Humoral Immunity and Plasma Cell Changes in Patients Responding to CD19-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-Modified T-Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 1110-1110
Author(s):  
Vijay Bhoj ◽  
Michael C Milone ◽  
Carl H. June ◽  
David Porter ◽  
Stephan A. Grupp ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) recognizing CD19 (CART19) can eliminate malignant cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We and other groups have shown that persistent tumor eradication by CD19-specific T cell immunotherapy is accompanied by normal B-cell aplasia. It is assumed that responding patients cannot make new antibody responses post-successful CART19 treatment; however, the status of previously established humoral immunity in these patients is currently unknown. Understanding the consequence of successful CART19 therapy on established humoral immunity has implications for both the clinical management of CART19-treated patients as well as the potential application of this therapy to non-malignant diseases such as autoimmunity and transplantation. Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study of adult and pediatric patients with ALL and adults with relapsed/refractory CLL, who were enrolled in clinical trials of CART19 at our institution. Serum antibody titers to previously-generated vaccine or vaccine-related pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Tetanus toxoid, Hemophilus influenza type-B (HIB), Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) were determined along with a quantitative assessment of B-cell and plasma cell frequencies in blood and bone marrow aspirates. Specimens were collected during pre-established study assessments or additional time points when collected as required for clinical management. Due to the challenges of assessing plasma cells, multiple methods were employed for their quantification in fresh specimens including flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Flow cytometric assessment of plasma cells was performed on freshly obtained marrow samples. Only patients with at least 3 months of B-cell aplasia in the absence of regular intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) infusions were included in the study. Results: All patients had no evidence of leukemia or peripheral B cells post-CART19 infusion at the time of this study. Compared to pre-CART19 serum titers, antibodies to S. pneumoniae remained stable or increased in 9 of 12 patients despite lack of circulating B-cells. Antibody titers to Tetanus toxoid were stable or increased in 13 of 14 patients. Anti-HIB levels were stable or increased in 9 of 11 patients and antibodies to Measles, Mumps and Rubella were stable or increased in 12 of 13, 11 of 13, and 12 of 13 patients, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow aspirates after CART19 infusion revealed three patients with persistence of CD38+ CD138+ plasma cells (at 1, 3 and 9 months post infusion, respectively) despite a complete absence of peripheral CD19+ B cells. In 9 patients, CD20 and CD138 IHC analysis of bone marrow core biopsies revealed a decrease in plasma cell (ranges: 1-5% pre-CART19, 0-<1% post-CART19), consistent with our previously published data. Finally, in another subset of patients, neither B cells nor plasma cells were detectable by flow cytometry of aspirate material or IHC of core biopsies collected either pre- or post-CART19 treatment. Conclusions: The stable or increased titers of antibodies to previous vaccines are surprising and may, in part, reflect improved marrow function as a result of leukemia eradication. The demonstration of plasma cells in a subset of patients in the absence of detectable tumor or normal B cells provides strong evidence for the existence of a population of plasma cells that are resistant to lysis by CART19 cells. This is consistent with antibody titers to previously generated vaccine antigens, which remain stable despite effective CART19 treatment. The additional finding of a decrease in CD138+ cells in several patients by IHC suggests that some populations of plasma cells are either targeted directly by CART19 or have a short half-life (e.g. plasmablasts); CD138 is not sufficient to distinguish these populations. Overall, these results indicate that long-lived plasma cells are resistant to CART19, likely due to a loss of CD19 during plasma cell differentiation. Continued analysis of remaining plasma cells in the absence of ongoing B-cell maturation as a result of CART19 persistence may provide important information on turnover rates of these long-lived cells in humans. Disclosures Bhoj: Novartis: Research Funding. Milone:Novartis: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. June:Novartis: Research Funding, Royalty income Patents & Royalties. Porter:Novartis: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Grupp:Novartis: Research Funding. Melenhorst:Novartis: Research Funding. Lacey:Novartis: Research Funding. Mahnke:Novartis: Research Funding.

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3526-3526
Author(s):  
Ruth M. de Tute ◽  
Selina J. Denman ◽  
J. Anthony Child ◽  
Roger G. Owen ◽  
Andy C. Rawstron

Abstract Flow cytometry is a powerful tool for diagnosis and detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Multi-parameter MRD flow analysis is more sensitive than serum immunofixation for the detection of residual disease and is as effective as PCR analysis for predicting outcome after high-dose therapy. Attaining a limit of detection of 0.01% abnormal plasma cells in every patient requires analysis of several neoplastic markers. However, basic immunophenotyping coupled with clonality assessment can be informative in many patients. This approach can also be helpful at diagnosis in MGUS patients to determine whether the primary abnormal component is plasmacytoid or lymphoid. The aim of this study was to develop a single six-colour assay that could be used as a rapid and sensitive screen for the presence of neoplastic plasma cells. Bone marrow aspirate samples were assessed from 83 patients at diagnosis with a suspected plasma cell disorder (median age 69.1 years, 48 male and 35 female) and from 62 patients with myeloma after treatment (median age 61.0 years, 40 male and 22 female). Cells were washed and surface-labelled with CD19 PE, CD38 PE-Cy7, CD138 APC and CD45 APC-Cy7 then fixed, permeabilised and incubated with Kappa FITC and Lambda PE-Cy5. The assay allows assessment of B-cell surface-Ig and plasma cell cytoplasmic-Ig light chain restriction and abnormal plasma cell phenotype according to CD19 and CD45 expression. In presentation cases with more than 10% plasma cells by morphology, neoplastic plasma cells were present in 48/50 samples with one reactive plasmacytosis (32% plasma cells) and one patient with Castlemans disease (11% PC). In the remaining 33 cases with <10% plasma cells, 16/33 (48%) had monoclonal plasma cells, 4/33 (12.1%) showed a low-level of monoclonal B-cells and the remainder had normal B-cells and plasma cells. The assay provided a quantitative MRD result in 44/62 (70%) cases: neoplastic plasma cells represented <1% of leucocytes in 26/44 of the samples (59%) and the assay could detect neoplastic plasma cells when they represented as few as 0.01% of total leucocytes in several patients (4/44, 9.1%). Using this screening approach an extended MRD analysis panel was only required in 18/62 (30%) of cases where CD19- plasma cells were detected on a polyclonal background. Marrow quality was compared with a paired trephine biopsy in 68 samples. Using a algorithm based on the levels of normal plasma cells, B-progenitors, nucleated red cells and myeloid progenitors it was possible to determine whether the samples were representative bone marrow and a quantitative result could be provided. This single tube six-colour approach allows simultaneous assessment of B-cell and plasma cell immunophenotype and clonality. The incorporation of all the relevant markers into a single test makes analysis more straightforward and the gating strategy more reproducible. The assay is more rapid and cost-effective than four-colour analysis as fewer total markers are required. It can be applied to presentation samples to exclude reactive plasmacytoses and B-lymphoproliferative disorders, and to follow up samples to reduce the need for further flow cytometric investigations and optimise any downstream testing that is necessary. In approximately 70% of post-treatment myeloma samples this assay is capable of providing a definitive MRD result up to a maximum sensitivity of 0.01%.


2005 ◽  
Vol 201 (6) ◽  
pp. 993-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Gatto ◽  
Thomas Pfister ◽  
Andrea Jegerlehner ◽  
Stephen W. Martin ◽  
Manfred Kopf ◽  
...  

Humoral immune responses are thought to be enhanced by complement-mediated recruitment of the CD21–CD19–CD81 coreceptor complex into the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) complex, which lowers the threshold of B cell activation and increases the survival and proliferative capacity of responding B cells. To investigate the role of the CD21–CD35 complement receptors in the generation of B cell memory, we analyzed the response against viral particles derived from the bacteriophage Qβ in mice deficient in CD21–CD35 (Cr2−/−). Despite highly efficient induction of early antibody responses and germinal center (GC) reactions to immunization with Qβ, Cr2−/− mice exhibited impaired antibody persistence paralleled by a strongly reduced development of bone marrow plasma cells. Surprisingly, antigen-specific memory B cells were essentially normal in these mice. In the absence of CD21-mediated costimulation, Qβ-specific post-GC B cells failed to induce the transcriptional regulators Blimp-1 and XBP-1 driving plasma cell differentiation, and the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, which resulted in failure to generate the precursor population of long-lived plasma cells residing in the bone marrow. These results suggest that complement receptors maintain antibody responses by delivery of differentiation and survival signals to precursors of bone marrow plasma cells.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 5036-5036
Author(s):  
Tove Isaacson ◽  
Andrzej Jakubowiak ◽  
Lloyd Stoolman ◽  
Usha Kota ◽  
William Finn ◽  
...  

