The Use of Next Generation Gene Sequencing to Measure Minimal Residual Disease in Patients with AL Amyloidosis and Low Plasma Cell Burden: A Feasibility Study

Background: AL amyloidosis is a bone marrow disorder in which clonal plasma cells produce light chains that misfold and deposit in vital organs, such as the kidneys and heart, leading to organ failure and eventual death. Treatment is directed towards the clonal plasma cell population in an effort to halt the production of toxic light chains and recuperate organ function. Pallidini et al. demonstrated that almost 50% of patients with AL amyloidosis who achieved a complete hematologic response to prior therapy had minimal residual disease (MRD) detectable in their bone marrow by multiparametric flow cytometry (MPF).1. Next generation gene sequencing (NGS) has been a successful tool in measuring MRD among patients with multiple myeloma2 though the data regarding its use in AL amyloidosis are limited. AL amyloidosis is a disease with a much smaller plasma cell burden at baseline (typically 5-10%), making the task of isolating an initial clonal sequence even more challenging. We sought to evaluate NGS as a method of isolating a clonal population of plasma cells among patients with systemic AL amyloidosis in a first-ever feasibility study. Methods: Patients were eligible if they had systemic AL amyloidosis and no clinical evidence of concurrent active multiple myeloma. In this study, feasibility was deemed successful if discovery of a clone could be achieved in 3 out of 10 of patients. Approximately five cc's of peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate were collected from each patient and processed for CD138 selection and DNA isolation/purification. De-identified samples were sent to Adaptive Biotech Inc. (Seattle, WA) for initial clonal identification using the ClonoSEQ immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) assay. Genomic DNA was amplified by implementing consensus primers targeting the IGH complete (IGH-VDJH) locus, IGH incomplete (IGH-DJH) locus, immunoglobulin κ locus (IGK) and immunoglobulin l locus (IGL). The amplified product was sequenced and a clone identified based on frequency. After proof of feasibility in the first 10 patients an additional 27 patients had initial clonal identification via the same process mentioned above. Results: In total, 37 patient samples underwent NGS via the ClonoSEQ IGH assay method. The median patient age was 66 years old (range: 44 to 83), 24% of which were female. All 37 patients had measurable disease based on serum electrophoresis and immunofixation and/or serum free light chain assay (Table 1). Four patients had no monoclonal protein detected on SIFE or UIFE and 13 patients had a normal sFLC ratio. Of the 33 patients with monoclonal disease on immunofixation, 12 patients had only a free lambda monoclonal protein and the remaining 21 patients had a clonal heavy chain with an associated light chain. Bone marrow biopsies demonstrated clonal plasmacytosis of 40% or lower. ClonoSEQ IGH assay identified trackable clones in 31 of 37 patients (84%) (see Table 1). Four patients had at least one trackable sequence (range: 1 to 5 sequences) in the peripheral blood and 29 patients had at least one trackable sequence in the bone marrow aspirate (range: 1 to 7 sequences). No correlation was seen between the detection of a clone and standard measures of plasma cell tumor burden (SIFE, SPEP, UIFE, UPEP, and sFLCs). Conclusion: NGS was successful in identifying an initial clone in 29 of 37 patients with systemic AL amyloidosis, four of which were detectable in the peripheral blood. Due to the low clonal burden in patients with AL amyloidosis, it is often difficult to assess disease status, especially post-treatment. These encouraging results may enhance disease monitoring and improve patient care in this rare disease. We are currently tracking MRD in the patients with identifiable clones as they receive systemic treatment, the results of which will be available for presentation in December 2019. REFERENCES 1. Palladini G, Massa M, Basset M, Russo F, Milani P, Foli A, et al. Persistence of Minimal Residual Disease By Multiparameter Flow Cytometry Can Hinder Recovery of Organ Damage in Patients with AL Amyloidosis Otherwise in Complete Response. Abstr 3261. 2016; 2. Ladetto M, Brüggemann M, Monitillo L, Ferrero S, Pepin F, Drandi D, et al. Next-generation sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR for minimal residual disease detection in B-cell disorders. Leukemia. 2014;28:1299-307. Table 1 Disclosures Sarosiek: Acrotech: Research Funding. Sanchorawala:Proclara: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Research Funding; Caelum: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Research Funding; Prothena: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Jacob:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Employment, Other: shareholder. Munshi:Amgen: Consultancy; Adaptive: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Oncopep: Consultancy; Oncopep: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Adaptive: Consultancy.

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Novel Single Panel Method for Minimal Residual Disease Detection for Plasma Cells By Flow Cytometry

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2020-141060 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 6-7

Author(s):

David Kimmel ◽

Mohammed A Aljama ◽

Stephen Ronan Foley ◽

Hira S Mian ◽

Catherine A Ross

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Plasma Cell ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Large Data ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Distinct Advantage ◽

Limit Of Quantitation ◽

Minimal Residual

Introduction: Advancement in myeloma therapy has significantly improved outcomes including minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity that may be a surrogate for overall survival. We describe an assay using a single 10-colour panel to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in plasma cell neoplasms to a level < 10-5. Methodology: Bone marrow aspirate specimens for this MRD assay must be from the first pull of 1.0 to 1.5 mL of bone marrow. A 1 in 10 dilution of the bone marrow is prepared and run on the instrument using a WBC count from the following calculation to determine the volume of specimen to process: For the MRD method, a corrective factor of 4 has been empirically determined to provide a sufficient number of cells to achieve the goal of 10-13 million viable cells during analysis. The required volume of bone marrow is added directly to Versalyse (Beckman Coulter) with 10% bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a bulk RBC lysis step. The cells are incubated for 15 minutes at room temperature while rocking. The cells are centrifuged and the following antibodies are added (Table 1): The cells and surface antibodies are incubated for a total of 20 minutes, specimen is gently vortexed at 10 minutes. Intracellular staining is achieved using the IntraPrep Kit (Beckman Coulter) using our standardized laboratory process. Cells are suspended in approximately 2mL of RPMI 1640 with 10% FCS. The specimen is loaded on to the Navios EX flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter)and data is acquired at approximately 5000 to 10000 events per second. The Navios EX is not capable of collecting more 1 700 000 events at acquisition when all 10 fluorescent detectors are in use plus light scatter detectors, so the specimen is repeatedly reloaded a total of 7 or 8 times. All data files are opened in Kaluza (Beckman Coulter) and merged in to a single file. This large data file is then imported in to the analysis template and analyzed for plasma cells. Analysis: A pilot of 20 specimens from patients with varying plasma cell disorders have been analyzed. Half of these specimens contained populations of monoclonal plasma cells. Ranked in order of smallest to largest (Figure 1): The smallest clone detected at 10x10E-4 is comprised of 1311 events. If a theoretical lower limit of quantitation of 50 events or 5x10E-6 in 10 000 000 total cells analyzed is required, this method will meet this criteria .Notably, all bone marrow specimens of adequate quality (not clotted, non-hemodilute) required less than 1.5mL of bone marrow to achieve > 10 000 000 nucleated cells in the final analysis. Analysis is complex using several dozen plots. Plasma cells are identified using CD38 and CD138. Gated plasma cells are analyzed for the immunophenotype of CD56, CD117, CD27, CD45, CD81 and cytoplasmic light chains simultaneously using n-dimensional radar plots (Figures 2, 3a, 3b): Qualitative results can be calculated from adjusted gates (Table 2): Conclusion: This rapid, high-sensitivity assay for immunophenotypically abnormal and clonal plasma cells requires low volumes of bone marrow. Results are ready in approximately 4 hours which is a distinct advantage and sensitivity can be shown to reach 5 X10-6. Disclosures Foley: Amgen,CelgeneJanssen: Honoraria. Mian:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy.

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Evaluation of a 5-Color Flow Cytometric Technique for Immunophenotyping and Quantitation of Plasma Cell Myeloma in Post-Therapy Bone Marrows.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.5036.5036 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 5036-5036

Author(s):

Tove Isaacson ◽

Andrzej Jakubowiak ◽

Lloyd Stoolman ◽

Usha Kota ◽

William Finn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Flow Cytometry ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Plasma Cell ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Plasma Cell Myeloma ◽

Color Flow ◽

Flow Cytometric ◽

Minimal Residual

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.

