title: Subcutaneous alemtuzumab vs ATG in adjusted conditioning for allogeneic transplantation: influence of Campath dose on lymphoid recovery, mixed chimerism and survival.
abstract: Sixty-nine consecutive patients (median age 54 years) were prospectively enrolled in a single-institution protocol for allogeneic transplantation with adjusted non-myeloablative fludarabine-melfalan-based conditioning including cyclosporin A and MMF, and one of three modes of serotherapy. Thirty-one donors (45%) were unrelated. The first cohort of 29 had ATG (Thymoglobulin 2 mg/kg x 3 days), the subsequent 26 had Campath 30 mg x 3 days subcutaneously, and the final cohort of 14 had 30 mg Campath once. The groups were similar as regards age, diagnosis and risk factors. Campath-patients had no acute toxicity, fewer days with fever and antibiotics, and required fewer transfusions than ATG-treated patients. 3-d-Campath patients showed lower lymphocyte counts from day +4, and CD4+, CD8+, CD19+ and NK cells recovered slower than in ATG-treated patients. More Campath patients developed mixed chimerism that required DLI. 3-d-Campath induced more serious and opportunistic infections than ATG, which resulted in a greater non-relapse mortality and an impaired overall survival despite a low tumor-related mortality. The change of the Campath dosing schedule to one dose abrogated the deleterious effect of 3-d-Campath on immune recovery, severe infections and survival. Subcutaneous Campath is simple and provides strong immune suppression with no early toxicity, but dose limitation to 30 mg once is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden. Gunnar.Juliusson@med.lu.se
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juliusson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Theorin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Frödin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D002423:Cause of Death; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D038041:Lymphopoiesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections; D015996:Survival Rate; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D000074323:Alemtuzumab