title: Nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation using lymphoablative rather than myeloablative conditioning in the prefludarabine era by ATG and limiting doses of cyclophosphamide.
abstract: The feasibility of using lymphoablative rather than myeloablative conditioning for durable engraftment of allogeneic stem cells and subsequent cell therapy with donor lymphocytes was pioneered in the prefludarabine era in patients with resistant lymphoma and metastatic solid tumors. Between July 1995 and August 1996, 15 patients, five males and 10 females, median age 50 (range 20-57) years, were enrolled in a protocol that consisted of different doses of cyclophosphamide (Cy), 50 mg/kg/day for 1, 2, 3 or 4 consecutive days in parallel with a fixed dose of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG) (Fresenius) 10 mg/kg/day for 4 consecutive days. All patients, except one treated with a single dose of Cy, achieved full tri-lineage engraftment and no late graft failure was observed. Only three patients suffered from grade III-IV graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Three patients out of the 15 survived long term (follow-up >93 to >96 months). We concluded that lymphoablative conditioning with ATG and intermediate-to-high-dose Cy is well tolerated and can result in durable engraftment with acceptable GVHD in heavily pretreated patients with advanced malignancies. Hence, induction of tolerance to donor alloantigens by lymphoablative conditioning while avoiding myeloablative chemotherapy or radiation therapy may serve as a platform for subsequent cell therapy with donor lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cancer Immunotherapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bitan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Or
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ackerstein
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slavin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology; D020544:Graft vs Leukemia Effect; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D003520:Cyclophosphamide