RILEVANZA CLINICO-BIOLOGICA DELLE REAZIONI AVVERSE INFUSIONALI AI FARMACI: IL CASO DELL’ANTICORPO MONOCLONALE RITUXIMAB

L'anticorpo monoclonale Rituximab, che identifica l'antigene target CD20, è oramai parte integrante del trattamento delle neoplasie ematologiche che esprimono il CD20 di superficie e, più di recente, si è dimostrato efficace anche nel trattamento delle patologie autoimmuni. Tuttavia, si possono verificare delle reazioni avverse alla infusione dell'anticorpo che, in alcuni casi, ne causano la definitiva sospensione della somministrazione privando il paziente, in tal modo, della opportunità di ricevere una molecola di straordinaria efficacia. In questo studio multicentrico sono stati valutati retrospettivamente 374 pazienti trattati con Rituximab somministrato per via endovenosa e il 23.5% di essi ha manifestato delle reazioni avverse infusionali. Nel complesso le reazioni avverse sono state osservate più frequentemente nei pazienti affetti da linfoma non-Hodgkin e leucemia linfatica cronica (25-35.9%), che nelle patologie autoimmuni (9.4-17.5%) (p < 0.0001). Una tossicità di grado 3-4 si è manifestata in 8 pazienti (2.1%), e in 4 di essi (1% di tutta la casistica) è stato necessario interrompere definitivamente la somministrazione dell'anticorpo. Sono stati identificati 3 gruppi di pazienti con differente rischio di sviluppare una reazione avversa alla infusione dell'anticorpo, utilizzando una heat-map predittiva, ottenuta dalla combinazione di 4 parametri (splenomegalia, storia di allergia, livelli di emoglobina circolante e sesso del paziente) selezionati attraverso una analisi multivariata. Il nostro modello, presentato in questo studio, potrebbe essere utile nell'identificare pazienti a più alto rischio di sviluppare una reazione avversa infusionale al rituximab e che, quindi, potrebbero giovarsi di terapie di prevenzione più appropriate, e pazienti a più basso rischio ai quali potrebbe essere risparmiata una terapia di "premedicazione" o potrebbe esserne somministrata una forma meno intensiva

Cognitive Health of Nonagenarians in Southern Italy: A Descriptive Analysis from a Cross-Sectional, Home-Based Pilot Study of Exceptional Longevity (Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes Or CIAO).

Background: Nonagenarians and centenarians (NCs) are an extremely fragile population, particularly in regard to their physical and cognitive function. The aim of this study was to define the neurocognitive profiles among 29 NCs and their 49 younger cohabitants aged 50-75 years from The Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes (CIAO) Pilot study in the South of Italy that had provided initial hypotheses regarding positive psychological traits related to exceptional longevity. Methods: During the home visits, lifestyle information with specific questionnaires, functional autonomy and the neuropsychological Mini Mental Scale Examination (MMSE), and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) scale were obtained by qualified study personnel. The total blood oxidative capacity was also determined by testing the reactive derivative of oxygen metabolites (d-ROM) and by the Biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP). In all individuals, the APOE genotype determination was also performed. Results: All the subjects in both groups showed high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. None of the NCs had severe cognitive impairment, and a very low incidence of dementia was found. The data obtained on the Activities ed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL-IADL) scale showed that the majority of NCs (16/29) were autonomous in daily life activities. The comparative assessment of NCs and cohabitants showed no significant differences in the laboratory assessment of oxidative stress and APOE genotype. Conclusion: In the Cilento Region of Southern Italy, NCs seemed to have good cognitive status when compared to younger cohabitants aging 50-65 years without significant differences in oxidative stress markers or APOE genotype. These results might be related to optimal adherence to the Mediterranean diet, although other lifestyle factors and positive personality traits may also contribute to their healthy aging. Further studies on a larger population should be performed to confirm the results of this pilot study

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is an asymptomatic hematologic condition defined by the presence of a small (<5 x 109/L) clonal B-cell population in the peripheral blood in the absence of lymph-node enlargement, cytopenias or autoimmune diseases. It is found in approximately 3-12% of normal persons depending on the accuracy of analytical techniques applied. According to the immunophenotypic profile of clonal B-cells, the majority of MBL cases (75%) are classified as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)-like. This form may progress into CLL at a rate of 1–2% per year. It is thought that CLL is always preceded by MBL. The remaining MBL cases are defined as atypical CLL-like (CD5+/CD20bright) and CD5- MBL. The MBL clone size is quite heterogenous. Accordingly, two forms of MBL are identified: i) high-count, or ‘clinical’ MBL, in which an evidence of lymphocytosis (<5 x 109/L clonal B-cells) is seen, and ii) a low-count MBL, in which a normal leukocyte count is found and that is identified only in population-screening studies. Both forms of MBL may carry the cytogenetic abnormalities that are the hallmark of CLL, including 13q-, 17p- and trisomy 12. Consistent with the indolent phenotype of this condition, genetic lesions, such as TP53, ATM, NOTCH1 and SF3B1 mutations, usually associated with high-risk CLL, are rarely seen. Overall, no prognostic indicator of evolution of MBL to overt CLL has been found at present time. However, taking into account this possibility, a clinical and lab monitoring (at least annually), is recommended

Atypical mature T-cell neoplasms: The relevance of the role of flow cytometry

Lymphoproliferative disorders are a heterogeneous group of malignant clonal proliferations of lymphocytes whose diagnosis remains challenging, despite diagnostic criteria are now well established, due to their heterogeneity in clinical presentation and immunophenotypic profile. Lymphoid T-cell disorders are more rarely seen than B-cell entities and more difficult to diagnose for the absence of a specific immunophenotypic signature. Flow cytometry is a useful tool in diagnosing T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders since it is not only able to better characterize T-cell neoplasms but also to resolve some very complicated cases, in particular those in which a small size population of neoplastic cells is available for the analysis. Here, we report three patients with mature T-cell neoplasms with atypical clinical and biological features in which analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens by means of multicolor flow cytometry was very useful to identify and characterize three rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, such as angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified and T-cell prolym-phocytic leukemia. The aim of this case series report is not only to describe three rare cases of lymphoproliferative neoplasms but also to raise awareness that a fast, highly sensitive, and reproducible procedure, such as flow cytometry immunophenotyping, can have a determinant diagnostic role in these patients

SF3B1-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia shows evidence of NOTCH1 pathway activation including CD20 downregulation

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by a low CD20 expression, in part explained by an epigenetic-driven downregulation triggered by mutations of the NOTCH1 gene. In the present study, by taking advantage of a wide and well-characterized CLL cohort (n=537), we demonstrate that CD20 expression is downregulated in SF3B1-mutated CLL in an extent similar to NOTCH1-mutated CLL. In fact, SF3B1-mutated CLL cells show common features with NOTCH1-mutated CLL cells, including a gene expression profile enriched of NOTCH1-related gene sets and elevated expression of the active intracytoplasmic NOTCH1. Activation of the NOTCH1 signaling and down-regulation of surface CD20 in SF3B1-mutated CLL cells correlate with over-expression of an alternatively spliced form of DVL2, a component of the Wnt pathway and negative regulator of the NOTCH1 pathway. These findings are confirmed by separately analyzing the CD20-dim and CD20-bright cell fractions from SF3B1-mutated cases as well as by DVL2 knock-out experiments in CLL-like cell models. Altogether, the clinical and biological features that characterize NOTCH1-mutated CLL may also be recapitulated in SF3B1-mutated CLL, contributing to explain the poor prognosis of this CLL subset and providing the rationale for expanding novel agents-based therapies to SF3B1-mutated CLL

The role of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1/ very late activation antigen 4 in endothelial progenitor cell recruitment to rheumatoid arthritis synovium

Objective Marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are important in the neovascularization that occurs in diverse conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory diseases, and neoplasms. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), synovial neovascularization propels disease by nourishing the inflamed and hyperproliferative synovium. This study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that EPCs selectively home to inflamed joint tissue and may perpetuate synovial neovascularization. Methods In a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model, neovascularization and EPC accumulation in mouse ankle synovium was measured. In an antibody-induced arthritis model, EPC recruitment to inflamed synovium was evaluated. In a chimeric SCID mouse/human synovial tissue (ST) model, mice were engrafted subcutaneously with human ST, and EPC homing to grafts was assessed 2 days later. EPC adhesion to RA fibroblasts and RA ST was evaluated in vitro. Results In mice with CIA, cells bearing EPC markers were significantly increased in peripheral blood and accumulated in inflamed synovial pannus. EPCs were 4-fold more numerous in inflamed synovium from mice with anti–type II collagen antibody–induced arthritis versus controls. In SCID mice, EPC homing to RA ST was 3-fold greater than to normal synovium. Antibody neutralization of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and its ligand component Α4 integrin potently inhibited EPC adhesion to RA fibroblasts and RA ST cryosections. Conclusion These data demonstrate the selective recruitment of EPCs to inflamed joint tissue. The VCAM-1/very late activation antigen 4 adhesive system critically mediates EPC adhesion to cultured RA fibroblasts and to RA ST cryosections. These findings provide evidence of a possible role of EPCs in the synovial neovascularization that is critical to RA pathogenesis.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56042/1/22706_ftp.pd

Elevated lactate dehydrogenase has prognostic relevance in treatment-na\uefve patients affected by chronic lymphocytic leukemia with trisomy 12

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients with +12 have been reported to have specific clinical and biologic features. We performed an analysis of the association between demographic; clinical; laboratory; biologic features and outcome in CLL patients with +12 to identify parameters predictive of disease progression; time to treatment; and survival. The study included 487 treatment-naive CLL patients with +12 from 15 academic centers; diagnosed between January 2000 and July 2016; and 816 treatment-na\uefve patients with absence of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) abnormalities. A cohort of 250 patients with +12 CLL followed at a single US institution was used for external validation. In patients with +12; parameters associated with worse prognosis in the multivariate model were high Lactate DeHydrogenase (LDH) and \u3b2-2- microglobulin and unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region gene (IGHV). CLL patients with +12 and high LDH levels showed a shorter Progression-Free-Survival (PFS) (30 months vs. 65 months; p &lt; 0.001), Treatment-Free-Survival (TFS) (33 months vs. 69 months; p &lt; 0.001), Overall Survival (OS) (131 months vs. 181 months; p &lt; 0.001) and greater CLL-related mortality (29% vs. 11% at 10 years; p &lt; 0.001) when compared with +12 CLL patients with normal LDH levels. The same differences were observed in the validation cohort. These data suggest that serum LDH levels can predict PFS; TFS; OS and CLL-specific survival in CLL patients with +12