Risk factors for severe infection and mortality In patients with COVID-19 in patients with multiple myeloma and AL amyloidosis

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have a lower efficacy from COVID-19 vaccination and a high rate of mortality from COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. However, the overall rate and severity of COVID-19 infection in all settings (including non-hospitalized patients) and the independent impact of plasma cell-directed therapies on outcomes needs further study. We reviewed the medical records of 9225 patients with MM or AL amyloidosis (AL) seen at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Arizona, and Florida between 12/01/2019 and 8/31/2021 and identified 187 patients with a COVID-19 infection (n = 174 MM, n = 13 AL). The infection rate in our cohort was relatively low at 2% but one-fourth of the COVID-19 infections were severe. Nineteen (10%) patients required intensive care unit (ICU) admission and 5 (3%) patients required mechanical ventilation. The mortality rate among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was 22% (16/72 patients). Among patients that were fully vaccinated at the time of infection (n = 12), two (17%) developed severe COVID-19 infection, without any COVID-related death. On multivariable analysis, treatment with CD38 antibody within 6 months of COVID-19 infection [Risk ratio (RR) 3.6 (95% CI: 1.2, 10.5), p = .02], cardiac [RR 4.1 (95% CI: 1.3, 12.4), p = .014] or pulmonary comorbidities [RR 3.6 (95% CI 1.1, 11.6); p = .029] were independent predictors for ICU admission. Cardiac comorbidity [RR 2.6 (95% CI: 1.1, 6.5), p = .038] was an independent predictor of mortality whereas MM/AL in remission was associated with lower mortality [RR 0.4 (95% CI: 0.2-0.8); p = .008].

Impact of high-dose melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplant in producing MRD negative complete response in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

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Background: High dose melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplant (HDM-ASCT) remains the standard of care for transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) despite advances in treatments. Achievement of complete response (CR) is associated with improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS); Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) negativity (-) using next generation flow cytometry with a sensitivity of 10-5 is strongly associated with improved PFS and OS. We investigated the rates of conversion to MRD(-), especially MRD(-) CR following HDM-ASCT in patients with NDMM. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with NDMM who underwent early HDM-ASCT at Mayo Clinic Rochester from May 2018 to July 2019. Response assessment was conducted after induction and within 100 days post-ASCT based on 2016 IMWG criteria, except for using Mass-Fix instead of immunofixation. MRD was assessed in bone marrow using the established Euro Flow protocol with sensitivity of 10-5. The FISH assay was used to risk-stratify patients as high-risk (HR) and standard risk (SR) cytogenetics as per the mSMART guidelines. Primary outcome measure was the conversion to MRD(-) CR after ASCT. Secondary outcomes include the overall conversion to MRD(-) irrespective of IMWG response, the impact of HR cytogenetics and pre-ASCT IMWG response on conversion to MRD(-) CR. Results: Two-hundred and ten patients were included; 126 (60%) were male and median age 62 years (range 32–77 years). There were 78 (44%) patients with HR cytogenetics. Pre-ASCT, 23 patients (11%) achieved MRD(-) CR, and 66 (31%) patients achieved MRD(-) CR post ASCT. Of 187 patients not in MRD(-) CR pre-ASCT, 45 (24%) converted to MRD(-) CR. Table provides a breakdown of the conversion rate of pre-ASCT IMWG response category to MRD(-) CR post ASCT and patients with MRD(+) CR had the highest rate (78%) of conversion. The presence of HR cytogenetics did not impact rates of MRD(-) CR achievement post ASCT irrespective of pre-ASCT IMWG response (p = 1.0). Overall, irrespective of IMWG response, 43 (20%) patients were MRD(-) pre-ASCT (19 in VGPR, 24 in CR or better) and 102 (49%) patients were MRD(-) post-ASCT (36 in VGPR, 66 in CR or better). Among 85 patients in VGPR post-ASCT, 36 were MRD(-) of which 8 (22%) progressed, while 49 were MRD(+) of which 24 (49%) progressed (p = 0.014). Conclusions: Upfront HDM-ASCT in patients with NDMM leads to deeper responses with 24% converting to MRD(-) CR and more than doubling of the total rate of MRD(-) irrespective of IMWG response. [Table: see text]

Multicentric Castleman disease: A single center experience of treatment with a focus on autologous stem cell transplantation

Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disease characterized by diverse clinical and pathologic features. Due to its rarity, there are limited studies comparing currently available therapies. The role of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in CD has not yet been established. In this paper, we describe the clinical characteristics, treatment choices, and outcomes in 34 Mayo Clinic patients diagnosed with multicentric CD from July 1, 2003 to April 30, 2018. Eighteen patients (53%) also met the criteria for POEMS, including 14 with the osteosclerotic variant. The first-line treatments included: steroid monotherapy (4), cytotoxic chemotherapy (6), rituximab alone (8) or with chemotherapy (2), anti-IL6 treatment (3), and ASCT (10). The median follow-up was 4.8 (range: 0.1-15.2) years. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 84% and 71%, respectively. Sixteen patients received high-dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT during their disease course. Among those, 14 had multicentric CD associated with POEMS. There were no transplant-related deaths. All patients had at least a partial response to ASCT, most of whom achieved a complete response. The favorable outcomes seen with ASCT in this cohort suggest that transplantation may have a role in multicentric CD, particularly for patients with multicentric CD associated with POEMS.

Oncogenic gene expression and epigenetic remodeling of cis-regulatory elements in ASXL1-mutant chronic myelomonocytic leukemia

Myeloid neoplasms are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders driven by the sequential acquisition of recurrent genetic lesions. Truncating mutations in the chromatin remodeler ASXL1 (ASXL1MT) are associated with a high-risk disease phenotype with increased proliferation, epigenetic therapeutic resistance, and poor survival outcomes. We performed a multi-omics interrogation to define gene expression and chromatin remodeling associated with ASXL1MT in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). ASXL1MT are associated with a loss of repressive histone methylation and increase in permissive histone methylation and acetylation in promoter regions. ASXL1MT are further associated with de novo accessibility of distal enhancers binding ETS transcription factors, targeting important leukemogenic driver genes. Chromatin remodeling of promoters and enhancers is strongly associated with gene expression and heterogenous among overexpressed genes. These results provide a comprehensive map of the transcriptome and chromatin landscape of ASXL1MT CMML, forming an important framework for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting oncogenic cis interactions.

Impact of achieving a complete response to initial therapy of multiple myeloma and predictors of subsequent outcome

Achievement of a complete response (CR) in multiple myeloma (MM) correlates with improvement in survival outcomes; however, its impact on prognostic variables at baseline outside of clinical trial settings is not well described. We sought to determine the impact of achieving a CR within 2 years from diagnosis, its effect on the prognostic value of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and International Staging System (ISS) risk, and examined additional predictors of outcome among those achieving a CR in a routine clinical setting. We evaluated 1869 newly diagnosed MM patients who had ≥ 2 monoclonal protein immunofixation studies in the serum and urine available within 24 months from diagnosis, categorizing those with ≥ 2 negative serum and urine immunofixations as achieving CR. With a landmark at 24 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) for CR versus non-CR patients was 29.8 versus 20.9 months (p ≤ .0002); median overall survival (OS) was 104 versus 70 months (p < .0001). The impact of achieving a CR was retained after adjusting for FISH, ISS, sex, transplant status, and involved heavy chain. Baseline FISH and ISS stage were not associated with PFS or OS among patients achieving a CR. The following variables were found as predictors of inferior OS within the CR cohort: age > 75 years, male gender, hypoalbuminemia, and non-immunoglobulin G involved heavy chain. Our study confirms that achievement of CR within 2 years from diagnosis is associated with improvement in survival outcomes and neutralization of the impact of FISH and ISS risk, thereby confirming observations from the clinical trial setting among a clinical practice cohort.

Pre-activated antiviral innate immunity in the upper airways controls early SARS-CoV-2 infection in children

Children have reduced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates and a substantially lower risk for developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 compared with adults. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying protection in younger age groups remain unknown. Here we characterize the single-cell transcriptional landscape in the upper airways of SARS-CoV-2-negative (n = 18) and age-matched SARS-CoV-2-positive (n = 24) children and corresponding samples from adults (n = 44), covering an age range of 4 weeks to 77 years. Children displayed higher basal expression of relevant pattern recognition receptors such as MDA5 (IFIH1) and RIG-I (DDX58) in upper airway epithelial cells, macrophages and dendritic cells, resulting in stronger innate antiviral responses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection than in adults. We further detected distinct immune cell subpopulations including KLRC1 (NKG2A)+ cytotoxic T cells and a CD8+ T cell population with a memory phenotype occurring predominantly in children. Our study provides evidence that the airway immune cells of children are primed for virus sensing, resulting in a stronger early innate antiviral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection than in adults.

