Disrupted tongue microbiota and detection of nonindigenous bacteria on the day of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Disruption of the intestinal microbiota caused by intensive chemotherapy, irradiation and antibiotics can result in development of severe gut graft-versus-host disease and infectious complications, leading to poorer outcomes among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients. Although the oral cavity is also densely colonized by indigenous microorganisms, the bacterial composition in allo-HSCT recipients remains unclear. We determined the tongue microbiota composition of 45 patients with hematological disorders on the day of transplantation and compared them to 164 community-dwelling adults. The V1–V2 regions of the 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that the allo-HSCT recipients had less diverse and distinct microbiota from that of community-dwelling adults. The full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences identified 146 bacterial taxa in the microbiota of allo-HSCT recipients, of which 34 bacterial taxa did not correspond to bacteria primarily inhabiting the oral cavity deposited in the expanded Human Oral Microbiome Database. Notably, the detection of Staphylococcus haemolyticus and/or Ralstonia pickettii was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality during the follow-up period. These results demonstrate that the oral cavity of allo-HSCT recipients is colonized by a disrupted microbiota on the day of transplantation and suggest that detection of specific nonindigenous taxa could be a predictor of transplant outcome.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients are subjected to intensive chemotherapy, irradiation and antibiotics which could affect the intestinal as well as oral microbiota. We employed full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis with high taxonomic resolution using a third-generation sequencer, PacBio Sequel, and determined the bacterial composition of the tongue microbiota of allo-HSCT recipients after conditioning regimens. This comprehensive molecular approach identified 34 taxa uncommon in the oral cavity, which constituted 0–99.4% (median, 0.27%) of each tongue microbiota. Of them, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Ralstonia pickettii were frequently found in allo-HSCT recipients, and their detection was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality during the follow-up period. These results suggest that careful attention should be given to the bacterial composition of the disrupted oral microbiota in allo-HSCT recipients.

Successful allogeneic stem cell transplantation in a case with acute myeloid leukemia and invasive Schizophyllum commune rhinosinusitis

Schizophyllum commune, a basidiomycete fungus, is a quite rare cause of invasive sinusitis for which no standard treatment has yet been established. We report herein a 59-year-old woman who developed S. commune rhinosinusitis after remission induction chemotherapy for her acute myeloid leukemia. No causative microorganisms were identified in the sinus lavage fluid culture, whereas nucleotide sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region using endoscopic sinus biopsy specimen could confirm the pathogen as S. commune. Liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole (VRCZ) treatment ameliorated both her clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. The patient was successfully treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation, under continuous VRCZ administration, without aggravation of S. commune sinusitis. Molecular diagnosis and prompt intervention with suitable antifungal drugs may be crucial to manage this rare infectious complication.

Possible Lightest Ξ Hypernucleus with Modern ΞN Interactions

Experimental evidence exists that the Ξ-nucleus interaction is attractive. We search for NNΞ and NNNΞ bound systems on the basis of the AV8 NN potential combined with either a phenomenological Nijmegen ΞN potential or a first principles HAL QCD ΞN potential. The binding energies of the three-body and four-body systems (below the d+Ξ and ^{3}H/^{3}He+Ξ thresholds, respectively) are calculated by a high precision variational approach, the Gaussian expansion method. Although the two ΞN potentials have significantly different isospin (T) and spin (S) dependence, the NNNΞ system with quantum numbers (T=0, J^{π}=1^{+}) appears to be bound (one deep for Nijmegen and one shallow for HAL QCD) below the ^{3}H/^{3}He+Ξ threshold. Experimental implications for such a state are discussed.

Increasing Diluent Volume Decreases Bendamustine-Induced Venous Irritation without Reducing the Therapeutic Efficacy

The intravenous injection of bendamustine often induces venous irritation, which reduces patients' QOL. We previously reported that the dilution of the final volume of bendamustine from 250 to 500 mL significantly decreased the incidence of venous irritation. However, the influence of this change on the therapeutic efficacy of bendamustine remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety profiles of bendamustine at different dilutions of the final volume, comparing with the correspondences of previous studies. Thirty-four patients, who received a total of 161 courses of bendamustine and rituximab chemotherapy, were included in this study. The overall response rate of this regimen was 94.1% in this study, which was comparable to that reported in the BRB study (94.2%, a phase II study of bendamustine plus rituximab therapy in Japanese patients). Additionally, the median progression-free survival was not inferior to that reported in the BRB study. Bendamustine-induced venous irritation was observed in 17.6% of the patients during the first treatment cycle administered at a final volume of 500 mL, and was found to be lower than that observed in the control, where bendamustine was administered at a final volume of 250 mL (85.7%). These results suggest that diluting bendamustine to 500 mL, but not to 250 mL, reduces the incidence of venous irritation without a negative impact on its therapeutic efficacy; thus, this simple strategy may be beneficial to ensure efficacy and safety in patients receiving regimens including bendamustine.

Outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome

Although allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been reported to provide prolonged remission of relapsed/refractory mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS), its role has not been fully evaluated. Here, the outcomes of allogeneic HSCT for patients with MF/SS were retrospectively evaluated by using the registry database of the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Forty-eight patients were evaluable and enrolled in the analysis. Median age was 45.5 years. Eighteen patients (38%) received myeloablative conditioning, and 33 (69%) received HSCT from an alternative donor. Disease status was complete or partial response in 25% of the patients and relapsed or refractory in the others. At the time of analysis, 18 patients were alive, with a median follow-up of 31.0 months (range, 3.8-31.1). Three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 30% (95%CI, 16-45%) and 19% (95%CI, 9-31%), respectively. Disease progression was not observed later than 17 months after transplantation. Both disease status and performance status at transplant significantly affected OS and PFS. Although our findings suggest that allogeneic HSCT provides long-term PFS in patients with MF/SS, the timing of transplantation should be decided carefully based on the disease status and the patient's condition in order to improve the outcome.

Late mortality and causes of death among long-term survivors after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

By evaluating risks of late mortality and causes of death among long-term survivors after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in Japan, we clarified what we should focus on during follow-up to reduce them. The study cohort included 6,780 patients who had survived for ≥2 years after the first autologous HSCT performed from 1974 to 2012 for hematological diseases. With a median follow-up of 6.0 years among survivors, overall survival probabilities at 5 and 10 years after HSCT were 92% and 83%, respectively. Eight hundred thirty deaths occurred: 451, recurrent primary diseases; 87, subsequent solid cancers; 57, subsequent hematological malignancies; 55, infections; 41, respiratory diseases; 19, cardiovascular diseases; 15, liver diseases; 10, neurological diseases; and 7, kidney/genitourinary diseases (Except small numbers of other causes and missing). According to the log-rank test, the risk of overall mortality was remarkably increased among HSCT recipients compared with the that in the general Japanese population (observed/expected ratio [O/E]=5.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0-5.8). The risks of cause-specific mortality increased with infection (O/E=6.8; 95% CI, 5.1-8.8), subsequent solid cancers (O/E=1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7), subsequent hematological malignancies (O/E=14.3; 95% CI, 10.8-18.5), kidney/genitourinary diseases (O/E=3.4; 95% CI, 1.4-7.1), respiratory disease (O/E=9.0; 95% CI, 6.5-1.2), and liver diseases (O/E=2.6; 95% CI, 1.4-4.2). Long-term survivors after autologous HSCT are at an increased risk of death due to secondary cancers, infections, and any organ diseases as well as recurrence compared to the general population. When monitoring these patients in the outpatient clinic, it is important for physicians to predict a change in the patient's condition and to start treatment earlier.

