Treatment-Related Risk Factors for Adverse Outcomes of COVID-19 in Patients Treated for Lymphoid Malignancies in the Pre-Omicron Era—A Study of KroHem, the Croatian Group for Hematologic Diseases

Patients with lymphoid malignancies are at increased risk of death or prolonged infection due to COVID-19. Data on the influence of different antineoplastic treatment modalities on outcomes are conflicting. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies increase the risk of prolonged infection. It is unclear whether this risk is affected by the choice of the antibody (rituximab vs. obinutuzumab). To elucidate the role of antineoplastic therapy on COVID-19 outcomes, KroHem collected data on patients with lymphoid malignancies diagnosed with COVID-19 between October 2020 and April 2021. A total of 314 patients were identified, 75 untreated, 61 off treatment and 178 on treatment. The mortality rate in untreated and off-treatment patients was 15% and 16%; 9% and 10% had prolonged infection. In the on-treatment group, 3% were still prolonged positive at time of data collection, 62% recovered and 35% died; 42% had prolonged infection. Disease type, use of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, prior autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) and line of treatment did not significantly affect mortality. Mortality was higher in older patients (p = 0.0078) and those treated with purine analogues (p = 0.012). Prolonged COVID-19 was significantly more frequent in patients treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (p = 0.012), especially obinutuzumab, and purine analogues (p = 0.012). Age, prior ASCT and treatment line did not significantly affect risk of prolonged infection. These data suggest that increased age and use of purine analogues are main risk factors for increased mortality of COVID-19 in patients with lymphoid malignancies. Obinutuzumab further increases the risk of prolonged disease, but not of death, in comparison to rituximab. Epidemiological considerations should be taken into account when choosing the appropriate antineoplastic therapy for patients with lymphoid malignancies

4th International Scientific Conference on Kinesiology: Science and profession - challenge for the future : proceedings book

In the year 2005, when the University of Zagreb is celebrating the 336th anniversary of its establishment and the Faculty of Kinesiology University of Zagreb its 46th anniversary, the International Scientifi c Conference on Kinesiology is being organized for the fourth time. Thus, the proclaimed intention of the organizer, the Faculty of Kinesiology, to make the Conference a traditional forum for kinesiologists to exchange fi ndings, ideas, experiences and theories has become a reality. You will probably agree with us that, despite all the conveniences the modern communication technology has provided, a vivid dialogue, established in personal contacts of people who share similar vocational interests, is always a unique event and experience. We hope that the debates on how to foster excellence and joy in sport and exercise and on how to promote PE as an underpinning activity for sport, competitive and recreational alike, and life-long active life-styles, as well as discussions on numerous issues regarding human movement, health, exercise and business will bring fruitful results in form of new ideas and research projects. The ever-growing body of kinesiology or sport science knowledge is continuously transformed into higher education curricula which allow graduates and masters of science to become well-educated professionals who have insights into the recent advances in kinesiology. In Croatia a highly specialized education and training of sport and PE professionals has a hundred-and-ten-year-old tradition. Based on that long tradition, the Faculty of Kinesiology has prepared two new university study curricula, adjusted to the Bologna Declaration and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and has obtained the accreditation to organize them commencing in academic year 2005/06. The new university graduate and postgraduate doctoral study programmes will enable a higher level of knowledge of students and will promote a higher two-way mobility of both students and scholars. The curricula have assimilated the orientation of the members of the Faculty of Kinesiology that the mission of higher education institutions is viable only in the symbiosis of educational (professional training) and elite fundamental, developmental and applied research work in the fi elds of general and applied kinesiology and in the cognate and adjacent, mainly anthropological, scientifi c branches. The motto of this year’s Conference is “Science and Profession – Challenge for the Future”. It suggests that the focus of attention is directed towards the inevitable connectedness between everyday practical issues and professions related to physical exercise and sport, on the one hand, and kinesiological research activities, theories, insights, fi ndings and inferences on the other. The assembly of kinesiologists from 25 countries has gathered to discuss diverse biological, medical, biomechanical, psychological, sociological, cultural and economic aspects of a variety of kinesiological issues presented in 226 papers written by 300 authors. Besides the contributing authors, much credit for the Conference scientifi c programme goes to the esteemed invited lecturers, both the plenary and the session introductory speakers, and chairpersons of particular thematic sessions, and the members of the Scientifi c Programme Committee. Thematically and methodologically related contributions have been divided into eleven thematic sections (APA and Sport for the Disabled; Biology and Medicine of Sport and Exercise; Biomechanics; Management of Sport; Physical Conditioning; Physical Education; Research Methodology; Sociology, History and Philosophy of Sport; Sport for All, Fitness and Health-related Activities; Sport Psychology; and Top-level Sport), which, in turn, represent recognizable groups of issues currently prevailing in the scientifi c research dealing with human movement, sport and exercise activities. Our special thanks go to the reviewers (62) who altruistically engaged their knowledge, effort, experience and time in making the conference papers consistent and good enough to enable creative clarifi cation and communication of ideas. Although time restrictions made it impossible to afford indepth reviews, the authors were requested to undertake revisions whenever it was possible in order to minimize the rejections. The selection and classifi cation process was performed according to the quality criteria that primarily regarded novelty and the amount of information, and quality of structure and presentation. Due to the formal quality and lack of consistency of quite a number of papers, the original idea of reproducing them Science and Profession - Challenge for the Future VII as submitted proved hardly tenable. Therefore, a certain amount of copy-editing has been performed, though restricted to a minimum and simply in order to achieve a reasonable degree of formal consistency. This has been a demanding and complex process, performed under serious time pressure. We do apologise for any mistakes or inconveniences this might have caused. The Proceedings Book is a reminder of the research fi ndings accomplished in the fi eld of kinesiology, or sport sciences, or kinetics, or kinanthropology throughout the past three years. The presented papers are a basis and a probable starting point for new ones since they cover a wide range of anthropological (understood in the widest sense), methodological and didactic investigations in the areas of physical education, competitive sport, physical recreation, and physical rehabilitation. The organizer, the Faculty of Kinesiology tried to make the 4th Conference on Kinesiology comparable to the quality level of many conferences worldwide. The Dean of the Faculty and the presidents of the Organizing and Scientifi c Committee wish to express their deep gratitude to all the invited speakers, contributors (authors), members of the Scientifi c Committee, reviewers, members of the Organizing Committee, members of the Proceedings Book Editorial Board, and, particularly, to all the Conference Offi ce executives who made the 4th Conference and the Proceedings Book possible. Our acknowledgments go to the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and to its president a Fellow of the Croatian Academy Milan Moguš, PhD, for their traditional patronage of the Conference. Their support is of great value to the Faculty because it is a signifi cant recognition of the work done in the domain of kinesiology. Recognition of the Conference has been also granted by the co-organizer, the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of the Republic of Croatia. We are convinced that the 4th Conference on Kinesiology will affi rm all the effort exerted so far in the kinesiology and will open new challenges for the future and better cooperation between scientists and the professionals. To all the Conference participants we wish a productive and benefi cial time and contacts. It is our hope that new research ideas and projects will emerge from it. We will welcome the forthcoming results at our next conferences. To those who were not able to actively participate in the Conference work this year, we offer these Proceedings as an invitation for cooperation of competent partners and for joining us at the 5th Conference on Kinesiology in three years time