Background Nearly all patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma experience recurrence following standard-of-care radiotherapy (RT) + temozolomide (TMZ). The purpose of the phase 3 randomized CheckMate 548 study was to evaluate RT+TMZ combined with the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (NIVO) or placebo (PBO) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with methylated MGMT promoter (NCT02667587). Methods Patients (N=716) were randomized 1:1 to NIVO [(240 mg every 2 weeks ×8, then 480 mg every 4 weeks) + RT (60 Gy over 6 weeks) + TMZ (75 mg/m 2 once daily during RT, then 150-200 mg/m 2 once daily days 1-5 of every 28-day cycle ×6)] or PBO+RT+TMZ following the same regimen. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients without baseline corticosteroids and in all randomized patients. Results As of December 22, 2020, median (m)PFS (blinded independent central review) was 10.6 months (95% CI, 8.9-11.8) with NIVO+RT+TMZ vs 10.3 months (95% CI, 9.7-12.5) with PBO+RT+TMZ (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.3) and mOS was 28.9 months (95% CI, 24.4-31.6) vs 32.1 months (95% CI, 29.4-33.8), respectively (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.3). In patients without baseline corticosteroids, mOS was 31.3 months (95% CI, 28.6-34.8) with NIVO+RT+TMZ vs 33.0 months (95% CI, 31.0-35.1) with PBO+RT+TMZ (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.4). Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse event rates were 52.4% vs 33.6%, respectively. Conclusions NIVO added to RT+TMZ did not improve survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with methylated or indeterminate MGMT promoter. No new safety signals were observed.

Purpose: Immunotherapeutic strategies to treat patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) offer new opportunities for disease management. Further improvements to immunotherapy will require additional understanding of the host response to RCC development.Experimental Design: Using a novel approach to understanding the immune status of cancer patients, we previously showed that patients with a certain immune profile had decreased overall survival. Here, we examine in more detail the phenotypic changes in peripheral blood and the potential consequences of these changes in RCC patients.Results: We found that CD14 þ HLA-DR lo/neg monocytes were the most predominant phenotypic change in peripheral blood of RCC patients, elevated nearly 5-fold above the average levels measured in healthy volunteers. Intratumoral and peritumoral presence of CD14 cells was an independent prognostic factor for decreased survival in a cohort of 375 RCC patients. The amount of peripheral blood CD14 þ HLA-DR lo/neg monocytes was found to correlate with the intensity of CD14 staining in tumors, suggesting that the measurement of these cells in blood may be a suitable surrogate for monitoring patient prognosis. The interaction of monocytes and tumor cells triggers changes in both cell types with a loss of HLA-DR expression in monocytes, increases of monocyte survival factors such as GM-CSF in tumors, and increased production of angiogenic factors, including FGF2.Conclusions: Our results suggest a model of mutually beneficial interactions between tumor cells and monocytes that adversely affect patient outcome.

Platelet transmission electron microscopy (PTEM) is considered the gold standard test for assessing distinct ultrastructural abnormalities in inherited platelet disorders (IPDs). Nevertheless, PTEM remains mainly a research tool due to the lack of standardized procedures, a validated dense granule (DG) count reference range, and standardized image interpretation criteria. The aim of this study was to standardize and validate PTEM as a clinical laboratory test. Based on previously established methods, we optimized and standardized preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical procedures for both whole mount (WM) and thin section (TS) PTEM. Mean number of DG/platelet (plt), percentage of plts without DG, platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), immature platelet fraction (IPF), and plt light transmission aggregometry analyses were measured on blood samples from 113 healthy donors. Quantile regression was used to estimate the reference range for DG/plt, and linear regression was used to assess the association of DG/plt with other plt measurements. All PTEM procedures were standardized using commercially available materials and reagents. DG interpretation criteria were established based on previous publications and expert consensus, and resulted in improved operator agreement. Mean DG/plt was stable for 2 days after blood sample collection. The median within patient coefficient of variation for mean DG/plt was 22.2%; the mean DG/plt reference range (mid-95th %) was 1.2-4.0. Mean DG/plt was associated with IPF (p = .01, R = 0.06) but not age, sex, PC, MPV, or plt maximum aggregation or primary slope of aggregation (p > .17, R < 0.02). Baseline ultrastructural features were established for TS-PTEM. PTEM was validated using samples from patients with previously established diagnoses of IPDs. Standardization and validation of PTEM procedures and interpretation, and establishment of the normal mean DG/plt reference range and PTEM baseline ultrastructural features, will facilitate implementation of PTEM as a valid clinical laboratory test for evaluating ultrastructural abnormalities in IPDs.

Lemierre syndrome (LS) is a multisystemic infection beginning in the oropharynx and leading to thrombosis of the internal jugular vein (IJV) with septic emboli and potential thrombotic extension to the central nervous system. Although patient outcomes have improved with early initiation of antimicrobial therapies, there is no consensus regarding the role of anticoagulation in LS. To better define the role of anticoagulation therapy in LS and determine whether anticoagulation improves thrombosis outcomes, we conducted a retrospective chart review of pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with LS and managed at our institution from January 1998 to December 2014. Eighteen patients (9 females and 9 males) were included in this analysis, 6 of whom received ≥4 weeks of anticoagulation therapy (median 23.1 weeks, range 6.9-32.9 weeks). Six patients were in the pediatric age group (<18 years). All patients received broad-spectrum antibiotics. All patients had improvement in their thrombi by 3 months (nonanticoagulated patient group: complete response [CR], n = 9; partial response [PR], n = 3; anticoagulated patient group: CR, n = 2; PR, n = 4). No patient developed recurrent thrombosis or progression during the follow-up period, regardless of anticoagulation status. Our study suggests that anticoagulation in LS may not affect thrombosis outcomes.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a life-threatening, pro-thrombotic, antibody-mediated disorder. To maximize the likelihood of recovery, early and accurate diagnosis is critical. Widely available HIT assays such as the Platelet Factor 4-Heparin ELISAs lack specificity, and the "gold standard" C14-labeled serotonin release assay (SRA) is of limited value for early patient management due to availability only through reference laboratories. Recent studies demonstrate that "pathogenic" HIT antibodies selectively activate PF4-treated platelets and that a technically simpler assay, the PF4-dependent P-selectin Expression Assay (PEA), may provide an option for rapid and conclusive results. Four hundred and nine consecutive adults suspected of HIT were classified as disease-positive, -negative or -indeterminate based upon predefined criteria that combined 4Ts scores and HIT ELISA results. Patients deemed "HIT-indeterminate" were considered disease-negative in the primary analysis and disease-positive in a sensitivity analysis. The ability of PEA and SRA to identify patients judged to have HIT was compared using receiver operating characteristic curve statistics. Using these predefined criteria, the diagnostic accuracy of PEA was high (Area under the curve [AUC] of 0.94; 0.87-1.0, 95% CI) and similar to that of SRA (0.91; 0.82-1.0, 95% CI). In sensitivity analysis, the AUCs of PEA and SRA were also similar at 0.88 (0.78-0.98, 95% CI) and 0.86 (0.77-0.96, 95% CI), respectively. The PEA, a technically simple non-radioactive assay that uses ~20-fold fewer platelets compared to the SRA had high accuracy for diagnosing HIT. Widespread use of the PEA may facilitate timely and more effective management of patients with suspected HIT.