• The complete response rate for first-line bendamustine/ rituximab was statistically noninferior to R-CHOP or R-CVP in indolent NHL or MCL.• The safety profile of bendamustine/rituximab is distinct from that of R-CHOP/ R-CVP.This randomized, noninferiority (NI), global, phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) vs a standard rituximab-chemotherapy regimen (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone [R-CHOP] or rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone [R-CVP]) for treatmentnaive patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or mantle cell lymphoma. Investigators preassigned the standard treatment regimen they considered most appropriate for each patient; patients were randomized to receive BR (n 5 224) or standard therapy (R-CHOP/R-CVP, n 5 223) for 6 cycles; 2 additional cycles were permitted at investigator discretion. Response was assessed by a blinded independent review committee. BR was noninferior to R-CHOP/R-CVP, as assessed by the primary end point of complete response rate (31% vs 25%, respectively; P 5 .0225 for NI [0.88 margin]). The overall response rates for BR and R-CHOP/R-CVP were 97% and 91%, respectively (P 5 .0102). Incidences of vomiting and drug-hypersensitivity reactions were significantly higher in patients treated with BR (P < .05), and incidences of peripheral neuropathy/paresthesia and alopecia were significantly higher in patients treated with standard-therapy regimens (P < .05). These data indicate BR is noninferior to standard therapy with regard to clinical response with an acceptable safety profile.

PURPOSE The BRIGHT study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00877006) was initiated to compare the efficacy and safety of bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) with either rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) or rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CVP) for treatment-naive patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma or mantle-cell lymphoma. This publication provides long-term follow-up data. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were monitored for a minimum of 5 years after completion of study treatment for the time-to-event end points of progression-free survival (PFS), event-free survival, duration of response, and overall survival per investigator assessment. Data on the number of patients who received second-line anticancer treatment and the occurrence of other malignancies were also collected. RESULTS The medians were not reached for any of the time-to event end points for either the BR or R-CHOP/R-CVP study treatment groups by study completion. PFS rates at 5 years were 65.5% in the BR treatment group and 55.8% in the R-CHOP/R-CVP group. The difference in PFS was considered significant with a hazard ratio of 0.61 (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.85; P = .0025). The hazard ratio for event-free survival and duration of response ( P = .0020 and .0134, respectively) also favored the BR regimen over R-CHOP/R-CVP. However, no significant difference in overall survival was observed. The overall safety profiles of BR, R-CHOP, and R-CVP were as expected; no new safety data were collected during long-term follow-up. A higher number of secondary malignancies was noted in the BR treatment group. CONCLUSION Overall, BR demonstrated better long-term disease control than R-CHOP/R-CVP and should be considered as a first-line treatment option for patients with indolent and mantle-cell lymphoma.

New oral anticoagulants (NOAC) are becoming available as alternatives to warfarin to prevent systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism. An in-depth understanding of their pharmacology is invaluable for appropriate prescription and optimal management of patients receiving these drugs should unexpected complications (such as bleeding) occur, or the patient requires urgent surgery. The Australasian Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis has set out to inform physicians on the use of the different NOAC based on current available evidence focusing on: (i) selection of the most suitable patient groups to receive NOAC, (ii) laboratory measurements of NOAC in appropriate circumstances and (iii) management of patients taking NOAC in the perioperative period, and strategies to manage bleeding complications or 'reverse' the anticoagulant effects for urgent invasive procedures.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the intratumoral T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and the tumor microenvironment (TME) in de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and the impact of TCR on survival.Experimental Design: We performed high-throughput unbiased TCRb sequencing on a population-based cohort of 92 patients with DLBCL treated with conventional (i.e., non-checkpoint blockade) frontline "R-CHOP" therapy. Key immune checkpoint genes within the TME were digitally quantified by nanoString. The primary endpoints were 4-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).Results: The TCR repertoire within DLBCL nodes was abnormally narrow relative to non-diseased nodal tissues (P < 0.0001). In DLBCL, a highly dominant single T-cell clone was associated with inferior 4-year OS rate of 60.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 31.7%-79.6%], compared with 79.8% in patients with a low dominant clone (95% CI, 66.7%-88.5%; P ¼ 0.005). A highly dominant clone also predicted inferior 4-year PFS rate of 46.6% (95% CI, 22.5%-76.6%) versus 72.6% (95% CI, 58.8%-82.4%, P ¼ 0.008) for a low dominant clone. In keeping, clonal expansions were most pronounced in the EBV þ DLBCL subtype that is known to express immunogenic viral antigens and is associated with particularly poor outcome. Increased T-cell diversity was associated with significantly elevated PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 immune checkpoint molecules. Conclusions: Put together, these findings suggest that the TCR repertoire is a key determinant of the TME. Highly dominant T-cell clonal expansions within the TME are associated with poor outcome in DLBCL treated with conventional frontline therapy.

This novel ovine two-event TRALI model presents a new tool for the investigation of TRALI pathogenesis. It represents the first description of an in vivo large animal model of TRALI and the first description of TRALI caused by transfusion with heat-treated pooled supernatant from human whole blood platelet concentrates.

IntroductionCritical care patients frequently receive blood transfusions. Some reports show an association between aged or stored blood and increased morbidity and mortality, including the development of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). However, the existence of conflicting data endorses the need for research to either reject this association, or to confirm it and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.MethodsTwenty-eight sheep were randomised into two groups, receiving saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Sheep were further randomised to also receive transfusion of pooled and heat-inactivated supernatant from fresh (Day 1) or stored (Day 42) non-leucoreduced human packed red blood cells (PRBC) or an infusion of saline. TRALI was defined by hypoxaemia during or within two hours of transfusion and histological evidence of pulmonary oedema. Regression modelling compared physiology between groups, and to a previous study, using stored platelet concentrates (PLT). Samples of the transfused blood products also underwent cytokine array and biochemical analyses, and their neutrophil priming ability was measured in vitro.ResultsTRALI did not develop in sheep that first received saline-infusion. In contrast, 80% of sheep that first received LPS-infusion developed TRALI following transfusion with "stored PRBC." The decreased mean arterial pressure and cardiac output as well as increased central venous pressure and body temperature were more severe for TRALI induced by "stored PRBC" than by "stored PLT." Storage-related accumulation of several factors was demonstrated in both "stored PRBC" and "stored PLT", and was associated with increased in vitro neutrophil priming. Concentrations of several factors were higher in the "stored PRBC" than in the "stored PLT," however, there was no difference to neutrophil priming in vitro.ConclusionsIn this in vivo ovine model, both recipient and blood product factors contributed to the development of TRALI. Sick (LPS infused) sheep rather than healthy (saline infused) sheep predominantly developed TRALI when transfused with supernatant from stored but not fresh PRBC. "Stored PRBC" induced a more severe injury than "stored PLT" and had a different storage lesion profile, suggesting that these outcomes may be associated with storage lesion factors unique to each blood product type. Therefore, the transfusion of fresh rather than stored PRBC may minimise the risk of TRALI.

Recent developments in genomic technologies have resulted in increased understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and emphasized the importance of central survival pathways. Here, we use a novel bioinformatic based integrative genomic profiling approach to elucidate conserved mechanisms of lymphomagenesis in the three commonest non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) entities: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. By integrating genome-wide DNA copy number analysis and transcriptome profiling of tumor cohorts, we identified genetic lesions present in each entity and highlighted their likely target genes. This revealed a significant enrichment of components of both the apoptosis pathway and the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway, including amplification of the MAP3K12 locus in all three entities, within the set of genes targeted by genetic alterations in these diseases. Furthermore, amplification of 12p13.33 was identified in all three entities and found to target the FOXM1 oncogene. Amplification of FOXM1 was subsequently found to be associated with an increased MYC oncogenic signaling signature, and siRNA-mediated knock-down of FOXM1 resulted in decreased MYC expression and induced G2 arrest. Together, these findings underscore genetic alteration of the MAPK and apoptosis pathways, and genetic amplification of FOXM1 as conserved mechanisms of lymphomagenesis in common NHL entities. Integrative genomic profiling identifies common central survival mechanisms and highlights them as attractive targets for directed therapy.

Summary Primary and secondary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL/SCNSL) are aggressive rare malignancies with dismal outcomes. Encouraging data have emerged from Phase I/II clinical trials treating relapsed/refractory PCNSL/SCNSL with ibrutinib. We analysed 33 patients who received ibrutinib, alone or with other therapies, for PCNSL (n = 9) or SCNSL (n = 24). The objective response rate was 58% (complete response 55%). The median progression‐free survival and overall survival for patients with PCNSL were both 3·1 months; for SCNSL, 10·2 and 11·5 months respectively. Only one invasive fungal infection was observed, despite concurrent or recent use of dexamethasone 8–16 mg daily in 14 patients (42%). Ibrutinib has encouraging activity in these aggressive malignancies.