Foscarnet prophylaxis of cytomegalovirus infections in patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT): a dose-finding study.
This is a dose-finding study using foscarnet for CMV prophylaxis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in 20 high risk patients (unrelated donors, or T cell depleted, and/or advanced disease). Foscarnet was started on day +1 after BMT and continued until day +100. We explored four different dose levels, patients being entered at the lowest dose level until one patient experiences CMV-reactivation, identified as two consecutive positive CMV antigenemias (CMVAg-emia). The four dose levels expressed as mg/kg/day between days 1 and 30 (induction) and between days 31 and 100 (maintenance) were respectively: dose level I = 60/30 (n = 5); dose level II = 120/60 (n = 4); dose level III = 120/90 (n = 5) and dose level IV = 120/120 (n = 6). All patients showed engraftment: PMN > or =0.5 x 109/l at a median interval of 16, 21, 17, 15 days after BMT, and Plt > or =30x10(9)/l on days 19, 16, 17, 17 respectively. CMVAg-emia was seen in 10 patients at a median interval of 53 days post-BMT (range 33-89) with a median of 10 CMV antigen+ cells (range 1-16). There was a dose effect of foscarnet on CMVAg-emia: respectively 4/5 patients (80%), 2/4 (50%), 3/5 (60%) and 1/6 (18%) at dose levels I, II, III, IV (P = 0.1). CMV disease was seen in 3/9 (33%) at dose levels I, II and 0/11 at dose levels III, IV (P = 0. 07). The median number of CMV antigen-positive cells at diagnosis of CMV infection was different: 13 in dose levels I-II and two in dose levels III-IV (P = 0.01). Increased creatininine was seen in 15 patients with a mean of 1.8 mg% (range 1.5-5.7) and was the cause of discontinuation in nine patients (45%). Renal toxicity was reversible in all nine patients. Overall actuarial TRM at 2 years was 31%: 47% for patients at dose levels I-II and 19% for patients at dose levels III-IV. In conclusion, foscarnet exhibits a dose-dependent prophylactic effect on CMVAg-emia, CMV disease and transplant-related mortality with acceptable and reversible renal toxicity.
Dipartimento di Ematologia, Ospedale San Martino, Genova, Italy.
S
S
Bregante
S
S
Bertilson
E
E
Tedone
M T
MT
Van Lint
G
G
Trespi
N
N
Mordini
G
G
Berisso
F
F
Gualandi
T
T
Lamparelli
O
O
Figari
F
F
Benvenuto
A M
AM
Raiola
A
A
Bacigalupo
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017245:Foscarnet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017245:Foscarnet; D015774:Ganciclovir