Significance of Degree of HLA Disparity When Using Haploidentical Donors with T-Replete PBSC and Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in First Complete Hematologic Remission (CR1)
Authors: Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A. , Labopin Myriam , Ayala Ernesto , Bazarbachi Ali , Blaise Didier , Koc Yener , Vydra Jan , Busca Alessandro , Castagna Luca , Novis Yana , McDonald Andrew , Bulabois Claude-Eric , Schmid Christoph , Herrera Arroyo Concepcion , Forcade Edouard , Ciceri Fabio , Sanz Jaime , Nagler Arnon , Mohty Mohamad 
Published: November 2021

Background: Haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo) has expanded applicability of the procedure to patients for whom a suitable HLA compatible donor was not available in the past. A small multicenter retrospective study of 185 patients with hematologic malignancies who received a nonmyeloablative preparative regimen followed by infusion of bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic cells from haploidentical donors showed no significant association between the number of HLA mismatches (HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 combined) and risk of acute grade 2-4 graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (hazard ratio [HR]=0.89; P=0.68 for 3-4 mismatches vs fewer antigen mismatches). This haploidentical transplant platform has certainly evolved. Nowadays, G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are commonly used owing to its increased convenience vis-à-vis performing a BM harvest.

Study population: Here, we evaluate post transplant outcomes when using haploidentical donors with T-replete PBSC and PTCy in AML in CR1. A total of 494 patients (4/8 HLA mismatch (group 1)=360, 2-3/8 HLA mismatch (group 2)=134) underwent the procedure at an EBMT participating center. The primary endpoints were cumulative incidences of grade 2-4 acute GVHD and chronic (all grades) GVHD. Secondary endpoints included cumulative incidence of relapse (RI), non-relapse mortality (NRM), leukemia-free (LFS) and overall survival (OS) and GVHD-free relapse-free survival (GRFS).

Results: Group 1 and group 2 were not statistically different in regards to median age at allografting (54.1 vs. 56.1 years, p=0.51), median year of haplo transplantation (2018 vs. 2018, p=0.36), incidence of de novo AML (86.4% vs. 88.1%, p=0.63), Karnofsky equal or more than 90 (77.5% vs. 79.1%, p=0.70), and use of myeloablative conditioning (MAC) (44.7% vs. 48.5%, p=0.45). Patients in group 1 had a longer time from diagnosis to haplo-transplantation (5.3 vs. 4.9 months, p=0.03). In multivariate analysis, group 1 and group 2 did not differ in cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute GVHD (Hazard ratio (HR)=0.89 (95%CI=0.62-1.26), p=0.51) but group 1 had a significantly higher incidence of chronic (all grades) GVHD (HR=1.49 (95%CI=1.02-2.16), p=0.04). There was no difference in RI (HR=0.73 (95%CI=0.47-1.14), p=0.17), NRM (HR=1.25 (95%CI=0.78-2.02), p=0.36), LFS (HR=0.95 (95%CI=0.69-1.31), p=0.76), OS (HR=1.09 (95%CI=0.76-1.55), p=0.64) and GRFS (HR=1.07 (95%CI=0.81-1.42), p=0.64) between the groups. Presence of adverse cytogenetics was independently associated with higher RI (HR=1.90 (95%CI=1.20-2.99), p=0.006), inferior LFS (HR=1.59 (95%CI=1.15-2.19), p=0.005), inferior OS (HR=1.48 (95%CI=1.05-2.08), p=0.03), and worse GRFS (HR=1.54 (95%CI=1.17-2.04), p=0.002).

Conclusion: Results show that patients undergoing haplo-transplantation with 4/8 (vs. 2-3/8) HLA mismatches have a higher incidence of chronic GVHD (all grades) without adversely affecting acute grade 2-4 GVHD, RI, LFS, OS and GRFS.

Disclosures

Labopin: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria. Bazarbachi: Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Hikma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Blaise: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria. McDonald: BioCryst Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Forcade: Novartis: Other: travel grant. Ciceri: IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele: Current Employment. Mohty: Takeda: Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria; Jazz: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria.