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PD1 inhibitor in combination with 5-azacytidine and low-dose DLI for the successful treatment of AML patients who relapsed after transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 56, pages 1003–1005 (2021)Cite this article

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A Correction to this article was published on 19 April 2021

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Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients who relapse after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) have a poor prognosis. The management of AML relapse after allo-HSCT remains a major therapeutic challenge. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time a successful treatment based on a programmed death 1 (PD1) inhibitor in combination with 5-azacytidine and low-dose donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in two AML patients who relapsed post allo-HSCT.

No severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) or GVHD occurred after treatment. Grade 1 irAEs occurred, including fever and skin rash, and both irAEs responded to steroids. Grade III–IV haematological toxicity was observed, including thrombocytopenia, haemoglobin reduction and transient leukopenia. Haematopoietic recovery occurred approximately 2 months later (Fig. 1b).

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Fig. 1: Flow chart and process of treatment.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Chong-Sheng Qian, Xiao Ma, Jin Wang, Ting-Jing Wang

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Chong-Sheng Qian, Xiao Ma, Ting-Jing Wang, Hai-Xia Zhou, Ming-Zhu Xu, Ai-Ning Sun, De-Pei Wu & Sheng-Li Xue

  2. Institute of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Chong-Sheng Qian, Xiao Ma, Ting-Jing Wang, Hai-Xia Zhou, Ming-Zhu Xu, Ai-Ning Sun, De-Pei Wu & Sheng-Li Xue

  3. Faculty of Nursing, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou, China

    Jin Wang

  4. Canglang Hospital of Suzhou, Suzhou, China

    Lian Bai

  5. Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou, China

    Song-Bai Liu

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  1. Chong-Sheng Qian
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Correspondence to Song-Bai Liu or Sheng-Li Xue.

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The original online version of this article was revised: the representation of Figure 1 was incorrect.

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Qian, CS., Ma, X., Wang, J. et al. PD1 inhibitor in combination with 5-azacytidine and low-dose DLI for the successful treatment of AML patients who relapsed after transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 56, 1003–1005 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-020-01130-8

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