Abstract Multiparameter flow cytometry is a useful tool for comprehensive immunophenotyping of plasma cell myeloma, and has been proposed as a sensitive method for the evaluation of minimal residual disease in patients following treatment. This study aimed to assess the value of flow cytometry in quantitation of residual disease, in comparison to routine morphologic examination of first-pull bone marrow aspirate smears, in myeloma patients post-therapy. Heparinized bone marrow aspirates were obtained from 27 treated patients with plasma cell myeloma. Cells were prepared for 5-color flow cytometric analysis within 24-hours of specimen draw. Surface membrane staining with anti-CD19, CD20, CD38, CD45, CD56, and CD138 was followed by ammonium chloride lysis of red cells. Fixed and permeabilized cells were analyzed for cytoplasmic light chains to confirm clonality. Data were acquired using an FC500 flow cytometer (Beckman-Coulter), analyzed with CXP software with plasma cells isolated based on bright CD38+ or CD138+ expression. A median of 97,639 cellular events (range 14,279 to 262,508) were collected per analysis. Flow cytometric enumeration of plasma cells was compared to 500-cell differential counts of Wright-Giemsa-stained first-pull aspirate smears from the same cases. The median plasma cell count as determined by flow cytometry was 0.5% (range 0–7.9%). The median plasma cell count estimated by morphologic review was 8.0% (range 0–84.4%). Flow cytometry underestimated the plasma cell content in all but one case. Clonal plasma cells expressed CD38 and CD138 in all cases; 87.5% (21/24) coexpressed CD56, 25% (6/24) coexpressed CD45, and 4.2% (1/24) coexpressed CD19. None was positive for CD20. Although detection of minimal residual disease after therapy for acute leukemia is routinely achieved by flow cytometric analysis, successful quantitation of minimal residual disease in treated myeloma patients using flow cytometry remains limited as it usually underestimates the plasma cell content of bone marrow samples compared to routine morphology of first-pull aspirates. We have observed that this holds true for both pre-treatment and post-treatment specimens. Causes for the discrepancy may include hemodilution of second-pull aspirates used for flow cytometry, fragility and loss of plasma cells during preparation for flow cytometry, and incomplete disaggregation of plasma cells from bone marrow spicules. With improved outcome of treatments, better and more reliable methods of detection of minimal residual disease are needed for optimal prognostic stratification. We are currently validating alternative methods, which may offer more sensitivity while at the same time allow more objectivity, for assessing the amount of minimal residual disease in myeloma patients.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 1907-1907
Author(s):  
Eva Sahakian ◽  
Jason B. Brayer ◽  
John Powers ◽  
Mark Meads ◽  
Allison Distler ◽  
...  

Abstract The role of HDACs in cellular biology, initially limited to their effects upon histones, is now appreciated to encompass more complex regulatory functions that are dependent on their tissue expression, cellular compartment distribution, and the stage of cellular differentiation. Recently, our group has demonstrated that the newest member of the HDAC family of enzymes, HDAC11, is an important regulator of IL-10 gene expression in myeloid cells (Villagra A Nat Immunol. 2009). The role of this specific HDAC in B-cell development and differentiation is however unknown. To answer this question, we have utilized a HDAC11 promoter-driven eGFP reporter transgenic mice (TgHDAC11-eGFP) which allows the monitoring of the dynamic changes in HDAC11 gene expression/promoter activity in B-cells at different maturation stages (Heinz, N Nat. Rev. Neuroscience 2001). First, common lymphoid progenitors are devoid of HDAC11 transcriptional activation as indicated by eGFP expression. In the bone marrow, expression of eGFP moderately increases in Pro-B-cells and transitions to the Pre- and Immature B-cells respectively. Expression of eGFP doubles in the B-1 stage of differentiation in the periphery. Of note, examination of both the bone marrow and peripheral blood plasma cell compartment demonstrated increased expression of eGFP/HDAC11 mRNA at the steady-state. These results were confirmed in plasma cells isolated from normal human subjects in which HDAC11 mRNA expression was demonstrated. Strikingly, analysis of primary human multiple myeloma cells demonstrated a significantly higher HDAC11 mRNA expression in malignant cells as compared to normal plasma cells. Similar results were observed in 4/5 myeloma cell lines suggesting that perhaps HDAC11 expression might provide survival advantage to malignant plasma cells. Support to this hypothesis was further provided by studies in HDAC11KO mice in which we observed a 50% decrease in plasma cells in both the bone marrow and peripheral blood plasma cell compartments relative to wild-type mice. Taken together, we have unveiled a previously unknown role for HDAC11 in plasma cell differentiation and survival. The additional demonstration that HDAC11 is overexpressed in primary human myeloma cells provide the framework for specifically targeting this HDAC in multiple myeloma. Disclosures: Alsina: Millennium: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Baz:Celgene Corporation: Research Funding; Millenium: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding.


2013 ◽  
Vol 220 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia Fonseca Bloise ◽  
Felipe Leite de Oliveira ◽  
Alberto Félix Nobrega ◽  
Rita Vasconcellos ◽  
Aline Cordeiro ◽  
...  

The effects of hyperthyroidism on B-cell physiology are still poorly known. In this study, we evaluated the influence of high-circulating levels of 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3) on bone marrow, blood, and spleen B-cell subsets, more specifically on B-cell differentiation into plasma cells, in C57BL/6 mice receiving daily injections of T3for 14 days. As analyzed by flow cytometry, T3-treated mice exhibited increased frequencies of pre-B and immature B-cells and decreased percentages of mature B-cells in the bone marrow, accompanied by an increased frequency of blood B-cells, splenic newly formed B-cells, and total CD19+B-cells. T3administration also promoted an increase in the size and cellularity of the spleen as well as in the white pulp areas of the organ, as evidenced by histological analyses. In addition, a decreased frequency of splenic B220+cells correlating with an increased percentage of CD138+plasma cells was observed in the spleen and bone marrow of T3-treated mice. Using enzyme-linked immunospot assay, an increased number of splenic immunoglobulin-secreting B-cells from T3-treated mice was detectedex vivo. Similar results were observed in mice immunized with hen egg lysozyme and aluminum adjuvant alone or together with treatment with T3. In conclusion, we provide evidence that high-circulating levels of T3stimulate plasmacytogenesis favoring an increase in plasma cells in the bone marrow, a long-lived plasma cell survival niche. These findings indicate that a stimulatory effect on plasma cell differentiation could occur in untreated patients with Graves' disease.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 4883-4883
Author(s):  
A. C. Rawstron ◽  
G. Laycock-Brown ◽  
F. E. Davies ◽  
R. G. Owen ◽  
P. Hillmen ◽  
...  

Abstract Alemtuzumab is a highly effective monoclonal antibody therapy for some B-cell disorders, and has been suggested as a possible therapeutic agent for treatment of myeloma. Monoclonal antibody therapeutic efficacy is closely associated with the expression level of the therapeutic target, as demonstrated by the lack of efficacy of single-agent rituximab in CLL. However, there are conflicting reports about the expression levels of CD52, the target for alemtuzumab, in plasma cell disorders. The aim of this study is to assess a large series of cases of plasma cell and B-cell disorders, utilising a standard approach to allow comparison of the target molecule. Plasma cells were assessed from patients with myeloma at presentation or relapse (n=106), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS, n=34), and from normal controls (n=19). In addition, B-cells were assessed from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL, n=87), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, n=10), follicular lymphoma (FCL, n=9), Waldenstroms macroglobulinaemia (WM, n=20), and also from normal bone marrow (n=37). Normal and neoplastic B-cells showed expression of CD52 (&gt;20% of cells above the CD3-control levels) in all patients except for 1/10 DLBL. B-CLL and WM are known to show responses to single-agent alemtuzumab therapy, and these two disorders had the highest levels of expression. In contrast, B-progenitor cells in normal bone marrow are unaffected by alemtuzumab, and proliferate during alemtuzumab treatment in CLL patients. The levels of CD52 expression by normal B-progenitors were 3-fold lower than CLL/WM. In DLBL and FCL, the B-cells showed very similar levels of CD52 expression to normal B-progenitors, on average 2.8-fold lower than CLL. All plasma cells, whether neoplastic (CD19− or CD19+56+) or normal (CD19+56−), showed much lower levels of expression than normal and neoplastic B-cells. Plasma cell CD52 expression was detectable in 68% of normal controls (13/19), 50% of MGUS patients (17/34), and only 43% of myeloma patients (46/106). Expression was uni-modal in all cases. There was significantly lower expression of CD52 by myeloma plasma cells than by their normal counterparts (median 2.4-fold decrease, P=0.03). Neoplastic plasma cell CD52 expression showed a high degree of inter-patient variation, but fewer than 10% of myeloma patients (7/106) had CD52 expression at a similar level to CLL cells. Neoplastic plasma cell CD52 expression was approximately 6-fold lower than that of normal B-progenitors, and nearly 20-fold lower than that of CLL cells. In summary, CD52 expression is not detectable above control levels in a significant proportion of myeloma patients. In cases with detectable CD52 expression, the antigen is at a much lower level than is present on normal B-progenitors, which actively proliferate during alemtuzumab therapy. The risk of immunosuppression due to depletion of residual normal B/T-cells must also be considered. As alemtuzumab efficacy appears to correlate with CD52 expression levels, myeloma is highly unlikely to respond to alemtuzumab as a single agent except in rare cases. However, alemtuzumab is more likely to be effective in the IgM immunosecretory disorders which show strong CD52 expression.


1993 ◽  
Vol 178 (3) ◽  
pp. 1091-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Corradini ◽  
M Boccadoro ◽  
C Voena ◽  
A Pileri

Multiple myeloma is a B cell malignancy characterized by the expansion of plasma cells producing monoclonal immunoglobulins (Ig). It has been regarded as a tumor arising at the B, pre-B lymphocyte, or even stem cell level. Precursor cells are presumed to proliferate and differentiate giving rise to the plasma cell clonal expansion. Antigenic features and specific Ig gene rearrangement shared by B lymphocytes and myeloma cells have supported this hypothesis. However, the existence of such a precursor is based upon indirect evidence and is still an open question. During differentiation, B cells rearrange variable (V) regions of Ig heavy chain genes, providing a specific marker of clonality. Using an anchor polymerase chain reaction assay, these rearranged regions from five patients with multiple myeloma were cloned and sequenced. The switch of the Ig constant (C) region was used to define the B cell differentiation stage: V regions are linked to C mu genes in pre-B and B lymphocytes (pre-switch B cells), but to C gamma or C alpha in post-switch B lymphocytes and plasma cells (post-switch B cells). Analysis of bone marrow cells at diagnosis revealed the presence of pre-switch B cells bearing plasma cell V regions still joined to the C mu gene. These cells were not identified in peripheral blood, where tumor post-switch B cells were detected. These pre-switch B cells may be regarded as potential myeloma cell precursors.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 1922-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Goto ◽  
SJ Kennel ◽  
M Abe ◽  
M Takishita ◽  
M Kosaka ◽  
...  

Abstract A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) that defines a novel terminal B-cell- restricted antigen, termed HM1.24, was developed against a human plasma cell line. The MoAb, designated anti-HM1.24, reacted with five different human myeloma cell lines, as well as with monoclonal neoplastic plasma cells obtained from the bone marrow or peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. The HM1.24 antigen was also expressed by mature Ig- secreting B cells (plasma cells and lymphoplasmacytoid cells) but not by other cells contained in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, liver, spleen, kidney, or heart of normal individuals or patients with non- plasma-cell-related malignancies. The anti-HM1.24 MoAb bound to human myeloma RPMI 8226 cells with an affinity constant of 9.2 x 10(8) M-1, indicating approximately 84,000 sites/cell. By immunoprecipitation assay under reducing conditions, this MoAb identified a membrane glycoprotein that had a molecular weight of 29 to 33 kD. Our studies indicate that the HM1.24-related protein represents a specific marker of late-stage B-cell maturation and potentially serves as a target antigen for the immunotherapy of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell dyscrasias.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 1922-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Goto ◽  
SJ Kennel ◽  
M Abe ◽  
M Takishita ◽  
M Kosaka ◽  
...  

A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) that defines a novel terminal B-cell- restricted antigen, termed HM1.24, was developed against a human plasma cell line. The MoAb, designated anti-HM1.24, reacted with five different human myeloma cell lines, as well as with monoclonal neoplastic plasma cells obtained from the bone marrow or peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. The HM1.24 antigen was also expressed by mature Ig- secreting B cells (plasma cells and lymphoplasmacytoid cells) but not by other cells contained in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, liver, spleen, kidney, or heart of normal individuals or patients with non- plasma-cell-related malignancies. The anti-HM1.24 MoAb bound to human myeloma RPMI 8226 cells with an affinity constant of 9.2 x 10(8) M-1, indicating approximately 84,000 sites/cell. By immunoprecipitation assay under reducing conditions, this MoAb identified a membrane glycoprotein that had a molecular weight of 29 to 33 kD. Our studies indicate that the HM1.24-related protein represents a specific marker of late-stage B-cell maturation and potentially serves as a target antigen for the immunotherapy of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell dyscrasias.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1782-1782
Author(s):  
Sheri Skerget ◽  
Austin Christofferson ◽  
Sara Nasser ◽  
Christophe Legendre ◽  
The MMRF CoMMpass Network ◽  
...  

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is rare but represents an aggressive, advanced form of multiple myeloma (MM) where neoplastic plasma cells (PCs) escape the bone marrow (BM) and circulate in the peripheral blood (PB). Traditionally, PCL is defined by the presence of >20% circulating plasma cells (CPCs), however, recent studies have suggested that PCL be redefined as the presence of >5% CPCs. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation CoMMpass study (NCT01454297) is a longitudinal, observational clinical study with 1143 newly diagnosed MM patients. BM-derived MM samples were characterized using whole genome (WGS), exome (WES), and RNA (RNAseq) sequencing at diagnosis and each progression event. When >5% CPCs were detected by flow cytometry, PCs were enriched independently from both compartments, and T-cells were selected from the PB as a control for WGS and WES. This substudy within CoMMpass provides the largest, most comprehensively characterized dataset of matched MM and PCL samples to date, which can be leveraged to better understand the molecular drivers of PCL. At diagnosis, 813/1143 CoMMpass patients had flow cytometry data reporting the percent PCs in PB, of which 790 had <5%, 17 had 5-20%, and 6 had >20% CPCs. Survival analyses revealed that patients with 5-20% CPCs (median = 20 months) had poor overall survival (OS) outcomes compared to patients with <5% CPCs (median = 74 months, p < 0.001), and no significant difference in outcome was observed between patients with 5-20% and >20% (median = 38 months) CPCs. Patients with 1-5% CPCs (median = 50 months, HR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.64 - 3.69, p < 0.001) also exhibited poor OS outcomes compared to patients with <1% CPCs (median = 74 months), suggesting that patients with >1% CPCs are a higher risk population, even if they do not meet the PCL threshold. Using a cutoff of >5% CPCs, 23/813 (2.8%) patients presented with primary PCL (pPCL) at diagnosis. Of these patients, 7 (30%) were hyperdiploid (HRD), of whom 1 had a CCND1 and 1 had a MYC translocation; while 16 (70%) were nonhyperdiploid (NHRD), all of whom had a canonical immunoglobulin translocation (6 CCND1, 5 WHSC1, 3 MAF, 1 MAFA, and 1 MAFB). Of 124 patients with serial sample collections, 5 (4%) patients without pPCL had >5% CPCs at progression, and thus relapsed with secondary PCL (sPCL). Of the 5 sPCL patients, 2 (40%) were NHRD with a CCND1 or MAF translocation; while 3 (60%) were HRD, 1 with a WHSC1 translocation. Median time to diagnosis of sPCL was 22 months (range = 2 - 31 months), and patients with sPCL (median = 22 months) and pPCL (median = 30 months) exhibited poor OS outcomes as compared to MM patients (74 months, p < 0.001). Sequencing data was available for 15 pPCL and 5 sPCL samples. For 12 patients with WES, WGS, and RNAseq performed on their PCL tumor sample, an integrated analysis identified recurrent, complete loss-of-function (LOF) events in only CDKN2C/FAF1, SETD2, and TRAF3. Five pPCL patients had complete LOF of a gene involved in G1/S cell cycle control, including CDKN2C, CDKN2A, CDKN1C, and ATM. These LOF events were not observed in NHRD t(11;14) PCL patients, suggesting that CCND1 overexpression and LOF of genes involved in G1/S cell cycle control may represent independent drivers of PCL. Comparing WES and WGS data between matched MM and PCL tumor samples revealed a high degree of similarity in mutation and copy number profile. However, differential expression analysis performed for 13 patients with RNAseq data comparing their MM and PCL tumors revealed 27 up- and 39 downregulated genes (padj < 0.01, FDR = 0.1) in PCL versus MM. Pathway analysis revealed an enrichment (p < 0.001) for genes involved in adhesion and diapedesis, including upregulation of ITGB2, PF4, and PPBP, and downregulation of CCL8, CXCL12, MMP19, and VCAM1. The most significantly downregulated gene in PCL (log2FC = -6.98) was VCAM1, which plays a role in cell adhesion, and where loss of expression (TPM < 0.01) was observed across all PCL samples. Upregulation of four S100 genes including S100A8, S100A9, S100A12, and S100P, which have been implicated in tumor growth, metastasis, and immune evasion, was also observed in PCL. Interestingly, a S100A9 inhibitor has been developed and may represent a novel treatment option for PCL patients. In summary, PCL was found to be associated with molecular events dysregulating G1/S cell cycle control coupled with subtle changes in transcription that likely occur in a subclonal population of the MM tumor. Disclosures Lonial: Genentech: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy.


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