Abstract: Inotuzumab ozogamicin (INO) showed improved treatment outcomes for relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) but can induce hepatotoxic adverse events. Hepatic venoocclusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) frequently develops after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), and INO is a strong pretransplant risk factor. However, VOD/SOS can occur just after INO therapy. Here, we describe a BCP-ALL patient treated with INO for isolated extramedullary relapse after allo-HCT. The patient experienced elevated liver enzymes with ascites at 21 days from the last INO dose. Although she met the criteria for VOD/SOS, the diagnosis was challenging because of her ongoing hepatic graft- versus-host disease (GVHD) and normal portal vein flow on Doppler sonogram. The radiologist suggested liver cirrhosis based on computed tomography, with VOD/SOS, liver cirrhosis, and GVHD assumed to be differential diagnoses. She received supportive care with GVHD management; however, due to progressive hepatic failure, we conducted emergent deceased-donor liver transplantation, and the pathologic findings indicated VOD/SOS. Her leukemia was stable, but she died of sepsis after 3 months. INO use is a high-risk factor for VOD/SOS, but an accurate diagnosis can be challenging due to various hepatic complications. Early diagnosis and proper management for VOD/SOS is important for improved outcomes.

Abstract: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) can be life-threatening if not detected and treated appropriately. The diagnosis of HLH can be confusing due to other similar febrile diseases that present with cytopenia. Natural-killer cell (NK)-cytotoxicity is an important diagnostic parameter for primary HLH; however, its role in secondary HLH in adults has not been well-elucidated. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 123 adult patients with febrile conditions accompanied by cytopenia or marrow hemophagocytosis. A diagnosis of HLH was based on HLH-2004 criteria and treated based on HLH-94 protocol. NK-cytotoxicity was calculated at the time of diagnosis by K562-cell direct lysis using flow-cytometry. Results: HLH ( n = 60) was determined to be caused by Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) ( n = 11), infection other than EBV ( n = 16), malignancies ( n = 19), and unknown ( n = 14). Febrile diseases other than HLH ( n = 63) were diagnosed as autoimmune disease ( n = 22), malignancies ( n = 21), infection ( n = 12), non-malignant hematological diseases ( n = 6), and unknown ( n = 2). A lower NK-cytotoxicity level was observed at diagnosis in patients with HLH, compared with other causes of febrile disease (12.1% versus 26.2%, p  〈  0.001). However, NK-cytotoxicity had a borderline effect on diagnosis of HLH, with an area under receiver operation characteristic curve of 0.689. It also showed no significant role for the prediction of survival outcome. Multivariate analysis revealed that malignant disease and high ferritin level were related with poor survival outcome. In non-malignant disease subgroups, old age, EBV-association, and low NK-cytotoxicity were related with poor survival. Conclusions: Febrile disease with cytopenia was associated with decreased NK-cytotoxicity, especially in adults with HLH; however, its diagnostic role for adult HLH is still arguable. The diagnostic criteria for adult HLH should be further discussed. Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service [Internet]; Osong (Chungcheongbuk-do), Korea, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health and Welfare (Republic of Korea); https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/index.jsp ; Feb, 16th 2016; KCT0001886 (KC15TISE0936);

Abstract: Backgroud: Recent reports showing that imatinib (IM) discontinuation can be employed in patients who had enough IM therapy and undetectable molecular residual disease (UMRD) durations prior to IM discontinuation result in treatment-free remission (TFR) as a new therapeutic goal in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP CML). Although 50-70% of patients experienced molecular relapse by several TFR studies, the most of patients resumed molecular responses (MR) following restart of IM. Through the Korean multicenter prospective study (Korean Imatinib Discontinuation Study; KID Study), we have identified predictors for sustained UMRD and explored molecular kinetics after the first IM discontinuation. In patients regaining durable UMRD with IM resumption, we tried second IM discontinuation and compared molecular kinetics between the first IM stop and second IM stop. Methods: CP CML patients who were treated with IM for more than 3 years and had undetectable levels of BCR-ABL1 transcripts determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for at least 2 years were eligible for KID study and in cases of MMR loss after 2 consecutive assessments, IM treatment was re-introduced. After IM resumption for MMR loss, the molecular response was evaluated every month until MMR was re-achieved and every 3 months thereafter. The second stop was permitted in the patients who were in second UMRD for at least 2 years. Results: By the data cut-off date of 31 July 2015, among 90 non-transplant UMRD patients with at least 12 months of follow-up, 37 patients lost MMR in 2 consecutive analyses and resumed IM. Among them, 9 patients (5 men and 4 women) with a median age of 54 years (range, 35-59 years) entered into a second IM discontinuation after maintaining UMRD at least 2 years. Prior to first discontinuation, the median duration of IM therapy was 76.8 months (range, 38.5-129.0 months) and the duration of sustained UMRD was 30.1 months (range, 24.4-64.5 months). After first attempt of IM discontinuation, they relapsed after a median duration of 3.7 months (range, 1.9-20.8 months) and re-achieved UMRD at a median of 5.5 months (range, 1.8-9.4 months) after IM resumption. After sustaining a second UMRD for a median of 25.7 months, IM therapy discontinued for a second time. After a median follow-up of 37.4 months (range, 19.7-58.5 months) after second IM discontinuation, 7/9 patients (78%) and 4/9 patients (44%) lost UMRD and MMR, respectively. Among three patients who lost UMRD but not MMR, one patient showed fluctuation of BCR-ABL1 transcript under the level of 0.1% on IS for 19.5 months and two patients has not yet been followed up after a first detection of UMRD loss. Four patients who experienced second relapse (MMR loss) after a median 2.9 months (range, 2.7-3.9 months), which was similar to those of the first IM discontinuation [median 3.75 (range, 1.9-3.9 months)] . The patients who lost MMR were retreated with IM for a median of 13.6 months (range, 0.8-18.6 months); three patients re-achieved MMR at 3.5, 5.5, and 11.5 months, respectively and one re-achieved UMRD at 7.2 months. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that a second attempt might be possible and the median time to MMR loss after second discontinuation was similar to those of the first discontinuation. But the molecular kinetics after second IM resumption needs longer follow-up with more patients. Further studies on the predictors to select patients for a trial of second TFR and novel strategies such as intermittent therapy will be warranted. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract: Antihuman T-lymphocyte immune globulin (ATG) was shown to lower the incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from an unrelated donor. The type, dose, and duration of ATG treatment is a matter of ongoing controversy in allo-HSCT. Furthermore, there has been no phase 3 study to explore the role of ATG-thymoglobulin for the prevention of cGVHD in allo-HSCT from matched siblings, whereas results from a recent randomized trial of ATG-Fresenius was reported (NEJM 2016). We performed a prospective, single-center, open-label, randomized trial of ATG-thymoglobulin as a part of the conditioning regimen. The primary endpoint was the cumulative incidence (CI) of cGVHD at a 2-year evaluation. A total of 126 patients with acute leukemia were planned to be enrolled and assigned randomly at a 1:1 ratio to receive ATG-thymoglobulin (1.25 mg/kg at three and two days before allo-HSCT) or receive no ATG-thymoglobulin stratified according to the refined Disease Risk Index and conditioning intensity. Both groups were well balanced for NCCN risk, disease type, disease status, and MRD status at HSCT. The current study finally enrolled 120 patients with a median of 560 days of follow-up (range 52 - 1257). The CI of cGVHD in the ATG group (n=60) and non-ATG (n=60) group at 2 years after allo-HSCT was 37.2% and 82.7%, respectively (p & lt;0.001). Moderate-to-severe cGVHD occurred in 11.7% of the ATG group and 47.2% of the non-ATG group (p & lt;0.001). In multivariate analysis, non-AGT group, NCCN favorable to intermediate risk, and reduced intensity conditioning remained significant risk factors for the CI of chronic GVHD. There were no significant between-group differences in the CI of infectious complications, acute GVHD, or other allo-HSCT-related adverse events. In contrast, the ATG group had a significantly increased CI of relapse (CIR) compared with the non-ATG-group (28.8% vs 11.7%, p=0.010), which remained significant in the multivariate analysis. Disease-free survival, overall survival, and GVHD and relapse free survival were similar between the ATG and non-ATG groups. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the use of ATG-thymoglobulin, even at a relatively low dose (2.5 mg/kg), decreases the occurrence of cGVHD at a cost of an increased risk for relapse in the setting of allo-HSCT from matched sibling donors for acute leukemia. The optimal dose, timing, and duration of ATG-thymoglobulin should be investigated further. Disclosures Kim: BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sun Pharma.: Research Funding; ILYANG: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Research Funding. Lee:Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Kim:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AML Global Portal: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Hanmi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BL & H: Research Funding; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Chugai: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Yuhan: Consultancy, Honoraria; SL VaxiGen: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria; Sanofi-Genzyme: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Abstract: Introduction Geriatric assessment (GA) typically refers to a multidimensional evaluation designed to evaluate an older person's functional ability, physical health, cognition, psychological health, nutritional status, and social support. The purpose of GA is to develop time-efficient and straightforward tools to evaluate multiple patient characteristics, which may be predictive of treatment outcomes of elderly acute myeloid leukemia (eAML) patients treated with intensive chemotherapy. Given that there have been few prospective studies with conflicting results, we performed a single-center prospective observational cohort study (#KCT0002172) investigating the prognostic value of multiparameter GA domains for eAML patients' tolerance and survival outcomes after intensive chemotherapy. Patients and methods Newly diagnosed eAML patients aged over 60 years who received intensive chemotherapy (n=105) were prospectively enrolled between November 2016 and December 2019. The median age was 64 years (range, 60-75), and they were all considered fit for intensive chemotherapy, with adequate performance and organ function. All the enrolled patients were administered various questionnaires for pretreatment GA and functional evaluation, which included evaluation for social and nutritional support, cognition, depression, distress, and physical function. Results Of the 105 enrolled patients, 93% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of 1 and received intensive chemotherapy. Among them, between 32.4% and 69.5% of patients met the criteria for impairment on each GA domain. Physical impairment measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was significantly associated with non-fatal toxicities of Grade III-IV severe infection (odds ratio (OR) 3.000, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.159-7.788, p=0.024) and acute renal failure (OR 3.891, 95% CI, 1.329-11.39, p=0.013). Cognitive dysfunction measured by the Mini-Mental Status Examination- Korean version of CERAD Assessment Packet was significantly associated with a higher risk of Grade III-IV infection (OR 2.667, 95% CI, 1.025-6.939, p=0.044) and prolonged hospitalization (OR 4.208, 95% CI, 1.485-4.229, p=0.005). Reduced physical function measured by the SPPB and depressive symptoms measured by the Korean version of Short form Geriatric Depressive Scale (SGDS-K) were predictive of worse overall survival (OS; hazard ratio (HR) 1.917, 95% CI, 1.074-3.420, p=0.027 and HR 1.902, 95% CI, 1.005-3.602, p=0.048). SPPB impairment was also significantly related to higher treatment-related mortality (TRM; HR 2.023, 95% CI, 11.057-3.874, p=0.033). Furthermore, gait or sit-and-stand speed, a component of SPPB, was the single most powerful tool to predict survival outcomes of both OS (HR 2.766, 95% CI, 1.471-5.200, p=0.002 and HR 3.615, 95% CI, 1.868-6.999, p & lt;0.001) and TRM (HR 2.461, 95% CI, 1.233-4.913, p=0.011 and HR 3.814, 95% CI, 1.766-8.237, p & lt;0.001). We reconfirmed the prognostic value of preexisting survival prediction models, Wheatley index scores, and web-based AML scores, contrasting to the lack of significance of Ferrara criteria. The addition of SPPB/SGDS-K or gait (or sit-and-stand) speed/SGDS-K improved the predictability of the Wheatley index and web-based AML scores with 69% and 90% relative increases in predictive power for survival, respectively. Conclusions We prospectively demonstrated the prognostic value of physical and psychological assessment by GA for survival outcomes in intensively treated eAML patients. Gait or sit-and-stand speed was the single most powerful tool to identify frailty and predict survival outcomes. The prognostic value of preexisting survival prediction models, Wheatley index scores, and AML scores was reconfirmed.. The addition of measures for physical function and depression improved the predictability of those prediction models for survival. Cognitive and physical impairment were able to identify non-fatal toxicities during intensive chemotherapy in eAML patients. Our data will facilitate the incorporation of GA measures into validated survival prediction models to determine initial treatment for eAML patients in routine clinical care and clinical trials. Further studies are warranted to determine the best ways to adjust the care provided for frail patients to improve treatment tolerance and outcomes. Disclosures Kim: Novartis: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; ILYANG: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Lee: Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kim: AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AIMS Biosciense: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; AML-Hub: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BL & H: Research Funding; BMS & Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Boryung Pharm Co.: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Handok: Consultancy, Honoraria; LG Chem: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pintherapeutics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi Genzyme: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; SL VaxiGen: Consultancy, Honoraria; VigenCell: Consultancy, Honoraria.