Stefan Schönland

A European collaborative study of treatment outcomes in 346 patients with cardiac stage III AL amyloidosis.

Treatment outcomes of patients with cardiac stage III light chain (AL) amyloidosis remain poorly studied. Such cases have been excluded from most clinical studies due to perceived dismal prognosis. We report treatment outcomes of 346 patients with stage III AL amyloidosis from the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Greece. Median overall survival (OS) was 7 months with OS at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months of 73%, 55%, 46%, and 29%, respectively; 42% died before first response evaluation. On an intention-to-treat basis, the overall hematologic response rate was 33%, including a complete response rate of 12%. OS rates at 12 and 24 months, respectively, for 201 response evaluable patients were 88% and 85% for complete responders, 74% and 53% for partial responders, and 39% and 22% for nonresponders. Forty-five percent of responders achieved an organ response. Amino-terminal fragment of brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) >8500 ng/L and systolic blood pressure (SBP) <100 mm Hg were the only factors that independently impacted OS and identified an especially poor prognosis subgroup of patients with a median OS of only 3 months. Outcome and organ function of stage III AL amyloidosis without very elevated NT-proBNP and low SBP is improved by a very good hematologic response to chemotherapy.

Prophylactic implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator in patients with severe cardiac amyloidosis and high risk for sudden cardiac death

BACKGROUND Cardiac light-chain amyloidosis carries a high risk for death predominantly from progressive cardiomyopathy or sudden death (SCD). Independent risk factors for SCD are syncope and complex nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test whether prophylactic placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) reduces SCD in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. METHODS Nineteen patients with histologically proven cardiac amyloidosis and a history of syncope and/or ventricular extra beats (Lown grade IVa or higher) received an ICD. RESULTS During a mean follow-up of 811 +/- 151 days, two patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias were successfully treated by the ICD. Two patients underwent heart transplantation, and seven patients died due to electromechanical dissociation (n = 6) or glioblastoma (n = 1). Nonsurvivors more often showed progression of left ventricular wall thickness, low-voltage pattern, ventricular arrhythmias (Lown grade IVa or higher), and higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels than did survivors. Bradycardias requiring ventricular pacing (VVI 40/min <1%, DDD 60/min 6% +/- 1%) occurred only rarely. CONCLUSION Patients with cardiac amyloidosis predominantly die as a result of electromechanical dissociation and other diagnoses not amenable to ICD therapy. Selected patients with cardiac amyloidosis may benefit from ICD placement. Better predictors of arrhythmia-associated SCD and randomized trials are required to elucidate the impact of ICD placement in high-risk patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Defining the Pathogenic Role of Telomerase Mutations in Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The primary pathology in many cases of myelodysplasia (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unknown. In some cases, two or more affected members have been identified in the same family. To date, mutations in two genes have been directly implicated: the hematopoietic transcription factors RUNX1 (runt‐related transcription factor 1) and CEBPA (CCATT‐box enhancer binding protein α). However, there are also other familial cases of MDS/AML where the genetic basis remains unknown. Both MDS, and to a lesser extent AML, have been observed in cases of the bone marrow failure syndrome dyskeratosis congenita, in which telomerase mutations have been identified. Recently, an increased incidence of telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations has been reported in a series of de novo AML. We have now identified novel mutations in the telomerase RNA (TERC) or telomerase reverse transcriptase component (TERT) within 4 of 20 families presenting with familial MDS/AML. Functional analysis has demonstrated that all mutations adversely impact on telomerase activity in vitro, and affected individuals have short telomeres. These families, in conjunction with a review of previously published cases, help to further define the pathological role of telomerase mutations in MDS/AML and have implications for the biology, treatment and screening regimen of de novo cases. Hum Mutat 30:1–7, 2009.

Trends in autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for multiple myeloma in Europe: increased use and improved outcomes in elderly patients in recent years

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is a standard of care in multiple myeloma (MM) patients aged <65 years. To understand age-related trends in utilisation and outcome of AHCT, we analysed 53 675 MM patients who underwent a first AHCT in 31 European countries between 1991 and 2010. The number of patients undergoing AHCT increased for all age groups (<40, 40–49, 50–59, 60–64, 65–69 and ⩾70 years) throughout the observation period. The highest increase was observed for patients aged ⩾65 years, who accounted for 3% of AHCTs in 1991–1995 and for 18.8% of AHCTs in 2006–2010. Risk factors associated with survival over the entire observation period (P<0.001) were calendar period, remission status at AHCT, gender, disease duration before AHCT and age. Survival improved considerably more in older than in younger patients in recent years. In 2006–2010, median 2- and 5-year post-transplant survival ranged from 85.9 and 61.5% in patients <40 years to 80.2 and 49.7% in those ⩾70 years. All-cause day-100 mortality decreased throughout the observation period to ⩽2.4% for all age groups in 2006–2010. The results of this study demonstrate increased utilisation and safety of AHCT with improved post-transplant survival particularly in elderly MM patients in recent years in Europe.

Staged heart transplantation and chemotherapy as a treatment option in patients with severe cardiac light-chain amyloidosis

The prognosis of advanced cardiac light‐chain amyloidosis is poor. Heart transplantation might enable causative therapy and ultimately improve prognosis.

Peripheral blood or bone marrow cells in reduced-intensity or myeloablative conditioning allogeneic HLA identical sibling donor transplantation for multiple myeloma

Background and Objectives Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) following reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) are being increasingly used for allogeneic transplantation in multiple myeloma. The purpose of this study was to compare outcome of patients transplanted with either PBSC or bone marrow (BM) following RIC or myeloablative conditioning (MAC). Design and Methods Data from 1,667 patients who had received an allogeneic identical sibling donor transplant for multiple myeloma from 1994 to 2003 were analyzed. Comparisons were made between results of PBSC and BM transplants after conditioning with RIC or MAC. Results The engraftment rate was faster with PBSC than with BM (median: 14 and 18 days for neutrophils and 15 and 25 days for platelets respectively) irrespectively of whether RIC or MAC was used. The incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) did not differ significantly between the groups while chronic GVHD was more prevalent in PBSC recipients irrespectively of whether they had RIC or MAC. Non-relapse mortality did not differ between PBSC and BM recipients, but was significantly higher in those treated with MAC than in those given RIC irrespectively of the cell source. The relapse/progression rate did not differ between PBSC and BM recipients, but was significantly higher in those given RIC, irrespectively of the cell source. There was no significant difference in overall or progression-free survival between patients given PBSC or BM transplants. Interpretation and Conclusions Although transplantation of PBSC is associated with faster engraftment and more frequent chronic GVHD, overall survival, non-relapse mortality, relapse/progression and progression-free survival are similar to those following BM transplants. However both PBSC and BM transplants are associated with lower non-relapse mortality, lower response rate and higher relapse/progression if RIC is used instead of MAC.

Reduced intensity-conditioned allogeneic stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma relapsing or progressing after autologous transplantation: a study by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Outcomes and prognostic factors of reduced intensity-conditioned allo-SCT (RIC allo-SCT) for multiple myeloma (MM) relapsing or progressing after prior autologous (auto)-SCT are not well defined. We performed an analysis of 413 MM patients who received a related or unrelated RIC allo-SCT for the treatment of relapse/progression after prior auto-SCT. Median age at RIC allo-SCT was 54.1 years, and 44.6% of patients had undergone two or more prior auto-SCTs. Median OS and PFS from the time of RIC allo-SCT for the entire population were 24.7 and 9.6 months, respectively. Cumulative non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 1 year was 21.5%. In multivariate analysis, CMV seronegativity of both patient and donor was associated with significantly better PFS, OS and NRM. Patient–donor gender mismatch was associated with better PFS, fewer than two prior auto-SCT was associated with better OS, and shorter time from the first auto-SCT to the RIC allo-SCT was associated with lower NRM. The results of this study identify patient and donor CMV seronegativity as the key prognostic factor for outcome after RIC allo-SCT for MM relapsing or progressing after prior auto-SCT.

Current status of hematopoietic cell transplantation in the treatment of systemic amyloid light-chain amyloidosis

Systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a protein conformation disorder caused by clonal plasma cell dyscrasias. Symptoms result from fibrillar extracellular deposits in various tissues. The deposits disrupt organ function and ultimately lead to death. The prognosis is poor and depends mostly on the severity of cardiac involvement. The treatment is derived from the therapy of multiple myeloma with the main goal being to reach a complete hematological remission (CR). High-dose melphalan (HDM) and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation can induce CR rates in about 40%. The main concern was the high transplant-related mortality of up to 40% due to organ dysfunction, which could be reduced to <12% by careful patient selection in experienced centers. However, >50% of patients in CR survive longer than 10 years, suggesting that HDM has the potential to change the natural course of the disease. As there is evidence that ‘graft-versus-plasma-cell-dyscrasia’ effects are active in AL amyloidosis, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation might be an option for younger patients with preserved organ functions who have relapsed after HDM.

Second allogeneic transplantation for relapse of malignant disease: retrospective analysis of outcome and predictive factors by the EBMT

In patients treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) for malignant disease who suffer from a relapse after the transplantation, the role of second allogeneic SCT is often uncertain. In a retrospective analysis, 2632 second allogeneic transplantations carried out for a relapse after the first transplantation were analyzed to define indications and identify predictive factors. Fifteen percent of the patients remained relapse-free until 5 years after the second SCT. Patients with CML had a better survival than patients with other diseases. In a multivariate analysis, factors associated with better survival were low disease burden, longer remission duration after the first transplantation, longer interval between the transplantations, younger age, absence of grade II–IV acute GvHD or chronic GvHD after the first transplantation, and later year of transplantation. The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation risk score predicted the outcome. Using the same donor as in the first transplantation vs another donor had no predictive value for survival. Sibling donor was a favorable predictive factor. In conclusion, second allogeneic SCT offers a reasonable option especially for young patients with a long remission after the first transplantation and a low disease burden. The present findings do not support the usefulness of changing the donor for the second transplantation.

AL amyloidosis patients with low amyloidogenic free light chain levels at first diagnosis have an excellent prognosis

The difference between involved minus uninvolved serum free light chains (dFLC) has been established as an invaluable hematologic parameter in systemic amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis. However, patients with an initial dFLC level <50 mg/L are currently deemed not evaluable for response to therapy. Therefore, we aimed to characterize this subgroup of patients and to define novel hematologic response parameters. We retrospectively analyzed 783 AL patients newly diagnosed at our center between 2002 and 2016. Patients with a dFLC level <50 mg/L showed smaller bone marrow plasmacytosis compared to patients with a dFLC level ≥50 mg/L (7% vs 10%, P < .001), but no significant differences in all analyzed chromosomal aberrations. Cardiac involvement was less frequent (45% vs 80%, P < .001) and less severe (Mayo 2004 stage III: 18% vs 51%, P < .001), whereas kidney involvement was more prevalent (83% vs 53%, P < .001) and proteinuria was higher (7.3 g/L vs 5.0 g/L, P < .001). In multivariate analyses, a dFLC level <50 mg/L appeared to be an independent prognostic factor with respect to overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.50, P = .003) and renal survival (HR = 0.56, P = .020). Patients with a dFLC level <50 mg/L showed a higher proportion of complete hematologic response after first-line therapy compared to patients with a dFLC level ≥50 mg/L (39% vs 9%, P < .001). Receiver-operating characteristics analysis identified a low-dFLC partial response (dFLC <10 mg/L for patients with a dFLC between 20 and 50 mg/L), which predicted overall and renal survival already at 3 months after the start of therapy. Importantly, a parallel Italian study validated this new hematologic remission parameter. The outcome of prospective clinical trials might be adversely influenced by exclusion of the favorable clinical subgroup with an initial dFLC <50 mg/L. We propose the appreciation of dFLC in hematologic response assessment for all patients with a baseline dFLC >20 mg/L.