We report the clinical presentation and risk factors for survival in 175 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and COVID-19, diagnosed between February and June 2020. After a median follow-up of 50 days, mortality was higher than in the general population and reached 48% in myelofibrosis (MF). Univariate analysis, showed a significant relationship between death and age, male gender, decreased lymphocyte counts, need for respiratory support, comorbidities and diagnosis of MF, while no association with essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), and prefibrotic-PMF (pre-PMF) was found. Regarding MPN-directed therapy ongoing at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, Ruxolitinib (Ruxo) was significantly more frequent in patients who died in comparison with survivors (p = 0.006). Conversely, multivariable analysis found no effect of Ruxo alone on mortality, but highlighted an increased risk of death in the 11 out of 45 patients who discontinued treatment. These findings were also confirmed in a propensity score matching analysis. In conclusion, we found a high risk of mortality during COVID-19 infection among MPN patients, especially in MF patients and/or discontinuing Ruxo at COVID-19 diagnosis. These findings call for deeper investigation on the role of Ruxo treatment and its interruption, in affecting mortality in MPN patients with COVID-19.

In a multicenter European retrospective study including 162 patients with COVID-19 occurring in essential thrombocythemia (ET, n = 48), polycythemia vera (PV, n = 42), myelofibrosis (MF, n = 56), and prefibrotic myelofibrosis (pre-PMF, n = 16), 15 major thromboses (3 arterial and 12 venous) were registered in 14 patients, of whom all, but one, were receiving LMW-heparin prophylaxis. After adjustment for the competing risk of death, the cumulative incidence of arterial and venous thromboembolic events (VTE) reached 8.5% after 60 days follow-up. Of note, 8 of 12 VTE were seen in ET. Interestingly, at COVID-19 diagnosis, MPN patients had significantly lower platelet count (p < 0.0001) than in the pre-COVID last follow-up.This decline was remarkably higher in ET (−23.3%, p < 0.0001) than in PV (−16.4%, p = 0.1730) and was associated with higher mortality rate (p = 0.0010) for pneumonia. The effects of possible predictors of thrombosis, selected from those clinically relevant and statistically significant in univariate analysis, were examined in a multivariate model. Independent risk factors were transfer to ICU (SHR = 3.73, p = 0.029), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (SHR = 1.1, p = 0.001) and ET phenotype (SHR = 4.37, p = 0.006). The enhanced susceptibility to ET-associated VTE and the associated higher mortality for pneumonia may recognize a common biological plausibility and deserve to be delved to tailor new antithrombotic regimens including antiplatelet drugs.

Although the introduction of immunotherapy has improved outcomes for follicular lymphoma (FL) patients, histological transformation (HT) and early relapse still confer a poor prognosis. We sought to describe the patterns of change in treatment, response, and outcome of FL patients at our institution over the last four decades. Seven hundred and twenty-seven patients (389 F/338 M; median age, 57 years) consecutively diagnosed with grade 1-3a FL between 1980 and 2017, categorized into four decades according to the time of diagnosis, constituted the study population. Clinical characteristics, treatment, response, absolute and relative survival, HT, second malignancies (SM), and causes of death were assessed. Median OS for the entire cohort was 17.6 years. From decade 1 to 4, there was an increase in the complete response rate (48 to 70%), progression-free survival (40 to 56% at 5 years), OS (77 to 86% at 5 years), and relative survival ratio (0.83 to 0.94 at 5 years), with no significant differences in the risk of HT or SM. Lymphoma remained the most common cause of death in all four decades. These findings illustrate the overall improvement in outcome for FL patients, but support the need for further research into risk stratification and management.

Autologous stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) is standard for young patients in MM and its TRM has decreased after the 2000s. Bortezomib and immunomodulatory agents (IMiDs) in MM have improved the outcome. However, they seem to boost pro-inflammatory stage increasing the incidence of engraftment syndrome (ES). Favorable factors in PBSCT such as G-CSF could increase inflammatory stage during transplant. Corticosteroids have shown an excellent response of ES and some authors propose them as prophylaxis for ES. The aim was to analyze the impact of G-CSF avoidance and corticosteroids' prophylaxis in 170 patients diagnosed of MM treated with bortezomib/IMiDs that underwent PBSCT. We established three groups: Group-I [(G-CSF_administration), 60 patients (35%)], group-II [(nonG-CSF), 60 patients (35%)] and group-III [(nonG-CSF plus corticosteroid's prophylaxis), 50 patients (30%)]. A decreased ES incidence among groups was observed: 62, 42, and 22% (P < 0.0001). The incidence of symptoms mimicking a capillary leak syndrome associated with ES dropped: 43, 32, and 0% (P = 0.03). The G-CSF avoidance and corticosteroids had impact over admission 24, 21, and 20 days (P = 0.001). The most important variables related to ES were HCT-CI >2 (p < 0.0001; HR 8.5) and risk groups (p < 0.0001; HR 7.2). Hence, G-CSF avoidance and corticosteroid's prophylaxis decrease morbidity in patients undergoing PBSCT with MM treated with bortezomib/IMiDs.