With broadening indications, more options for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and improvement in survival, the number of long-term HCT survivors is expected to increase steadily. Infertility ...is a frequent problem that long-term HCT survivors and their partners face and it can negatively impact on the quality of life. The most optimal time to address fertility issues is before the onset of therapy for the underlying disease; however, fertility preservation should also be addressed before HCT in all children and patients of reproductive age, with referral to a reproductive specialist for patients interested in fertility preservation. In vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo cryopreservation, oocyte cryopreservation and ovarian tissue banking are acceptable methods for fertility preservation in adult women/pubertal females. Sperm banking is the preferred method for adult men/pubertal males. Frequent barriers to fertility preservation in HCT recipients may include the perception of lack of time to preserve fertility given an urgency to move ahead with transplant, lack of patient-physician discussion because of several factors (for example, time constraints, lack of knowledge), inadequate access to reproductive specialists, and costs and lack of insurance coverage for fertility preservation. There is a need to raise awareness in the medical community about fertility preservation in HCT recipients.
Treatment or prophylaxis of invasive fungal infection in recipients of haemopoietic SCT (HSCT) may require management of coexistent malnutrition, organ dysfunction and GVHD, all of which create added ...potential for inter- and intra-patient variations in drug metabolism as well as drug interactions. Polymorphism is common in genes encoding pathway components of antifungal drug metabolism such as enzymes (cytochrome P450 (CYP450), glutathione S-transferase, N-acetyltransferase and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase), uptake transporters (organic cationic transporter, novel organic cationic transporter, organic anion transporter protein (OATP), organic anion transport (OAT), and peptide tranporter) and efflux transporters (breast cancer resistance protein, bile sale export pump (BSEP), multidrug and toxin extrusion type transporter, multidrug resistance protein (MRP), OAT, permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), and urate transporter). Specific polymorphisms may be generalised throughout a population or largely confined to ethnic groups. CYP450 enzymes, especially 2C9 and 2C19, exhibit extensive polymorphism and are central to the metabolism of azole antifungals and their interactions with other drugs including calcineurin inhibitors, cytotoxics and benzodiazepines. Polymorphism may ultimately affect drug efficacy: CYP2C19 variation leads to a fivefold variation in voriconazole levels between individuals. Anticipated routine provision of pharmacogenomic data in the future for new drugs, together with accumulating knowledge about established agents, challenge physicians to assimilate and apply that information to drug prescribing. Increasing availability of pharmacogenomic data may strengthen demand for rapid turn-around therapeutic drug monitoring of antifungal agents in HSCT recipients.
This retrospective national study compared the use of alemtuzumab-based conditioning regimens for hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) in acquired severe aplastic anemia with antithymocyte globulin (ATG)-based ...regimens. One hundred patients received alemtuzumab and 55 ATG-based regimens. A matched sibling donor (MSD) was used in 87 (56%), matched unrelated donor (MUD) in 60 (39%) and other related or mismatched unrelated donor (UD) in 8 (5%) patients. Engraftment failure occurred in 9% of the alemtuzumab group and 11% of the ATG group. Five-year OS was 90% for the alemtuzumab and 79% for the ATG groups, P=0.11. For UD HSCT, OS of patients was better when using alemtuzumab (88%) compared with ATG (57%), P=0.026, although smaller numbers of patients received ATG. Similar outcomes for MSD HSCT using alemtuzumab or ATG were seen (91% vs 85%, respectively, P=0.562). A lower risk of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was observed in the alemtuzumab group (11% vs 26%, P=0.031). On multivariate analysis, use of BM as stem cell source was associated with better OS and EFS, and less acute and cGVHD; young age was associated with better EFS and lower risk of graft failure. This large study confirms successful avoidance of irradiation in the conditioning regimens for MUD HSCT patients.
HIV-1 persists as a latent reservoir in people receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). When ART is interrupted (treatment interruption/TI), rebound virus re-initiates systemic infection ...in the lymphoid system. During TI, HIV-1 is also detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), although the source of this rebound virus is unknown. To investigate whether there is a distinct HIV-1 reservoir in the central nervous system (CNS), we compared rebound virus after TI in the blood and CSF of 11 participants. Peak rebound CSF viral loads vary and we show that high viral loads and the appearance of clonally amplified viral lineages in the CSF are correlated with the transient influx of white blood cells. We found no evidence of rebound macrophage-tropic virus in the CSF, even in one individual who had macrophage-tropic HIV-1 in the CSF pre-therapy. We propose a model in which R5 T cell-tropic virus is released from infected T cells that enter the CNS from the blood (or are resident in the CNS during therapy), with clonal amplification of infected T cells and virus replication occurring in the CNS during TI.
The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate a specifically designed website (ALLograft INformation EXchange – ALLINEX) for adult allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo‐HSCT) ...patients in Leeds. Specifications included information on the transplant journey and supportive care services, discussion forum and patient‐clinical team electronic messaging service. The method followed a participatory action research approach in a five‐phase project involving stakeholders. Phase 1 involved information gathering; Phase 2 development of content; Phase 3 building of website and usability testing; Phase 4 preliminary evaluation; and Phase 5 clinical implementation. Results concluded that Phase 1 patients were unaware of all services and reported unmet needs; gaps in support services were identified from a service evaluation; Phase 2 content was collected from experts, collated and synthesised; Phase 3 patient and staff feedback was positive and constructive resulting in more than 50 changes; Phase 4 ALLINEX evaluation demonstrated acceptable usability with good layout, content and aesthetics reported; Phase 5, over 15 weeks, ALLINEX had 6630 page hits, 9 new forum topics posted and received 3 clinical messages. The clinical team embraced responsibility for reviewing and monitoring ALLINEX. Financial and indemnity cover was secured for 3 years. ALLINEX, adopted locally, is sustainable and has functionality to roll‐out to other UK allo‐HSCT centres.
Despite international guidelines, optimal delivery models of late effects (LE) services for HSCT patients are unclear from the clinical, organizational and economic viewpoints. To scope current LE ...service delivery models within the UK NHS (National Health Service), in 2014, we surveyed the 27 adult allogeneic HSCT centres using a 30-question online tool, achieving a 100% response rate. Most LE services were led and delivered by senior physicians (>80% centres). Follow-up was usually provided in a dedicated allograft or LE clinic for the first year (>90% centres), but thereafter attrition meant that only ~50% of patients were followed after 5 years. Most centres (69%) had a standard operating procedure for long-term monitoring but access to a LE Multi-Disciplinary Team was rare (19% centres). Access to medical specialities necessary for LE management was good, but specialist interest in long-term HSCT complications was uncommon. Some screening (endocrinopathy, cardiovascular) was near universal, but other areas were more limited (mammography, cervical smears). Funding of extra staff and investigations were the most commonly perceived barriers to implementation of LE services. This survey shows variation in the long-term follow-up of allogeneic HSCT survivors within the UK NHS and further work is warranted to optimize effective, sustainable and affordable models of LE service delivery among this group.
Both auto-SCT and reduced intensity allo-SCT (RIST) are employed in the treatment of relapsed follicular lymphoma (FL). We have analysed the outcome of these two transplant procedures when used as a ...first transplant in this setting. We conducted a retrospective comparison of 726 patients who underwent an auto-SCT and 149 who underwent a RIST as a first transplant procedure for relapsed FL as reported to the Lymphoma Working Party of the European Bone Marrow Transplant. The non-relapse mortality (NRM) was significantly worse for patients undergoing a RIST (relative risk (RR) 4.0, P<0.001). The 1-year NRM was 15% for those undergoing a RIST compared with 3% for those undergoing an auto-SCT. Disease relapse or progression were significantly worse for those receiving an auto-SCT (RR 3.1, P<0.001). Patients undergoing a RIST had a 5-year relapse rate of 20% compared with 47% for those undergoing an auto-SCT. The PFS at 5 years was 57% for patients receiving a RIST compared with 48% for those receiving an auto-SCT. There was no significant difference in OS between the two groups. RIST is associated with a higher NRM and lower relapse rate in patients with relapsed FL.
The clinical course of 2009 H1N1 influenza in Allo-SCT patients is unknown. Data were collected in the UK from October 2009 to April 2010 on laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in Allo-SCT ...recipients. H1N1 infection was diagnosed in 60 patients, median age 42 years, at a median of 10 months post-SCT. Twenty-one patients (35%) developed pneumonia and nine (15%) required admission to intensive care units. Actuarial mortality was 7% at 28 days and 19% 4 months post-diagnosis of 2009 H1N1 influenza. Increasing age and pre-existing lung disease were risk factors for pneumonia (P=0.006 and 0.037, respectively); older age was a risk factor for death (P=0.012). Morbidity and mortality from 2009 H1N1 influenza in SCT patients exceeds that of immunocompetent patients, but parallels that in other critically ill hospitalised cohorts; the elderly and those with chronic pulmonary disease are at greatest risk.
The advent of reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens has permitted the extension of allo-SCT to selected patients into their eighth decade but GVHD remains a major cause of morbidity and ...mortality. Alemtuzumab is increasingly used to reduce the risk of severe GVHD, but there are concerns that T-cell depletion may compromise outcome particularly in older patients. We therefore studied the impact of pre-transplant factors on the outcome of 187 patients with a haematological malignancy over the age of 60 transplanted using an alemtuzumab-based RIC regimen of whom co-morbidity scoring was possible in 169. Of the patients, 120 had a haematopoietic cell transplantation co-morbidity index (HCT-CI) of 0 or 1 and 49 had a score of 2 or more. The 5-year OS was 33%. In multivariable analysis, OS was determined by co-morbidity score (P=0.001) and disease status at transplant (P=0.004) but not by patient age. Non-relapse mortality was determined by co-morbidity score (P=0.001). Two-year OS for patients with a HCT-CI of 0-1 was 59 versus 6% for patients with a higher score. Alemtuzumab-based RIC allografts can be delivered safely in patients aged over 60 but co-morbidity scoring is mandatory to identify patients who will benefit.
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