BACKGROUND: In patients with multiple myeloma (MM) free light chain-induced cast nephropathy is a serious complication associated with poor survival. High-cut-off (HCO) hemodialysis can reduce the amount of serum free light chains (sFLC), but data on its impact on clinical outcome is limited and contradictory. To gain further insights we collected real world data from two major myeloma and nephrology centers in Austria and the Czech Republic. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with MM and acute kidney injury, who were treated between 2011 and 2019 with HCO hemodialysis and bortezomib-based MM therapy, were analyzed. RESULTS: The median number of HCO hemodialysis sessions was 11 (range 1-42). Median glomerular filtration rate at diagnosis was 7 ± 4.2 ml/min/1.73m2. sFLC after the first HCO hemodialysis decreased by 66.5% and by 89.2% at day 18. At 3 and 6 months, 26 (42.6%) and 30 (49.2%) of patients became dialysis-independent. CONCLUSION: The widely used strategy combining HCO hemodialysis and bortezomib-based antimyeloma treatment is dissatisfactory for half of the patients undergoing it and clearly in need of improvement.

1st Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital Prague Prague Czech Republic

Department of Clinical and Transplant Pathology Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic

Department of Internal Medicine 4 Nephrology and Hypertension Medical University of Innsbruck Innsbruck Austria

Department of Internal Medicine 5 Hematology and Oncology Medical University of Innsbruck Anichstr 35 6020 Innsbruck Austria

Department of Nephrology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital Prague Prague Czech Republic

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