Purpose: To analyze the outcome of allogeneic transplantation for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome (MF/SS) in terms of nonrelapse mortality (NRM), relapse/progression (REL), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) and to identify factors associated with the outcome. Patient and Methods: Sixty patients with MF (n = 36) and SS (n = 24) who received a first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from a matched related (mRD; n = 45) or unrelated donor (mUD; n = 15) between 1997 and 2007 and who were registered in the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation database were analyzed: 37 men and 23 women, median age 46.5 years (range, 22 to 66 years). Forty-four patients had TNM stage IV, and 40 patients were at advanced phase at transplantation. Forty-four patients received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens, and 25 underwent T-cell depletion (TCD). Results: Allogeneic transplantation in MF/SS offers an estimated OS of 66% at 1 year and 54% at 3 years, primarily driven by donor type, disease phase, and type of conditioning. RIC decreased NRM (relative risk [RR] = 4.7; P = .008) without increasing REL, leading to a higher OS (RR = 2.8; P = .03). Advanced-phase disease increases REL (RR = 3.0; P = .03) and reduces PFS (RR = 4.4; P = .002) and OS (RR = 3.5; P = .023). Recipients of mRD allogeneic HCT had better PFS (RR = 2.7; P = .006) and OS (RR = 4.0; P = .001) than their mUD counterparts. The risk of REL increases with TCD (RR = 3.2; P = .005). Some patients who experience relapse can successfully undergo rescue treatment with donor lymphocyte infusions. Conclusion: Allogeneic transplantation is a valid therapeutic alternative for high-risk patients with advanced-stage MF/SS. Our data also suggest the existence of a clinically relevant graft-versus-lymphoma effect in MF/SS.
BACKGROUND. Passive immunotherapy with convalescent plasma (CP) is a potential treatment for COVID-19. Evidence from controlled clinical trials is inconclusive. METHODS. We conducted a randomized, open-label, controlled clinical trial at 27 hospitals in Spain. Patients had to be admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia within 7 days from symptom onset and not on mechanical ventilation or high-flow oxygen devices. Patients were randomized 1:1 to treatment with CP in addition to standard of care (SOC) or to the control arm receiving only SOC. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients in categories 5 (noninvasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen), 6 (invasive mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO]), or 7 (death) at 14 days. Primary analysis was performed in the intention-to-treat population. RESULTS. Between April 4, 2020, and February 5, 2021, 350 patients were randomly assigned to either CP (n = 179) or SOC (n = 171). At 14 days, proportion of patients in categories 5, 6, or 7 was 11.7% in the CP group versus 16.4% in the control group (P = 0.205). The difference was greater at 28 days, with 8.4% of patients in categories 5–7 in the CP group versus 17.0% in the control group (P = 0.021). The difference in overall survival did not reach statistical significance (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.19–1.14, log-rank P = 0.087). CONCLUSION. CP showed a significant benefit in preventing progression to noninvasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO, or death at 28 days. The effect on the predefined primary endpoint at 14 days and the effect on overall survival were not statistically significant. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04345523. FUNDING. Government of Spain, Instituto de Salud Carlos III.
1 October 2014 in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Posaconazole tablets, a new oral formulation of posaconazole, can be effective when given as antifungal prophylaxis to neutropenic patients at high risk for invasive fungal infection (e.g., those with acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome). Such effectiveness might be specifically important to patients with poor oral intake because of nausea, vomiting, or chemotherapy-associated mucositis. This was a prospective, global study in high-risk patients to characterize the pharmacokinetics and safety profile of posaconazole tablets and to identify the dose of posaconazole tablets that would provide exposure within a predefined range of exposures (steady-state average concentration [area under the concentration-time curve/24 h] of ≥500 ng/ml and ≤2,500 ng/ml in >90% of patients). The study evaluated two sequential dosing cohorts: 200 mg posaconazole once daily ( n = 20) and 300 mg posaconazole once daily ( n = 34) (both cohorts had a twice-daily loading dose on day 1) taken without regard to food intake during the neutropenic period for ≤28 days. The exposure target was reached (day 8) in 15 of 19 (79%) pharmacokinetic-evaluable patients taking 200 mg posaconazole once daily and in 31 of 32 (97%) patients taking 300 mg posaconazole once daily; 300 mg posaconazole once daily achieved the desired exposure target. Posaconazole tablets were generally well tolerated in high-risk neutropenic patients. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01777763.)