Dose-reduced conditioning for allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation: durable engraftment without antithymocyte globulin

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2000 Jul;26(2):119-25. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1702500.

Abstract

Between February 1998 and October 1999, 24 patients with advanced leukemia, lymphoma or solid tumors received G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) from HLA-matched sibling donors after dose-reduced conditioning therapy. Only patients with reduced performance status or major infectious complications, not eligible for standard transplant procedures, were included. The 5-day conditioning therapy consisted of 3.3 mg/kg intravenous busulphan x 2 days and 30 mg/m2 fludarabine x 5 days. GVHD prophylaxis was performed with either CsA alone (n = 5), CsA combined with short course methotrexate (n = 5) or mycophenolate mofetil (n = 14). The day 100 survival was 95.2% for the whole group. All patients engrafted after a median of 15 days (range, 11-19) and 12.5 days (range, 10-19) for neutrophils and platelets, respectively. The median time to a neutrophil count of <0.5 x 109/l was 7 days (range, 2 to 12). Acute GVHD >I was observed in six patients, whereas eight patients have signs of chronic GVHD. The prospective 12 month overall survival with a median follow-up of 7 months is 63%. Relapse of disease and toxicity associated with chronic GVHD were the main causes of death. The treatment-related mortality was 12.5%. Dose-reduced conditioning using intravenous busulphan and fludarabine allows stable engraftment without ATG in related transplants and leads to a reduction of transplant-related mortality.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antilymphocyte Serum / economics
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents / toxicity
  • Busulfan / administration & dosage
  • Busulfan / toxicity
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Graft Survival
  • Graft vs Host Disease / etiology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control
  • Graft vs Tumor Effect
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / economics
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / toxicity
  • Infections / chemically induced
  • Infections / microbiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / complications
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Nuclear Family
  • Prospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Survival Rate
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Transplantation Chimera
  • Transplantation Conditioning / methods*
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vidarabine / administration & dosage
  • Vidarabine / analogs & derivatives
  • Vidarabine / toxicity

Substances

  • Antilymphocyte Serum
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Vidarabine
  • Busulfan
  • fludarabine