Phase 1b/2 study of blinatumomab in Japanese adults with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Adult patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a poor prognosis. Blinatumomab is a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) immuno-oncology therapy with dual specificity for CD19 and CD3 that redirects patients' CD3-positive cytotoxic T cells to lyse malignant and normal B cells. We conducted an open-label, phase 1b/2 study to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics, efficacy and recommended dose of blinatumomab in Japanese adults with R/R B-precursor ALL. Patients received 9 μg/day blinatumomab during week 1 and 28 μg/day during weeks 2-4, with a 2-week treatment-free interval (6-week cycle); patients received 28 μg/day blinatumomab in subsequent cycles. Primary endpoints were the incidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) in phase 1b and complete remission (CR)/CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) within the first two cycles in phase 2. A total of 26 patients enrolled and 25 (96%) reported grade ≥3 adverse events (mostly cytopenias). There were no DLT. CR/CRh within two cycles was achieved by 4 of 5 patients (80%) in phase 1b and 8 of 21 patients (38%) in phase 2. Among patients with evaluable minimal residual disease, 4 (100%) in phase 1b and 3 (38%) in phase 2 had a complete MRD response. Median RFS for 8 patients who achieved CR/CRh in phase 2 was 5 (95% CI: 3.5-6.4) months; median OS was not estimable. There were no significant associations between maximum cytokine levels or percentage of specific cell types during cycle 1 and response. Consistent with global studies, blinatumomab appeared to be safe and efficacious in Japanese adults with R/R ALL.

Low incidence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with lymphoma treated with rituximab

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Several studies of risk factors for PTLD have been reported; however, the probability of, and risk factors for, PTLD in patients with lymphoma is unknown. Japanese nationwide transplant registry data from 5270 patients with lymphoma after allogeneic HSCT were analyzed. Mature B-cell, T/NK-cell, and T-cell lymphoblastic subtypes accounted for 49%, 26%, and 9.6% of lymphoma cases, respectively. Rituximab was used in 1678 lymphoma patients, most of whom (89%) received HSCT for mature B-cell lymphoma. Thirty-one patients with lymphoma developed PTLD, representing a probability of 0.77% at 2 years post-HSCT, which did not differ significantly from that in patients with other diseases (P = .98). Year of HSCT after 2010 (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-21.3), antithymocyte globulin (ATG) use in the conditioning regimen (HR = 4.5, 95% CI, 1.61-12.5), and no rituximab use before HSCT (HR = 3.2, 95% CI, 1.26-7.90) were identified as risk factors for PTLD. Probabilities of PTLD at 1 year post-HSCT according to rituximab and ATG use were 0.23% (rituximab+, ATG-), 0.75% (rituximab-, ATG-), 1.25% (rituximab+, ATG+), and 3.53% (rituximab-, ATG+). Regarding lymphoma subtypes, patients with mature B-cell lymphoma had the lowest incidence of PTLD (0.35% at 2 years). Among high-risk patients receiving ATG, the mortality rate due to infection was elevated in those previously treated with rituximab (22%) relative to those without (14%); however, the difference was not significant (P = .10). Rituximab use before HSCT significantly reduces the risk of PTLD. Adding rituximab to the conditioning regimen is potentially a good strategy to prevent the development of PTLD in high-risk patients.

Phase I/II study of bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone treatment for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

Use of novel agents, including proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs, has markedly improved outcomes in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, most MM patients eventually relapse and require salvage treatments. We report herein the result of a phase I/II study, performed from 2014 to 2017 to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of lenalidomide (Len) combined with a fixed dose of once weekly subcutaneous (sc) 1.3 mg/m² of bortezomib plus 20 mg of dexamethasone (scVRd regimen) in relapsed/refractory MM patients in the Japanese population. In the phase I part, dose-limiting toxicities were observed in three of six patients treated with 20 mg of Len; the MTD was accordingly defined as 15 mg in our cohort. In the phase II part, the recommended dose of the scVRD regimen showed a 71.4% best overall response rate, with a median overall survival of 14.8 months and a median progression-free survival of 8 months. Severe adverse events (≥ grade 3) were observed in ~ 15% of the patients, indicating the tolerability and efficacy of the regimen. Less prior treatment was associated with higher probability of durable response. This scVRd regimen may thus be a better fit for MM patients in early-stage relapse.

[Cytotoxic chemotherapy for AML in adults]

Genomics and novel molecularly targeted drugs for treating acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are developing rapidly. To optimize the allocation of patients to the best possible treatment, we have to expedite test results of cytogenetic and molecular analyses for target mutations such as CBF and FLT3, since gene mutations are specifically associated with patient prognosis and therefore inform medical decision making. However, novel agents cannot completely eradicate AML because of the emergence of resistance to these agents; therefore, at the moment it is still necessary to combine cytotoxic treatment with novel agents. Hence, it becomes vital to understand how to stratify AML patients and subsequently treat the right patients with the right combination of cytotoxic treatments and novel agents.

Prophylactic Antiemetics for Haematological Malignancies: Prospective Nationwide Survey Subset Analysis in Japan

BACKGROUND/AIM

Although neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists are approved chemotherapy drugs in Japan, no nationwide surveys have been performed to validate chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) guidelines in clinical practice. This study evaluated CINV in patients with haematological malignancies starting first-time chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A nationwide CINV survey on patients with haematological malignancies was conducted at 118 institutions. Patients undergoing moderately emetic chemotherapy (n=17) and highly emetic chemotherapy (HEC; n=180) were compared.

RESULTS

Forty-one patients undergoing HEC received triple antiemetics. Female gender and young age were risk factors for early-phase nausea, while female gender remained a risk factor for late-phase nausea and vomiting. Among 125 patients receiving CHOP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone)-like regimens, complete response and complete control were increased in patients receiving triple antiemetics, compared to those with double antiemetics.

CONCLUSION

Guideline compliance was very low. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend for reduced CINV and improved disease control for triple versus double antiemetics, suggesting that triple antiemetics should be considered for HEC, especially in young female patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma receiving CHOP-like regimens.

Outcomes of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for ATL with HTLV-1 Antibody-Positive Donors

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is the only available curative treatment option for patients with aggressive adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL). Donor human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV) 1 seropositivity is a critical concern when choosing relative donors, as they are not usually recommended due solely to the occurrence of donor-derived ATL. A previous report suggested that allo-HCT with an HTLV-1-seropositive donor increased ATL-related mortality. We updated the risk assessment for choosing an HTLV-1-seropositive allo-HCT donor for ATL. Our current registry data, which include larger numbers of HTLV-1-seropositive donors and longer observation periods, revealed no significant difference in overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.24; P = .61) or cumulative incidence of either ATL-related (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.64 to 1.45; P = .80) or non-ATL-related mortality (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.37; P = .66). Similarly, when considering only patients with ATL in complete remission, there was no significant difference in overall survival (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.70 to 1.49; P = .91) or cumulative incidence of either ATL-related (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.66 to 2.20; P=0.54) or non-ATL-related mortality (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.52-1.42; P = .66). These data indicate that selecting HTLV-1-seropositive donors might not be contraindicated for patients with ATL receiving allo-HCT if alternative donors are unavailable. Further risk assessment remains to be performed.

Topological charge transport by mobile dielectric-ferroelectric domain walls

The concept of topology has been widely applied in condensed matter physics, leading to the identification of peculiar electronic states on three-dimensional (3D) surfaces or 2D lines separating topologically distinctive regions. In the systems explored so far, the topological boundaries are built-in walls; thus, their motional degrees of freedom, which potentially bring about new paradigms, have been experimentally inaccessible. Here, working with a quasi-1D organic material with a charge-transfer instability, we show that mobile neutral-ionic (dielectric-ferroelectric) domain boundaries with topological charges carry strongly 1D-confined and anomalously large electrical conduction with an energy gap much smaller than the one-particle excitation gap. This consequence is further supported by nuclear magnetic resonance detection of spin solitons, which are required for steady current of topological charges. The present observation of topological charge transport may open a new channel for broad charge transport-related phenomena such as thermoelectric effects.

