High-Dose Etoposide Plus Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor as an Effective Chemomobilization Regimen for Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Previously Treated with CHOP-based Chemotherapy: A Study from the Consortium for Improving Survival of Lymphoma

Etoposide-mediated interleukin-8 secretion from bone marrow stromal cells induces hematopoietic stem cell mobilization

Background

We assessed the mechanism of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization using etoposide with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and determined how this mechanism differs from that induced by cyclophosphamide with G-CSF or G-CSF alone.

Methods

We compared the clinical features of 173 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients who underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT). Additionally, we performed in vitro experiments to assess the changes in human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs), which support the HSCs in the bone marrow (BM) niche, following cyclophosphamide or etoposide exposure. We also performed animal studies under standardized conditions to ensure the following: exclude confounding factors, mimic the conditions in clinical practice, and identify the changes in the BM niche caused by etoposide-induced chemo-mobilization or other mobilization methods.

Results

Retrospective analysis of the clinical data revealed that the etoposide with G-CSF mobilization group showed the highest yield of CD34+ cells and the lowest change in white blood cell counts during mobilization. In in vitro experiments, etoposide triggered interleukin (IL)-8 secretion from the BMSCs and caused long-term BMSC toxicity. To investigate the manner in which the hBMSC-released IL-8 affects hHSCs in the BM niche, we cultured hHSCs with or without IL-8, and found that the number of total, CD34+, and CD34+/CD45- cells in IL-8-treated cells was significantly higher than the respective number in hHSCs cultured without IL-8 (p = 0.014, 0.020, and 0.039, respectively). Additionally, the relative expression of CXCR2 (an IL-8 receptor), and mTOR and c-MYC (components of IL-8-related signaling pathways) increased 1 h after IL-8 treatment. In animal studies, the etoposide with G-CSF mobilization group presented higher IL-8-related cytokine and MMP9 expression and lower SDF-1 expression in the BM, compared to the groups not treated with etoposide.

Conclusion

Collectively, the unique mechanism of etoposide with G-CSF-induced mobilization is associated with IL-8 secretion from the BMSCs, which is responsible for the enhanced proliferation and mobilization of HSCs in the bone marrow; this was not observed with mobilization using cyclophosphamide with G-CSF or G-CSF alone. However, the long-term toxicity of etoposide toward BMSCs emphasizes the need for the development of more efficient and safe chemo-mobilization strategies.

Etoposide + Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor and Optional Plerixafor in Patients Who Failed Chemomobilization with or without Plerixafor

We conducted a retrospective study of 62 patients undergoing etoposide (2 g/m²) + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; 10 patients also received additional plerixafor) as a salvage stem cell mobilization regimen after previous unsuccessful chemomobilization with or without plerixafor. The median peak CD34⁺ values after etoposide + G-CSF ± plerixafor was 54.07 CD34⁺/μL compared with 9.6 CD34⁺/μL after previous mobilization attempts (P < .001). The median yield was 6.33 × 10⁶ CD34⁺ cells/kg per 2 apheresis. Etoposide + G-CSF ± plerixafor mobilization regimen resulted in 91.53% successful mobilizations and 89.83% of patients proceeding to autologous stem cell transplantation. All 7 patients who had previously failed plerixafor-based mobilization attempts were successfully mobilized with etoposide + G-CSF ± plerixafor and proceeded to autologous stem cell transplantation. The most common grades 3 to 4 adverse events of etoposide + G-CSF ± plerixafor were febrile neutropenia (69.35%), mucositis (51.62%), and bacteremia (20.97%). No fatal outcomes were observed. Rates of 12-month overall survival and progression-free survival were 88.71% and 70.97%, respectively. Etoposide + G-CSF ± plerixafor is an effective regimen for salvage stem cell mobilization also in patients who failed plerixafor, with most patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. The adverse event rate may warrant a decrease in the dose of etoposide.

High-dose etoposide could discriminate the benefit from autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in the patients with refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma

To evaluate the strategy of using high-dose etoposide mobilization followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) refractory to rituximab-based chemotherapy. Forty patients with refractory DLBCL were treated with high-dose etoposide for stem cell mobilization. All patients were in progressive disease (PD) prior to mobilization and underwent high-dose chemotherapy followed by APBSCT. Successful PBSC mobilization was achieved in all patients. Twenty-three patients (57.5%) showed a clinical response to high-dose etoposide. After APBSCT, 17 patients (42.5%) achieved CR. The 2-year progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rate were higher in patients responding to high-dose etoposide (64.1% and 77.7%) compared to those without response (11.8% and 11.8%; P < 0.001 for both). The response to high-dose etoposide mobilization therapy was an independent prognostic factor for CR achievement, PFS and OS after APBSCT. High-dose etoposide mobilization chemotherapy followed by APBSCT could rescue a proportion of patients with refractory DLBCL who responded to etoposide mobilization regimen.

The effect of the dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatin (DHAP) regimen on stem cell mobilization and transplant outcomes of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who are candidates for up-front autologous stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Data on dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatin (DHAP) as a mobilization regimen, compared to high-dose cyclophosphamide (HDC), for up-front autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is limited.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with aggressive NHL treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) or rituximab-CHOP who underwent chemomobilization using HDC or DHAP plus granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for up-front ASCT were enrolled from three institutions between 2004 and 2014.

RESULTS

Ninety-six patients (57 men) were included. Sixty-five patients (67.7%) received HDC; and 31 (32.3%), DHAP. The total CD34+ cells mobilized were significantly higher in patients receiving DHAP (16.1 vs. 6.1 × 106/kg, p = 0.001). More patients achieved successful mobilization with DHAP (CD34+ cells ≥ 5.0 × 106/kg) compared to HDC (87.1% vs. 61.5%, respectively; p = 0.011), particularly within the first two sessions of apheresis (64.5% vs. 32.3%, respectively; p = 0.003). Mobilization failure rate (CD34+ cells < 2.0 × 106/kg) was significantly higher in patients receiving HDC (20.0% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.032). On multivariate analysis, the DHAP regimen (odds ratio, 4.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 15.17) was an independent predictor of successful mobilization. During chemomobilization, patients receiving HDC experienced more episodes of febrile neutropenia compared to patients receiving DHAP (32.3% vs. 12.9%, p = 0.043).

CONCLUSION

The DHAP regimen was associated with a significantly higher efficacy for stem cell mobilization and lower frequency of febrile neutropenia. Therefore, DHAP plus G-CSF is an effective for mobilization in patients with aggressive NHL who were candidates for up-front ASCT.

Neutropenic fever during peripheral blood progenitor cell mobilization is associated with decreased CD34+ cell collection and increased apheresis collection days

BACKGROUND

Peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization with chemotherapy in addition to Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) improves cell collection compared to G-CSF alone; however, it is associated with increased risk of neutropenic fever (NF).

METHODS

We analyzed risk factors for post-priming NF and NF association with autologous stem cell transplant outcomes. Between 1998 and 2008, 593 adult patients with lymphoma underwent PBPC mobilization with etoposide and G-CSF.

RESULTS

Median age was 51 years (range 18-77) and 372 (63%) were male. Diagnoses were 457 (77%) non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 136 (23%) Hodgkin lymphoma. Of 554 (93%) transplanted patients, majority were in complete or partial remission at time of transplant (88%). Overall, 141 (24%) patients were hospitalized for NF. Nine patients (6%) had bacteremia, 4 (3%) had pneumonia, 2 (<1%) had herpes simplex viral infections, and the remaining 126 (90%) had no identified infection source. NF patients had lower likelihood of proceeding to transplant (86% vs. 96%, P < .001), lower CD34+ cell dose collection (median 7.23 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg vs. 8.98 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg, P = .002), and were more likely to require > 4 days of apheresis (48% vs. 37%, P < .001). NF was associated with a higher 30-day readmission rate following transplant hospitalization (17% vs. 9%, P = .012).

CONCLUSION

NF during etoposide priming is associated with lower likelihood of proceeding to transplant, lower CD34+ cell dose collection, more apheresis days required for collection and a higher 30-day readmission rate following transplant discharge.

[Follicular lymphoma. High-dose immunochemotherapy with autologous blood stem cell transplantation: Results of the first prospective study in Russia]

AIM

to evaluate the efficiency of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with further autologous blood stem cell transplantation (auto-BSCT) in the first-line therapy of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) and poor prognostic factors.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In 2000 to 2015, the National Research Center for Hematology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, performed therapy in 39 patients with FL and poor prognostic factors (a total of 215 patients with FL). The R-CHOP treatment was done as induction therapy. Sequential HCT and further auto-BSCT were performed in 29 (74%) of the 39 patients, who had shown a partial tumor response to the induction therapy or achieved partial remission after 4-6 cycles of CT, but had poor prognostic factors. 22 of the 29 patients underwent auto-BSCT in first-line therapy after induction R-CHOP regimens. Among them, there were 17 men with a median age of 46 years (31-68 years). 21 of the 22 patients were recorded to have Stage IV by the Ann Arbor staging classification. Bulky peritoneal and retroperitoneal tumors larger than 7 cm were detectable at disease onset in 14 of the 22 cases. Two patients were noted to have phenomena of leukemization. 16 patients had bone marrow (BM) involvement. According to the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index-1 (FLIPI-1), the patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) a low risk (n=5); 2) an intermediate risk (n=3); a high risk (n=14). B-symptoms were observed in 16 cases. 16 patients were diagnosed with cytological grade I-II FL and 6 had grade IIIA. According to the tumor proliferative pattern, the distribution turned out to be as follows: nodular (n=6), nodular-diffuse (n=13), and diffuse (n=3). The proliferative activity index averaged 30% (8-90%). Serum and urine proteins were immmunochemically assayed in 18 cases, out of them 8 patients were diagnosed as having serum β2-microglobulin concentrations above normal as a poor prognostic factor. In 14 of the 22 patients, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase was greater than normal (266-7806 U/l).

RESULTS

Out of the 22 patients, 20 who have undergone auto-BSCT in first-line therapy are survivors and have remission of the underlying disease: 18 and 2 patients achieved complete and partial remission, respectively. The follow-up period was 7 to 178 months (median, 32 months). After auto-BSCT in the first remission, 2 patients developed disease recurrences: an early recurrence after 9 months in one case and a late recurrence 6 years after completion of therapy in the other.

CONCLUSION

The first prospective study of intensive therapy for FL in Russia has demonstrated that HDCT with further auto-BSCT in first-line therapy allows complete remission in patients with poor prognostic factors and higher overall and progression-free survival rates.

Lentinan mitigates therarubicin-induced myelosuppression by activating bone marrow-derived macrophages in an MAPK/NF-κB-dependent manner

Bone marrow (BM) suppression (also known as myelosuppression) is the most common and most severe side-effect of therarubicin (THP) and thereby limits the clinical application of this anticancer agent. Lentinan (LNT), a glucan extracted from dried shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes), exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities. The objectives of the present study were to determine the effect of LNT on the myelosuppression of THP-treated mice and to examine the pharmacological mechanism of these effects. In vivo experiments indicated that non-cytotoxic levels of LNT strongly increased blood myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity; improved BM structural injuries; increased the numbers of leukocytes and neutrophils in the blood and BM; elevated the blood levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF); and reduced the self-healing period in THP-treated mice. In vitro experiments indicated that LNT increased the viability of BM-derived macrophages (BMDMs) in a time- and dose-dependent manner without toxic side-effects and markedly increased the release of G-CSF, GM-CSF and M-CSF by BMDMs. Further analyses revealed that LNT activated the NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways and promoted the nuclear import of p65 and that BAY 11-7082 (a specific inhibitor of NF-κB) suppressed the release of G-CSF, GM-CSF and M-CSF. Furthermore, we found that U0126, SB203580 and SP600125 (specific inhibitors of ERK, p38 and JNK, respectively) markedly inhibited the IKK/IκB/NF-κB-dependent release of G-CSF, GM-CSF and M-CSF. In conclusion, LNT induces the production of G-CSF, GM-CSF and M-CSF by activating the MAPK/NF-κB signalling pathway in BM cells, thereby mitigating THP-induced myelosuppression.

Increased efficacy of intermediate-dose cytarabine + G-CSF compared to DHAP + G-CSF for stem cell mobilization in patients with lymphoma: an analysis by the polish lymphoma research group

Salvage regimens, like DHAP (dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatin) are frequently used for stem cell mobilization in lymphoma. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of DHAP + G-CSF with intermediate-dose cytarabine (ID-AraC) + G-CSF, recently proposed as an alternative schedule. Consecutive patients with Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin lymphoma who had received at least 2 lines of chemotherapy, mobilized with either DHAP (n = 51) or ID-AraC (n = 50) + G-CSF were included in the analysis. AraC was administered at the dose of 400 mg/m [1] bid intravenously for 2 days followed by filgrastim starting from day 5. In the AraC group, 96 % of patients collected at least 2 × 10 [2] CD34(+) cells/kg compared to 71 % in the DHAP group (p = 0.0006). The CD34(+) cell yield was 9.3 (0-30.3) × 10 [2]/kg vs. 5.6 (0-24.8) × 10 [2]/kg, respectively (p = 0.006). A single apheresis was sufficient to achieve the threshold number of CD34(+) cells in 82 % of the cases after AraC compared to 45 % after DHAP (p = 0.001). We conclude that stem cell mobilization using ID-AraC is associated with a significantly higher efficacy than DHAP, allowing for collection of the transplant material in almost all patients with lymphoma. Our observation suggests that ID-AraC + G-CSF may be a preferable mobilization regimen in this setting.

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell mobilization following dose-adjusted cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone chemotherapy alone or in combination with rituximab in treating high-risk non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Background

The regimen of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) is an efficient treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). This study aimed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of dose-adjusted CHOP alone or in combination with rituximab (R-CHOP) by examining the stem cell mobilization in NHL patients. Factors affecting the collection of CD34⁺ cells were also explored.

Methods

Our retrospective study included 39 patients eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation: 14 patients who expressed CD20 and were financially eligible received R-CHOP for autologous peripheral blood stem cell (APBSC) mobilization; the remaining 25 patients received CHOP.

Results

The median CD34⁺ cell yield was 7.01 × 10⁶ cells/kg body weight (range 1.49–28.39 × 10⁶ cells/kg body weight), with only two patients failing to meet the target CD34⁺ cell harvest of ≥2.0 × 10⁶ cells/kg body weight. The median number of apheresis procedures per patient was 1 (range 1–3). The APBSC mobilization yield of the CHOP group appeared to be higher than that of the R-CHOP group (P = 0.005), whereas the success rate was similar between groups. R-CHOP elevated the complete response (CR) rate in B cell lymphoma patients as compared with CHOP (P = 0.01). No significant differences in toxicity or engraftment were observed between the two groups.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that dose-adjusted CHOP chemotherapy effectively mobilized APBSCs in NHL patients and that the addition of rituximab to dose-adjusted CHOP chemotherapy elevated the CR rate for patients with B-cell lymphoma.

Intermediate doses of cytarabine plus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor as an effective and safe regimen for hematopoietic stem cell collection in lymphoma patients with prior mobilization failure

BACKGROUND

High-dose chemotherapy supported by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an effective treatment for patients with lymphomas. However, failure to reach the minimum threshold of hematopoietic stem cells to proceed to ASCT may occur, even with the most effective strategies currently available.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We report on 33 patients diagnosed with lymphoma who had at least one prior mobilization failure and received cytarabine at a dose of 400 mg/m(2) /day intravenously × 3 days plus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 10 to 12 μg/kg/day as mobilization regimen. The median number of previous lines of chemotherapy was three.

RESULTS

Thirty-two of 33 patients (96.8%) reached the target CD34+ cell dose (>2 × 10(6) /kg). The mean (range) number of apheresis procedures was 1.8 (1-3) with 4.69 × 10(6) (1.5 × 10(6) -6.8 × 10(6) )/kg CD34+ cells obtained. All but one patient received chemomobilization in the outpatient department. Severe infections or treatment-related mortality were not observed. All patients that received ASCT (31/33) engrafted without requiring G-CSF during the posttransplant period.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that cytarabine at intermediate doses plus G-CSF in patients diagnosed with lymphoma who had a prior mobilization failure is a feasible and effective mobilization regimen.