Cell-cycle kinetics were measured in situ after infusions of iododeoxyuridine and/or bormodeoxyuridine in 50 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and the median labeling index in bone marrow (BM) biopsy samples was 28.6%. Unfortunately, 26 of 50 patients showed that > or = 75% of hematopoietic cells of all three lineages were undergoing programmed cell death (PCD) in their biopsy samples as shown by the in situ end labeling (ISEL) technique. Ten patients had 1/3 and eight had 2/3 ISEL+ cells. Stromal cells were frequently ISEL+ and often S-phase cells were also found to be simultaneously ISEL+. Nucleosomal DNA fragments as a ladder in agarose gel were present in BM aspirates of four patients who showed high ISEL and were absent in two who had no ISEL staining in biopsy samples, but only when DNA was extracted after a 4-hour in vitro incubation in complete medium. Therefore, laddering data confirmed the ISEL findings that the majority of hematopoietic cells in MDS are in early stages of PCD. We conclude that extensive intramedullary cell death may explain the paradox of pancytopenia despite hypercellular marrows in MDS patients. Investigating approaches that protect against PCD in some MDS subsets would be of interest.

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Lactate dehydrogenase is a readily available and inexpensive variable, which has a major impact on the survival of myeloma patients even when they belong to a low or intermediate ISS subgroup and even when they receive novel agent-based therapies.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an oncogenic gammaherpesvirus, causes acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM) and is linked to the development of several human malignancies. There is an urgent need for a vaccine that is safe, prevents infection and/or limits disease. Unique among human herpesviruses, glycoprotein (gp)350/220, which initiates EBV attachment to susceptible host cells, is the major ligand on the EBV envelope and is highly conserved. Interaction between gp350/220 and complement receptor type 2 (CR2)/CD21 and/or (CR1)/CD35 on B-cells is required for infection. Potent antibody responses to gp350/220 occur in animal models and humans. Thus, gp350/220 provides an attractive candidate for prophylactic subunit vaccine development. However, in a recent Phase II clinical trial immunization with soluble recombinant gp350 reduced the incidence of AIM, but did not prevent infection. Despite various attempts to produce an EBV vaccine, no vaccine is licensed. Herein we describe a sub-unit vaccine against EBV based on a novel Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-virus-like particle (VLP) platform consisting of EBVgp350/220 ectodomain fused to NDV-fusion (F) protein. The chimeric protein EBVgp350/220-F is incorporated into the membrane of a VLP composed of the NDV matrix and nucleoprotein. The particles resemble native EBV in diameter and shape and bind CD21 and CD35. Immunization of BALB/c mice with EBVgp350/220-F VLPs elicited strong, long-lasting neutralizing antibody responses when assessed in vitro. This chimeric VLP is predicted to provide a superior safety profile as it is efficiently produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using a platform devoid of human nucleic acid and EBV-transforming genes.

Most of the severe infections occurred during induction. Gram-positive bacteremia and Gram-negative bacteremia were almost equal. URIs were the commonest infections during the entire treatment and during maintenance. Specific viral infections represented a smaller percentage of the total (VZV was the commonest pathogen). Infectious complications represented a significant morbidity factor, but notably, mortality was negligible.

BackgroundLenalidomide improves erythropoiesis in patients with low/intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndrome and interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 [del(5q)]. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of lenalidomide treatment on the reserves and functional characteristics of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor/precursor cells, bone marrow stromal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with low/intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndrome with del(5q). Design and MethodsWe evaluated the number and clonogenic potential of bone marrow erythroid/myeloid/ megakaryocytic progenitor cells using clonogenic assays, the apoptotic characteristics and adhesion molecule expression of CD34 + cells by flow cytometry, the hematopoiesis-supporting capacity of bone marrow stromal cells using long-term bone marrow cultures and the number and activation status of peripheral blood lymphocytes in ten patients with low/intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndrome with del(5q) receiving lenalidomide. ResultsCompared to baseline, lenalidomide treatment significantly decreased the proportion of bone marrow CD34+ cells, increased the proportion of CD36 + /GlycoA + and CD36 -/GlycoA + erythroid cells and the percentage of apoptotic cells within these cell compartments. Treatment significantly improved the clonogenic potential of bone marrow erythroid, myeloid, megakaryocytic colony-forming cells and increased the proportion of CD34 + cells expressing the adhesion molecules CD11a, CD49d, CD54, CXCR4 and the SLAM antigen CD48. The hematopoiesis-supporting capacity of bone marrow stroma improved significantly following treatment, as demonstrated by the number of colony-forming cells and the level of stromalderived factor-1α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in long-term bone marrow culture supernatants. Lenalidomide treatment also increased the proportion of activated peripheral blood T lymphocytes. ConclusionsThe beneficial effect of lenalidomide in patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndrome with del(5q) is associated with significant increases in the proportion of bone marrow erythroid precursor cells and in the frequency of clonogenic progenitor cells, a substantial improvement in the hematopoiesis-supporting potential of bone marrow stroma and significant alterations in the adhesion profile of bone marrow CD34 + cells. Haematologica. 2010; 95:406-414. doi:10.3324/haematol.2009 This is an open-access paper. Effect of lenalidomide therapy on hematopoiesis of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome associated with chromosome 5q deletion

948 Renal impairment (RI) is a common presenting complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and is associated with increased risk of treatment related toxicity and early death. The management of RI in patients with MM requires vigorous supportive measures and the immediate institution of antimyeloma therapy. After the introduction of novel agents a significant improvement of the survival of patients with MM has been observed; however, the impact of these therapies on the survival of MM patients who present with RI has not been extensively studied. In order to analyze the impact of RI in newly diagnosed patients with MM over the past 20 years, we analyzed 1773 patients with symptomatic myeloma who were treated within the Greek Myeloma Study Group (GMSG). Patients were divided in groups according to the date of initial treatment (1/1/1990-31/12/1994, 1/1/1995-31/12/1999, 1/1/2000-31/12/2004, after 1/1/2005). Thalidomide became available in Greece after 1/1/2000 and bortezomib after 1/1/2005. eGFR was calculated by the modified MDRD formula and the degree of RI was rated as severe when eGFR was <30 ml/min, moderate when eGFR was 30–59 ml/min and mild (or no RI) when eGFR >60 ml/min. The frequency of RI over time was similar as well as the proportion of patients who presented with severe RI (17% vs. 21% vs. 17% vs. 19%) for the respective time periods (p=0.496). More patients >65 years started therapy after 2000 (44% vs. 50% vs. 59% vs. 59%, respectively, p<0.001), especially patients >75 years (13% vs. 18% vs. 24% vs. 32%, respectively, p<0.001). Anemia (Hb <10 g/dl; p=0.007) and ISS-3 disease (p=0.001) were more common after 1/1/1995; there were no other significant differences in the characteristics of the patients during the respective time periods. No patients received upfront novel agents before 31/12/1999, while 20% received upfront novel agent in the period 2000–2004 (almost exclusively thalidomide) and 73% after 1/1/2005 (mostly thalidomide and bortezomib). Myeloma response (≥PR) to frontline therapy was achieved in 56.5% & 54% of patients in the period 1990–1994 & 1995–1999 vs. 67% and 72% of patients in the periods 2000–2004 and after 2005 (p<0.001). The median survival of patients has improved significantly during the past 20 years: 39 months (1990-1994), 31 months (1995-1999), 40.5 months (2000-2004), 54 months after 2005 (p<0.001). The median OS for patients with severe RI has improved significantly from 18 months & 19.5 months in the 1990–1994 & 1995–1999 to 29 months and 32 months for the periods 2000–2004 and after 2005 (p=0.005). For patients with moderate RI the OS improved from 33 & 26 months between 1990–1994 & 1995–1999 to 40 & 44 months in the periods 2000–2004 and after 2005 (p=0.003). For patients with an eGFR ≥60 ml/min the OS improvement was less pronounced (48.5 months vs. 45 months vs. 51 months for the periods 1990–1994 & 1995–1999 & 2000–2004 respectively (p=0.076) and only after 2005 a significant improvement in OS is observed (median OS has not been reached; 3-year OS rate is 73%, p<0.001). For patients with severe RI early death rates (<2 months from initiation of therapy) were 12% vs. 7% for patients with moderate RI vs. 3% for patients with mild or no RI (p<0.001) and remained unchanged over time. We then adjusted for differences between groups in a multivariate model: treatment after 1/1/2000 was independently associated with improved survival compared to patients treated before 31/12/1999 (p<0.001). After adjusting for the degree of RI in the model, the hazards ratios (HR) for death for patients with severe RI for the 2000–2004 and after 2005 periods were 0.485 & 0.387 respectively compared to patients treated before 2000 (p<0.001 for both comparisons). For patients with moderate RI the respective HRs were 0.65 (p=0.003) & 0.57 (p=0.001), while for patients with mild or no RI the HRs were 0.85 (p=0.1) & 0.66 (p=0.003) for the 2000–2004 and after 2005 periods, respectively. In conclusion, the incidence of RI at diagnosis of MM has remained unchanged during the past 20 years, despite the increasing numbers of older patients who are diagnosed and treated for MM. The risk of early death is almost 2 to 4-fold higher in patients with severe RI vs. patients with moderate or no RI and has not improved over time. However, after the introduction of novel therapies there has been a significant improvement of the survival of patients with RI, which is more pronounced in patients with severe RI. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.