Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of chronic hematological malignancies characterized by dysplasia, ineffective hematopoiesis and a variable risk of progression to acute ...myeloid leukemia. Sequencing of MDS genomes has identified mutations in genes implicated in RNA splicing, DNA modification, chromatin regulation, and cell signaling. We sequenced 111 genes across 738 patients with MDS or closely related neoplasms (including chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and MDS–myeloproliferative neoplasms) to explore the role of acquired mutations in MDS biology and clinical phenotype. Seventy-eight percent of patients had 1 or more oncogenic mutations. We identify complex patterns of pairwise association between genes, indicative of epistatic interactions involving components of the spliceosome machinery and epigenetic modifiers. Coupled with inferences on subclonal mutations, these data suggest a hypothesis of genetic “predestination,” in which early driver mutations, typically affecting genes involved in RNA splicing, dictate future trajectories of disease evolution with distinct clinical phenotypes. Driver mutations had equivalent prognostic significance, whether clonal or subclonal, and leukemia-free survival deteriorated steadily as numbers of driver mutations increased. Thus, analysis of oncogenic mutations in large, well-characterized cohorts of patients illustrates the interconnections between the cancer genome and disease biology, with considerable potential for clinical application.
Key Points
Exercise in neuromuscular disease Anziska, Yaacov; Sternberg, Alex
Muscle & nerve,
July 2013, Letnik:
48, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
ABSTRACT
In this review, we present an overview of the role of exercise in neuromuscular disease (NMD). We demonstrate that despite the different pathologies in NMDs, exercise is beneficial, whether ...aerobic/endurance or strength/resistive training, and we explore whether this benefit has a similar mechanism to that of healthy subjects. We discuss further areas for study, incorporating imaginative and novel approaches to training and its assessment in NMD. We conclude by suggesting ways to improve future trials by avoiding previous methodological flaws and drawbacks in this field. Muscle Nerve, 2013
Summary
Trisomy 21 Down's syndrome (DS) and mutations in transcription factor GATA1 predispose neonates to a transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) and/or acute megakaryocytic leukaemia (AMKL). ...The role of trisomy 21 in their pathogenesis is unclear. We previously reported two rare neonates without DS who had TMD, one of whom progressed to AMKL. Trisomy 21 was detected only in blood cells at presentation with TMD/AMKL and disappeared with disease resolution. We now show that the blood cells at presentation of TMD harboured GATA1 genomic DNA mutations, suggesting a requirement for trisomy 21 in haematopoietic cells, rather than other cell types, for development of TMD/AMKL.
Summary
Optimal red cell transfusion support in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has not been tested and established. The aim of this study was to demonstrate feasibility of recruitment and follow‐up ...in an outpatient setting with an exploratory assessment of quality of life (QoL) outcomes (EORTC QLQ‐C30 and EQ‐5D‐5L). We randomised MDS patients to standardised transfusion algorithms comparing current restrictive transfusion thresholds (80 g/l, to maintain haemoglobin 85–100 g/l) with liberal thresholds (105 g/l, maintaining 110–125 g/l). The primary outcomes were measures of compliance to transfusion thresholds. Altogether 38 patients were randomised (n = 20 restrictive; n = 18 liberal) from 12 participating sites in UK, Australia and New Zealand. The compliance proportion for the intention‐to‐treat population was 86% (95% confidence interval 75–94%) and 99% (95–100%) for restrictive and liberal arms respectively. Mean pre‐transfusion haemoglobin concentrations for restrictive and liberal arms were 80 g/l (SD6) and 97 g/l (SD7). The total number of red cell units transfused on study was 82 in the restrictive and 192 in the liberal arm. In an exploratory analysis, the five main QoL domains were improved for participants in the liberal compared to restrictive arm. Our findings support the feasibility and need for a definitive trial to evaluate the effect of different red cell transfusion thresholds on patient‐centred outcomes.
Background: Azacitidine (AZA) based therapy is a standard of care in IPSS INT-2/High MDS/low blast count AML and CMML-2. Thrombocytopenia is an adverse prognostic factor in MDS; increased severity ...correlates with haemorrhagic complications and shorter AML progression time, and early platelet recovery after AZA is linked to better outcomes. Accumulation of AZA doses is important to patient response, but initial treatment with AZA can aggravate thrombocytopenia and impact outcome. Eltrombopag (ELT) is a thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR) agonist approved for adult chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura. ELT has shown efficacy in low risk MDS and reduces thrombocytopenic events in advanced MDS and AML. The ELASTIC trial (ISRCTN05858391) is a single-arm phase 1b dose-finding study examining the safety and tolerability of ELT/AZA in patients with MDS/AML with expansion cohort (n=10) at MTD. We investigated if ELT/AZA would lead to earlier platelet recovery and improve AZA efficacy. Although a Phase 3 study testing ELT/AZA (SUPPORT) was terminated due to futility during the ELASTIC trial, we reasoned that drug sequencing may affect outcome. As ELASTIC patients received an ELT pre-phase, ELASTIC was run to completion.
Methods: Patients with IPSS INT-2 or High MDS/CMML-2/AML <30% blasts were treated in a 3+3 trial design in cohorts of ≥3 patients with 25, 50, 100, 200 or 300mg/day ELT. AZA (75mg/m2) was administered for 7 days of a 28 day cycle. All patients received ELT and AZA and were treated for maximum 6 cycles. ELT was administered from day -7 of cycle 1. ELT continued through cycles 1-2 and 4-6 with no ELT during cycle 3. Patients were evaluated after cycle 1 for dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs).
The primary outcome was safety and tolerability (including establishing the MTD) of ELT in combination with AZA. Key secondary outcomes were the effect of ELT on platelet counts, platelet transfusions and marrow blast percentage. Full blood count was measured weekly over the first 13 weeks and monthly thereafter; bone marrow was taken on day 8 of ELT and at the end of cycles 3 and 6.
Results: Thirty-one patients were recruited from November 2014 to August 2018. Thirty (median age 74, range: 62-86) were evaluable for analysis in the safety population (AML=5, IPSS INT-2 MDS=12, IPSS High MDS=12, CMML-2=1); 1 patient was ineligible post registration. 11/30 (37%) were IPSS good risk, 3/30 (10%) intermediate risk and 14/30 (47%) high risk (2 unknown).
ELT was well tolerated up to 300mg (25mg=5, 50mg=3, 100mg=4, 200mg=4, 300mg=14) and was safely combined with AZA. There were no DLTs in the DLT evaluable patients (n=15). The MTD was established as 300mg (n=14). There were 3 SUSARs, 19 SAEs, 28 SARs and 87 episodes of grade 3/4 AEs. There were 16 episodes of grade 3/4 neutropenia and 11 episodes of grade 3/4 anaemia. Five patients discontinued treatment due to toxicity (25mg=2, 300mg=3), 6 due to death (pneumonia=2, disease-related=4, ischaemic heart disease=1) and 1 withdrew. Platelet responses were seen at ELT 50mg and higher. At the MTD, median platelet count at baseline was 37 (IQR: 25-52), rising to 77 (IQR 50-108.5) and 74 (IQR: 32-430) at cycle 2 and 3 respectively. The median platelet nadir was 20.5 (IQR: 11-25) and 42 (IQR 18.5-51.5) after cycle 1 and 2 dropping to 20 (IQR: 9-160) after cycle 3 when ELT was stopped. Mean platelet transfusions did not change with ELT dose. There was no increase in delays to AZA dosing across the ELT dose cohorts. There was no change in bleeding incidents when patients received ELT. Overall, there was no increase in bone marrow blast percentage from baseline. The cycle 3 marrow aspirate was reached by 27/30 (90%) and 11/30 (37%) reached the cycle 6 marrow aspirate. At the end of 3 cycles there were 21 non-responders and 10 responders (CR=3, marrow CR=4, PR=3, SD=9). At the end of 6 cycles there were 22 non-responders and 9 responders (CR=3, marrow CR=4, PR=2, SD=5). 6/14 (43%) treated at the MTD responded while 3/16 (19%) treated at below the MTD responded.
Conclusions: The combination of ELT with AZA is safe and tolerable. Clinically meaningful responses in platelets were seen in patients receiving 50mg or more ELT. At the MTD, there was a noticeable drop in platelet nadir in cycle 3 when patients were not receiving ELT. No change in platelet transfusion was identified across cohorts. The results suggest that an ELT pre-phase may improve platelet responsiveness in patients treated with AZA and warrants further exploration.
Sternberg:Celgene/BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding; GSK/Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding. Raghavan:Celgene UK: Speakers Bureau. Culligan:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Diiachi-Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria. Cargo:Novartis: Honoraria. Vyas:Celgene: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Forty Seven: Research Funding; Pfizer: Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo: Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Speakers Bureau.
Eltrombopag is a second generation thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR) agonist approved for adult chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
Objectives
We sought to characterise the outcomes of patients with haematological malignancy and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection in hospital in our regional ...network of 7 hospitals.
Methods
Consecutive hospitalised patients with haematological malignancy and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were identified from 01/03/2020 to 06/05/2020. Outcomes were categorised as death, resolved or ongoing. The primary outcome was preliminary case fatality rate (pCFR), defined as the number of cases resulting in death as a proportion of all diagnosed cases. Analysis was primarily descriptive.
Results
66 Patients were included, overall pCFR was 51.5%. Patients ≥ 70 years accounted for the majority of hospitalised cases (42, 63%) and fatalities (25, 74%). Mortality was similar between females (52%) and males (51%). Immunosuppressive or cytotoxic treatment within 3 months of the diagnosis of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was associated with a significantly higher pCFR of 70%, compared with 28% in those not on active treatment (P = .0013, 2 proportions z test).
Conclusions
Mortality rates in patients with haematological malignancy and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in hospital are high supporting measures to minimise the risk of infection in this population.
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