Hepatitis B virus reactivation and hepatitis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with resolved hepatitis B receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy:risk factors and survival

Introduction:Hepatitis B virus(HBV) reactivation has been reported in B-cell lymphoma patients with resolved hepatitis B(hepatitis B surface antigen[HBsAg]-negative and hepatitis B core antibody[HBcAb]-positive).This study aimed to assess HBV reaaivation and hepatitis occurrence in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL) patients with resolved hepatitis B receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy compared with HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients to identify risk factors for HBV reaaivation and hepatitis occurrence and to analyze whether HBV reaaivation and hepatitis affect the survival of DLBCL patients with resolved hepatitis B.Methods:We reviewed the clinical data of 278 patients with DLBCL treated with rituximab-containing therapy between January 2004 and May 2008 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center,China.Prediaive faaors for HBV reaaivation,hepatitis development,and survival were examined by univariate analysis using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test and by multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model.Results:Among the 278 patients,165 were HBsAg-negative.Among these 165 patients,6(10.9%) of 55 HBcAb-positive(resolved HBV infeaion) patients experienced HBV reactivation compared with none(0%) of 110 HBcAb-negative patients(P=0.001).Patients with resolved hepatitis B had a higher hepatitis occurrence rate than HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients(21.8%vs.8.2%,P = 0.013).HBcAb positivity and elevated baseline alanine aminotransferase(ALT) levels were independent risk factors for hepatitis.Among the 55 patients with resolved hepatitis B,patients with elevated baseline serum ALT or aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels were more likely to develop hepatitis than those with normal serum ALT or AST levels(P = 0.037,P = 0.005,respeaively).An elevated baseline AST level was an independent risk factor for hepatitis in these patients.Six patients with HBV reactivation recovered after immediate antiviral therapy,and chemotherapy was continued.HBcAb positivity,HBV reactivation,or hepatitis did not negatively affect the survival of DLBCL patients.Conclusions:DLBCL patients with resolved hepatitis B may have a higher risk of developing HBV reaaivation and hepatitis than HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients.Close monitoring and prompt antiviral therapy are required in these patients.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Prognostic Index： A New Inteorated Scorino System to Predict the Time to First Treatment in Chinese Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background： The established clinical staging systems （Rai/Binet） of chronic lymphocytic leukemia （CLL） cannot accurately predict the appropriate treatment of patients in the earlier stages. In the past two decades, several prognostic factors have been identified to predict the outcome of patients with CLL, but only a few studies investigated more markers together, To predict the time to first treatment （TTFT） in patients of early stages, we evaluated the prognostic role of conventional markers as well as cytogenetic abnormalities and combined them together in a new prognostic scoring system, the CLL prognostic index （CLL-PI）. Methods： Taking advantage of a population of 406 untreated Chinese patients with CLL at early and advanced stage of disease, we identified the strongest prognostic markers of TTFT and, subsequently, in a cohort of 173 patients who had complete data for all 3 variables, we integrated the data of traditional staging system, cytogenetic aberrations, and mutational status of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region （1GI：tV） in CLL-PI. The median follow-up time was 45 months and the end point was TTFT. Results： The median TTFT was 38 months and the 5-year overall survival was 80%. According to univariate analysis, patients of advanced Rai stages （P 〈 0.001） or with 11q- （P = 0.002）, 17p- （P 〈 0.001）, unmutated IGHV （P 〈 0.001）, negative 13q- （P = 0.007） and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels （P = 0.001 ） tended to have a significantly shorter TTFT. And subsequently, based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, three independent factors for TTFT were identified： advanced clinical stage （P = 0.002）, 17p- （P = 0.050） and unmutated 1GHV （P = 0.049）. Applying weighted grading of these independent factors, a CLL-PI was constructed based on regression parameters, which could categorize tbur different risk groups （low risk [score 0], intermediate low [score 1], intermediate high [score 2] and high risk [score 3-6]） with significantly different TTFT （median TTFT of not reached （NR）, 65.0 months, 36.0 months and 19.0 months, respectively, P 〈 0.001 ）. Conclusions： This study developed a weighted, integrated CLL-PI prognostic system of CLL patients which combines the critical genetic prognostic markers with traditional clinical stage. This novel modified PI system could be used to discriminate among groups and may help predict the TTFT and prognosis of patients with CLL.