title: Update on extracorporeal photochemotherapy for graft-versus-host disease treatment.
abstract: Pediatric experience with extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) has mainly been reported by Italian and French groups. Data concerning 41 children with acute GvHD and 63 children affected by chronic GvHD are available. In 73 and 63% of them, respectively, improvement was observed, with addition of ECP to their immunosuppressive regimen. Treatment with ECP was associated with minimal side effects, even in the smallest of patients. In all responded pediatric patients, both with acute and chronic GvHD, ECP allowed progressive reduction or discontinuation of the concomitant pharmacological immunosuppressive therapy without an increase in GvHD activity. These data show that ECP is a useful therapy for children affected by GvHD resistant to conventional treatment and can be safely used.
authors.affiliation: Unité Bioclinique de Thérapie Cellulaire, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France. jkanold@chu-clermontferrand.fr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kanold
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Halle
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lanino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cesaro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deméocq
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017893:Photopheresis / Q000379:methods