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia in adults: 25 years of experience in Japan

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has not gained universal popularity in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and its status remains unclear. To determine the implementation status and outcomes of autologous HCT for adults with AML in Japan, we analyzed data from 1,174 patients (including 446 with acute promyelocytic leukemia [APL]) who underwent autologous HCT between 1992 and 2016 consecutively reported to the Japanese nationwide transplantation registry. The annual number of transplantations peaked at 82 cases in 1997, and has recently remained at around 40 cases. The percentage of APL has increased sharply since 2004, and currently exceeds 70%. While most non-APL patients underwent autologous HCT during first complete remission (CR), transplantation during second CR has become mainstream for APL patients since the early 2000s. The 5-year survival, relapse, and non-relapse mortality rates were 55.3%, 42.1%, and 8.6% for non-APL patients, and 87.6%, 12.9%, and 3.4% for APL patients, respectively. Patients transplanted in the later period showed better survival than those transplanted in the earlier period, both for non-APL (P < 0.001) and APL (P = 0.036). These results clearly show the various changes in transplantation practice and post-transplant outcomes in Japan over the past 25 years.

Mixed Chimerism and Secondary Graft Failure in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Aplastic Anemia

Mixed chimerism (MC) and/or secondary graft failure (SGF) with recipient- or donor-type chimerism is a major obstacle in allogeneic transplantation for aplastic anemia (AA). From a registry database in Japan, patients with AA age >15 years who underwent a first allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation between 2000 and 2014 and achieved engraftment were included in this study. MC that did not require either granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) or transfusion support (group 1), MC (not SGF) that required G-CSF and/or transfusion support (group 2), SGF with MC or complete recipient-type chimerism (group 3), and SGF with complete donor-type chimerism (group 4) developed in 26, 16, 19, and 17 patients, respectively. The overall median duration of follow-up for survivors was 1727 days. The overall survival (OS) was 90.4% at 1 year and 83.5% at 5 years in patients without MC or SGF (n = 340), which was not different from the OS in groups 1 and 2. However, inferior OS was observed in group 3 (1 year, 52.1%; 5 years, 52.1%) and group 4 (1 year, 82.4%; 5 years, 56.3%). In multivariate analyses, the use of fludarabine (Flu) and the absence of irradiation in conditioning were associated with the development of SGF with MC or complete recipient-type chimerism, and the use of Flu in conditioning was associated with SGF with complete donor-type chimerism. In conclusion, the use of Flu may affect the occurrence of SGF with both recipient-type and donor-type chimerism.

P3121Cancer therapeutics-related heart failure from a cohort study using big data of electronic health record in Japan

Background

The prognosis of cancer patients has been improved partly because of the progress in cancer therapy, which increases the cancer survivors in the society. It may raise a concern regarding the development of heart failure (HF), because the anticancer agents have some serious side effects on cardiovascular system, especially in the aging society including Japan. However, the epidemiological data for the risk of HF in the cancer survivors is limited due to the lack of comprehensive dataset in the aging society. In this regard, the electronic health record (EHR), a big data, from the National Health Insurance in Japan provides a unique opportunity to obtain the suitable dataset.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to clarify the prevalence and the risk factors of HF in cancer survivors, focusing on the impact of their age, using EHR in Japan.

Methods

We examined the EHR of 17.8 million patients, covering 14% of the total Japanese population. The EHR includes the diagnoses as coded with International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), and the information for therapeutics. We extracted 159,380 patients who received anticancer agents between April 2008 to January 2017. HF patients were identified accordingto ICD-10 codes and the record for the use of therapeutic drugs for HF at least once after the HF diagnosis following the treatment with anticancer agents. We excluded the patients if they had other conditions indistinguishable from HF or if they had past history of HF before receiving anticancer agents.

