Myelomonocytic and monocytic acute myeloid leukemia demonstrate comparable poor outcomes with venetoclax-based treatment: a monocentric real-world study

Venetoclax (VEN), a BCL-2 inhibitor, has transformed treatment strategies for elderly and unfit acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients by significantly improving response rates and survival. However, the predictive factors for VEN efficacy differ from traditional chemotherapy. The clinical relevance of the FAB (French-American-British) monocytic subtype, including M4 and M5, has been debated as a marker for VEN resistance. This real-world study examined 162 newly diagnosed (ND) and 85 relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML patients who received VEN-based therapy at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, from January 2019 to January 2023. We retrospectively collected clinical and treatment data from electronic medical records. The median age of the cohort was 55.5 years (range: 16.5-83.5). The composite complete remission (cCR) rate in the entire cohort was 60.7%. Specifically, among newly diagnosed (ND) patients, FAB monocytic subtypes exhibited lower cCR compared to non-monocytic subtypes (55.1% vs. 76.3%, P = 0.007). Additionally, there were no significant differences observed between M4 and M5 subtypes, both in the ND group (61.7% vs. 40.9%, p = 0.17) and the R/R group (38.2% vs. 40%, p > 0.9). Furthermore, the median follow-up was 238 (range: 7-1120) days. ND patients with monocytic subtypes had shorter overall survival compared to non-monocytic subtypes (295 days vs. not reached, p = 0.0017). Conversely, R/R patients showed no such difference (204 vs. 266 days, p = 0.72). In summary, our study suggests that the FAB monocytic subtype can predict VEN resistance and shorter survival in ND AML patients. Moreover, there is no significant distinction between M4 and M5 subtypes.

All-trans retinoic acid added to treatment of primary immune thrombocytopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) application is a novel treatment approach for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ATRA in the treatment of ITP. The databases of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and China National Knowledge Internet were searched on August 5, 2022, to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Five observational studies and four RCTs from China were included, and 760 Chinese patients were analyzed. In the five observational studies, the pooled overall response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR) were 59.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.4-66.4%) and 20.6% (95% CI, 14.3-27.6%), respectively. In the selected four RCTs, the pooled odds ratios for sustained response rate, ORR, and CRR were 3.00 (95% CI, 1.97-4.57; P < 0.01), 3.21 (95% CI, 2.15-4.78; P < 0.01), and 2.12 (95% CI, 1.17-3.86; P = 0.01), respectively. ATRA was associated with a reduction in relapse rate and salvage treatment rate (odds ratio, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.18-0.50; P < 0.01; 0.36; 95% CI, 0.23-0.56; P < 0.01, respectively). The pooled odds ratios for grade 1-2 dry skin, headache (or dizziness), and rash acneiform were 49.99 (95% CI, 16.05-155.67; P < 0.01), 1.75 (95% CI, 0.98-3.12; P = 0.06), and 0.37 (95% CI, 0.10-1.34; P = 0.13), respectively. This study suggests that ATRA may significantly improve the initial and long-term response of patients with ITP.