[Chinese consensus on the diagnosis and management of chronic graft-versus-host disease (2021)]

Belumosudil in pediatric patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease after failed multi-line therapy: a case series

Belumosudil is a selective small molecule inhibitor of Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2 (ROCK2) indicated for patients with glucocorticoid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Despite its approval for ages 12-18, there is limited pediatric data available. This case series presents three 12-year-old patients with severe cGVHD who had failed multiple lines of therapy. Case #1 received treatment for 210 days with belumosudil, prednisone, cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil, and ruxolitinib. Initial assessments showed skin and joint fascia involvement (National Institutes of Health score 3), along with oral cavity, ocular, and pulmonary involvement (score 2). Following treatment, all affected organs demonstrated at least a partial response (PR), with an overall assessment of PR. Case #2 was treated for 205 days with belumosudil, tacrolimus, and ruxolitinib. Baseline assessments indicated involvement of the skin and joint fascia (score 3), and the oral cavity and eyes (score 2). Most organs achieved PR or complete response (CR), resulting in an overall PR. Case #3 underwent 121 days of therapy with belumosudil, prednisone, and tacrolimus, showing similar baseline organ involvement as Case #2. The treatment resulted in an overall PR, with improvement noted in the skin, oral cavity, eyes, and joint fascia. The Lee cGVHD symptom scale scores improved meaningfully for all patients over time. There was no recurrence of the primary disease or any fatalities. Adverse events were limited to grade 1-2 severity. This case series indicates that belumosudil may be effective in 12-year-old pediatric patients with severe, multi-organ cGVHD refractory to multiple treatments. The findings suggest that belumosudil-based regimens can be feasible and well-tolerated in this population, providing preliminary evidence for its potential therapeutic effects in clinical management.

[Analysis of the therapeutic effect of avatinib bridged allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on 7 cases of recurrent/refractory RUNX1-RUNX1T1 positive acute myeloid leukemia with KIT mutations]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of avatinib plus allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of recurrent/refractory RUNX1-RUNX1T1 positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with KIT mutations. Method: A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of seven relapsed/refractory AML patients containing the RUNX1-RUNX1T1 fusion gene and KIT mutation who received afatinib plus allo-HSCT treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June 2019 to June 2023. Results: The seven AML patients included one male and six females with a median age of 37 (18-56) years. All seven patients had KIT mutations (five positive for D816V and two positive for D816Y) . There were two refractory patients and five relapsed patients (all of whom had bone marrow recurrence) . All patients had to complete at least one course of treatment with afatinib before transplantation. Four patients achieved complete remission (CR) after treatment with afatinib, six patients had negative KIT gene mutations, and one had a decreased KIT gene mutational burden. There were three cases of unrelated identical transplantation and four cases of haploidentical transplantation. All patients received the modified Bu/Cy pretreatment regimen. After transplantation, all patients were successfully implanted and a bone marrow examination showed CR and minimal residual disease turned negative. Five patients exhibited negative fusion genes. Two patients died from infection following transplantation. Conclusion: Afatinib plus allo-HSCT may be an effective and safe new treatment strategy for RUNX1-RUNX1T1 positive AML patients with KIT-D816 mutation.

Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a first-line treatment for paediatric severe aplastic anemia: a single-center research

MRD-HSCT is the first-line therapy for children with SAA, while it is not easy to find a compatible donor due to the Chinese one-child policy. IST has a high recurrence rate, a risk of clonal transformation. Thus, Haplo-HSCT, as a first-line treatment, has gradually attracted clinicians' attention. To evaluate the efficacy of Haplo-HSCT in children with SAA, we performed a retrospective study (2006.06-2021.01) of 210 patients with AA who received HSCT or IST in Beijing Children's Hospital. The OS and FFS rates were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of Haplo-HSCT and IST. We found that from 2006 to 2021, 3- and 5-year cumulative survival rates were both 85.3% in the first-line Haplo group, 98.1% and 96.8% in the first-line IST group, both 85.7% in the ATG group (P = 0.866), both 100% in the ATG + TPO group (P = 0.016), and 99.1% and 97.2% in the ATG + eltrombopag group (P = 0.056). 3- and 5-year cumulative FFS rates were both 85.3% in the first-line Haplo-HSCT group and 67.5% and 66.2% in the first-line IST group (P = 0.033). Therefore, we believe that Haplo-HSCT can be a first-line treatment for paediatric SAA.

[Clinical study of the cytokine panel in the diagnosis of ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease]

Objective: To investigate the association between cytokines and ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and identify specific biomarkers for ocular cGVHD to enhance clinical diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation. Methods: A mouse model of cGVHD was established to explore the correlation between cGVHD and serum cytokines. Based on the findings from the animal experiments and literature review, a panel of 16 cytokine combinations was identified. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to compare the cytokine concentrations in the serum and tear samples from patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from June 2017 to March 2022 at the Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University. Results: ① Compared with the control group, mice with cGVHD exhibited elevated serum IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFN-γ, CX3CL1, CXCL11, CXCL13, CCL11, and CCL19 concentrations (all P<0.05). ② Analysis of the cytokine profiles of the serum and tear samples revealed that compared with patients without ocular cGVHD, those with ocular cGVHD exhibited increased serum IL-8 [P=0.032, area under the curve (AUC) =0.678]; decreased serum IL-10 (P=0.030, AUC=0.701) ; elevated IL-8, IFN-γ, CXCL9, and CCL17 in tear samples; and lower IL-10 and CCL19 in tear samples (all P<0.05, all AUC>0.7). Moreover, cytokines in tear samples showed correlations with ocular surface parameters related to ocular cGVHD. Conclusions: Tear fluid demonstrates greater specificity and sensitivity as a biomarker for diagnosing ocular cGVHD than serum biomarkers. Among the identified cytokines in tear samples, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, CXCL9, CCL17, and CCL19 serve as diagnostic biomarkers for ocular cGVHD post-transplantation, offering practical reference value for diagnosis.

[Evaluation of differences in quality of life in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease]

Objective: To evaluate the status of, differences in, and factors influencing quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Methods: From September 2021 to February 2023, a cross-sectional study of 140 patients with chronic GVHD was conducted at our center. Symptom burden was assessed by the Lee Symptomatology Scale (LSS), and QoL was assessed by the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) (version 1) and five-level EuroQoL five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). Results: Data from 140 respondents, including 32 (22.9%) with mild chronic GVHD, 87 (62.1%) with moderate chronic GVHD, and 21 (15.0%) with severe chronic GVHD, were analyzed. Of the respondents, 61.4% were male, and the median transplantation age was 34 (15-68) years. The primary diagnoses were acute myeloid leukemia (50.0%), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (20.0%), and myelodysplastic syndrome (15.0%). The common chronic GVHD-affected organs included the skin in 74 patients (52.9%), the eyes in 57 patients (40.7%), and the liver in 50 patients (35.7%). Among the whole cohort, the eye (20.48±23.75), psychological (16.13±17.00), and oral (13.66±20.55) scores were highest in the LSS group. The physiological function (36.07±11.13), social function (36.10±10.68), and role-emotional functioning (38.36±11.88) scores were lowest in the SF-36 group. The EQ-5D index was 0.764. The total LSS scores for mild, moderate, and severe chronic GVHD were 6.51±6.15, 10.07±5.61, and 20.90±10.09, respectively. The SF-36 physical component scores (PCSs) were 43.12±6.38, 40.73±7.14, and 36.97±6.97, respectively, and the mental component scores (MCSs) were 43.00±8.47, 38.90±9.52, and 28.96±9.63, respectively. The EQ-5D values were 0.810±0.124, 0.762±0.179, and 0.702±0.198, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that the overall symptom burden (β=-0.517), oral symptom burden (β=-0.456), National Institute of Health (NIH) criteria for the eyes (β=-0.376), and nutrition-related symptom burden (β=-0.211) were significantly negatively correlated with the PCS. The NIH score (β=-0.260) was negatively correlated with the MCS score. Oral symptom burden (β=-0.400), joint/fascia NIH criteria (β=-0.332), number of involved systems (β=-0.253), overall NIH criteria (β=-0.205), and number of immunosuppressants taken (β=-0.171) were significantly negatively correlated with the EQ-5D score (all P<0.05). Medium to strong correlations were found between the EQ-5D score and the SF-36 score (|r|=0.384-0.571, P<0.001). Conclusions: The QoL of patients with chronic GVHD is impaired, and the more severe the disease, the poorer the QoL. Overall symptom burden, severity of eyes, and oral symptom burden were the most important factors affecting QoL.

