Respiratory Viruses in Patients With Hematological Malignancy in Boreal Autumn/Winter 2023–2024:EPICOVIDEHA-EPIFLUEHA Report

Community-acquired respiratory viral infections (CARV) significantly impact patients with hematological malignancies (HM), leading to high morbidity and mortality. However, large-scale, real-world data on CARV in these patients is limited. This study analyzed data from the EPICOVIDEHA-EPIFLUEHA registry, focusing on patients with HM diagnosed with CARV during the 2023–2024 autumn–winter season. The study assessed epidemiology, clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes. The study examined 1312 patients with HM diagnosed with CARV during the 2023–2024 autumn–winter season. Of these, 59.5% required hospitalization, with 13.5% needing ICU admission. The overall mortality rate was 10.6%, varying by virus: parainfluenza (21.3%), influenza (8.8%), metapneumovirus (7.1%), RSV (5.9%), or SARS-CoV-2 (5.0%). Poor outcomes were significantly associated with smoking history, severe lymphopenia, secondary bacterial infections, and ICU admission. This study highlights the severe risk CARV poses to patients with HM, especially those undergoing active treatment. The high rates of hospitalization and mortality stress the need for better prevention, early diagnosis, and targeted therapies. Given the severe outcomes with certain viruses like parainfluenza, tailored strategies are crucial to improving patient outcomes in future CARV seasons.</p

Effectiveness, Adverse Events, and Immune Response Following Double Vaccination with BNT162b2 in Staff at the National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC)

Vaccination remains the leading strategy against COVID-19 worldwide. BNT162b2 is among the first licensed vaccines with high effectiveness. However, the role of antibody and cell immunity response monitoring after vaccination remains unclear. We conducted a 6-month prospective study involving the employees of NCCC in Slovakia, who were tested for IgG antibody and cell immune responses after double vaccination with BNT162b2. IgG antibodies were detected at 3, 7, and 26 weeks, respectively. At 6 months, blood samples were tested by two different interferon-γ release assays to determine responses to spike protein antigen and nucleocapsid protein antigen of the novel coronavirus. Results were stratified by gender and body mass index (BMI). Statistical significance was set at p = 0.05. The medical records of 94 respondents (71 females) were analyzed. The mean age was 40.2 years and the mean BMI was 26.4 kg/m2. At 6 months after double vaccination, effectiveness was 97.9%. The side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine were similar after both doses, with no serious adverse events or new safety signals recorded. The IgG index declined rapidly (p p < 0.0001). Both T cell activation and IgG counts were lower in morbidly obese patients when compared to some other BMI categories. This study confirmed an acceptable toxicity profile and the high efficacy of BNT162b2 despite a rapid decline of IgG level and negative cell-mediated immunity response in most subjects. An individualized approach to vaccination could be considered in morbidly obese individuals

Effectiveness, Adverse Events, and Immune Response Following Double Vaccination with BNT162b2 in Staff at the National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC)

Vaccination remains the leading strategy against COVID-19 worldwide. BNT162b2 is among the first licensed vaccines with high effectiveness. However, the role of antibody and cell immunity response monitoring after vaccination remains unclear. We conducted a 6-month prospective study involving the employees of NCCC in Slovakia, who were tested for IgG antibody and cell immune responses after double vaccination with BNT162b2. IgG antibodies were detected at 3, 7, and 26 weeks, respectively. At 6 months, blood samples were tested by two different interferon-γ release assays to determine responses to spike protein antigen and nucleocapsid protein antigen of the novel coronavirus. Results were stratified by gender and body mass index (BMI). Statistical significance was set at p = 0.05. The medical records of 94 respondents (71 females) were analyzed. The mean age was 40.2 years and the mean BMI was 26.4 kg/m2. At 6 months after double vaccination, effectiveness was 97.9%. The side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine were similar after both doses, with no serious adverse events or new safety signals recorded. The IgG index declined rapidly (p &lt; 0.0001), and 42.6% of subjects had positive and 57.4% borderline or negative immune cell response at 6 months (p &lt; 0.0001). Both T cell activation and IgG counts were lower in morbidly obese patients when compared to some other BMI categories. This study confirmed an acceptable toxicity profile and the high efficacy of BNT162b2 despite a rapid decline of IgG level and negative cell-mediated immunity response in most subjects. An individualized approach to vaccination could be considered in morbidly obese individuals.</jats:p

Effectiveness, Adverse Events, and Immune Response Following Double Vaccination with BNT162b2 in Staff at the National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC)

Vaccination remains the leading strategy against COVID-19 worldwide. BNT162b2 is among the first licensed vaccines with high effectiveness. However, the role of antibody and cell immunity response monitoring after vaccination remains unclear. We conducted a 6-month prospective study involving the employees of NCCC in Slovakia, who were tested for IgG antibody and cell immune responses after double vaccination with BNT162b2. IgG antibodies were detected at 3, 7, and 26 weeks, respectively. At 6 months, blood samples were tested by two different interferon-&gamma; release assays to determine responses to spike protein antigen and nucleocapsid protein antigen of the novel coronavirus. Results were stratified by gender and body mass index (BMI). Statistical significance was set at p = 0.05. The medical records of 94 respondents (71 females) were analyzed. The mean age was 40.2 years and the mean BMI was 26.4 kg/m2. At 6 months after double vaccination, effectiveness was 97.9%. The side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine were similar after both doses, with no serious adverse events or new safety signals recorded. The IgG index declined rapidly (p &lt; 0.0001), and 42.6% of subjects had positive and 57.4% borderline or negative immune cell response at 6 months (p &lt; 0.0001). Both T cell activation and IgG counts were lower in morbidly obese patients when compared to some other BMI categories. This study confirmed an acceptable toxicity profile and the high efficacy of BNT162b2 despite a rapid decline of IgG level and negative cell-mediated immunity response in most subjects. An individualized approach to vaccination could be considered in morbidly obese individuals

Several factors that predict the outcome of large B‐cell lymphoma patients who relapse/progress after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy can be identified before cell administration

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to analyse the outcomes of patients with large B‐cell lymphoma (LBCL) treated with chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy (CAR‐Tx), with a focus on outcomes after CAR T‐cell failure, and to define the risk factors for rapid progression and further treatment. Methods We analysed 107 patients with LBCL from the Czech Republic and Slovakia who were treated in ≥3rd‐line with tisagenlecleucel or axicabtagene ciloleucel between 2019 and 2022. Results The overall response rate (ORR) was 60%, with a 50% complete response (CR) rate. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 4.3 and 26.4 months, respectively. Sixty‐three patients (59%) were refractory or relapsed after CAR‐Tx. Of these patients, 39 received radiotherapy or systemic therapy, with an ORR of 22% (CR 8%). The median follow‐up of surviving patients in whom treatment failed was 10.6 months. Several factors predicting further treatment administration and outcomes were present even before CAR‐Tx. Risk factors for not receiving further therapy after CAR‐Tx failure were high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels before apheresis, extranodal involvement (EN), high ferritin levels before lymphodepletion (LD) and ECOG PS >1 at R/P. The median OS‐2 (from R/P after CAR‐Tx) was 6.7 months (6‐month 57.9%) for treated patients and 0.4 months (6‐month 4.2%) for untreated patients (p  limit of the normal range (LNR) before LD, albumin  1 at R/P. All these factors, together with LDH > LNR before LD and EN involvement at R/P, predicted OS‐2 for treated patients. Conclusion Our findings allow better stratification of CAR‐Tx candidates and stress the need for a proactive approach (earlier restaging, intervention after partial remission achievement)

COVID-19 and CAR T cells: a report on current challenges and future directions from the EPICOVIDEHA survey by EHA-IDWP.

The EHA-IDWP developed an observational registry collecting data on COVID-19 infection in patients who received CAR T-cell therapy. Prevalence of COVID-19 was 4.8%, and overall mortality was 50%, highlighting the need for prevention of infection in these patients