Novel Prognostic Scoring Systems for Severe CRS after Anti-CD19 CAR-T-Cells in Acute B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia

To develop a novel prognostic scoring system for severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) treated with anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy, aiming to optimize risk mitigation strategies and improve clinical management.

This single-center retrospective cohort study included 125 B-ALL patients who received anti-CD19 CAR-T-cell therapy from January 2017 to October 2023. These cases were selected from a cohort of over 500 treated patients on the basis of the availability of comprehensive baseline data, documented CRS grading, and at least 3 months of follow-up. Data on patient demographics, treatment history, laboratory parameters, CAR-T-cell characteristics, safety, and efficacy endpoints were collected. CRS severity was graded according to the 2019 ASTCT consensus criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with CRS severity, and a prognostic model was constructed.

The overall incidence of CRS was 67.2%, with 13.6% having grade ≥ 3 (severe) CRS. Higher baseline and post-lymphodepletion minimal residual disease (MRD) levels and neutropenia on day 7 post-infusion were significantly associated with severe CRS. Inflammatory markers (CRP, ferritin, and IL-6) and coagulation dysfunction (APTT) on day 7 post-infusion were also predictive of CRS severity. The prognostic model incorporating these factors demonstrated robust discriminatory ability, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.875.

This study developed a novel prognostic scoring system for severe CRS in Chinese B-ALL patients receiving anti-CD19 CAR-T-cell therapy. The model integrates clinical and laboratory parameters to facilitate early identification and management of severe CRS. Further validation in larger, prospective cohorts is warranted.