Jan Haber

Invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematological malignancies in the Czech and Slovak republics: Fungal InfectioN Database (FIND) analysis, 2005-2009.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate risk factors, diagnostic procedures, and treatment outcomes of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients with hematological malignancies. METHODS A retrospective analysis of data from proven/probable IA cases that occurred from 2005 to 2009 at 10 hematology centers was performed. RESULTS We identified 176 IA cases that mainly occurred in patients with acute leukemias (58.5%), mostly those on induction/re-induction treatments (39.8%). Prolonged neutropenia was the most frequent risk factor for IA (61.4%). The lungs were the most frequently affected site (93.8%) and computed tomography detected abnormalities in all episodes; however, only 53.7% of patients had findings suggestive of IA. Galactomannan (GM) detection in serum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (positive in 79.1% and 78.8% of episodes, respectively) played a crucial role in IA diagnosis. Neutrophil count and antifungal prophylaxis did not influence the GM positivity rate, but empirical therapy decreased this rate (in serum). Of the IA cases, 53.2% responded to initial antifungal therapy. The combination of voriconazole and echinocandin, even as initial or salvage therapy, did not perform better than voriconazole monotherapy (p=0.924 for initial therapy and p=0.205 for salvage therapy). Neutrophil recovery had a significant role in the response to initial (but not salvage) antifungal therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our retrospective analysis identified key diagnostic and treatment characteristics, and this understanding could improve the management of hematological malignancy patients with IA.

Micafungin as empirical antifungal therapy in hematological patients: a retrospective, multicenter study in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Abstract The objective of this retrospective, multicenter study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of micafungin as empirical antifungal therapy during febrile neutropenia (FN) in 73 hematological patients from six centers in two countries. All patients received 100 mg of micafungin/day. The overall favorable response rate (RR) was 64.8% when the resolution of fever during neutropenia was included in the response criteria and 84.5% when excluded. A significantly lower favorable RR in patients with persistent fever and non-specific pulmonary infiltrates compared to patients with persistent fever only (82.8 vs. 52.4%, respectively; p = 0.011) was not found when resolution of fever was not included in the composite endpoint criteria (93.1 vs. 78.6%, respectively; p = 0.180). Breakthrough fungal disease developed in 2.7% of patients. Treatment was discontinued in 16.4% of cases. Only one patient (1.4%) discontinued therapy due to an adverse event. Posaconazole prophylaxis improved favorable RR when defervescence was included as composite endpoint criterion (p = 0.047), but not when it was excluded (p = 0.485). However, neutrophil recovery did not influence favorable RR (p = 0.803 and p = 0.112, respectively). These data suggest that micafungin is safe and effective as an empirical therapy in patients with FN.