EHA 2023: Therapeutic Implications of Distinct T-Cell Profile of Older Patients With Multiple Myeloma

By: Joshua Swore, PhD
Posted: Friday, June 16, 2023

The T-cell profiles of young and older patients with multiple myeloma differ and may be correlated with survival, according to a presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2023 Hybrid Congress (Abstract S187). “To better understand the impact of aging on the immune system in multiple myeloma patients, we extensively profiled the phenotype of T and NK cells related to age and frailty status,” said study author Wassillis Bruins, MD, PhD, of Amsterdam University Medical Center, and colleagues. “We identified a subgroup of older patients having a younger T-cell profile, which was associated with superior survival,” they added.

A total of 261 patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma were included in the study. Patients were separated by age, with the younger group ranging from 34 to 65 years and the older group ranging from 66 to 92 years. Patient data were retrieved from the HOVON131 and HOVON 143 trials. The authors used flow cytometry to profile the cells. Data were then used to train a logistic regression model to identify older patients with an immune profile similar to that of younger patients.

The results revealed that the T-cell profile of older patients had increased frequencies of activated and senescent T cells compared with that of younger patients. However, the logistic regression model revealed that 21% of older patients displayed a T-cell makeup similar to that of younger patients. Furthermore, these older patients had better rates of overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26–7.98, P = .0098) and progression-free survival (HR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.07–2.97, P = .03) compared with other older patients. The authors noted that these results could allow providers to tailor treatment plans to older patients, depending on their T-cell profiles.

Disclosure: Disclosure information for the study authors was not provided.

EHA 2023 Hybrid Congress

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