title: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders in liver transplanted patients: a single-centre experience.
abstract: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a life-threatening complication after solid organ transplantation. Reduction of immunosuppression (RI) is accepted as a first step treatment with a long-term complete response rate observed in 23-50% of patients. Chemotherapy for diseases refractory to RI is based on small cohorts treated with different regimens. This paper reports on 10 consecutive cases of PTLD after liver transplantation. The median time from transplantation to PTLD diagnosis was 5 years. PTLD was frequently extranodal involving the transplanted liver. Seven monomorphic PTLD, 2 polymorphic and one Hodgkin disease were observed. Epstein Barr virus was present in tumour tissue only in one case. Initial therapy included RI in all patients. Chemotherapy was used in eight patients. No treatment-related mortality was observed and no patient developed graft rejection during chemotherapy. At a median follow-up period of 25 months, 6 of the 10 patients were alive and without evidence of disease.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Veneto, Via Gattamelata 64, 35100 Padova, Italy. marino.dario@libero.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burra
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boccagni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canova
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trentin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soldà
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: S M L
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aversa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D000069283:Rituximab; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab