexate i.v. for HLA-identical (n = 89) recipients.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-six HCT transplant patients were included. aGvHD and cGvHD frequency were similar between HCT types. aGvHD severity was comparable, but severe cGvHD was less frequent in the haploidentical group (p = .011). One-hundred-day cumulative incidence (CI) of aGvHD for haploidentical and HLA-identical was 31% and 33% (p = .84); 2-year CI of cGvHD was 32% and 38% (p = .6), respectively. Haploidentical recipients had less steroid-refractory cGvHD (p = .043). Patients with cGvHD had less 2-year relapse (p = .003); both aGvHD and cGvHD conferred higher OS (p = .010 and p = .001), respectively. Male sex was protective for steroid-refractory cGvHD (p = .028).

CONCLUSIONS

Acute and chronic GvHD rates were comparable between HLA-identical and haploidentical transplant groups. cGvHD severity was lower in the haploidentical group.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease. Part I: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations

Chronic graft-versus-host disease is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and a leading cause of long-term morbidity, nonrelapse mortality, and impaired health-related quality of life. The skin is commonly affected and presents heterogeneously, making the role of dermatologists critical in both diagnosis and treatment. In addition, new clinical classification and grading schemes inform treatment algorithms, which now include 3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies, and evolving transplant techniques are changing disease epidemiology. Part I reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of chronic graft-versus-host disease. Part II discusses disease grading and therapeutic management.

Effect of graft-versus-host disease on outcomes of HLA-haploidentical peripheral blood transplantation using post-transplant cyclophophamide

There is limited evidence regarding the association between graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and reduced relapse in patients who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from haploidentical donors (haplo-HSCT) using post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY). We investigated the association between GVHD and transplant outcomes in 938 patients who received haplo-HSCT using PTCY. Overall survival (OS), relapse rate, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were evaluated using landmark analysis at the landmark points at 100 and 360 days after HSCT for acute and chronic GVHD, respectively. Grade I-II acute GVHD was not associated with OS (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 0.85-1.57), relapse (1.03, 0.74-1.45) and NRM (1.15, 0.74-1.77). Conversely, grade III-IV acute GVHD was associated with higher NRM (3.16, 1.61-6.19), but no other outcomes. Limited chronic GVHD was not associated with OS (1.11, 0.48-1.95), relapse (1.05, 0.30-3.75) and NRM (1.30, 0.45-3.79). Extensive chronic GVHD was associated with higher NRM (2.40, 1.03-5.57), but no other outcome. In conclusion, any GVHD was not associated with a reduced relapse rate and improved OS, and Grade III-IV acute GVHD and extensive chronic GVHD were associated with higher NRM in patients who received haplo-HSCT using PTCY.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease is characterized by high levels and distinctive tissue-of-origin patterns of cell-free DNA

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is a devastating complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Effective early detection may improve the outcome of cGvHD. The potential utility of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), a sensitive marker for tissue injury, in HSCT and cGvHD remains to be established. Here, cfDNA of prospectively collected plasma samples from HSCT recipients (including both cGvHD and non-cGvHD) and healthy control (HC) subjects were evaluated. Deconvolution methods utilizing tissue-specific DNA methylation signatures were used to determine cfDNA tissue-of-origin. cfDNA levels were significantly higher in HSCT recipients than HC and significantly higher in cGvHD than non-cGvHD. cGvHD was characterized by a high level of cfDNA from innate immune cells, heart, and liver. Non-hematologic tissue-derived cfDNA was significantly higher in cGvHD than non-cGvHD. cfDNA temporal dynamics and tissue-of-origin composition have distinctive features in patients with cGvHD, supporting further exploration of the utility of cfDNA in the study of cGvHD.

A diagnostic classifier for pediatric chronic graft-versus-host disease: results of the ABLE/PBMTC 1202 study

The National Institutes of Health Consensus criteria for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) diagnosis can be challenging to apply in children, making pediatric cGVHD diagnosis difficult. We aimed to identify diagnostic pediatric cGVHD biomarkers that would complement the current clinical criteria and help differentiate cGVHD from non-cGVHD. The Applied Biomarkers of Late Effects of Childhood Cancer (ABLE) study, open at 27 transplant centers, prospectively evaluated 302 pediatric patients after hematopoietic cell transplant (234 evaluable). Forty-four patients developed cGVHD. Mixed and fixed effect regression analyses were performed on diagnostic cGVHD onset blood samples for cellular and plasma biomarkers, with individual markers declared relevant if they met 3 criteria: an effect ratio ≥1.3 or ≤0.75; an area under the curve (AUC) of ≥0.60; and a P value <5.814 × 10-4 (Bonferroni correction) (mixed effect) or <.05 (fixed effect). To address the complexity of cGVHD diagnosis in children, we built a machine learning-based classifier that combined multiple cellular and plasma biomarkers with clinical factors. Decreases in regulatory natural killer cells, naïve CD4 T helper cells, and naïve regulatory T cells, and elevated levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, ST2, ICAM-1, and soluble CD13 (sCD13) characterize the onset of cGVHD. Evaluation of the time dependence revealed that sCD13, ST2, and ICAM-1 levels varied with the timing of cGVHD onset. The cGVHD diagnostic classifier achieved an AUC of 0.89, with a positive predictive value of 82% and a negative predictive value of 80% for diagnosing cGVHD. Our polyomic approach to building a diagnostic classifier could help improve the diagnosis of cGVHD in children but requires validation in future prospective studies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02067832.

Acute graft-versus-host disease

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common immune complication that can occur after allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Acute GVHD is a major health problem in these patients, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Acute GVHD is caused by the recognition and the destruction of the recipient tissues and organs by the donor immune effector cells. This condition usually occurs within the first 3 months after alloHCT, but later onset is possible. Targeted organs include the skin, the lower and upper gastrointestinal tract and the liver. Diagnosis is mainly based on clinical examination, and complementary examinations are performed to exclude differential diagnoses. Preventive treatment for acute GVHD is administered to all patients who receive alloHCT, although it is not always effective. Steroids are used for first-line treatment, and the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor ruxolitinib is second-line treatment. No validated treatments are available for acute GVHD that is refractory to steroids and ruxolitinib, and therefore it remains an unmet medical need.

Immunopathogenic mechanisms and modulatory approaches to graft-versus-host disease prevention in acute myeloid leukaemia

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only potential cure for intermediate to high-risk acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The therapeutic effect of HSCT is largely dependent on the powerful donor-derived immune response against recipient leukaemia cells, known as graft-versus-leukaemia effect (GvL). However, the donor-derived immune system can also cause acute or chronic damage to normal recipient organs and tissues, in a process known as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). GvHD is a leading cause of non-relapse mortality in HSCT recipients. There are many similarities and cross talk between the immune pathways of GvL and GvHD. Studies have demonstrated that both processes require the presence of mismatched alloantigens between the donor and recipient, and activation of immune responses centered around donor T-cells, which can be further modulated by various recipient or donor factors. Dissecting GvL from GvHD to achieve more effective GvHD prevention and enhanced GvL has been the holy grail of HSCT research. In this review, we focused on the key factors that contribute to the immune responses of GvL and GvHD, the effect on GvL with different GvHD prophylactic strategies, and the potential impact of various AML relapse prevention therapy or treatments on GvHD.

Cyclophosphamide with cyclosporine A for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from human leucocyte antigen-matched donors

BACKGROUND

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the most severe complications in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who underwent allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This study addressed the effectiveness and safety outcomes of high dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-CY) followed by cyclosporine A (CSA) as a GVHD prophylaxis protocol.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 2019 to March 2021, AML patients who underwent HSCT, and received high-dose PT-CY followed by CSA were prospectively recruited, assessed, and followed up for one-year post-transplantation (PT). The cumulative incidences of both acute GVHD (aGVHD) at 100 days PT, and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) at one-year PT were assessed.

RESULTS

This study included 52 patients. The cumulative incidence (95% CIs) of aGVHD was 2.3% (0.3 - 15.4%), while the cumulative incidence of cGVHD was 23.2% (12.2-41.5%). The cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality were 15.6%, and 7.9%, respectively. The median duration to reach neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 17 and 13 days, respectively. The overall, progression-free, and GVHD-free/relapse-free survival rates (95% CIs) were 89.6% (76.6 - 95.6%), 77.7% (62.1-87.5%), and 58.2% (41.6 - 71.7%) respectively. The cumulative incidences of the main transplant-related complications were; neutropenic sepsis (48.3%), cytomegalovirus reactivation (21.7%), pneumonia (13.8%), hemorrhagic cystitis (17.8%), septic shock (4.9%), and CSA toxicity (48.9%).

CONCLUSION

PT-CY followed by CSA was associated with low cumulative incidences of both aGVHD and cGVHD without increase in either the relapse or transplant-related complications; so, considered as a promising protocol to be widely applied in the settings of HLA-matched donors.

Prognostic Value of Cutaneous Disease Severity Estimates on Survival Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease

Importance

Prior studies have demonstrated an association between cutaneous chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD) and mortality. Assessment of the prognostic value of different measures of disease severity would assist in risk stratification.

Objective

To compare the prognostic value of body surface area (BSA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Skin Score on survival outcomes stratified by erythema and sclerosis subtypes of cGVHD.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Multicenter prospective cohort study from the Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease Consortium including 9 medical centers in the US, enrolled from 2007 through 2012 and followed until 2018. Participants were adults and children with a diagnosis of cGVHD requiring systemic immunosuppression and with skin involvement during the study period, who had longitudinal follow-up. Data analysis was performed from April 2019 to April 2022.

Exposures

Patients underwent continuous BSA estimation and categorical NIH Skin Score grading of cutaneous cGVHD at enrollment and every 3 to 6 months thereafter.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and overall survival (OS), compared between BSA and NIH Skin Score longitudinal prognostic models, adjusted for age, race, conditioning intensity, patient sex, and donor sex.

Results

Of 469 patients with cGVHD, 267 (57%) (105 female [39%]; mean [SD] age, 51 [12] years) had cutaneous cGVHD at enrollment, and 89 (19%) developed skin involvement subsequently. Erythema-type disease had earlier onset and was more responsive to treatment compared with sclerosis-type disease. Most cases (77 of 112 [69%]) of sclerotic disease occurred without prior erythema. Erythema-type cGVHD at first follow-up visit was associated with NRM (hazard ratio, 1.33 per 10% BSA increase; 95% CI, 1.19-1.48; P < .001) and OS (hazard ratio, 1.28 per 10% BSA increase; 95% CI, 1.14-1.44; P < .001), while sclerosis-type cGVHD had no significant association with mortality. The model with erythema BSA collected at baseline and first follow-up visits retained 75% of the total prognostic information (from all covariates including BSA and NIH Skin Score) for NRM and 73% for OS, with no statistical difference between prognostic models (likelihood ratio test χ2, 5.9; P = .05). Conversely, NIH Skin Score collected at the same intervals lost significant prognostic information (likelihood ratio test χ2, 14.7; P < .001). The model incorporating NIH Skin Score instead of erythema BSA accounted for only 38% of the total information for NRM and 58% for OS.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this prospective cohort study, erythema-type cutaneous cGVHD was associated with increased risk of mortality. Erythema BSA collected at baseline and follow-up predicted survival more accurately than the NIH Skin Score in patients requiring immunosuppression. Accurate assessment of erythema BSA may assist in identifying patients with cutaneous cGVHD at high risk for mortality.

CD56bright CD16- natural killer cells as an important regulatory mechanism in chronic graft-versus-host disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is a major cause of morbidity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In large patient populations, we have shown a CD56bright natural killer (NK) population to strongly associate with a lack of cGvHD and we hypothesize that these cells function to suppress cGvHD. We aimed to isolate and define the characteristics of regulatory NK (NKreg) cells associated with suppression of cGvHD. Immunophenotypic evaluation of a large pediatric population found the CD56bright NK population associated with a lack of cGvHD to be perforin-, Granzyme B-, and CD335+. Transcriptome analysis of a small patient cohort of CD56bright compared to CD56dim NK cells found the NKreg cells to also overexpress Granzyme K, IL-7R, GPR183, RANK, GM-CSFR, TCF7, and IL23A. Further analysis of this CD56bright NKreg population found a subpopulation that overexpressed IRF1, and TNF. We also found that viable NKreg cells may be isolated by sorting on CD56+ and CD16- NK cells, and this population can suppress allogeneic CD4+ T cells, but not Treg cells or CD8+ T cells through a non-cytolytic, cell-cell contact dependent mechanism. Suppression was not reliant upon the NKp44, NKp46, or GPR183 receptors. Additionally, NKreg cells do not kill leukemic cells. Moreover, this is the first paper to clearly establish that a CD56brightCD3-CD16-perforin- NKreg population associates with a lack of cGvHD and has several unique characteristics, including the suppression of helper T-cell function in vitro. With further investigation we may decipher the mechanism of NKreg suppression and operationalize expansion of NKreg cells associated with cGvHD suppression.

Elevated ADA2 Enzyme Activity at the Onset of Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease in Children

Adenosinergic signaling has potent, context-specific effects on immune cells, particularly on the dysregulation of lymphocytes. This in turn may have a role in immune activation and loss of tolerance in such diseases as chronic graft-versus-host disease (chronic GVHD). We assessed whether changes in the enzymatic activity of adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2), an enzyme that depletes adenosine in the extracellular space via conversion to inosine, may be associated with the onset of chronic GVHD. ADA2-specific enzyme activity was measured in plasma samples from 230 pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients enrolled on the Applied Biomarkers of Late Effects of Childhood Cancer (ABLE)/Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC) 1202 study and compared between patients developing chronic GVHD and those not developing chronic GVHD within 12 months of transplantation. ADA2 and its relationships with 219 previously measured plasma-soluble proteins, metabolites, and immune cell populations were evaluated as well. Plasma ADA2 enzyme activity was significantly elevated in pediatric HSCT recipients at the onset of chronic GVHD compared to patients without chronic GVHD and was not associated with prior history of acute GVHD or generalized inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein concentration. ADA2-specific enzyme activity met our criteria as a potential diagnostic biomarker of chronic GVHD (effect ratio ≥1.30 or ≤.75; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ≥.60; P < .05) and was positively associated with markers of immune activation previously identified in pediatric chronic GVHD patients. These results support the potential of ADA2 enzyme activity, in combination with other biomarkers and subject to future validation, to aid the diagnosis of chronic GVHD in children post-HSCT.