Results

The mean follow-up period was 1.75 years and mean age (standard deviation) was 68.9 (11.6) years. The population over 75 years old were 37%, while males were 59.5%. There were prostate cancer (28.1%), lung cancer (13.4%), and colon cancer (12.6%)in males, and breast cancer (42.8%), colon cancer (11.5%), and lung cancer (8.6%)in females. Among them, 5,529 patients were diagnosed with HF, corresponding to the prevalence of 3.8%. The mean time form the initiation of chemotherapy to the HF onset was 1.03 year. In the Cox's proportional hazard model after the adjustments for comorbidity, HF was more prevalent in males with hazard ratio (HR) 1.07 and 95% C.I. 1.01–1.13 (p<0.05) and in those with obesity (HR 1.18, 95% C.I. 1.09–1.26, p<0.01).We divided the subjects into three age groups (younger; <65 years, intermediate; 65–74 years, older; ≥75 years). HF was more prevalent in older group than younger group (HR 1.72, 95% C.I. 1.60–1.85, p<0.01). Among the anticancer agents, doxorubicin showed HR 2.09 (95% C.I. 1.89–2.3, p<0.01), and trastuzumab showed HR 1.47 (95% C.I 1.25–1.73, p<0.01).

Conclusion

We showed that the average prevalence of HF after anticancer agentwas 3.8%. The independent risk factors for HF were older age, male, obesity, and the use of doxorubicin or trastuzumab. This study also demonstrated the usefulness of EHR in Japan, to investigate the cardiovascular risk associated with the anticancer agents.

P2622Use of intravenous vasodilators in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure: insights from Tokyo cardiovascular care unit network database

Background

Despite recommendations from clinical practice guidelines, there is scant evidence confirming the effects of vasodilators on clinical outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (AHF).

Purpose

We sought to investigate the effects of intravenous vasodilators on clinical outcomes and to identify the potential patient populations that would benefit from its use.

Methods

Data of 26 212 consecutive patients urgently hospitalized for AHF between 2009 and 2015 were extracted from a multicenter data registration system (Tokyo Cardiovascular Care Unit Network Database, including 72 institutions within the Tokyo metropolitan area in Japan). Patients who did not present with typical AHF episodes, including those without pulmonary congestion on physical and/or chest X-ray and serum B-type natriuretic peptide level <500 pg/ml, as well as those who had hypotension and/or hypoperfusion (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <100 mmHg) as dominant presentation, were excluded. Propensity scores were calculated with multiple imputation and 1:1 matching performed between patients with and without vasodilators. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality and the secondary endpoints were length of intensive/cardiovascular care unit (ICU/CCU) stay and hospital stay.

Results

Overall, 8 863 patients were included in the present analysis; they were predominantly male (57%) with a median age of 79 (interquartile range: 70–86) years. Compared with the group without vasodilator use, the vasodilator group had higher SBPs and heart rates and higher frequency of assisted ventilation use, but lower frequency of intravenous diuretics use. After propensity score matching, there were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality rates (7.8% vs. 8.9% in patients without vasodilators, p=0.16) or in length of ICU/CCU stay (5.8 days vs. 5.4 days, p=0.44) and hospital stay (22.7 days vs. 23.8 days, p=0.22) between the groups. However, in subgroup analyses, favorable impacts of vasodilator use on in-hospital mortality were observed among patients who had higher SBPs and among those who had no atrial fibrillation upon admission (Figure). In addition, vasodilators were likely to be more effective in AHF patients with SBP increasing; while levels below 140 mmHg of SBP appeared to be associated with an increased risk for mortality among patients treated with vasodilators compared with those without vasodilators.

Figure 1

Conclusions

In patients with AHF, vasodilator use was not universally associated with improved in-hospital outcomes; however, its effect was dependent of individual clinical presentation. Detailed phenotyping might aid tailoring of treatment strategies for patients with AHF.

Acknowledgement/Funding

the Tokyo Metropolitan Government

P1650Clinical significance of uNGAL, uKIM-1, and uL-FABP in patients with acute pulmonary edema

Introduction

Novel urinary biomarkers such as urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (u-NGAL),urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (u-KIM-1), and urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) are proposed to be reliable markers for acute heart failure (AHF). Acute pulmonary edema (APE) is one of the vascular phenotypes of AHF, such as `vascular failure”, often with high blood pressure at admission. We aimed to investigate the differences in the clinical impact and prognostic utility of urinary biomarkers in AHF patients with and without APE.

