title: Clinical Comparison of Non-Myeloablative Conditioning with Anti-Thymocyte Globulin and Fludarabine for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The influence of different non-myeloablative conditioning regimens on clinical outcome remains undefined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the hematopoietic reconstitution, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and quality of life (QOL) in 56 patients with hematologic malignancies who underwent non-myeloablative stem cell transplantation (NST) with a conditioning regimen based on anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), followed by donor lymphocyte infusion (n=24), or Fludarabine (FLU) (n=32). Hematopoietic stem cells were derived from low-resolution HLA-matched identical sibling donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blood type transformation and platelet reconstitution presented significantly earlier in the FLU group than the ATG group (P<0.05). Within 100 days post-transplantation, the incidence of grade I-IV acute GVHD was significantly lower in the ATG group than the FLU group (P<0.05). After 100 days post-transplant, extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was more prevalent in the ATG group than the FLU group (P<0.05). There were lower cumulative risk of relapse and higher non-relapse-related mortality in the ATG group, but better QOL in the FLU group within 24 months, and no difference in 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) or overall survival (OS) between the 2 groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FLU-based conditioning regimen improved hematopoietic reconstitution and decreased extensive cGVHD, but there was no difference in 3-year DFS or OS between the 2 groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Qingshan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Fanyi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Bizhen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Wenjian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Xuejie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Yaming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019653:Myeloablative Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D019653:Myeloablative Agonists; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine