Key Points• Risk of grade III-IV acute and chronic GVHD is significantly lower with haploidentical compared with URD transplantation.• Relapse risk, NRM, PFS, and OS was similar in haploidentical transplants compared with unrelated donor transplants.We evaluated 917 adult lymphoma patients who received haploidentical (n 5 185) or HLAmatched unrelated donor (URD) transplantation either with (n 5 241) or without antithymocyte globulin (ATG; n 5 491) following reduced-intensity conditioning regimens. Haploidentical recipients received posttransplant cyclophosphamide-based graft-versushost disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, whereas URD recipients received calcineurin inhibitorbased prophylaxis. Median follow-up of survivors was 3 years. The 100-day cumulative incidence of grade III-IV acute GVHD on univariate analysis was 8%, 12%, and 17% in the haploidentical, URD without ATG, and URD with ATG groups, respectively (P 5 .44).Corresponding 1-year rates of chronic GVHD on univariate analysis were 13%, 51%, and 33%, respectively (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, grade III-IV acute GVHD was higher in URD without ATG (P 5 .001), as well as URD with ATG (P 5 .01), relative to haploidentical transplants. Similarly, relative to haploidentical transplants, risk of chronic GVHD was higher in URD without ATG and URD with ATG (P < .0001). Cumulative incidence of relapse/ progression at 3 years was 36%, 28%, and 36% in the haploidentical, URD without ATG, and URD with ATG groups, respectively (P 5 .07). Corresponding 3-year overall survival (OS) was 60%, 62%, and 50% in the 3 groups, respectively, with multivariate analysis showing no survival difference between URD without ATG (P 5 .21) or URD with ATG (P 5 .16), relative to haploidentical transplants. Multivariate analysis showed no difference between the 3 groups in terms of nonrelapse mortality (NRM), relapse/progression, and progression-free survival (PFS). These data suggest that reduced-intensity conditioning haploidentical transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide does not compromise early survival outcomes compared with matched URD transplantation, and is associated with significantly reduced risk of chronic GVHD. (Blood. 2016;127(7):938-947)

The best conditioning regimen before allogeneic transplantation for high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains to be clarified. We analyzed data from 396 recipients of allotransplants for DLBCL receiving myeloablative (MAC; n ‫؍‬ 165), reduced intensity (RIC; n ‫؍‬ 143), or nonmyeloablative conditioning (NMAC; n ‫؍‬ 88) regimens. Acute and chronic GVHD rates were similar across the groups. Five-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was higher in MAC than RIC and NMAC (56% vs 47% vs 36%; P ‫؍‬ .007). Five-year relapse/progression was lower in MAC than in RIC/NMAC (26% vs 38% vs 40%; P ‫؍‬ .031). Five-year progressionfree survival (15%-25%) and overall survival (18%-26%) did not differ significantly between the cohorts. In multivariate analysis, NMAC and more recent transplant year were associated with lower NRM, whereas a lower Karnofsky performance score (< 90), prior relapse resistant to therapy, and use of unrelated donors were associated with higher NRM. NMAC transplants, no prior use of rituximab, and prior relapse resistant to therapy were associated with a greater risk of relapse/progression. In conclusion, allotransplantation with RIC or NMAC induces long-term progressionfree survival in selected DLBCL patients with a lower risk of NRM but with higher risk of lymphoma progression or relapse.

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We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of a CD34(+)-selected stem cell boost (SCB) without prior conditioning in 32 patients (male/22; median age of 54 years; range, 20 to 69) with poor graft function, defined as neutrophils ≤1.5 x 10(9)/L, and/or platelets ≤30 x 10(9)/L, and/or hemoglobin ≤8.5 g/dL). The median interval between stem cell transplantation and SCB was 5 months (range, 2 to 228). The median number of CD34(+) and CD3(+) cells were 3.4 x 10(6)/kg (.96 to 8.30) and 9 x 10(3)/kg body weight (range, 2 to 70), respectively. Hematological improvement was observed in 81% of patients and noted after a median of 30 days (range, 14 to 120) after SCB. The recipients of related grafts responded faster than recipients of unrelated grafts (20 versus 30 days, P = .04). The cumulative incidence of acute (grade II to IV) and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after SCB was 17% and 26%, respectively. Patients with acute GVHD received a higher median CD3(+) cell dose. The 2-year probability of overall survival was 45%. We suggest that SCB represents an effective approach to improve poor graft function post transplantation, but optimal timing of SCB administration, anti-infective, and GVHD prophylaxis needs further evaluation.

Within a prospective protocol, the incidence and impact of achievement of molecular remission (mCR) and high-risk cytogenetics was investigated in 73 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) after autologous (auto)-allogeneic (allo) tandem stem cell transplantation (SCT). After induction chemotherapy, patients received melphalan 200 mg/m(2) before undergoing auto-SCT, followed 3 months later by melphalan 140 mg/m(2) and fludarabine 180 mg/m(2) before allo-SCT. Sixteen patients had high-risk cytogenetic features, defined by positive FISH for del(17p13) and/or t(4;14). Overall, 66% of the patients achieved CR or near-CR, and 41% achieved mCR, which was sustained negative (at least 4 consecutive samples negative) in 15 patients (21%), with no significant difference in incidence between the patients with high-risk cytogenetics and others (P = .70). After a median follow-up of 6 years, overall 5-year progression-free survival was 29%, with no significant difference between del 17p13/t(4;14)-harboring patients and others (24% versus 30%; P = .70). The 5-year progression-free survival differed substantially according to the achieved remission: 17% for partial remission, 41% for CR, 57% for mCR, and 85% for sustained mCR. These results suggest that auto-allo tandem SCT may overcome the negative prognostic effect of del(17p13) and/or t(4;14) and that achievement of molecular remission resulted in long-term freedom from disease.

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This retrospective study by the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation analyzed the outcome of 2224 patients with myelofibrosis (MF) who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) between 2000 and 2014; 781 (35%) underwent myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and 1443 (65%) reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC). Median patient age was 52.9 years (range, 18 to 74 years) and 57.5 years (range, 21 to 76 years) in the MAC and RIC cohorts, respectively. Donor type was similar: matched sibling donors (MAC, 317 [41%]; RIC, 552 [38%]) and unrelated donors (MAC, 464 [59%]; RIC, 891 [62%]). Median time to both neutrophil and platelet (>20 £ 10 9 /L) engraftment did not differ between cohorts. Rates of grade II to IV acute GVHD were 28% (MAC) and 31% (RIC; P = NS).

Grade-3 follicular lymphoma (FL) has aggressive clinical behavior. To evaluate the optimal first transplantation approach in relapsed/refractory grade-3 FL patients, we compared the long-term outcomes after allogeneic (allo-) vs. autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) in the rituximab-era. A total of 197 patients undergoing first RIC allo-HCT or first auto-HCT during 2000-2012 were included. Rituximab-naïve patients were excluded. Allo-HCT recipients were younger; more heavily pretreated, and had a longer interval between diagnosis and HCT. The 5-year probabilities of non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse/progression, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for auto-HCT vs. allo-HCT groups were 4% vs. 27% (p<0.001); 61% vs. 20% (p<0.001); 36% vs. 51% (p=0.07) and 59% vs. 54% (p=0.7), respectively. On multivariate analysis auto-HCT was associated with reduced risk of NRM (RR=0.20; p=0.001). Within the first 11months post-HCT auto- and allo-HCT had similar risks of relapse/progression and PFS. Beyond 11months, auto-HCT was associated with higher risk of relapse/progression (RR=21.3; p=0.003) and inferior PFS (RR=3.2; p=0.005). In the first 24 months post-HCT, auto-HCT was associated with improved OS (RR=0.42; p=0.005), but in long-time survivors (beyond 24 months) it was associated with inferior OS (RR=3.6; p=0.04). RIC allo-HCT as the first transplant approach can provide improved PFS and OS, in long-term survivors.