Saprochaete clavata Outbreak Infecting Cancer Center through Dishwasher

International audienceS aprochaete clavata (previously Geotrichum clavatum) is a rare emerging pathogen, an ascomycetous yeast-producing arthroconidia that causes invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. The species has mainly been reported in Europe, often associated with sporadic cases or small outbreaks (1,2). Unlike Magnusiomyces capitatus (3,4), which has been associated with dairy products, S. clavata has rarely been isolated from environmental samples (5,6). Patients most at risk for infections from Geotrichum spp. have hematologic diseases with severe neutropenia (7) and are undergoing chemotherapy, mainly with cytarabine (1) or caspofungin (8). They often have central venous catheters (9). In recent years, S. clavata fungemia outbreaks associated with high mortality rates in vulnerable patients with malignancies have been described throughout Europe, mainly in France (1), Italy (2,10), Czechia (11), and Spain (12). No source of contamination was identified in any of these outbreaks despite thorough investigation. During February 2016-December 2017, the Paoli-Calmettes Institute, a cancer center in Marseille, France, was faced with an outbreak of S. clavata infections involving 9 patients hospitalized in 3 different wards, suggesting a common source of contamination. We describe the findings of an outbreak investigation that recovered S. clavata in different environmental samples, including from a dishwasher in the central kitchen and another, available to patients and their families, in the stem-cell transplant ward. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) confirmed that the environmental and clinical isolates from patients belonged to the same phylogenetic clade. Handwashing, avoiding direct skin contact, checking air quality, and sterilizing food are routine practice to prevent contamination in hematology wards; however, examining dishwashers for contamination and operability may not be done routinely. Our findings should prompt adding dishwasher inspections to guidelines for preventing infection. Materials and Methods Case Definition Criteria We defined S. clavata infection by obtaining ≥1 positive results for S. clavata blood culture from a usually sterile body site or from a bronchoalveolar lavage or tracheal aspirate of the respiratory tract. Infection was also confirmed by observing pleural fluid in a patient with pleural effusion or lung infection

Kinetics of Cytotoxic Lymphocytes Reconstitution after Induction Chemotherapy in Elderly AML Patients Reveals Progressive Recovery of Normal Phenotypic and Functional Features in NK Cells

International audienceNK cells are defective in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at diagnosis. Here, we studied the kinetic of expression of the major activating and inhibitory receptors of NK, CD8 T, and γδ T cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy (CT) for the treatment of AML (n = 29). We showed that NK cells are the main affected population at diagnosis and that expression of activating receptors is partially restored within a few weeks after CT. CD8 T cells and γδ T cells are only weakly affected at diagnosis. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor expression by NK cells, but not NKG2A and CD85j, was downregulated. Interestingly, the development of NK cells appeared altered as the most immature CD56 bright NK cells were seriously underrepresented. Finally, we showed that NK cell functions were only partially restored 6 weeks after CT as degranulation capabilities of NK cells recovered, whereas cytokine production remained low. Our data point out NK cells as antitumor effectors peculiarly hampered by leukemic cells. This study may indicate a timeline when NK-mediated therapies or other immunotherapies could be performed, particularly for patients excluded of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Azacitidine Plus Venetoclax for the Treatment of Relapsed and Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

International audienceVenetoclax (VEN) belongs the BH3-mimetic class that selectively targets BCL-2, activating apoptosis. The combination of VEN and azacitidine (AZA) has changed the paradigm of treatment of newly diagnosed (ND) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. There is scarce evidence for the use of VEN–AZA for relapsed or refractory (R/R) AML. We compared the outcome of 39 R/R AML and 38 ND AML patients treated between 01/20 and 12/21. The median age was 69 (22–86) and 73 (61–81) in the R/R and ND groups, respectively. Adverse cytogenetics were found in 36% of patients in the R/R group and 59% of patients in the ND group. Overall response rate was 37% in R/R AML, including 13% CR, 8% CRi, 3% PR and 13% MLFS, and 58% in the ND AML, including 32% CR, 13% CRi and 13% MLFS. Adverse cytogenetics was associated with treatment failure in the R/R group (Relative Risk = 0.13, p = 0.005). Median overall survival (OS) was 5.9 months in the R/R group and 9.4 months in the ND group. Median OS was 2.2 months in the adverse cytogenetics group versus 8.7 months in the intermediate cytogenetics group in the R/R group (p = 0.02). Median leukemia-free survival was not different between the two groups (9.4 months and 10.3 months), indicating that VEN–AZA can be an efficient salvage treatment for selected R/R AML patients. In conclusion, VEN–AZA is a promising treatment for ND AML and for selected R/R AML patients

Higher Frequency of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Intake in Bullous Pemphigoid Patients than in the French General Population

International audienceDipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors have been suspected to induce bullous pemphigoid (BP). The objective of this study was to compare the observed frequency of gliptin intake in a large sample of 1,787 BP patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 in France, with the expected frequency after indirect age standardization on 225,412 individuals extracted from the database of the National Healthcare Insurance Agency. The secondary objective was to assess the clinical characteristics and the course of gliptin-associated BP, depending on whether gliptin was continued or stopped. The observed frequencies of intake of the whole gliptin class and that of vildagliptin in the BP population were higher than those in the general population after age standardization (whole gliptin class: 6.0%; 95% confidence interval = 4.9-7.1% vs. 3.6%, observed-to-expected drug intake ratio = 1.7; 95% confidence interval = 1.4-2.0; P < 0.0001; vildagliptin = 3.3%; 95% confidence interval = 2.5-4.1% vs. 0.7%, ratio = 4.4; 95% confidence interval = 3.5-5.7; P < 0.0001). The association of any gliptin+metformin was also higher than in the general population, ratio = 1.8 (95% confidence interval = 1.3-2.4; P < 0.0001). Gliptin-associated BP had no specific clinical characteristics. Gliptin was stopped in 48 (45.3%) cases. Median duration to achieve disease control, rate, and delay of relapse were not different whether gliptin was stopped or continued. This study strongly supports the association between gliptin intake, particularly vildagliptin, and the onset of BP