A simple additive staging system for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Risk stratification in multiple myeloma is important for prognostication, patient selection for clinical trials, and comparison of treatment approaches. We developed and validated a staging system that incorporates additional FISH abnormalities not included in the R-ISS and reflects the additive effects of co-occurring high-risk disease features. We first evaluated the prognostic value of predefined cytogenetic and laboratory abnormalities in 2556 Mayo Clinic patients diagnosed between February 2004 and June 2019. We then used data from 1327 patients to develop a risk stratification model and validated this in 502 patients enrolled in the MMRF CoMMpass study. On multivariate analysis, high-risk IgH translocations [risk ratio (RR): 1.7], 1q gain/amplification (RR: 1.4), chromosome17 abnormalities (RR: 1.6), ISS III (RR: 1.7), and elevated LDH (RR: 1.3) were independently associated with decreased overall survival (OS). Among 1327 evaluable patients, OS was 11.0 (95% CI: 9.2–12.6), 7.0 (95% CI: 6.3–9.2), and 4.5 (95% CI: 3.7–5.2) years in patients with 0 (stage I), 1 (stage II), and ≥2 (stage III) high-risk factors, respectively. In the MMRF cohort, median OS was 7.8 (95% CI: NR-NR), 6.0 (95% CI: 5.7-NR), and 4.3 (95% CI: 2.7-NR) years in the 3 groups, respectively (P < 0.001). This 5-factor, 3-tier system is easy to implement in practice and improves upon the current R-ISS.

Hypovitaminosis D Is Prevalent in Patients With Renal AL Amyloidosis and Associated With Renal Outcome

INTRODUCTION

Vitamin D deficiency is common, but no data have been reported on vitamin D levels in light chain (AL) amyloidosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this exploratory study, stored serum samples from 173 patients with newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis were analyzed for vitamin studies which included 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)₂D] and vitamin D binding protein (DBP). Measurements were made by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Kidney survival and overall survival (OS) were assessed in association to vitamin D status.

RESULTS

Cardiac and kidney involvement occurred in 69% and 63% of patients, respectively. 25(OH)D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was seen in 56.6% of the patients and was notably found among patients with heavy proteinuria (96%), hypoalbuminemia (84.3%) and morbidly obese patients (68.3%). Heavy proteinuria (>5 gr/24-h) and vitamin D supplementation were independent predictors of 25(OH)D level on nominal multivariate regression analysis. 1,25(0H)₂D deficiency was noted in 37.6% of patients and was independently associated with low eGFR and hypoalbuminemia. Progression to ESRD occurred in 23.7% of evaluable patients. Patients who progressed to ESRD had lower serum 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)₂D levels compared to those who did not progress to ESRD. On a multivariate analysis, severe 25(OH)D deficiency was an independent predictor of progression to ESRD as was renal stage, while 1,25(OH)₂D deficiency was not.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypovitaminosis D is common in AL amyloidosis, particularly among patients with heavy proteinuria. Severe 25(OH)D deficiency at time of diagnosis predicts progression to ESRD.

Mortality trends in multiple myeloma after the introduction of novel therapies in the United States

Advances in the understanding of disease biology, drug development, and supportive care have led to improved outcomes in multiple myeloma. Given that these improvements have been reported in clinical trial and referral center populations, questions remain about the generalizability of this observation to patients treated in the community. Contrasting the overall survival experience of 3783 patients seen at Mayo Clinic and 57,654 patients followed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) between 2004 and 2018, we observed different mortality trends across patient populations and subgroups. Early mortality decreased and estimated 5-year overall survival increased over time in both patient populations. Excess mortality (compared to the general population) declined over time in Mayo Clinic patients and remained largely unchanged in SEER patients. Improvements over time were primarily observed in patients with favorable disease characteristics and older patients with multiple myeloma remain a vulnerable population with significant excess mortality compared to the United States general population. Patients with unfavorable disease characteristics have derived disproportionately less benefit from recent advances in the field. Future efforts need to focus on the development of safe and effective therapies for these patients and on increasing timely access to specialized care for patients in the community.

The Prognostic Role of MYC Structural Variants Identified by NGS and FISH in Multiple Myeloma

PURPOSE

Structural variants (SV) of the MYC gene region are common in multiple myeloma and influence disease progression. However, the prognostic significance of different MYC SVs in multiple myeloma has not been clearly established.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective study of multiple myeloma comparing MYC SV subtypes identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and FISH to MYC expression and disease survival using 140 cases from Mayo Clinic and 658 cases from the MMRF CoMMpass study.

RESULTS

MYC SVs were found in 41% of cases and were classified into nine subtypes. A correlation between the presence of a MYC SV and increased MYC expression was identified. Among the nine MYC subtypes, the non-immunoglobulin (non-Ig) insertion subtype was independently associated with improved outcomes, while the Ig insertion subtype, specifically involving the IgL gene partner, was independently associated with poorer outcomes compared with other MYC SV subtypes. Although the FISH methodology failed to detect approximately 70% of all MYC SVs, those detected by FISH were associated with elevated MYC gene expression and poor outcomes suggesting a different pathogenic role for FISH-detected MYC subtypes compared with other MYC subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the impact of different MYC SVs on disease outcome is necessary for the reliable interpretation of MYC SVs in multiple myeloma. NGS approaches should be considered as a replacement technique for a more comprehensive evaluation of the multiple myeloma clone.