Deferasirox in the management of iron overload in patients with myelofibrosis treated with ruxolitinib: The multicentre retrospective RUX-IOL study

Deferasirox (DFX) is used for the management of iron overload (IOL) in many haematological malignancies including myelofibrosis (MF). The 'RUX-IOL' study retrospectively collected 69 MF patients treated with ruxolitinib (RUX) and DFX for IOL to assess: safety, efficacy in term of iron chelation response (ICR) and erythroid response (ER), and impact on overall survival of the combination therapy. The RUX-DFX therapy was administered for a median time of 12.4 months (interquartile range 3.1-71.2). During treatment, 36 (52.2%) and 34 (49.3%) patients required RUX and DFX dose reductions, while eight (11.6%) and nine (13.1%) patients discontinued due to RUX- or DFX-related adverse events; no unexpected toxicity was reported. ICR and ER were achieved by 33 (47.8%) and 32 patients (46.4%) respectively. Thirteen (18.9%) patients became transfusion-independent. Median time to ICR and ER was 6.2 and 2 months respectively. Patients achieving an ER were more likely to obtain an ICR also (p = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, the absence of leukocytosis at baseline (p = 0.02) and achievement of an ICR at any time (p = 0.02) predicted improved survival. In many MF patients, the RUX-DFX combination provided ICR and ER responses that correlated with improved outcome in the absence of unexpected toxicities. This strategy deserves further clinical investigation.

Multidisciplinary evaluation at baseline and during treatment improves the rate of compliance and efficacy of deferasirox in elderly myelodysplastic patients

BACKGROUND

Deferasirox (DFX) is used to reduce iron levels in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who develop iron overload after chronic red blood cell infusions. However, DFX can be associated with renal and gastrointestinal toxicities, which may cause treatment interruption or discontinuation. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of DFX in patients with MDS.

METHODS

This multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted at two hospitals in Italy. Elderly patients with transfusion-dependent MDS received DFX for up to 12 months and were divided into two groups: group A comprised patients who were not under multidisciplinary assessment; group B comprised patients under multidisciplinary control. Treatment effectiveness was estimated by monitoring the serum ferritin (SF) levels throughout the study. Any treatment-related adverse events (AEs), clinically relevant analytical alterations, and reasons for treatment discontinuation were monitored.

RESULTS

The study included 44 patients (13 female, 31 male; median age 77.0 years). At 3 months, SF levels decreased by ≥20 % in 29 and 31 % of patients in groups A and B, respectively, in 17 and 36 % of patients at 6 months, and in 22 and 58 % at 12 months. The most common AEs were diarrhea and increased serum creatinine, which were more frequent in group A. The discontinuation rate after renal AE was 15 and 5 % in groups A and B, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Multidisciplinary evaluation can be an effective strategy for monitoring renal function in patients on DFX therapy, to improve treatment adherence and overall efficacy in elderly patients with MDS.

[Prolonged fever: specific issues in the young adult population]

Early studies on prolonged fever date back to the 1960s. Fifty years later, prolonged unexplained fever remains a diagnostic challenge to the general internists. Although the aetiologies of prolonged fevers have not changed much in the general population, the distribution between the various causes is not the same anymore. A regular decrease in infectious and neoplastic causes is noticed whatever the age. Prolonged fevers related to inflammatory disorders and fevers that remain of unknown origin still represent approximately 30 to 50% of the cases. In the young adult population, as in the older patients, prolonged fevers can be attributed to four groups: infection, inflammation, neoplasic and other aetiologies (including drug-related fevers). In the young adult population, the management of prolonged fever presents some specific issues that are the purpose of this review coupled with our own experience. The prognosis of undiagnosed prolonged fever is usually favourable, as a life-threatening aetiology is exceptionally diagnosed during the follow-up if the initial management was complete and accurate.

Psychological aspects of weekend headache sufferers in comparison with migraine patients

Sometimes the relaxation after stress may trigger a migraine attack. This is the principle that underlies that particular variant of migraine called "weekend headache". We hypothesize the presence in weekend headache prone subjects of a particular psychological background, different from that of common migraine sufferers. In order to detect possible differences supporting our hypothesis, we studied 104 new outpatients: 46 patients suffering from headache only on weekends (23 males and 23 females) and 58 matched common migraineurs (26 males and 32 females) with no weekend predilection. The psychological assessment was performed using the following psychometric tools: MMPI, BDI, STAIX1-X2. A clinical assessment of each patient was also carried out. Significant differences were found after statistically analyzing the test results. Most of the MMPI scales were found to be more elevated in both male and female weekend headache sufferers. From a clinical point of view, the weekend headache attacks proved to be similar to those of common migraine, but with a significantly higher incidence of concomitant symptoms. Our study confirms the important role that psychological factors play in the pathogenesis and clinical development of migraine and leads us to conclude that a psychic tension component is associated with the vascular one in weekend headache.

[Serum complement and immunoglobulins in patients with common migraine]

Research has already been conducted into complement, immunoglobulin, and immune complexes with regard to analogies with allergy mechanisms (in the case of dietary headaches) or with vasculitic alterations. The results showed no complement activation or variation in the immunoglobulin of migraine sufferers during healthy intervals and migraine attacks that in any way support an involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of common migraine.