Methods and results

This prospective observational study included 203 AHF patients (mean age: 77 years, 52% male). uL-FABP, u-NGAL, and u-KIM-1 were measured at admission and before discharge, with correction for urinary creatinine. APE was defined as acute-onset dyspnea and radiographic alveolar edema requiring non-invasive positive pressure ventilation. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death and AHF rehospitalization for 1 year. The median uL-FABP levels at admission were higher in APE (n=42) than in non-APE patients (n=161; 10.8 [4.5–23.7] vs. 20.7 [5.9–63.5] μg/gCr, p=0.017), whereas u-KIM-1, u-NGAL, and serum creatinine did not significantly differ between AHF patients with and without APE. The primary outcome did not differ between patients with and without APE. However, among patients with APE, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that higher uL-FABP (≥median: 20.7 μg/gCr) was associated with adverse events (log-rank: p=0.019). After adjusting for age, sex, serum creatinine, and brain natriuretic peptide, multivariable Cox hazard analysis showed that higher uL-FABP is an independent predictor of adverse events (HR: 4.0 [1.2–18.2], p=0.023).

Conclusion

Unlike u-NGAL and u-KIM-1, uL-FABP was higher in APE patients than in non-APE patients. Further, among patients with APE, higher uL-FABP was predictive for poor prognosis.

Acknowledgement/Funding

None

Usefulness of medication instruction sheets for sharing information on cancer chemotherapy within the health care team

Patients receiving cancer chemotherapy may experience a number of potentially severe adverse drug reactions. It is crucial for all members of the health care team to monitor the effect of medicines on the patient to ensure the safety and efficacy of the chemotherapy. The present study prepared medication instruction sheets (MISs) on hematological malignancy and conducted a questionnaire survey to verify their usefulness among physicians, dentists, and nurses. MISs were prepared for 103 chemotherapy and 44 pretreatment regimens for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the Department of Hematology at Kyushu University Hospital. Eight questions were prepared to investigate whether MISs could help physicians, dentists, and nurses manage cancer chemotherapy more safely, effectively, and efficiently, as well as in the sharing of information. A total of 35 medical staff working in inpatient wards, including 8 physicians, 3 dentists, and 24 nurses, participated in the questionnaire survey. All of the staff responded to the questionnaire survey, which showed that the MISs were favorably accepted by the participants. There was no negative opinion on the management of chemotherapy using the MISs. The MIS was a useful tool for sharing information on cancer chemotherapy between patients and medical staff and for enabling efficient management, thereby improving the safety and efficacy of treatment.

Impact of High-Frequency HLA Haplotypes on Clinical Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Some studies support the hypothesis that HLA genes and haplotypes evolved by natural selection through their protective abilities against specific infectious pathogens. However, very little is known regarding the impact of high-frequency HLA haplotypes on the risk of relevant infectious diseases among a given ethnic group. We evaluated the impact of high-frequency HLA haplotypes on cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and infection in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in a Japanese population as a model of infectious disease that has coexisted with humans. A total of 21,127 donor-patient pairs were analyzed. HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotypes were estimated using the maximum probability algorithm. Seven haplotypes with >1% frequency were defined as high-frequency haplotypes (HfHPs). Homozygotes of HfHP and heterozygotes had significantly lower risk of CMV reactivation and infection (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.88, P = .009 and HR = 0.93, P = .003, respectively) than homozygotes of low-frequency HLA haplotypes (LfHPs). In subgroup analyses of a different donor source, these associations were statistically significant in unrelated donor transplants. Finally, CMV risk for homozygotes and heterozygotes of each HfHP was compared with that of homozygotes of LfHPs. The 2 most predominant HfHP groups (A*24:02-B*52:01-DRB1*15:02 group and A*24:02-B*07:02-DRB1*01:01 group) had a significantly lower risk of CMV reactivation and infection (HR = 0.86, P < .001 and HR = 0.91, P = .033, respectively). Our findings suggest that HfHPs may be protective against CMV reactivation and infection and that increased care regarding CMV reactivation and infection may be necessary for patients with LfHP after allo-HSCT.