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Evaluation of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Product As a New Site for Minimal Residual Disease By Next Generation Flow in Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-154129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 4927-4927

Author(s):

Herbert Henrique de Melo Santos ◽

Glaciano Ribeiro ◽

Allan de souza Santos ◽

Marcos Chaves ◽

Joanna Leal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cell ◽

Plasma Cell ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Next Generation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Minimal Residual

Abstract Introduction- Next generation flow (NGF) is one of the approaches for testing multiple myeloma (MM) minimal residual disease (MRD) over conventional response assessments. Actually, bone marrow (BM) is the preference site of evaluation because of its sensitivity. Because of its invasively technic, other possible sites for MRD evaluation outside the BM have been studied. In the present study we analyzed the MRD between the BM and the hematopoietic stem cell collected product (HSC product), once the concentration of plasma cell in the HSC product could be higher than peripheric blood sample. Aims- To compare MRD quantification of plasma cell between BM and HSC product after induction from Newly Diagnosed MM(NDMM) Transplant Eligible (TE) patients (pts) exposed to daratumumab, cyclophosphamide, thalidomide and dexamethasone (Dara-CTD) protocol. Methods- The SC product and BM samples were collected after four 28 days cycles of induction therapy from pts treated with Dara-CTd protocol described before by (Crusoe E. et al. Blood 2020; 136 (supplement 1): 17-18). MRD was evaluated by next-generation flow (NGF) based in the EuroFlow® protocol. EuroFlow standards was used to identify clonality and aberrant PC immune phenotype, consisting by EuroFlow 8-color 2-tube method (MM MRD kit, Cytognos, Salamanca), with the acquisition of 5 million events each tube and then merged into a single analysis tube on approximately 10 million events. Plasma cells were identified by CD38 multiepitope and CD138. Other markers were used to detect abnormal phenotypes. For comparison of MRD results, Bland-Altman plot comparing BM-MRD and HSC product-MRD was performed. Results- The first pts was enrolled in November 2018. A total of 24 pts were included, the median age was 60 (range 37- 67 years), 23 (92%) were non-white, 5 (21%) had an R-ISS = 1, 12 (54%) had an R-ISS = 2 and 4 (16%), an R-ISS = 3. Six (25%) pts had high-risk chromosomal abnormalities [del17p, t(4;14) or t(14;16)]. To date, all pts have completed induction and 20 have received transplant. Regarding response rates, after the end of induction (cycle 4), 19 (90%) of the pts obtained > PR and 8 (38%) obtained >VGPR, including three MRD negativity by NGF. 19 pts were analyzed for MRD. Negative MRD in sensitivity <10 -5, >=10 -5 and <10 -4, >=10 -4 evaluated in bone marrow was 4/19(21%), 4/19(21%), 11/19(58%) respectively. Negative MRD in sensitivity <10 -5, >=10 -5 and <10 -4, >=10 -4 evaluated in the HSC product was 13/19(68%), 3/19(16%), 3/19(16%) respectively. Median bone marrow sensitivity 10 -4 lower quartile 10 -5 upper quartile 10 -3. Normal distribution of the differences between BM and SC product MRD was first assessed (Kolmogorov-Smirnov's p < 0.001, n = 19). Discussion-Conclusions- The use of HSC product could enhance the plasma cell concentration and may be an alternative and attractive method for MRD detection that diminished the invasiveness of repetitive bone marrow aspirations and tackling the heterogeneity distribution of MM cells. In this preliminary data the sample size did not allow to show a direct correlation between BM and HCS product. A larger sample would be needed to confirm the hypothesis. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Hungria: Amgen, BMS, Celgene, Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings/travel ; Abbvie: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria, Other: Support for attending meetings/travel ; Takeda: Honoraria. De Queiroz Crusoe: Janssen: Research Funding.

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Flowcytometric Minimal Residual Disease Assessment in the EMN-02/HOVON-95 MM Trial: Used Methods and a Comparison of Their Sensitivity

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v128.22.2072.2072 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 128 (22) ◽

pp. 2072-2072

Author(s):

Davine Hofste op Bruinink ◽

Stefania Oliva ◽

Lucie Rihova ◽

Bronno van der Holt ◽

Milena Gilestro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Quality Assessment ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Plasma Cell ◽

Research Funding ◽

Maintenance Treatment ◽

Residual Disease ◽

High Dose ◽

International Trial ◽

Minimal Residual

Abstract Background The introduction of novel treatment strategies against multiple myeloma (MM) has resulted in a major improvement in the overall outcome, which has led to an increased need for highly sensitive methods to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in each patient. MRD assessment by multicolor flowcytometry (MFC) has been shown to be of prognostic value in many treatment protocols over the last decade, making it an attractive method to assess response in clinical trials. However, it is currently not known (1) what the best timing is to perform MFC MRD analysis in the context of a treatment protocol including induction, intensification, consolidation and maintenance treatment, (2) which patients should be selected for this analysis, and (3) what its feasibility is in a large international trial. The ongoing EMN-02 MRD Study aims to answer these questions within the framework of the EMN-02/HOVON-95 MM trial. Here, we describe our methods and the results of our first quality assessment round to compare the sensitivity of the used protocols. Methods The EMN-02/HOVON-95 MM trial is a randomized, multicenter, phase 3 trial in which newly diagnosed MM patients 18-65 years received 4 cycles of bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (VCD) as induction treatment, followed by a first randomization between either 4 cycles of bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone (VMP), or high dose melphalan (HDM) and 1 or 2 ASCT as intensification treatment. Subsequently, patients were randomized between 2 cycles of bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRD) or no consolidation treatment, followed by lenalidomide maintenance treatment for all until progression or toxicity occurred. Patients undergoing a bone marrow (BM) aspiration for complete response (CR) confirmation according to the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria (Rajkumar et al. - Blood 2011) anytime during the trial were eligible for the EMN-02 MRD Study. BM samples from patients from 13 European countries were sent to 4 central MFC MRD laboratories in the Netherlands (A), Czech Republic (B), Denmark (C) and Italy (D), either using the strict Euroflow protocol (A) (Van Dongen et al. - Leukemia 2012) or Euroflow-based methods (B, C & D). In order to check compatibility between protocols, 5 bone marrow samples from MM patients with a clinical response ranging from progressive disease (PD) to CR were each divided in equal volumes and sent to the respective laboratories on 3 different days. MFC MRD analysis was performed on a FACS Canto II (BD) (A-C) or Coulter Navios flowcytometer (D). Protocols A, B & C used the Euroflow Plasma Cell Disorder (PCD) tube 1 and 2 combination of antibodies, containing the backbone markers CD138-PO, CD38-FITC, CD45-PB and CD19-PE-Cy7, with CD56-PE, B2micro-PerCP-Cy5.5, cyIgK-APC and cyIgL-APC-C750 in tube 1, and CD28-PE, CD27-PerCP-Cy5.5, CD117-APC, CD81-APC-H7 in tube 2. Protocol D had the same backbone markers (CD138-PerCP-Cy5.5, CD38-PB, CD45-KO and CD19-PE-Cy7), together with CD27-PE, CD81-FITC and CD20-APC in tube 1 and cyIgK-FITC, cyIgL-PE, CD56-APC and CD117-APC-AF 750 in tube 2. Bulk lysis was performed in protocols A, B and D. Every laboratory acquired at least 2x10e6 leukocytes (or at least 1x10e4 plasma cells) and performed data-analysis in Infinicyt version 1.6 or higher (A, B & C) or Navios Kaluza (D), using a threshold ranging from 10-25 aberrant plasma cell events as cutoff for MFC MRD positivity. Results Acquisition of events occurred the day after BM aspiration for all samples. The total number of acquired events per sample was dependent on the level of MRD, ranging from 3x10e5 to 2x10e7 leukocytes. MFC MRD results were very comparable between labs with a 1:1 correlation between results at every level of residual disease, being 1x10e-2, 1x10e-4, 1x10-4, 1x10e-5 and 1 MRD negative sample at the level of <1x10e-5. Based on these findings, protocols have been further harmonized and a second quality assessment round will be organized in Fall 2016 to validate the suggested improvements. Conclusions This is the first time that a European framework has been set up between laboratories to test MFC MRD analysis in the context of an international trial. The sensitivity of the protocols has been compared in a quality assessment round, which showed a high correlation of results. Disclosures Oliva: Amgen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Boccadoro:CELGENE: Honoraria, Research Funding; Mundipharma: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbivie: Honoraria; SANOFI: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding. Hajek:Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Sonneveld:Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Palumbo:Takeda: Employment, Honoraria; Janssen Cilag: Honoraria.

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Minimal residual disease negativity by next-generation flow cytometry is associated with improved organ response in AL amyloidosis

Blood Cancer Journal ◽

10.1038/s41408-021-00428-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Giovanni Palladini ◽

Bruno Paiva ◽

Ashutosh Wechalekar ◽

Margherita Massa ◽

Paolo Milani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Organ Dysfunction ◽

Light Chain ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Cell Clone ◽

Cardiac Response ◽

Al Amyloidosis ◽

Next Generation ◽

Organ Response ◽

Minimal Residual

AbstractLight chain (AL) amyloidosis is caused by a small B-cell clone producing light chains that form amyloid deposits and cause organ dysfunction. Chemotherapy aims at suppressing the production of the toxic light chain (LC) and restore organ function. However, even complete hematologic response (CR), defined as negative serum and urine immunofixation and normalized free LC ratio, does not always translate into organ response. Next-generation flow (NGF) cytometry is used to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma. We evaluated MRD by NGF in 92 AL amyloidosis patients in CR. Fifty-four percent had persistent MRD (median 0.03% abnormal plasma cells). There were no differences in baseline clinical variables in patients with or without detectable MRD. Undetectable MRD was associated with higher rates of renal (90% vs 62%, p = 0.006) and cardiac response (95% vs 75%, p = 0.023). Hematologic progression was more frequent in MRD positive (0 vs 25% at 1 year, p = 0.001). Altogether, NGF can detect MRD in approximately half the AL amyloidosis patients in CR, and persistent MRD can explain persistent organ dysfunction. Thus, this study supports testing MRD in CR patients, especially if not accompanied by organ response. In case MRD persists, further treatment could be considered, carefully balancing residual organ damage, patient frailty, and possible toxicity.

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Analysis of minimal residual disease in bone marrow by NGF and in peripheral blood by mass spectrometry in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients enrolled in the GEM2012MENOS65 clinical trial.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.8010 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 8010-8010

Author(s):

Noemi Puig ◽

Bruno Paiva ◽

Teresa Contreras ◽

M. Teresa Cedena ◽

Laura Rosiñol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Prognostic Value ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Time Points ◽

Minimal Residual

8010 Background: Analysis of minimal residual disease (MRD) in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is accepted by the IMWG to evaluate treatment efficacy and is a well-established prognostic factor. However, there is an unmet need to explore the clinical value of MRD in peripheral blood (PB). Methods: Newly diagnosed MM patients enrolled in the GEM2012MENOS65 trial received six induction (Ind) cycles of bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRD) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and 2 further cycles of consolidation (Cons) with VRD. MRD was analyzed in BM using Next Generation Flow (NGF) and in serum by Mass Spectrometry (MS) using IgG/A/M, κ, λ, free κ and free λ specific beads, both after Ind, at day 100 after ASCT, and after Cons. Sequential samples from the first 184 patients were analyzed. Results: Results of both methods were in agreement (NGF+/MS+ and NGF-/MS-) in 83% of cases post-Ind (152/184), 80% post-ASCT (139/174) and 76% post-Cons (128/169). Stratifying by the log range of MRD by NGF, discordances (NGF+/MS- and NGF-/MS+) seemed to increase at the lower MRD ranges, being 22%, 21% and 19% from ≥10−5 to <10−4 and 21%, 21%, 23% at ≥x10−6(post-Ind, ASCT and Cons, respectively). Analysis of discordances showed that they could be partly explained by the higher percentages of cases found to be positive by MS as compared by NGF at part of the time-points analyzed and at each log range of MRD. From ≥10−5 to <10−4, MRD was detected by NGF in 36%, 28%, 20% of cases post-Ind, ASCT and Cons, respectively vs MS in 37%, 29%, 21% of them; at ≥x10−6, NGF was positive in 11%, 14%, 19% of cases vs MS in 23%, 19% and 16% of them. Considering NGF as a reference, the negative predictive value (NPV) of MS per MRD range (≥10−5 to <10−4 and ≥x10−6, respectively) was: post-Ind: 83% (p<0,0001), 94% (p=0,034); post-ASCT 86% (p<0,0001), 90% (p=0,022); post-Cons 89% (p<0,0001), 85% (p=0,0469). Despite these discordances, the prognostic value of each technique in terms of undetectable MRD and progression-free survival (PFS) was consistent at all time-points (Table) and further, discordant cases (NGF+/MS- and NGF-/MS+) did not display a significantly different PFS as compared to NGF-/MS- cases. Conclusions: The results of MRD assessed by NGF in BM and by MS in PB show a significant concordance and are associated with a similar prognostic value analyzed in terms of PFS. Given its high NPV, MRD in peripheral blood by MS provides a gateway for BM aspiration/biopsy and MRD assessment by NGF.[Table: see text]

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Comparison of Minimal Residual Disease Detection between the Manual and Automated Gating Strategies of Euroflow Next-Generation Flow in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-122398 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 3083-3083

Author(s):

Hiroyuki Takamatsu ◽

Takeshi Yoroidaka ◽

Takeshi Yamashita ◽

Ryoichi Murata ◽

Mikio Ueda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Partial Response ◽

Pharmaceutical Company ◽

Research Funding ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Next Generation ◽

Chugai Pharmaceutical ◽

Company Limited ◽

Minimal Residual

Background: The rate of complete response (CR) in multiple myeloma (MM) has dramatically increased because of the development of novel agents. In addition, the development of methods for measuring minimal residual disease (MRD), such as multiparameter flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing, has made it possible to stratify CR patients according to the MRD extent. EuroFlow next-generation flow (EuroFlow-NGF) is considered one of the gold standard methods for evaluating the negative status of MRD in MM. The automated gating strategy of EuroFlow-NGF has been shown to detect MRD as accurately as the manual gating strategy by experts. Oberle et al. (Haematologica, 2017) have found that daratumumab persisted on the surface of myeloma cells treated with it and that the anti-CD38 multi-epitope antibody used in EuroFlow-NGF has partial cross-reactivity with daratumumab, leading to generally lower mean fluorescence intensities of CD38. Therefore, MRD levels may have been underestimated in patients who were treated with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using the automated gating strategy, leading to inappropriate management of the patients. Because no studies have examined the correlation of MRD extent between the manual and automated gating strategies in patients with MM who have received anti-CD38 mAbs, we compared MRD detection between the two gating strategies of EuroFlow-NGF in patients with MM. Methods: The study included bone marrow samples from 51 patients with MM (27 male and 24 female patients), including 13 patients treated with anti-CD38 mAb (12 treated with daratumumab and 1 treated with isatuximab). The median patient age was 70 years (range, 32-92 years) at MRD assessment. The disease statuses at MRD assessment were stringent CR in 26 patients (51%), CR in 7 (14%), very good partial response in 13 (26%), partial response in 1 (2%), and progressive disease in 4 (8%). The sample preparation protocol, Ab panel, and automated gating strategy of EuroFlow-NGF have been reported previously (Flores-Montero et al. Leukemia 2017). Briefly, we performed the EuroFlow-NGF method, which involved ammonium chloride-based bulk lysis, followed by surface staining using antibodies against CD138-BV421, CD27-BV510, CD38 multiepitope (ME)-FITC, CD56-PE, CD45-PerCP Cy5.5, CD19-PECy7, CD117-APC, and CD81-APC C750 in tube 1 and surface/intracellular staining using antibodies against CD138-BV421, CD27-BV510, CD38 ME-FITC, CD56-PE, CD45-PerCP Cy5.5, CD19-PECy7, CD117-APC, CD81-APC C750, cytoplasmic (cy) Igκ-APC, and cyIgλ-APC C750 after permeabilization in tube 2. For data analysis, events from both eight-color tubes (tubes 1 and 2) were merged, and the values of all parameters per tube were mathematically calculated using the merge and calculation functions of Infinicyt software (Cytognos SL, Salamanca, Spain). Automatic identification and enumeration of total plasma cells (tPCs) and abnormal plasma cells (MRD) were performed using the automatic gating function of Infinicyt software as described previously (Flores-Montero et al. Leukemia 2017). We compared the total nucleated cell number, tPC ratio, and MRD ratio between the manual (by experts) and automated gating strategies of EuroFlow-NGF. Results: In patients with MM who did not receive any anti-CD38 mAb therapy, we observed high correlations for both the tPC (r = 0.959, P < 0.0001) (Figure A) and MRD (r = 0.974, P < 0.0001) (Figure B) ratios between the manual and automated gating strategies of EuroFlow-NGF. On the other hand, in patients with MM who received anti-CD38 mAb therapy, we did not observe good correlations for both the tPC (r = 0.349, P = 0.2) (Figure A) and MRD (r = 0.292, P = 0.3) (Figure B) ratios between the two strategies owing to a lower fluorescence intensity of CD38 on PCs. In addition, when the MRD threshold was set to 10-5, the discordance of MRD positivity/negativity between the two strategies was significantly higher in patients who received anti-CD38 mAb therapy than in those who did not receive anti-CD38 mAb therapy [4/13 (31%) vs. 1/38 (3%), P = 0.012]. Conclusion: Although the automated gating strategy of EuroFlow-NGF could be a viable alternative to the manual strategy for the assessment of MRD in MM, we may have to utilize the manual strategy to obtain precise MRD results for patients with MM who received anti-CD38 mAbs. Figure Disclosures Takamatsu: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Ono pharmaceutical: Honoraria, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; SRL: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceutical: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited: Honoraria; Fujimoto Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Becton, Dickinson and Company: Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy; Daiichi-Sankyo Company: Honoraria. Yoroidaka:Ono Pharmaceutical: Honoraria. Yamashita:Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.: Honoraria; Daiichi-Sankyo Company: Honoraria; Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd: Honoraria; TEIJIN PHARMA LIMITED: Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Ono Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Murata:Celgene: Honoraria; Ono pharmaceutical: Honoraria. Nakao:Daiichi-Sankyo Company, Limited: Honoraria; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.: Honoraria; SynBio Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Ohtsuka Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Ono Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Novartis Pharma K.K: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited: Honoraria; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd: Honoraria; Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria; Alaxion Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria. Matsue:Novartis Pharma K.K: Honoraria; Ono Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.: Honoraria.

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Comparison of minimal residual disease levels in bone marrow and peripheral blood in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Leukemia ◽

10.1038/s41375-019-0599-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 1154-1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michaela Kotrova ◽

Antonia Volland ◽

Britta Kehden ◽

Heiko Trautmann ◽

Matthias Ritgen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Minimal Residual

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Monitoring of Minimal Residual Disease in NPM1 Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) – a Single Center Experience in 27 Patients.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.4672.4672 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 4672-4672

Author(s):

Dana Dvorakova ◽

Zdenek Racil ◽

Ivo Palasek ◽

Marketa Protivankova ◽

Ivana Jeziskova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Npm1 Mutation ◽

Mgb Probe ◽

Minimal Residual

Abstract Abstract 4672 Background Mutations within NPM1 gene occurs in about 60% of adult cytogenetic normal AML (CN-AML) and represent the single most frequent molecular aberration in this subgroups of patients. These mutations usually occur at exon 12 and induce most frequently a net insertion of four base pairs. Aims To examine the applicability and sensitivity of DNA-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) with mutation-specific reverse primers and common minor groove binding (MGB) probe and to evaluate whether minimal residual disease levels are of prognostic relevance in CN-AML patients with NPM1 mutations. Methods Patients were treated within different AML trials and follow-up samples of peripheral blood or bone marrow were referred to perform an RQ-PCR. Samples were analysed at diagnosis, during, and after therapy. The NPM1 mutations were A (17 pts), B (1 pt), D (2 pts) and 7 patients with individual rare types. For all cases, levels of minimal residual disease were determined by DNA-based RQ-PCR with mutation-specific reverse primer, one common forward primer and one common MGB probe. The NPM1 mutation value was normalized on the number of albumin gene copies and expressed as the number of NPM1 mutations every 106 genomic equivalents. This assay is highly specific as no wildtype NPM1 could be detected. Maximal reproducible sensitivity was 10 plasmide molecules per reaction. Results A total of 950 samples of bone marrow and/or peripheral blood from 27 patients have been analyzed. Twenty of 27 patients (74%) achieved molecular remission (MR), twenty-six of 27 patients (96%) achieved hematological remission (HR). 6 of 27 (22%) patients achieved HR without MR and one patient failed therapy. 8 of 20 patients (40%) with MR after treatment relapsed at molecular level and except one in all these patients hematological relaps occured (one patient is still in HR with bone marrow blast present, but < 5%). Considering relapsed patients, time from molecular to hematological relapse was 1 to 5 months (median: 3 months). Considering all 14 patients with HR without MR (6 pts) or with molecular relapse (8 pts), in 11 of them hematological relaps occured (79%) and molecular positivity anticipating hematological relaps with median of 3,5 month (1-7 months). 3 of these 14 patients are still in HR. Conclusions Mutations within NPM1 gene are a sensitive marker for monitoring minimal residual disease in CN-AML patients. RQ-PCR using a MGB probe is an efficient approach to long-term follow-up of residual leukemia cells and frequent quantitative monitoring is useful for reliably predicting hematological relapse. Achievement of negativity appears to predict favorable clinical outcome. This work was partially supported by research grant No. MSM0021622430 Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Status of Minimal Residual Disease Determines Outcome of Autologous HSCT in Adults with High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.2321.2321 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 2321-2321

Author(s):

Sebastian Giebel ◽

Beata Stella-Holowiecka ◽

Malgorzata Krawczyk-Kulis ◽

Nicola Goekbuget ◽

Dieter Hoelzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

High Risk ◽

Minimal Residual Disease ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Minimal Residual

Abstract Abstract 2321 Poster Board II-298 The role of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT) in the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a subject of controversies as several prospective studies failed to prove its advantage over maintenance chemotherapy. Those studies, however, did not take into account the status of minimal residual disease (MRD), which is now recognized a potent predictor for relapse among patients treated with conventional-dose chemotherapy. The goal of this analysis was to determine the impact of MRD on outcome of autoHSCT. Data on 123 autoHSCT recipients collected from 6 study groups cooperating in the European Leukemia Net were analyzed. Median age of 77 B-lineage and 46 T-lineage high-risk ALL patients was 31 (16-59) years. Ph+ ALL was recognized in 20 cases. All patients were in first complete remission (CR) lasting 6 (1.5-22) months. Peripheral blood was used as a source of stem cells in 67 patients whereas bone marrow, in 56 cases. Conditioning was based on chemotherapy alone (n=76) or total body irradiation (n=47). MRD was evaluated in bone marrow with the use of either multiparametric flow cytometry (n=79) or molecular techniques (n=44). MRD level of 0.1% bone marrow cells was used as a cut-off point for the purpose of this study. At the time of autoHSCT MRD was &0.1% in 93 patients and ≧0.1% in 30 cases. With the median follow up of 5 years, the probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) at 5 years for the whole group equaled 48% (+/-5). Three patients died of transplantation-related complications. The LFS rate was significantly higher for patients with the MRD level at transplantation &0.1% compared to those with MRD ≧0.1% (57% vs. 19%, p=0.0002). The difference was particularly pronounced for peripheral blood HSCT (66% vs. 20%, p=0.0006) and for T-lineage ALL (62% vs. 8%, p=0.001). In a multivariate analysis adjusted for other potential prognostic factors (age, CR duration, Ph+ ALL, immunophenotype, source of stem cells, type of conditioning), the MRD status &0.1% remained the only independent factor associated with increased LFS (HR=2.5, p=0.0009). CONCLUSIONS: MRD status is the most important predictor for LFS after autoHSCT in adults with ALL. More than half of patients with high risk disease and low MRD level at the time of transplantation may be cured. This observation may contribute to re-evaluation of the role of autoHSCT in the therapy of adult ALL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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