Successful treatment of steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver graft-vs-host disease with pulse cyclophosphamide.
OBJECTIVE
Corticosteroid-resistant graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is difficult to manage and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. No standard treatment exists. We have previously seen good results with pulse cyclophosphamide (Cy) in the treatment of liver GVHD in contrast to gastrointestinal GVHD, and here we report results of pulse Cy protocol in the treatment of steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver GVHD, with no association to the gut.


METHODS
Cy was infused at a dose of 1,000 mg/m(2). Twenty-nine cyclophosphamide administrations were given to 21 patients. Median time of GVHD onset and Cy administration after transplantation, or donor lymphocyte infusion, were 58 and 69 days, respectively.


RESULTS
Eleven patients (52%) achieved complete remission and 6 patients (29%) achieved partial remission. Four patients (19%) did not respond, however, their condition stabilized and, upon additional therapy, three achieved partial remission and one complete remission. Overall survival of all 21 patients is 86%, with median and maximal follow-up of 33 and 81 months, respectively. Toxicity was mild and easily manageable without influencing chimerism or disease status.


CONCLUSIONS
Pulse Cy seems to be an effective treatment for steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver GVHD with a good toxicity profile, which may favor its use instead of drugs with more pronounced immunosuppressive effects.
Mayer
Jiri
J
Department of Internal Medicine, Hemato-Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. jmayer@fnbrno.cz
Krejci
Marta
M
Pospisil
Zdenek
Z
Doubek
Michael
M
Janikova
Andrea
A
Zackova
Daniela
D
Racil
Zdenek
Z
Smardova
Lenka
L
Navratil
Milan
M
Kamelander
Jan
J
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003520:Cyclophosphamide