Browsing by Author "Seehaus, C"

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Epidemiology and Risk Factors for the Development of Infectious Complications in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study in Latin America
(Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2022) Bove, V; Riva, E; Vásquez-Chavez, J; Peña, C; Seehaus, C; Samanez, C; Bustos, J; Hernández, M; Fernández, J; Ríos, O; Rodríguez, Y; Figueredo, I; Fantl, D; Malpica, L
PURPOSE: Infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). In Latin America, data on infectious complications in this patient population are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) in seven Latin American countries between June 2019 and May 2020. Patients with active disease, on active therapy, and with a follow-up of 6 months from the time of diagnosis were included. Our primary end point was the number of infectious events that required hospitalization for ≥ 24 hours. RESULTS: Of 248 patients with NDMM, 89 (35.9%) had infectious complications (113 infectious events), the majority (67.3%) within the first 3 months from diagnosis. The most common sites of infection were respiratory (38%) and urinary tract (31%). The microbial agent was identified in 57.5% of patients with gram-negative bacteria (73.5%) as the most common pathogen. Viral infections were infrequent, and no patients with fungal infection were reported. In the multivariable analysis, diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR], 2.71 95% CI, 1.23 to 6.00 P = .014), creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL (OR, 4.87 95% CI, 2.29 to 10.35 P < .001), no use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis (OR, 6.66 95% CI, 3.43 to 12.92 P < .001), and treatment with immunomodulatory drugs (OR, 3.02 95% CI, 1.24 to 6.29 P = .003) were independent factors associated with bacterial infections. At 6 months, 21 patients (8.5%) had died, 47.6% related to infectious complications. CONCLUSION: Bacterial infections are a substantial cause of hospital admissions and early death in patients with NDMM. Antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered to reduce infectious complications in patients with MM.
Primary plasma cell leukemia in Latin America: demographic, clinical, and prognostic characteristics. A study of GELAMM group
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2023) Peña, C; Riva, E; Schutz, N; Ramírez, A; Vásquez, J; del-Carpio, D; Seehaus, C; Ochoa, P; Vengoa, R; Duarte, P; Martínez-Cordero, H; Figueredo, Y; Ríos, RO; Ramírez, J; Bove, V; Roa, M; Russo, M; Espinoza, M; Rodriguez, G; Remaggi, G; Enciso, ME; Chandía, M; Fantl, D.
Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is an infrequent and aggressive plasma cell disorder. The prognosis is still very poor, and the optimal treatment remains to be established. A retrospective, multicentric, international observational study was performed. Patients from 9 countries of Latin America (LATAM) with a diagnosis of pPCL between 2012 and 2020 were included. 72 patients were included. Treatment was based on thalidomide in 15%, proteasome inhibitors (PI)-based triplets in 38% and chemotherapy plus IMIDs and/or PI in 29%. The mortality rate at 3 months was 30%. The median overall survival (OS) was 18 months. In the multivariate analysis, frontline PI-based triplets, chemotherapy plus IMIDs and/or PI therapy, and maintenance were independent factors of better OS. In conclusion, the OS of pPCL is still poor in LATAM, with high early mortality. PI triplets, chemotherapy plus IMIDs, and/or PI and maintenance therapy were associated with improved survival. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
The Latin-American Experience in POEMS Syndrome: A Study of the GELAMM (Grupo de Estudio Latinoamericano de Mieloma Múltiple)
(S. Karger AG, 2024) Gallardo-Pérez, MM; Negrete-Rodríguez, P; Gertz, MA; Peña, C; Riva, E; Gilli, V; Rodríguez, G; Samánez, C; Ferreira, J; Portiño, S; Montaña, J; León, P; Gutiérrez, Y; Del-Castanhel, C; Seehaus, C; Funes, ME; Meneces-Bustillo, R; Duarte, P; Shanley, C; Elvira, G; Ochoa, P; López-Vidal, H; Martinez-Cordero, H; Vasquez, J; Von-Glasenapp, A; Donoso, J; Viñuela, JL; Ruiz-Delgado, GJ; Ruiz-Argüelles, GJ
Introduction: POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome caused by an underlying plasma cell disorder. The acronym refers to the following features: polyradiculoneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal paraproteinemia, and skin changes. Methods: The study was conducted at 24 hematological centers across 8 Latin-American countries. The study included a total of 46 patients {median age was 52 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 42 61.5), 30 males and 16 females} fulfilling the POEMS syndrome criteria diagnosed over a period of 12 years (January 1, 2011, through July 31, 2023). Epidemiological and clinical data were collected in an ad hoc database sent to the members of GELAMM, as well as the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results: All patients had polyneuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy; 89% had bone marrow plasma cell infiltration, 33% had sclerotic bone lesions. Only 10 patients underwent vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) testing in plasma samples. The paraproteinemia was IgG λ in 32% and IgA λ in 30%. 59% patients presented with cutaneous changes, mainly hyperpigmentation, 54% had organomegaly, and 74% endocrinopathy. The median interval from symptom onset to diagnosis was 7.7 months (IQR: 4.0 12.6). 69% of patients received a single line of treatment. The median follow-up period was 25 months (IQR: 9.37 52.0) and the 2-year overall survival rate was 100%. All patients who underwent transplantation (43%) are alive, with a median follow-up of 45.62 months (IQR: 15.46 70). Conclusion: This study investigates POEMS syndrome in Latin America and presents an initial overview of the disease in the region. VEGF usage is recommended for accurate diagnosis, but only 7 hematology centers in the region used it. Survival rate in Latin America is comparable with those observed internationally.