1.
Haplotype Motif-Based Models for KIR-Genotype Informed Selection of Hematopoietic Cell Donors Fail to Predict Outcome of Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes or Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Schetelig, J., Baldauf, H., Koster, L., Kuxhausen, M., Heidenreich, F., de Wreede, L. C., Spellman, S., van Gelder, M., Bruno, B., Onida, F., et al
Frontiers in immunology. 2020;11:584520
Abstract
Results from registry studies suggest that harnessing Natural Killer (NK) cell reactivity mediated through Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) could reduce the risk of relapse after allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT). Several competing models have been developed to classify donors as KIR-advantageous or disadvantageous. Basically, these models differ by grouping donors based on distinct KIR-KIR-ligand combinations or by haplotype motif assignment. This study aimed to validate different models for unrelated donor selection for patients with Myelodysplatic Syndromes (MDS) or secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia (sAML). In a joint retrospective study of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) registry data from 1704 patients with secondary AML or MDS were analysed. The cohort consisted mainly of older patients (median age 61 years) with high risk disease who had received chemotherapy-based reduced intensity conditioning and anti-thymocyte globulin prior to allogeneic HCT from well-matched unrelated stem cell donors. The impact of the predictors on Overall Survival (OS) and relapse incidence was tested in Cox regression models adjusted for patient age, a modified disease risk index, performance status, donor age, HLA-match, sex-match, CMV-match, conditioning intensity, type of T-cell depletion and graft type. KIR genes were typed using high-resolution amplicon-based next generation sequencing. In univariable and multivariable analyses none of the models predicted OS and the risk of relapse consistently. Our results do not support the hypothesis that optimizing NK-mediated alloreactivity is possible by KIR-genotype informed selection of HLA-matched unrelated donors. However, in the context of allogeneic transplantation, NK-cell biology is complex and only partly understood. KIR-genes are highly diverse and current assignment of haplotype motifs based on the presence or absence of selected KIR genes is over-simplistic. As a consequence, further research is highly warranted and should integrate cutting edge knowledge on KIR genetics, and NK-cell biology into future studies focused on homogeneous groups of patients and treatment modalities.
2.
Alternative donors for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in poor-risk AML in CR1
Versluis, J., Labopin, M., Ruggeri, A., Socie, G., Wu, D., Volin, L., Blaise, D., Milpied, N., Craddock, C., Yakoub-Agha, I., et al
Blood Advances. 2017;1(7):477-485
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) remains the treatment of choice to consolidate remission in patients with poor-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML). With increasing alternative donors available, the preferred donor or stem cell source is debated. We set out to study outcome in recipients of alloHSCT with poor-risk AML in first complete remission (CR1) by donor type. A total of 6545 adult patients with poor-risk AML in CR1 receiving an alloHSCT using matched related donor (MRD, n = 3511) or alternative donors, including 10/10 (n = 1959) or 9/10 matched unrelated donors (MUDs, n = 549), umbilical cord blood (UCB) grafts (n = 333), or haplo-identical (haplo) donors (n = 193) were compared. Overall survival (OS) at 2 years following MRD alloHSCT was an estimated 59 +/- 1%, which did not differ from 10/10 MUD (57 +/- 1%) and haplo alloHSCT (57 +/- 4%). OS, however, was significantly lower for 9/10 MUD alloHSCT (49 +/- 2%) and UCB grafts (44 +/- 3%), respectively (P < .001). Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) depended on donor type and was estimated at 26 +/- 3% and 29 +/- 3% after haplo alloHSCT and UCB grafts at 2 years vs 15 +/- 1% following MRD alloHSCT. Multivariable analysis confirmed the impact of donor type with OS following MRD, 10/10 MUD, and haplo alloHSCT not being statistically significantly different. NRM was significantly higher for alternative donors as compared with MRD alloHSCT. Collectively, these results suggest that alloHSCT with MRDs and 10/10 MUDs may still be preferred in patients with poor-risk AML in CR1. If an MRD or 10/10 MUD is not available, then the repertoire of alternative donors includes 9/10 MUD, UCB grafts, and haplo-identical donors. The latter type of donor is increasingly applied and now approximates results with matched donors. Presented by J.V. as an oral presentation at the 56th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, San Francisco, CA, 6-9 December 2014, and at the 42nd annual meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Valencia, Spain, 3-6 April 2016.Conflict-of-interest disclosure: The authors declare no competing financial interests.
3.
High incidence of severe chronic GvHD after HSCT with sibling donors. A single center analysis
Remberger, M., Afram, G., Sundin, M., Uhlin, M., LeBlanc, K., Bjorklund, A., Mattsson, J., Ljungman, P.
Bone Marrow Transplantation. 2016;51(11):1518-1521