Frontiers in Hematology (Nov 2024)

Late onset pancytopenia post chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy triggered by a COVID-19 vaccination: a case report

  • Nicola Maciocia,
  • Nicola Maciocia,
  • Dean Spencer,
  • Paul Maciocia,
  • Paul Maciocia,
  • Anna Childerhouse,
  • Maeve O’Reilly,
  • Elspeth Payne,
  • Elspeth Payne,
  • Claire Roddie,
  • Claire Roddie

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/frhem.2024.1435584
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3

Abstract

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Cytopenia is a common side effect after chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy but is unusual at late timepoints when it is most commonly due to bone marrow (BM) failure, myelodysplasia (MDS) or other secondary malignancies. In this case report, we describe a patient who developed severe aplastic anaemia 18 months after CD19 CAR-T therapy, and shortly after COVID-19 vaccination. This is the first description of severe aplastic anaemia triggered by COVID-19 vaccination as a cause of post-CAR-T cytopenia. The patient described was treated with a combination of eltrombopag and ciclosporin due to frailty and had a rapid and complete clinical response to this therapy, providing an effective option for the treatment of immune-related cytopenia post-CAR-T in an increasingly elderly and frail population.

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