[The impact of donor-to-recipient gender compatibility on outcomes of haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with hematological malignancies]

Objective: To investigate how gender differences between the donor and the recipient affect the effectiveness of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and pure peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) in the treatment of malignant hematological diseases. Methods: From February 2015 to September 2020, 648 hematological malignancies patients underwent myeloablative condition regimen haplo-HSCT treatment at the Bone Marrow Transplant Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University. The median age was 32 (14-62) years, with 363 males (56.0% ) and 285 females (44.0% ) present. 242 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (37.3% ) , 293 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (45.2% ) , 56 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (8.7% ) , 27 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (4.2% ) , and 30 cases of other hematological malignancies (4.6% ) . Results: ① The 3-year overall survival (OS) , DFS, the incidence of Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) , the incidence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, the 3-year incidence of moderate & severe chronic GVHD (cGVHD) , severe cGVHD, the 3-year incidence of relapse, and NRM of the whole group were (73.10±1.90) % , (70.80±1.90) % , (33.96±1.87) % , (13.08±1.33) % , (35.10±2.14) % , (10.66±1.38) % , (19.43±1.67) % , and (9.80±1.24) % , respectively. ②There was no statistically significant difference between the donor-recipient gender match and donor-recipient gender mismatch groups in the 28-day cumulative neutrophil engraftment rate, 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate, the incidence of Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, the incidence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, 3-year OS, 3-year DFS, the cumulative incidence of relapse, NRM, and incidence of moderate & severe cGVHD, severe cGVHD. ③The 28-day cumulative neutrophil engraftment rate did not differ statistically between the male-female, female-female, male-male, and female-male groups (P=0.148) . The incidence of Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, the incidence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, 3-year OS, 3-year DFS, cumulative relapse rate, and NRM, and the incidence of cGVHD were not statistically different among the four groups (P>0.05) . The 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate of the female-male group was significantly lower than male-female group, and the female-female group [ (91.45±2.63) % vs. (94.77±1.75) % , P=0.004; (91.45±2.63) % vs. (95.54±2.05) % , P=0.005]. No significant difference existed in the 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate between the female-male group and the male-male group [ (91.45±2.63) % vs. (95.08±1.41) % , P=0.284]. ④Among patients ≤35 years old, the 3-year incidence of severe cGVHD patients receiving sister donors and sibling donors were (26.71±5.90) % and (10.33±4.43) % , respectively (P=0.054) . Patients accepting daughter donors and son donors had a 3-year incidence of moderate and severe cGVHD that was 40.07% vs. 27.41% , respectively, among those over 35 (40.07±6.65) % vs. (27.41±4.54) % (P=0.084) . ⑤Female donors to male recipients had a significantly lower 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate compared to the other groups [ (91.45±2.63) % vs. (95.08±0.95) % , P=0.037]. ⑥ Female donors to male recipients had a significantly lower 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate than the other groups in the ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) 10 mg/kg group [ (89.29±4.29) % vs. (94.49±1.45) % , P=0.037]. But when compared to the other groups in the Rabbit Antihuman Thymocyte Immunoglobulin (rATG-T) 6 mg/kg group, the 28-day cumulative platelet implantation rate between female donors and male recipients was not significantly different [ (93.44±3.38) % vs. (95.62±1.26) % , P=0.404]. Conclusion: The main clinical outcomes of patients with malignant blood diseases following transplantation are unaffected by the gender combination of the donor and patient in the haplo-HSCT mode based on ATG and PBSC sources. Female donors to male recipients have a lower 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate and longer platelet engraftment times.

Immune Reconstitution in Pediatric Aplastic Anemia after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-cell Transplantation

Background: Previous studies had revealed that immune reconstitution (IR) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) affected the clinical prognosis of patients. However, few studies were based on pediatric patients and patients with aplastic anemia (AA). The purpose of this research was to analyze IR of pediatric AA after HSCT and further explore its clinical prognostic value. Methods: The whole of 61 pediatric patients with AA who underwent HSCT were enrolled. Lymphocyte subsets count in peripheral blood, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratio, and serum concentration of immunoglobulins were detected using flow cytometry at regular intervals after HSCT. Results: Innate immunity recovered faster than adaptive immunity, T lymphocytes recovered faster than B lymphocytes. The number of transfused CD34⁺ cells and the implantation time of ANC significantly affected the early rapid IR of CD3⁺ T cells. The degree of HLA site coincidence significantly affected the early rapid IR of CD19⁺ B cells. The number of transfused MNC and CD34⁺ cells significantly affected the early rapid IR of CD56⁺ NK cells. The overall survival (OS) and failure-free survival (FFS) of CD56⁺ NK cells in early rapid IR group were higher than those in non-IR group. The CD3⁺ T cell early rapid IR group and CD8⁺ T cell early rapid IR group had higher OS than the non-IR group. Conclusion: Early rapid IR after HSCT is a good predictor of clinical prognosis in children with AA. This study provides a reasonable prediction for early rapid IR, which may improve clinical outcomes of children.