The Impact of Graft CD3+ T-Cell Dose on the Outcome of T-Cell Replete Human Leukocyte Antigen-Mismatched Allogeneic Hematopoietic Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Transplantation

Background

Data on whether the graft CD3-positive (CD3⁺) T-cell dose in T-cell-replete human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic peripheral blood stem cells transplantation (PBSCT) influences post-transplant outcomes are controversial.

Methods

Using King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Registry database, 52 adult subjects, receiving the first T-cell-replete HLA-mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic PBSCT for acute leukemias or myelodysplastic syndrome, were identified, from January 2017 to December 2020. The cutoff value of graft CD3⁺ T-cell dose was identified using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) formula and Youden's analysis. Subjects were divided into two cohorts: cohort 1 with low CD3⁺ T-cell dose (n = 34) and cohort 2 with high CD3⁺ T-cell dose (n = 18). Correlative analyses were performed between CD3⁺ T-cell dose and the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), relapse, relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). P-values were two-sided and considered significant when P < 0.05.

Results

Subject covariates were displayed. Subject's characteristics were comparable, except for higher nucleated cells and more female donors in the high CD3⁺ T-cell cohort. The 100-day cumulative incidence of acute GvHD (aGvHD) was 45±7% and 3-year cumulative incidence of chronic GvHD (cGvHD) was 28±6.7%. There was no statistically significant difference between the two cohorts in aGvHD (50% vs. 39%, P = 0.4) or cGvHD (29% vs. 22%, P = 0.7). The 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was 67.5±16.3% for low compared with 14.3±6.8% for high CD3⁺ T-cell cohort (P = 0.018). Fifteen subjects relapsed and 24 have died, 13 due to disease relapse. There was an improvement in 2-year RFS (94% vs. 83%; P = 0.0022) and 2-year OS (91% vs. 89%; P = 0.025) in low CD3⁺ T-cell cohort compared with high CD3⁺ T-cell cohort. Graft CD3⁺ T-cell dose is the only significant risk factor for relapse (P = 002), and OS (P = 0.030) in univariate analysis which was maintained in multivariate for relapse (P = 0.003), but not for OS (P = 0.050).

Conclusions

Our data suggest that high graft CD3⁺ T-cell dose is associated with lower risk of relapse, and might improve long-term survival, but has no influence on the risk of developing aGvHD or cGvHD.

Post-transplant cyclophosphamide for GVHD prophylaxis in pediatrics with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection after haplo-HSCT

BACKGROUND

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a rare but life-threatening progressive disease. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) is the best choice as sometimes HLA-matched donor is not accessible. However, graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) following transplantation remains a major cause of treatment failure and elevated mortality. Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) has recently emerged for effective GVHD prophylaxis in a haploidentical setting in many hematologic malignancies. Here, we report the performance of PTCy for GVHD prophylaxis in a series of CEABV patients treated with haplo-HSCT.

METHODS

Consecutive pediatric CAEBV patients who were treated with haplo-HSCT and give PTCy for GVHD prophylaxis were analyzed. 1-year GVHD and relapse-free survival (GRFS), overall survival (OS) and cumulative incidence of moderate-to-severe chronic GVHD (cGVHD) were estimated.

RESULTS

A total of 8 patients ranging from 2 to 15 years old were included. Among them, 4 patients had early complications after haplo-HSCT. Counts of T-cell subsets increased within 6 months post transplantation, indicating an immune reconstitution. Only 1 patient developed grade II acute GVHD, and 2 patients had moderate cGVHD. One patient died from diffuse alveolar hemorrhage within the first year after transplantation. The 1-year GRFS rate, OS rate and cumulative incidence of moderate-to-severe cGVHD were 62.5%, 87.5% and 25.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that, among CAEBV patients treated with haplo-HSCT, PTCy may be an alternative choice for the prevention of GVHD.

Patient-reported symptom burden and impact on daily activities in chronic graft-versus-host disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) treatment for hematologic malignancies. There are limited patient-reported data concerning symptom burden and effects on activities of daily living (ADL).

METHODS

The cross-sectional Living With Chronic GVHD Patient Survey was administered online in the United States (May-August 2020) to participants aged ≥18 years who underwent allogeneic HSCT, were diagnosed with chronic GVHD by a healthcare provider, and self-reported active chronic GVHD (within past 5 years). Information on patient demographics, disease characteristics, symptom burden, and ability to perform ADL was collected. Symptom burden was assessed using the validated Lee Symptom Scale (range from 0-100 with higher scores indicating greater burden). All data were summarized using descriptive statistics; no formal statistical comparisons were conducted.

RESULTS

Out of 580 participants who entered the survey screener, 165 participants (28.4%) across 33 states fulfilled all study eligibility criteria, completed the entire survey, and were included (age: mean [SD], 53.7 (13.8) years; median [range], 57.0 [18-78] years; female, n = 105 [63.6%]; White, n = 137 [83.0%]). Respondents described their chronic GVHD severity primarily as moderate (n = 54 [32.7%]) or severe (n = 102 [61.8%]) at the time when symptoms were at their worst. One-third of respondents (33.9%) indicated that their chronic GVHD symptoms were at their worst for ≥1 year in duration. Mean (SD; range) Lee Symptom Scale score was 44.8 (19.4; 2-100); 44% of respondents considered "dry eye" the most burdensome symptom. Almost half of respondents (n = 73 [44.2%]) rated their overall quality of life (QoL) as poor. Participants reported a detrimental impact of symptoms on ADL, including basic activities (eg, eating, personal hygiene, dressing).

CONCLUSIONS

Survey respondents self-reported high chronic GVHD symptom burden and felt that their symptoms severely interfered with physical function and ADL. Effective strategies to mitigate chronic GVHD symptoms are needed to improve QoL among HSCT survivors.

Changes in the medical-seeking pattern and daily behavior of hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients during the COVID-19 epidemic: An online survey in Hubei Province, China

Background

To curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the Chinese government shut down Wuhan city from January 23rd to April 8th, 2020. The COVID-19 epidemic not only leads to widespread illness but also affects the diagnosis and treatment of hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) recipients.

Objective

To investigate the medical-seeking pattern and daily behavior changes in Hubei Province during the COVID-19 epidemic in Hubei Province during the lockdown.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional, web-based investigation among 325 HSCT recipients by online questionnaires in Hubei Province during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Results

A total of 145 complete responses were collected both before and during the epidemic questionnaires. The participants from pre-epidemic group preferred to go to hospital (68.29%) when they experienced influenza-like symptoms. The majority of the patients elected to take oral drugs by themselves (40%) or consulted their attending physicians online or by telephone during the lockdown (23.33%). 64.83% had difficulties in purchasing drugs during the lockdown, which was significantly higher than the proportion of the pre-epidemic group (24.83%) (P < 0.05). The participants preferred to purchase drugs online (23.40%) and decrease or withdraw drugs (18.09%) during the epidemic. The number of participants received regular re-examinations during the epidemic decreased sharply. The proportion of wearing masks and isolating themselves at home increased significantly during the epidemic. No statistic difference was observed in the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)complications in participants between the during the epidemic group and the pre-epidemic group. In our study, six patients were confirmed to have COVID-19, and half of them died due to COVID-19-related complications.

