The increase from 2.5 to 5 mg/kg of rabbit anti-thymocyte-globulin dose in reduced intensity conditioning reduces acute and chronic GVHD for patients with myeloid malignancies undergoing allo-SCT

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2012 May;47(5):639-45. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2012.3. Epub 2012 Feb 6.

Abstract

We previously reported that reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen with fludarabine, BU and 2.5 mg/kg of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (r-ATG) was effective but associated with a high rate of acute and chronic GVHD. Therefore, we increased the dose of r-ATG to 5 mg/kg. In this report, we analyzed 87 patients with AML or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) undergoing allo-SCT from an HLA-identical sibling donor from 2000 to 2010. RIC consisted of fludarabine, BU and r-ATG 2.5 mg/kg on 1 day (r-ATG1; n=53) or 2.5 mg/kg per day over 2 days (r-ATG2; n=22). Grade 2-4 acute GVHD incidence at day 100 was 30.2% and 8.8% in the r-ATG1 and r-ATG2 groups, respectively (P=0.038). Extensive chronic GVHD incidence was 60.4% and 12% in the r-ATG1 and r-ATG2 groups, respectively (P<0.001). The relapse incidences (RI) at 24 months were 18.9% and 28.5% in r-ATG1 and r-ATG2 groups, respectively (P=0.640). Overall and PFS were not different between the r-ATG1 and r-ATG2 groups. r-ATG dose at 5 mg/kg in the setting of RIC seems a good balance allowing GVHD prevention and antitumor effect with a remarkable reduction of GVHD incidence without an identical level of increased relapse rate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Antilymphocyte Serum / therapeutic use*
  • Busulfan / therapeutic use
  • Graft vs Host Disease / drug therapy
  • Graft vs Host Disease / etiology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / complications
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy*
  • Middle Aged
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / complications
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / drug therapy
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / therapy*
  • Rabbits
  • Recurrence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Transplantation Conditioning / adverse effects
  • Transplantation Conditioning / methods*
  • Vidarabine / analogs & derivatives
  • Vidarabine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antilymphocyte Serum
  • Vidarabine
  • Busulfan
  • fludarabine