Haploidentical and Matched Sibling Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Hospital-Based Study

Background

Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) has been increasing for the last years in Latin America. The objective of this study was to describe clinical outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving allogeneic PBSCT between 2013 and 2019 in a single center of Cali, Colombia.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Fundacion Valle del Lili. Patients diagnosed with AML who received an allogeneic PBSCT between 2013 and 2019 using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling donors (MSDs) or haploidentical related donors (HRDs) with myeloablative conditioning regimen were included. Cases with diagnosis of promyelocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome-related AML and therapy-related AML were excluded. Data were obtained directly from the hospital PBSCT database and clinical records.

Results

A total of 50 patients were included (HRD, n = 32; MSD, n = 18). Sixty-two percent was in the first complete remission (CR1) at the time of the transplant, of which 26% were MSD and 74% were HRD. The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) risk score was: 44% vs. 50% low, 28% vs. 28% intermediate and 28% vs. 22% high for MSD vs. HRD, respectively. Overall survival at 5 years for MSD was 62% (95% confidence interval (CI): 31-83%) and 43% (95% CI: 25-60%) for HRD. Event-free survival was 56% (95% CI: 26-78%) and 35.6% (95% CI: 18-53%), respectively. Non-relapse mortality at day-100 was 6% (95% CI: 0.8-35%) and 20% (95% CI: 9-39%). Relapse at5 years was 18% (95% CI: 4-58%) and 25% (95% CI: 10-52%). Overall mortality rate was 46%. The grade II-IV, III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease and severe chronic graft-versus-host disease was 44%, 11% and 12% for MSD, and 43%, 9% and 0% for HRD.

Conclusion

These results underline that MSD remains the first donor choice for AML patients in CR1 when available. HRDs are still our next option among alternative donors. It is necessary to find strategies that have a positive impact on those outcomes that markedly affect the quality of allogeneic PBSCT and the prognosis of patients. Comparative, randomized, prospective studies with longer follow-up of haploidentical allogeneic PBSCT with other donor types are required to definitely establish its role among alternative donors.

Direct oral anticoagulants in antiphospholipid syndrome: a real life case series

AIM

The aim of this study was to describe a case series of patients with primary or secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinical charts of eight patients with thrombotic primary or secondary APS treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) between January 2012 and May 2015 were reviewed.

RESULTS

The mean age was 45 ± 14.36 (range 27-69 years). Four patients had secondary APS (50%). All patients were initially treated with warfarin by a mean time of 70.87 ± 57.32 months (range 17-153 months). Changes in anticoagulation were defined by recurring thrombosis in five patients (62.5%) and life-threatening bleeding in the other three cases. Seven patients (87.5%) received rivaroxaban treatment and one patient (12.5%) apixaban. The mean follow-up period with DOACs was 19 ± 10.06 months (range 2-36 months). There was no recurrence of thrombosis by the time of data collection.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite not being the standard treatment in APS, we propose DOACs as a rational alternative for the management of patients with this diagnosis. Further interventional clinical studies are necessary for possible standardization of this therapy in APS patients.

Impact on outcomes of human leukocyte antigen matching by allele-level typing in adults with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing umbilical cord blood transplantation

This retrospective study analyzed the impact of directional donor-recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) disparity using allele-level typing at HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 in 79 adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received single-unit umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplant at a single institution. With extended high-resolution HLA typing, the donor-recipient compatibility ranged from 2/8 to 8/8. HLA disparity showed no negative impact on nonrelapse mortality (NRM), graft-versus-host (GVH) disease or engraftment. Considering disparities in the GVH direction, the 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 44% and 22% for patients receiving an UCB unit matched ≥ 6/8 and < 6/8, respectively (P = .04). In multivariable analysis, a higher HLA disparity in the GVH direction using extended high-resolution typing (Risk ratio [RR] 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5 to 5.1; P = .0009) and first complete remission at time of transplantation (RR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.8; P = .01) were the only variables significantly associated with an improved disease-free survival. In conclusion, we found that in adults with AML undergoing single-unit UCBT, an increased number of HLA disparities at allele-level typing improved disease-free survival by decreasing the relapse rate without a negative effect on NRM.