title: G-CSF given after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation using HLA-identical sibling donors is associated to a higher incidence of acute GVHD II-IV.
abstract: The effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), given after transplantation, was studied in 155 patients transplanted with haematopoietic stem cells (HSCT) from HLA-identical sibling donors at Huddinge University Hospital between 1993 and 2001. Only patients with haematological malignancies were included. Conditioning consisted of total-body irradiation in 118 and busulphan in 37 patients. They were all given methotrexate combined with cyclosporine as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Of the 155 patients, 66 (43%) received G-CSF after HSCT. Those given G-CSF had a significantly shorter time to neutrophil engraftment (P <0.001). G-CSF treatment had no effect on erythrocyte transfusions, platelet engraftment and infections. However, patients treated with G-CSF had a significantly higher incidence of grades II-IV acute GVHD than those not given this treatment (34 vs 9%, P <0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that the effect of G-CSF was independent of other known risk factors for grades II-IV acute GVHD. Death from GVHD occurred in four and two cases (P=0.06) in the two groups, respectively. The cumulative incidences of transplant-related mortality, survival, chronic GVHD, relapse and relapse-free survival were similar in both groups. In conclusion, G-CSF given after HLA-identical sibling HSCT was associated with a higher risk of grades II-IV acute GVHD, but not transplant-related mortality.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, F79 Huddinge University Hospital, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remberger
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naseh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aschan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barkholt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svennberg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ringdén
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006680:HLA Antigens; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D035781:Siblings; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor