Minimal Residual Disease and IGHV-Genes Mutational Status as the Main Predictors of Response to Bendamustine-Rituximab Therapy in Previously Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

LYMPHOID TUMORS , , , , , ,

YuV Mirolyubova, EA Stadnik, VV Strugov, TO Andreeva, TS Nikulina, YuV Virts, PA Butylin, AG Rumyantsev, AYu Zaritskey

VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341

For correspondence: Yuliya Vladimirovna Mirolyubova, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341; e-mail: juli9702@yandex.ru

For citation: Mirolyubova YuV, Stadnik EA, Strugov VV, et al. Minimal Residual Disease and IGHV-Genes Mutational Status as the Main Predictors of Response to Bendamustine-Rituximab Therapy in Previously Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Clinical oncohematology. 2018;11(2):167–74.

DOI: 10.21320/2500-2139-2018-11-2-167-174

ABSTRACT

Background. In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) the eradication of minimal residual disease (MRD) is a prognostic factor of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). IGHV mutational status has also independent prognostic value.

Aim. To analyse the impact of mutational status and MRD eradication in CLL patients after first-line standard BR (bendamustine + rituximab) immunochemotherapy.

Materials & Methods. The prospective study included patients with immunophenotypically confirmed CLL who had not previously received anticancer therapy. All patients were treated by BR combination from 2012 to 2015. MRD level was determined in 109 patients after completing the 3rd and the 6th treatment courses. IGHV mutational status data were available for 98 patients. IGHV mutational status was evaluated in accordance with ERIC recommendations. MRD was assessed by standardized method of 4-color flow cytometry.

Results. MRD negativity was achieved in 37 (34 %) out of 109 patients. MRD eradication correlated with the best PFS (p = 0.04). IGHV mutational status had a statistically significant impact on PFS (p = 0.02). In patients with MRD-negative response and IGHV mutation no unfavorable events occurred during the period of monitoring. Conversely, PFS rates in MRD-negative patients having no IGHV mutation and in MRD-positive patients with mutation were significantly worse. MRD eradication resulted in statistically significant improvement of PFS rates after completing 3 treatment courses, compared with the cases with MRD persistence regardless of residual malignant clone level (p = 0.01).

Conclusion. BR therapy as first-line treatment statistically improved PFS in patients who achieved MRD-negative remission after completing the 3rd treatment course. PFS was significantly higher in MRD-negative patients with IGHV mutation after 6 treatment courses. MRD negativity resulting from 6 BR therapies in patients having no IGHV mutation was not accompanied by PFS improvement. It follows that by itself MRD negativity cannot be considered to be a universal prognostic factor.

Keywords: chronic lymphocytic leukemia, minimal residual disease, bendamustine, rituximab, BR, IGHV, mutational status.

Received: December 29, 2017

Accepted: February 27, 2018

Read in PDF 

REFERENCES

  1. Swerdlow SH, Campo E, Harris NL, et al. (eds) WHO Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues. 4th edition. Lyon: IARC Press; 2008.
  2. Swerdlow SH, Campo E, Pileri SA, et al. The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms. 2016;127(20):2375–90. doi: 10.1182/blood-2016-01-643569.
  3. Клинические рекомендации по обследованию и лечению больных хроническим лимфолейкозом. Под ред. И.В. Поддубной, В.Г. Савченко [электронный документ]. Доступно по: https://blood.ru/documents/clinical%20guidelines/26.%20klinicheskie-rekomendacii-2014-xll.pdf. Ссылка активна на 12.2017.[Poddubnaya IV, Savchenko VG, eds. Clinical guidelines in examination and treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia [Internet]. Available from: https://blood.ru/documents/clinical%20guidelines/26.%20klinicheskie-rekomendacii-2014-xll.pdf. (accessed 27.12.2017) (In Russ)]
  4. Keating MJ, O’Brien S, Albitar M, et al. Early results of a chemoimmunotherapy regimen of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab as initial therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(18):4079–88. doi: 1200/JCO.2005.12.051.
  5. Eichhorst BF, Busch R, Hopfinger G, et al. Fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide versus fludarabine alone in first-line therapy of younger patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 2006;107(3):885–91. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-06-2395.
  6. Стадник Е.А., Никитин Е.А., Бидерман Б.В. и др. Ретроспективное сравнение эффективности и токсичности режимов лечения FC и FCR у первичных больных В-клеточным хроническим лимфолейкозом. Онкогематология. 2008;1–2:39–46.[Stadnik EA, Nikitin EA, Biderman BV, et al. Comparison of efficacy and toxicity of FC and FCR regimens in the treatment of primary B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a retrospective study. Onkogematologiya. 2008;1–2:39–46. (In Russ)]
  7. Vuillier F, Claisse JF, Vandenvelde C, et al. Evaluation of residual disease in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in clinical and bone-marrow remission using CD5-CD19 markers and PCR study of gene rearrangements. Leuk Lymphoma. 1992;7(3):195–204. doi: 10.3109/10428199209053623.
  8. Lenormand B, Bizet M, Fruchart C, et al. Residual disease in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients and prognostic value. Leukemia. 1994;8(6):1019–26.
  9. Cabezudo E, Matutes E, Ramrattan M, et al. Analysis of residual disease in chronic lymphocytic leukemia by flow cytometry. Leukemia. 1997;11(11):1909–14. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2400835.
  10. Rawstron AC, Villamor N, Ritgen M, et al. International standardized approach for flow cytometric residual disease monitoring in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Leukemia. 2007;21(5):956–64. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2404584.
  11. Rawstron AC, Bottcher S, Letestu R, et al. Improving efficiency and sensitivity: European Research Initiative in CLL (ERIC) update on the international harmonised approach for flow cytometric residual disease monitoring in CLL. 2013;27(1):142–9. doi: 10.1038/leu.2012.216.
  12. Rawstron AC, Fazi C, Agathangelidis A, et al. A complementary role of multiparameter flow cytometry and high-throughput sequencing for minimal residual disease detection in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: an European Research Initiative on CLL study. Leukemia. 2016;30(4):929–36. doi: 10.1038/leu.2015.313.
  13. Луговская С.А., Почтарь М.Е., Наумова Е.В. Диагностика минимальной остаточной болезни при В-клеточном хроническом лимфолейкозе методом многопараметрической лазерной проточной цитофлюориметрии. Клиническая лабораторная диагностика. 2010;9:20–20а.[Lugovskaya SA, Pochtar’ ME, Naumova EV. Diagnosis of minimal residual diseases in B-cell chronic lympholeukemia by multiparametric laser flow cytofluorometry. Klinicheskaya laboratornaya diagnostika. 2010;9:20–20а. (In Russ)]
  14. Stehlikova O, Chovancova J, Tichy B, et al. Detecting minimal residual disease in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia using 8-color flow cytometry protocol in routine hematological practice. Int J Lab Hematol. 2014;36(2):165–71. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.12149.
  15. Bottcher S, Stilgenbauer S, Busch R, et al. Standardized MRD flow and ASO IGH RQ-PCR for MRD quantification in CLL patients after rituximab-containing immunochemotherapy: a comparative analysis. Leukemia. 2009;23(11):2007–17. doi: 10.1038/leu.2009.140.
  16. Thompson PA, Wierda WG. Eliminating minimal residual disease as a therapeutic end point: working toward cure for patients with CLL. Blood. 2016;127(3):279–86. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-08-634816.
  17. Voena C, Ladetto M, Astolfi M, et al. A novel nested-PCR strategy for the detection of rearranged immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes in B cell tumors. Leukemia. 1997;11(10):1793–8. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2400801.
  18. Logan AC, Zhang B, Narasimhan B, et al. Minimal residual disease quantification using consensus primers and high-throughput IGH sequencing predicts post-transplant relapse in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia. 2013;27(8):1659–65. doi: 10.1038/leu.2013.52.
  19. Pfitzner T, Engert A, Wittor H, et al. A real-time PCR assay for the quantification of residual malignant cells in B cell chronic lymphatic leukemia. Leukemia. 2000;14(4):754–66. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2401706.
  20. Hallek M, Cheson BD, Catovsky D, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A report from the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia updating the National Cancer Institute-Working Group 1996 guidelines. Blood. 2008;111(12):5446–56. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-06-093906.
  21. Guideline on the use of minimal residue disease as an endpoint in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia studies [Internet]. Available from: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2014/12/WC500179047.pdf. (accessed 27.12.2017).
  22. Bottcher S, Ritgen M, Fischer K, et al. Minimal residual disease quantification is an independent predictor of progression-free and overall survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a multivariate analysis from the randomized GCLLSG CLL8 trial. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(9):980–8. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.36.9348.
  23. Kovacs G, Robrecht S, Fink AM, et al. Minimal Residual Disease Assessment Improves Prediction of Outcome in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Who Achieve Partial Response: Comprehensive Analysis of Two Phase III Studies of the German CLL Study Group. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(31):3758–65. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.67.1305.
  24. Damle RN, Wasil T, Fais F, et al. IgV gene mutation status and CD38 expression as novel prognostic indicators in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 1999;94(6):1840–7.
  25. Thompson PA, Tam CS, O’Brien SM, et al. Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab treatment achieves long-term disease-free survival in IGHV-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2016;127(3):303–9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-09-667675.
  26. Kwok M, Rawstron A, Varghese A, et al. Minimal residual disease is an independent predictor for 10-year survival in CLL. Blood. 2016;128(24):2770–3. doi: 10.1182/blood-2016-05-714162.
  27. Strati P, Keating MJ, O’Brien SM, et al. Eradication of bone marrow minimal residual disease may prompt early treatment discontinuation in CLL. Blood. 2014;123(24):3727–32. doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-11-538116.
  28. Стругов В.В., Стадник Е.А., Румянцев А.М. и др. Влияние мутационного статуса IGHV-генов и стереотипности строения BCR на эффективность режима BR в первой линии терапии хронического лимфолейкоза. Клиническая онкогематология. 2017;10(2):141–9. doi: 10.21320/2500-2139-2017-10-2-141-149.[Strugov VV, Stadnik EA, Rumyantsev AM, et al. Effect of IGHV Gene Mutation Status and BCR Structure Stereotypy on Effectiveness of BR Regimen in First-Line Therapy of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Clinical oncohematology. 2017;10(2):141–9. doi: 10.21320/2500-2139-2017-10-2-141-149. (In Russ)]
  29. Никитин Е.А., Стадник Е.А., Лорие Ю.Ю. и др. Прогностическое значение мутационного статуса генов вариабельного региона иммуноглобулинов у больных хроническим лимфолейкозом, получавших комбинированную терапию флударабином и циклофосфаном. Терапевтический архив. 2007;79(7):66–70.[Nikitin EA, Stadnik EA, Lorie YuYu, et al. Prognostic significance of IGHV mutational status in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients after combination therapy with fludarabine and cyclophosphan. Terapevticheskii arkhiv. 2007;79(7):66–70. (In Russ)]
  30. Cross NCP, White HE, Colomer D, et al. Laboratory recommendations for scoring deep molecular responses following treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia. 2015;29(5):999–1003. doi: 1038/leu.2015.29.
  31. Chanan-Khan A, Cramer P, Demirkan F, et al. Ibrutinib combined with bendamustine and rituximab compared with placebo, bendamustine, and rituximab for previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (HELIOS): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17(2):200–11. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00465-9.
  32. Seymour JF, Ma S, Brander DM, et al. Venetoclax plus rituximab in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a phase 1b study. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(2):230–40. doi: 10.1016/s1470-2045(17)30012-8.
  33. Stilgenbauer S, Chyla B, Eichhorst B, et al. Venetoclax in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with 17p deletion: outcome and minimal residual disease from the full population of the pivotal M13-982 trial. Eur Hematol Assoc. 2017: Abstract S771.
  34. Stilgenbauer S, Morschhauser F, Wendtner C-M, et al. Phase Ib study (GO28440) of venetoclax with bendamustine/rituximab or bendamustine/obinutuzumab in patients with relapsed/refractory or previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2016;128(22): Abstract 4393.