A new study has developed the PNI-HB score, a simple blood-based tool to predict outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma undergoing CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. Unlike the traditional International Prognostic Index (IPI), the new model focuses on nutritional status and hemoglobin levels, offering a more relevant approach in the immunotherapy era.
In a cohort of 107 patients followed through mid-2025, higher scores were strongly linked to worse outcomes. One-year relapse rates increased from 14% in low-risk patients to 70% in high-risk groups. Patients with higher scores also faced greater mortality risk and were more likely to develop cytokine release syndrome, a serious treatment-related toxicity.
Researchers believe that malnutrition and anemia may impair immune response, reducing CAR T-cell effectiveness. While the PNI-HB score showed improved predictive performance over IPI, the findings are based on a small, single-center study and require further validation.