Conclusion

The medical-seeking pattern and daily behavior of HSCT recipients changed during the lockdown; the methods of self-protection, online consultation and drug delivery can help patients receive necessary follow-up and reduce the occurrence of COVID-19.

The 17‐gene stemness score associates with relapse risk and long‐term outcomes following allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukaemia

A 17‐gene stemness (LSC17) score determines risk in acute myeloid leukaemia patients treated with standard chemotherapy regimens. The present study further analysed the impact of the LSC17 score at diagnosis on outcomes following allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Out of 452 patients with available LSC17 score, 123 patients received allogeneic HCT. Transplant outcomes, including overall (OS), leukaemia‐free survival (LFS), relapse incidence (RI) and non‐relapse mortality (NRM), were compared according to the LSC17 scored group. The patients with a low LSC17 score had higher OS (56.2%) and LFS (54.4%) at 2 years compared to patients with high LSC17 score (47.2%, p = 0.0237 for OS and 46.0%, p = 0.0181 for LFS). The low LSC17 score group also had a lower relapse rate at 2 years (12.7%) compared to 25.3% in the high LSC17 score group (p = 0.017), but no difference in NRM (p = 0.674). Worse outcomes in the high LSC17 score group for OS, LFS and relapse were consistently observed across all stratified sub‐groups. The use of more intensive conditioning did not improve outcomes for either group. In contrast, chronic graft‐versus‐host‐disease was associated with more favourable outcomes in both groups. The 17‐gene stemness score is highly prognostic for survival and relapse risk following allogeneic HCT.

Treatment Pathways and Health Outcomes of German Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Retrospective Health Claims Data Analysis

BACKGROUND

Although chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGvHD) is an important long-term complication after allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) and is associated with increased healthcare resource utilization, real-world evidence is scarce.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate survival of patients with cGvHD in Germany and to analyze hospitalization and treatment patterns.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Based on a German claims database with 4.9 million enrollees, a retrospective longitudinal analysis covering a 6-year period between 2013 and 2018 was conducted. Patients with allo-HCT in 2014 or 2015 (index date) and no record of transplantation or documentation of GvHD 365 days prior to index were included. Patients who subsequently developed a cGVHD were compared with those who did not develop a cGVHD within 3 years after index date. cGVHD cases were identified based on documented International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis and treatment algorithms. Since the onset of cGvHD is defined at 100 days after allo-HCT, only those alive beyond day 100 were considered in the survival analysis. Patients who did not survive the first 100 days after allo-HCT were censored to prevent a selection bias due to early mortality within patients without GvHD. Survival rates were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. The number of hospitalizations and average lengths of stay as well as treatment patterns were descriptively examined.

RESULTS

Overall, 165 cGvHD patients were identified and compared with 43 patients without cGVHD. Short-term survival rates were better for patients with cGvHD; the 6-month survival probability was 95.8% for patients with cGVHD and 83.7% for patients without cGVHD. However, long-term survival was better in patients without GvHD; The 30-month survival probability was 65.5% for patients with cGVHD and 76.7% for patients without cGVHD. While overall 90% of cGvHD patients were hospitalized at least once, the share was only half for patients without GvHD (44%). 78.2% of patients with cGVHD received corticosteroids in combination with other predefined immunosuppressants.

CONCLUSION

Findings from this study reveal a high disease burden associated with cGvHD. This underlines the high medical need for new interventional strategies to improve survival and morbidity after allo-HCT.

Risk Factors of Graft-Versus-Host Disease in the Iranian Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A 10-Year Experience

Background: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious complication associated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the risk factors of GVHD in allo-HSCT. Herein, we studied the effects of some risk factors on GVHD incidence in patients with allo-HSCT. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the GVHD incidences and risk factors in 199 patients diagnosed with hematological disorders who underwent allo-HSCT in Taleghani hospital, Tehran, Iran, between 2007 and 2017. The univariable and multivariable analyses of time to event data were performed using the Logistic regression model. Computations were performed using SAS, and the level of statistical significance for univariable and multivariable analyses was set at 20% and 10%, respectively. Results: Acute GVHD (aGVHD) was seen in 59 (29.6%) patients, and 18 (9%) patients developed chronic GVHD (cGVHD). The odds of GVHD incidence in male to female transplants was 3.49 times greater than the male-to-male transplantations (CI, 1.16, 11.5; p<0.001). The patients with body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 had 96% lower odds of GVHD incidence compared with those with BMI above 30 (CI, 0.007-0.27; p=0.013). The odds of GVHD incidence in patients who were negative for cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen was 76% lower than patients with positive CMV antigen (CI, 0.06-0.93; p=0.081). Conclusion: In a nutshell, our results indicated that the donor-recipient gender disparity, the recipient's BMI, and CMV infection/reactivation status might be pivotal risk factors, which should be taken into account for prevention and management of GVHD.

Management of Chronic Graft-vs.-Host Disease in Children and Adolescents With ALL: Present Status and Model for a Personalised Management Plan

Herein we review current practice regarding the management of chronic graft-vs.-host disease (cGvHD) in paediatric patients after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Topics covered include: (i) the epidemiology of cGvHD; (ii) an overview of advances in our understanding cGvHD pathogenesis; (iii) current knowledge regarding risk factors for cGvHD and prevention strategies complemented by biomarkers; (iii) the paediatric aspects of the 2014 National Institutes for Health-defined diagnosis and grading of cGvHD; and (iv) current options for cGvHD treatment. We cover topical therapy and newly approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors, emphasising the use of immunomodulatory approaches in the context of the delicate counterbalance between immunosuppression and immune reconstitution as well as risks of relapse and infectious complications. We examine real-world approaches of response assessment and tapering schedules of treatment. Furthermore, we report on the optimal timepoints for therapeutic interventions and changes in relation to immune reconstitution and risk of relapse/infection. Additionally, we review the different options for anti-infectious prophylaxis. Finally, we put forth a theory of a holistic view of paediatric cGvHD and its associated manifestations and propose a checklist for individualised risk evaluation with aggregated considerations including site-specific cGvHD evaluation with attention to each individual's GvHD history, previous medical history, comorbidities, and personal tolerance and psychosocial circumstances. To complement this checklist, we present a treatment algorithm using representative patients to inform the personalised management plans for patients with cGvHD after HSCT for ALL who are at high risk of relapse.

Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease, Nonrelapse Mortality, and Disease Relapse in Older versus Younger Adults Undergoing Matched Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research Analysis

The effect of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) on the risk of nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and relapse has not been specifically studied in older adults, who are increasingly undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) and surviving long-term to develop cGVHD. In this Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) analysis, we tested our hypothesis that the risk of NRM was higher with the development of cGVHD, particularly among older adults (age ≥60 years). We included 4429 adults age ≥40 years who underwent a first HLA-matched peripheral blood stem cell alloHCT for acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome between 2008 and 2017. We compared outcomes of 4 groups-older adults (≥60 years) and younger adults (40 to 59 years) with cGVHD and older and younger adults without cGVHD-to determine the effect of older age and cGVHD on various outcomes. We used Cox proportional hazard models to determine the risk of NRM, relapse, and overall survival (OS). We treated cGVHD as a time-dependent covariate. The severity of cGVHD was based on the CIBMTR clinical definitions. cGVHD was significantly associated with a higher risk of NRM and lower risk of relapse regardless of age. The risk of NRM was higher for older adults versus younger adults. Adults who developed cGVHD as a group had longer OS compared with age-matched cohorts without cGVHD. Older adults had worse OS regardless of cGVHD. Among adults with cGVHD, clinically moderate or severe cGVHD was associated with a significantly higher risk of NRM and lower risk of relapse; severe cGVHD was associated with shorter OS, whereas mild to moderate cGVHD was associated with longer OS. Among both younger and older adults, the development of cGVHD was associated with a higher risk of NRM, lower risk of relapse, and longer OS. Older adults had a higher risk of NRM, but the increased risk of NRM associated with cGVHD did not differ based on age. The development of mild to moderate cGVHD offered the most favorable balance between minimizing NRM and decreasing the risk of relapse. The relapse risk was lowest for adults with severe cGVHD, but high NRM resulted in shorter OS. Developing strategies to avoid clinically severe cGVHD is critically important. © 2021 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Immunometabolic Therapeutic Targets of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD)

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative option in the treatment of aggressive malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. However, the benefits of allo-HSCT can be compromised by graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a prevalent and morbid complication of allo-HSCT. GvHD occurs when donor immune cells mount an alloreactive response against host antigens due to histocompatibility differences between the donor and host, which may result in extensive tissue injury. The reprogramming of cellular metabolism is a feature of GvHD that is associated with the differentiation of donor CD4+ cells into the pathogenic Th1 and Th17 subsets along with the dysfunction of the immune-suppressive protective T regulatory cells (Tregs). The activation of glycolysis and glutaminolysis with concomitant changes in fatty acid oxidation metabolism fuel the anabolic activities of the proliferative alloreactive microenvironment characteristic of GvHD. Thus, metabolic therapies such as glycolytic enzyme inhibitors and fatty acid metabolism modulators are a promising therapeutic strategy for GvHD. We comprehensively review the role of cellular metabolism in GvHD pathogenesis, identify candidate therapeutic targets, and describe potential strategies for augmenting immunometabolism to ameliorate GvHD.

Metabolomic Identification of Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid Elevation in Pediatric Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD) is the most common cause for non-relapse mortality post allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). However, there are no well-defined biomarkers for cGvHD or late acute GvHD (aGvHD). This study is a longitudinal evaluation of metabolomic patterns of cGvHD and late aGvHD in pediatric HSCT recipients. A quantitative analysis of plasma metabolites was performed on 222 evaluable pediatric subjects from the ABLE/PBMTC1202 study. We performed a risk-assignment analysis at day+100 on subjects who later developed either cGvHD or late aGvHD after day 114 to non-cGvHD controls. A second analysis at diagnosis used fixed and mixed multiple regression to compare cGvHD at onset to time matched non-cGvHD controls. A metabolomic biomarker was considered biologically relevant only if it met all three selection criteria: a) p value ≤0.05, b) effect ratio of ≥1.3 or ≤0.75, and c) receiver operator characteristic AUC ≥0.60. We found a consistent elevation in plasma alpha-ketoglutaric acid before (Day + 100) and at the onset of cGvHD, not impacted by cGvHD severity, pubertal status, or previous aGvHD. In addition, late aGvHD had a unique metabolomic pattern at day+100 compared to cGvHD. Additional metabolomic correlation patterns were seen with the clinical presentation of pulmonary, de novo, and progressive cGvHD. Alpha-ketoglutaric acid emerged as the single most significant metabolite associated with cGvHD, both in the day +100 risk-assignment and later diagnostic onset analysis. These distinctive metabolic patterns may lead to improved subclassification of cGvHD. Future validation of these exploratory results are needed.

Lower dose of ATG combined with post-transplant cyclophosphamide for HLA matched RIC alloHCT is associated with effective control of GVHD and less viral infections

This study compares the outcomes before and after reducing the ATG dose from 4.5 to 2 mg/kg, in a combination of PTCy and CsA for GVHD prevention, in 250 patients treated with HLA matched RIC PB-alloHCT (70% received 4.5 mg/kg and 30% received 2 mg/kg). The incidences of grade II-IV and III-IV aGVHD at day +100, and moderate/severe cGVHD at 1-year were 12.6% vs. 20% (p = 0.431), 3.6% vs. 4.5% (p = 0.935), and 10.9% vs. 26.1% (p = 0.480), respectively. PTLD (9.1% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.026) and viral infections (30.3% vs. 12%; p = 0.001) were lower for those treated with 2 mg/kg of ATG. The reduction of the ATG dose resulted in a comparable OS (2-year: 64.7% vs. 64.7%), GRFS (2-year: 48.0% vs. 44.5%), RFS (2-year: 57.0% vs. 62.0%), and NRM (2-year: 17.8 vs. 14.9). The use of (2 mg/kg) ATG-PTCy-CsA for HLA matched RIC alloHCT results in lower viral infections, and incomparable GVHD preventive effect and survival rates.

Predictors of hematologic malignancy relapse in patients with advanced chronic graft-versus-host disease

Malignancy relapse remains a major barrier to treatment success in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) markedly reduces hematologic malignancy relapse risk, but relapses still occur in these patients. Patients (n = 275) with moderate or severe cGVHD were enrolled on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) prospective cross-sectional natural history study (NCT00092235). Subjects were median 36 months after allo-HSCT and were followed subsequently for malignancy relapse and survival. Seventeen patients experienced relapse. In a multivariable model including time-dependent influences on relapse, risk factors associated with increased risk of relapse included shorter time from transplant to cGVHD evaluation (HR 0.279, 95% CI 0.078-0.995) and lower number of prior lines of systemic immunosuppressive therapy for cGVHD (HR 0.260, 95% CI 0.094-0.719). In a model excluding time-dependent influences on relapse risk, lower number of prior lines of systemic immunosuppressive therapy for cGVHD (HR 0.288, 95% CI 0.103-0.804), lower C4 complement level (HR 0.346, 95% CI 0.129-0.923), and higher body mass index (HR 3.222, 95% CI 1.156-8.974), were all associated with increased relapse risk. Parameters indicating cGVHD severity and activity are associated with risk of malignancy relapse. Classical predictors of relapse after allo-HSCT do not seem to be prognostic.

Metabolic reprogramming of donor T cells enhances graft-versus-leukemia effects in mice and humans

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) has a dismal prognosis. We found that T cells of patients relapsing with AML after allo-HCT exhibited reduced glycolysis and interferon-γ production. Functional studies in multiple mouse models of leukemia showed that leukemia-derived lactic acid (LA) interfered with T cell glycolysis and proliferation. Mechanistically, LA reduced intracellular pH in T cells, led to lower transcription of glycolysis-related enzymes, and decreased activity of essential metabolic pathways. Metabolic reprogramming by sodium bicarbonate (NaBi) reversed the LA-induced low intracellular pH, restored metabolite concentrations, led to incorporation of LA into the tricarboxylic acid cycle as an additional energy source, and enhanced graft-versus-leukemia activity of murine and human T cells. NaBi treatment of post-allo-HCT patients with relapsed AML improved metabolic fitness and interferon-γ production in T cells. Overall, we show that metabolic reprogramming of donor T cells is a pharmacological strategy for patients with relapsed AML after allo-HCT.

Differential Effect of Graft-versus-Host Disease on Survival in Acute Leukemia according to Donor Type

PURPOSE

The anti-leukemic activity of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) depends on both the intensity of conditioning regimen and the strength of the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. However, it is unclear whether the sensitivity of the GVL effects differs between donor type and graft source.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We retrospectively evaluated the effect of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on transplant outcomes for adults with acute leukemia (n = 6,548) between 2007 and 2017 using a Japanese database. In all analyses, we separately evaluated three distinct cohorts based on donor type [(8/8 allele-matched sibling donor, 8/8 allele-matched unrelated donor, and unrelated single-cord blood (UCB)].

RESULTS

The multivariate analysis, in which the development of GVHD was treated as a time-dependent covariate, showed a reductive effect of grade I-II acute GVHD on treatment failure (defined as 1-leukemia-free survival; P < 0.001), overall mortality (OM; P < 0.001), relapse (P < 0.001), and non-relapse mortality (NRM; P < 0.001) in patients receiving from UCB. A reductive effect of limited chronic GVHD on treatment failure (P < 0.001), OM (P < 0.001), and NRM (P < 0.001) was also shown in patients receiving from UCB. However, these effects were not always shown in patients receiving from other donors. The beneficial effects of mild acute and chronic GVHD after UCB transplantation on treatment failure were noted relatively in subgroups of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia and a non-remission status.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggested that the development of mild GVHD could improve survival after UCB transplantation for acute leukemia.

National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: IIa. The 2020 Clinical Implementation and Early Diagnosis Working Group Report

Recognition of the earliest signs and symptoms of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that lead to severe manifestations remains a challenge. The standardization provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2005 and 2014 consensus projects has helped improve diagnostic accuracy and severity scoring for clinical trials, but utilization of these tools in routine clinical practice is variable. Additionally, when patients meet the NIH diagnostic criteria, many already have significant morbidity and possibly irreversible organ damage. The goals of this early diagnosis project are 2-fold. First, we provide consensus recommendations regarding implementation of the current NIH diagnostic guidelines into routine transplant care, outside of clinical trials, aiming to enhance early clinical recognition of chronic GVHD. Second, we propose directions for future research efforts to enable discovery of new, early laboratory as well as clinical indicators of chronic GVHD, both globally and for highly morbid organ-specific manifestations. Identification of early features of chronic GVHD that have high positive predictive value for progression to more severe manifestations of the disease could potentially allow for future pre-emptive clinical trials.

Grade 2 acute GVHD is a factor of good prognosis in patients receiving peripheral blood stem cells haplo-transplant with post-transplant cyclophosphamide

BACKGROUND

The impact of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) on survivals for patients receiving a haploidentical allogeneic stem-cell transplant (Allo-SCT) with peripheral blood stem-cells (PBSC) complemented by post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) is ill-known.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 131 patients who received a PBSC haplograft in order to precise the impact of acute GVHD on outcomes. There were 78 males and 53 females and the median age for the whole cohort was 59 years (range: 20-71). Thirty-five patients were allografted for a lymphoid disease and 96 for a myeloid malignancy, including 67 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence (CI) of day 100 grade 2-4 and 3-4 acute GVHD was 43.4 + 4.6% and 16.7 + 3.4%, respectively. The 2-year CI of moderate/severe chronic GVHD was 10.1 + 2.8%. The only factor affecting the occurrence of GVHD was GVHD prophylaxis. Indeed, CI of day 100 grade 2-4 (but not grade 3-4) acute GVHD was significantly reduced when adding anti-thymoglobulin (ATG) to PTCY. However, in multivariate analysis, grade 2 acute GVHD was significantly associated with better disease-free (HR: 0.36; 95%CI: 0.19-0.69, p = .002) and overall (HR: 0.35; 95%CI: 0.1-0.70, p = .003) survivals. The same results were observed when considering only AML patients.

CONCLUSION

Acute grade 2 GVHD is a factor of good prognosis after PBSC haplotransplant with PTCY. Further and larger studies are needed to clarify the complex question of GVHD prophylaxis in the setting of haplo-transplant, especially that of combining ATG and PTCY.

Associations between the Gut Microbiota, Immune Reconstitution, and Outcomes of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Immune reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) sets the stage for the goal of a successful transplant—the prevention of disease relapse without graft versus host disease (GVHD) and opportunistic infection. In both epidemiologic studies and in controlled animal studies, it is known that the gut microbiome (GM) can profoundly influence normal innate and adaptive immune development and can be altered by microbial transfer and antibiotics. Following allo-HSCT the GM has been shown to influence clinical outcomes but published associations between the GM and immune reconstitution post-allo-HSCT are lacking. In this viewpoint we propose that the extensive knowledge garnered from studying normal immune development can serve as a framework for studying immune development post-allo-HSCT. We summarize existing studies addressing the effect of the GM on immune ontogeny and draw associations with immune reconstitution and the GM post-allo-HSCT.

[Bone marrow transplantation patients in the intensive care unit]

Allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation yields improved long-term survival for patients with high-risk malignant and non-malignant hematologic disease. However, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A proportion of patients need intensive care due to infectious, immunological and/or toxic complications. The utility of intensive care unit (ICU) treatments as mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy for these patients is uncertain since mortality is high. We describe the most frequent complications and the treatment options concerning the ICU in recipients of allogeneic hematopoetic stem cells.

Ruxolitinib-ECP combination treatment for refractory severe chronic graft-versus-host disease

Glucocorticoid-refractory (SR) chronic (c) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a multisystem immunological disease and the leading cause of non-relapse mortality (NRM) in patients surviving longer than 2 years after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Both ruxolitinib (RUX) and extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) have shown activity for SR-cGVHD which motivated us to treat refractory cGHVD patients with the RUX-ECP combination. In this retrospective survey, 23 patients received RUX-ECP as salvage therapy for SR-cGVHD. The best response (CR or PR) at any time point during treatment was 74% (17/23) including 9% (2/23) CR and 65% (15/23) PR. The 24-months-survival was 75% (CI 56.0-94.1). Newly diagnosed cytopenia occurred in 22% (5/23) and CMV reactivation was observed in 26% (6/23) of the patients. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) correlated with response. Our retrospective analysis shows that the RUX-ECP combination is safe and has activity in a fraction of patients with SR-cGVHD, which needs validation in a prospective trial.

Post-transplant cyclophosphamide for GVHD prophylaxis compared to ATG-based prophylaxis in unrelated donor transplantation

Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) effectively prevents graft-versus-host disease after unmanipulated HLA-haploidentical HSCT. The use of PTCY in the unrelated donor HSCT setting is less explored. We conducted a retrospective study of 132 consecutive patients undergoing a matched or 9/10 mismatched unrelated donor HSCT in 4 centers in Spain, 60 with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG)-based prophylaxis combined with MTX-CsA, and 72 using a PTCY-based regimen. Peripheral blood stem cells were used as graft in most patients (111 patients, 84%); mMUD donors were balanced between groups. Cumulative incidences of grades II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD at 100 days were lower in the PTCy group (46% vs. 67%, p = 0.008; 3% vs. 34%, p = 0.003), without statistically significant differences in the 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic moderate-severe GVHD. At 2 years, no significant differences were observed in overall survival, event-free survival, cumulative incidence of relapse, and non-relapse mortality. GVHD was the most frequent cause of NRM in the ATG group. No differences were observed between groups in the composite endpoint of GVHD-free and relapse-free survival. In this study, PTCy combined with additional immunosuppression after MUD/mMUD HSCT showed a reduction of aGVHD rate with safety results comparable to those obtained with the ATG-based prophylaxis.

Effects of Acute and Chronic Graft-versus-myelodysplastic Syndrome on Long-term Outcomes Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE

Potent graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects associated with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) might be dependent on hematologic disease type and status. However, the data regarding the impact of GVHD on transplant outcomes for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are limited.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We retrospectively evaluated the impact of acute and chronic GVHD on transplant outcomes for a large cohort of adult patients with a low-risk (n = 1,193) and high-risk (n = 1,926) MDS treated by first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation between 2001 and 2017.

RESULTS

The multivariate analysis, in which development of GVHD was treated as a time-dependent covariate, showed that acute and chronic GVHD at any grade or severity did not improve overall mortality, relapse, or nonrelapse mortality (NRM) in low-risk MDS. For patients with high-risk MDS, development of limited chronic GVHD was significantly associated with lower overall mortality [HR, 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.50-0.86; P = 0.002]. This is probably due to that the reduced risk of relapse with grade III-IV acute GVHD (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25-0.65; P = 0.0002), or limited (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.39-0.83; P = 0.003) or extensive (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41-0.77; P = 0.0004) chronic GVHD was offset by increased NRM with grade III-IV acute GVHD or extensive chronic GVHD in high-risk MDS.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrated a survival benefit of the graft-versus-MDS effect is present only in high-risk MDS patients with limited chronic GVHD.See related commentary by Eckel and Deeg, p. 6404.

Dose-escalated interleukin-2 therapy for refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease in adults and children

Low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) generates a rapid rise in plasma IL-2 levels and CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^-Foxp3⁺ regulatory T-cell (CD4Treg) proliferation, but both decrease over time despite continued daily administration. To test whether IL-2 dose escalation at the time of anticipated falls in plasma levels could circumvent tachyphylaxis and enhance CD4Treg expansion, we conducted a phase 1 trial in 10 adult and 11 pediatric patients with steroid-refractory cGVHD (www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02318082). Daily IL-2 was initiated in children and adults (0.33 × 10⁶ and 0.67 × 10⁶ IU/m² per day, respectively). Dose escalations were scheduled at weeks 2 and 4 to a maximum dose of 1 × 10⁶ IU/m² per day in children and 2 × 10⁶ IU/m² per day in adults. Patients continued at their maximum tolerated dose (MTD) until week 8. Children tolerated IL-2 dose escalation with partial responses (PRs) in 9 of 11 patients (82%) at multiple cGVHD sites, including lung. Patient-reported outcome scores for skin and lung improved significantly in pediatric patients. In contrast, 5 of 10 adults required dose reduction, and only 2 of 7 evaluable patients (29%) had PRs at week 8. CD4Tregs and natural killer cells expanded in both cohorts without significant changes in conventional CD4⁺ T cells (Tcons) or CD8⁺ T cells. Children achieved a higher median CD4Treg/Tcon ratio at week 8 (0.4 vs 0.18, P = .02) despite lower IL-2 doses. We show for the first time that low-dose IL-2 is safe and effective in children with advanced cGVHD. In adults, escalation above the previously defined MTD did not improve CD4Treg expansion or clinical response.

Posttransplant cyclophosphamide vs cyclosporin A and methotrexate as GVHD prophylaxis in matched sibling transplantation

Posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) effectively prevents graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The use of PTCy in HLA-identical HSCT is less explored. We conducted a retrospective study of 107 consecutive patients undergoing an HLA-identical sibling (10/10) HSCT in 2 centers in Spain, 50 with GVHD prophylaxis with methotrexate-cyclosporin A (MTX-CsA) and 57 using a PTCy-based regimen with additional immunosuppression. Graft source was unmanipulated mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in most patients (97 patients, 91%). Cumulative incidences of grade II to IV and III to IV acute GVHD at 100 days were lower in the PTCy group (22.6% vs 52.2%, P = .0015; 8.8% vs 24.4%, P = .016), without statistically significant differences in the 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic moderate to severe GVHD (16.7% vs 26%, P = .306). At 2 years, no statistically significant differences were observed in OS (78% vs 56%, P = .088), EFS (62.5% vs 48%, P = .054), relapse (28% vs 27%, P = .47), and NRM (8.8% vs 24%, P = .054). The composite endpoint of GVHD and relapse-free survival (GRFS) was favorable for the PTCy group (24% vs 48%, P = .011), PTCy being the sole independent factor identified in the multivariate analysis for this endpoint. In this study, PTCy combination with additional immunosuppression using mostly PBSCs grafts showed a reduction of acute GVHD rate and an impact on GRFS, with safety results comparable with those obtained with MTX-CsA. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these observations..

The influence of stem cell source on transplant outcomes for pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia

When hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is necessary for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), there remains debate about the best stem cell source. Post-HSCT relapse is a common cause of mortality, and complications such as chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) are debilitating and life-threatening. To compare post-HSCT outcomes of different donor sources, we retrospectively analyzed consecutive transplants performed in several international centers from 2005 to 2015. A total of 317 patients were studied: 19% matched sibling donor (MSD), 23% matched unrelated donor (MUD), 39% umbilical cord blood (UCB), and 19% double UCB (dUCB) recipients. The median age at transplant was 10 years (range, 0.42-21 years), and median follow-up was 4.74 years (range, 4.02-5.39 years). Comparisons were made while controlling for patient, transplant, and disease characteristics. There were no differences in relapse, leukemia-free survival, or nonrelapse mortality. dUCB recipients had inferior survival compared with matched sibling recipients, but all other comparisons showed similar overall survival. Despite the majority of UCB transplants being HLA mismatched, the rates of cGVHD were low, especially compared with the well-matched MUD recipients (hazard ratio, 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.67; P = .02). The composite measure of cGVHD and leukemia-free survival (cGVHD-LFS), which represents both the quality of life and risk for mortality, was significantly better in the UCB compared with the MUD recipients (HR, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-1; P = .03). In summary, the use of UCB is an excellent donor choice for pediatric patients with AML when a matched sibling cannot be identified.

Ocular instillation of vitamin A-coupled liposomes containing HSP47 siRNA ameliorates dry eye syndrome in chronic GVHD

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) profoundly affects the quality of life of long-term survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The eyes are frequently involved, and dry eye syndrome is the most common manifestation of ocular chronic GVHD. We explored the role of heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) in ocular GVHD and developed a novel antifibrotic topical therapy using vitamin A-coupled liposomes containing HSP47 small interfering RNA (siRNA) against HSP47 (VA-lip HSP47). In a mouse model of chronic GVHD, infiltration of HSP47⁺ fibroblasts and massive fibrosis surrounding the lacrimal ducts were observed after allogeneic SCT, leading to impaired tear secretion. After ocular instillation, VA-lip HSP47 was distributed to the lacrimal glands, knocked down HSP47 expression in fibroblasts, reduced collagen deposition, and restored tear secretion after allogeneic SCT. Ocular instillation of VA-lip HSP47 also ameliorated established lacrimal gland fibrosis and dry eye syndrome. VA-lip HSP47 eye drops are a promising prophylactic and therapeutic option against dry eye syndrome in chronic GVHD.

Impact of antithymocyte globulin on outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation with TBI

The impact of the use of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) following a total body irradiation (TBI)-based myeloablative conditioning regimen has been poorly explored. We retrospectively analyzed 724 patients who underwent a first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) following a TBI-based conditioning regimen for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and compared the outcomes of 251 (35%) patients who received ATG (ATG group) with 473 (65%) patients who did not (non-ATG group). Median follow-up of surviving patients was 59 months (interquartile range, 28-83). The cumulative incidence of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) for non-ATG and ATG groups in the first 100 days was 33% vs 24%, respectively (P = .0098). The 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was reduced significantly in the ATG group in comparison with the non-ATG group (46% vs 34%, P = .003). Using multivariate analysis, in vivo T-cell depletion (ATG group) was independently associated with a decreased incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.28; P < .001), grade III-IV aGVHD (HR, 0.21; P < .001), cGVHD (HR, 0.63; P = .02), and nonrelapse mortality (NRM) (HR, 0.54; P = .02). Relapse risk, overall survival, and leukemia-free survival were similar between the 2 groups. Our results suggest that the addition of ATG to TBI-based myeloablative conditioning for allo-HCT in AML patients results in a significant reduction in aGVHD and cGVHD, translating into a significant reduction in NRM without increasing the relapse rate.

Determinants of survival in myelofibrosis patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

We aimed to evaluate the determinants of survival in myelofibrosis patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) and to describe factors predicting the main post-HCT complications. This retrospective study by the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation included 2916 myelofibrosis patients who underwent first allo-HCT from an HLA-identical sibling or unrelated donor between 2000 and 2016. After a median follow-up of 4.7 years from transplant, projected median survival of the series was 5.3 years. Factors independently associated with increased mortality were age ≥ 60 years and Karnofsky Performance Status <90% at transplant, and occurrence of graft failure, grades III-IV acute graft-vs.-host disease (aGVHD), and disease progression/relapse during follow-up. The opposing effects of chronic graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) on non-relapse mortality and relapse incidence resulted in a neutral influence on survival. Graft failure increased in unrelated donor recipients and decreased with myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and negative donor/recipient cytomegalovirus serostatus. Risk of grades III-IV aGVHD was higher with unrelated donors and decreased with MAC. Relapse incidence tended to be higher in patients with intermediate-2/high-risk DIPSS categories and to decrease in CALR-mutated patients. Acute and chronic GVHD reduced the subsequent risk of relapse. This information has potential implications for patient counseling and clinical decision-making.

Clinical outcomes with low dose anti-thymocyte globulin in patients undergoing matched unrelated donor allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) has been associated with decreased rates graft versus host disease (GVHD) but with a potential risk of increasing risk of infection and relapse. We retrospectively studied the impact of single dose low dose (2.5 mg/kg) ATG in patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from 8/8 matched unrelated donors (MUD). Of the total 209 patients identified, 129 received ATG. At baseline, the ATG group had more intermediate and high disease risk index (DRI) (64.6% vs. 54.3%) (28.3% vs. 23.7%) p < .001, respectively, and who received reduced intensity or non-myeloablative conditioning (RIC) (69.0% vs. 47.5%, p .003). There was no significant difference in the overall survival (OS) HR = 1.3, 95% CI [0.99, 1.0], p = .350 or relapse-free survival (RFS) HR = 1.2, 95% CI [0.74, 1.8], p = .526 between the two groups. Patients receiving ATG had a lower incidence of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) (10.1% vs. 25%, p = .007) and less moderate to severe cGVHD (8.5% vs. 25%, p = .002). ATG was associated with a reduced incidence of moderate to severe cGVHD OR = 0.28, 95% CI [0.12, 0.61], p < .01. There was no difference in the incidence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) or cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation, CMV disease, invasive fungal infection, or grade III-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD). Our study shows that low dose ATG results in similar OS and RFS with lower rates of cGVHD. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Immune profile differences between chronic GVHD and late acute GVHD: results of the ABLE/PBMTC 1202 studies

Human graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) biology beyond 3 months after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is complex. The Applied Biomarker in Late Effects of Childhood Cancer study (ABLE/PBMTC1202, NCT02067832) evaluated the immune profiles in chronic GVHD (cGVHD) and late acute GVHD (L-aGVHD). Peripheral blood immune cell and plasma markers were analyzed at day 100 post-HSCT and correlated with GVHD diagnosed according to the National Institutes of Health consensus criteria (NIH-CC) for cGVHD. Of 302 children enrolled, 241 were evaluable as L-aGVHD, cGVHD, active L-aGVHD or cGVHD, and no cGVHD/L-aGVHD. Significant marker differences, adjusted for major clinical factors, were defined as meeting all 3 criteria: receiver-operating characteristic area under the curve ≥0.60, P ≤ .05, and effect ratio ≥1.3 or ≤0.75. Patients with only distinctive features but determined as cGVHD by the adjudication committee (non-NIH-CC) had immune profiles similar to NIH-CC. Both cGVHD and L-aGVHD had decreased transitional B cells and increased cytolytic natural killer (NK) cells. cGVHD had additional abnormalities, with increased activated T cells, naive helper T (Th) and cytotoxic T cells, loss of CD56bright regulatory NK cells, and increased ST2 and soluble CD13. Active L-aGVHD before day 114 had additional abnormalities in naive Th, naive regulatory T (Treg) cell populations, and cytokines, and active cGVHD had an increase in PD-1- and a decrease in PD-1+ memory Treg cells. Unsupervised analysis appeared to show a progression of immune abnormalities from no cGVHD/L-aGVHD to L-aGVHD, with the most complex pattern in cGVHD. Comprehensive immune profiling will allow us to better understand how to minimize L-aGVHD and cGVHD. Further confirmation in adult and pediatric cohorts is needed.

The predictive value of serum free light chain level early after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for chronic graft-versus-host disease, a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE

Serum free light chain (FLC) level is closely associated with the functional state of B lymphocytes, and many studies have shown that delayed reconstitution of B lymphocytes contributed to chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). This study assessed the predictive value of FLC levels in serum collected early after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for cGVHD.

METHODS

Sixty-two patients who had undergone allo-HSCT were retrospectively reviewed. The correlations between the FLC levels and the development of cGVHD were explored.

RESULTS

Of the 62 patients, 33 cases developed cGVHD, with the prevalence of 53.2%. With Seattle classification, 19 cases had limited cGVHD while 14 cases contracted extensive cGVHD. While with NIH classification, 17 cases had mild cGVHD, 6 cases moderate cGVHD, and 10 cases severe cGVHD. Multivariant statistical analysis showed that the FLC levels were not associated with all severities of cGVHD but were correlated with the development of extensive or moderate to severe cGVHD (P = .01 and .038, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum FLC levels early after HSCT may reflect the functional state of B-cell reconstitution. Patients with low serum FLC Level early post-allo-HSCT tend to develop extensive cGVHD or moderate to severe cGVHD.