Pentostatin for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease in children.
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a major barrier to successful allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Pentostatin has been used to treat cGVHD in a small series of pediatric patients. The authors report the results of the first five pediatric patients receiving pentostatin for refractory cGVHD at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In this early experience, the authors saw considerable symptom response in their patients. Every patient in this series demonstrated a significant improvement in skin and oral symptoms. An increased incidence of infection secondary to pentostatin was not observed. No patient was permanently discontinued from pentostatin subsequent to side effects. If these promising results continue, a trial of pentostatin as a first-line therapy for cGVHD should be considered to potentially reduce our dependence on high-dose steroids for its treatment.
Goldberg
Jenna D
JD
Division of Hematological Malignancies, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, U.S.A.
Jacobsohn
David A
DA
Margolis
Jeffrey
J
Chen
Allen R
AR
Anders
Viki
V
Phelps
Michele
M
Vogelsang
Georgia B
GB
D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015649:Pentostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000628:therapy
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015649:Pentostatin