title: Extracorporeal photo-apheresis for the treatment of steroid-resistant graft versus host disease.
abstract: Acute and chronic graft versus host disease are frequent and potentially severe complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and are among the leading causes of non-relapse transplant-related mortality. For patients with steroid refractory disease, prognosis is particularly poor and although a variety of treatment options are available, responses are commonly transient and the side effects often intolerable. Since it was first introduced for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, extracorporeal photo-apheresis has been utilized as an immunomodulatory therapy for certain autoimmune diseases and solid organ transplant rejection. Recently, extracorporeal photo-apheresis has become a promising alternative for patients with graft versus host disease with disabling or potentially lethal complications. Here we review the experience of extracorporeal photo-apheresis for the treatment of steroid refractory acute and chronic graft versus host disease based on the current literature.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA. kbaird@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wayne
mesh_terms: D004351:Drug Resistance; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D017893:Photopheresis / Q000379:methods*; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids