[Clinical prognostic analysis of 124 adult patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a multicenter retrospective study of the Huaihai Lymphoma Working Group]

A Study on Early Death Prognosis Model in Adult Patients with Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Background

The mortality risks for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in the induction stage and investigated prognostic factors need to be further discussed.

Objective

The aim of this study is to establish a clinical model for predicting early death in adult patients with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Design, Participants, and Main Measures. The baseline characteristics, laboratory examination results, and 8-week survival rate of 139 adult sHLH patients diagnosed from January 2018 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, and a prognostic model was constructed with low-risk (score 0–2), medium-risk (score 3), and high-risk (score ≥ 4) as parameters. Key Results. Univariate analysis confirmed that early death was not related to the type of HLH but significantly related to the patient's response to first-line treatment. The peripheral blood cell count was significantly decreased, C-reactive protein was higher, glutamyl transpeptidase and total bilirubin were higher, albumin was significantly lower, urea nitrogen was higher, hypocalcemia and hyponatremia, deep organ hemorrhage and D-dimer increased, cardiac function damage and HLH central involvement, sCD25 increased, and EB virus infection were predictive factors of early death. In the multivariate model, patients' response to first-line treatment was a good predictor of overall survival, and hypocalcemia and deep organ bleeding were associated with poor survival. The risk factors were scored and graded according to the risk ratio. The 8-week overall survival rates of the low-risk group (82 cases), medium-risk group (36 cases), and high-risk group (21 cases) were 85.4%, 52.8%, and 23.8%, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The early death of sHLH patients is closely related to some laboratory examination results. Attention should be paid to identify high-risk patients, choose effective first-line induction therapy, achieve deep remission as soon as possible, prevent deep organ bleeding, correct electrolyte disorders, and improve the early survival rate of sHLH patients.