A French observational study describing the use of human polyvalent immunoglobulins in hematological malignancy-associated secondary immunodeficiency.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the characteristics of patients suffering from secondary immunodeficiencies (SID) associated with hematological malignancies (HM), who started immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT), physicians' expectations regarding IgRT, and IgRT modalities.

METHODS:

Non-interventional, prospective French cross-sectional study.

RESULTS:

The analysis included 231 patients (66 ± 12 years old) suffering from multiple myeloma (MM) (N = 64), chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) (N = 84), aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (aNHL) (N = 32), indolent NHL (N = 39), acute leukemia (N = 6), and Hodgkin disease (N = 6). Of the HM, 47% were currently treated, 42% were relapsing or refractory, 23% of patients had received an autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplant, and 1% had received an allograft. Serum immunoglobulin trough levels in 195 individuals were less than 5 g/L in 68.7% of cases. Most patients had a history of recurrent infections. Immunoglobulin dose was about 400 mg/kg/mo. Half of patients started with subcutaneous infusion. When starting IgRT, physicians mainly expected to prevent severe and moderate infections. They also anticipated improvement in quality of life and survival which is beyond evidence-based medicine.

CONCLUSION:

NHL is a frequent condition motivating IgRT besides well-recognized indications. Physicians mainly based the decision of starting IgRT on hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrence of infections but, irrespective of current recommendations, were also prepared to start IgRT prophylactically even in the absence of a history of infections.

• Authors: Omar Benbrahim, Jean-François Viallard, Sylvain Choquet, Bruno Royer, Frédéric Bauduer, Olivier Decaux, Jean-Charles Crave, Yann Fardini, Pierre Clerson, Vincent Lévy
• Journal: European journal of haematology (Eur J Haematol) Vol. 101 Issue 1 Pg. 48-56 (Jul 2018) ISSN: 1600-0609 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 29644723 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Observational Study)
• Copyright: © 2018 The Authors. European Journal of Haematology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Immunoglobulins, Intravenous

Topics

• Aged
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Female
• France
• Hematologic Neoplasms (drug therapy, immunology, mortality, pathology)
• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
• Humans
• Immunoglobulins, Intravenous (therapeutic use)
• Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prospective Studies
• Quality of Life
• Recurrence
• Survival Analysis
• Transplantation, Autologous