title: G-CSF-mobilized donor leukocyte infusions as immunotherapy in acute leukemia relapsing after allogeneic marrow transplantation.
abstract: Eight patients who relapsed with acute leukemia within a year after allogeneic BMT were treated with G-CSF-mobilized donor leukocyte infusions (mDLI) to induce GvHD as a form of immunotherapy. Prior to mDLI, 7 who had systemic relapse received one (2 AML, 1 ALL, 1 CML myeloid blast crisis) or two (2 AML, 1 ALL) rounds of conventional dose induction chemotherapy, and 1 patient with isolated central nervous system (CNS) lymphoid blast crisis CML received intrathecal chemotherapy followed by craniospinal irradiation. G-CSF (10 microg/kg/day) was given to original HLA-matched sibling donors for 4-5 days before leukapheresis of at least 6.0 x 10(8) mononuclear cells per kilogram of recipient weight. No GvHD prophylaxis was used when mDLI was given in 6 patients at the nadir of hematologic counts and in 2 who were in hematologic remission. There was no regimen-related mortality, as pancytopenic patients had rapid recovery of neutrophil counts (6-18 days after mDLI). All patients developed moderate to severe GvHD (5 grade III/IV, 3 grade II) at a median of 30 days (range 22-59) after mDLI. Two patients died of complications from refractory GvHD while in remission. The other 6 had short remissions lasting 2.2-9.4 months until leukemic relapse as their GvHD was reversed by corticosteroids with or without cyclosporine. Patients who relapse with acute leukemia within a year after BMT still have a poor prognosis. The success of GvHD as a form of immunotherapy in these patients may depend on the ability to control it to a state that is both safe and continually exerting an antileukemia effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73104, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mandanas
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Saez
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Selby
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Confer
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D007937:Leukapheresis; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017708:Leukocyte Transfusion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012008:Recurrence; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous