title: Incidence of bacterial and fungal infections in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia patients younger than 65 yr treated with induction regimens including fludarabine: retrospective analysis of 224 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infections are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). They primarily occur during the first course of induction chemotherapy and may increase the risk of leukaemia relapse, due to a significant delay in consolidation therapy. The intensification of induction chemotherapy and the use of non-conventional drugs such as fludarabine are considered responsible for the increased risk of infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we retrospectively analysed the infections occurred in 224 newly diagnosed AML patients </=65 yr, consecutively treated between 1997 and 2002 with an induction regimen including fludarabine, arabinosyl cytosine and idarubicin, with or without etoposide (FLAI/FLAIE), in the context of three multicentric prospective trials (AML97, AML99, AML02).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the induction phase, 146 (65%) patients experienced fever of undetermined origin (FUO), 30 (13%) and 47 (21%) patients had Gram-negative and positive bacteremias, respectively, and 10 (4%) patients developed a probable/proven invasive fungal infection (IFI). The fatality rate for Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteremias and probable/proven IFI was 10%, 8% and 60% respectively. During consolidation, 75 (35%) patients had FUO, 43 (20%) and 40 (19%) patients had Gram-negative and positive bacteremias, respectively, and 5 (2%) patients developed a probable/proven IFI. The fatality rate for Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteremias and probable/proven IFI was 14%, 5% and 80% respectively. Interestingly, the overall incidence of microbiologically documented infections during induction was 38% and the incidence of probable/proven IFIs during the induction/consolidation programme was 7%. No infections caused by viruses or opportunistic pathogens were observed neither during induction, nor during consolidation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data, although retrospectively collected, suggest that fludarabine-based chemotherapy is not associated with an increased incidence of infections, in particular IFIs, compared to conventional regimens commonly used for AML induction.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Blood Diseases and Cell Therapies, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. michelemalagola@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malagola
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peli
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Damiani
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Candoni
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tiribelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Piccaluga
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paolini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauria
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bocchia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pierri
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaccaria
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zuffa
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.forename: Giancarla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Priccolo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gugliotta
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Visani
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skert
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bergonzi
authors.forename: Aldo Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Roccaro
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Filì
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fanin
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baccarani
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine