Treatment of EBV-related post-renal transplant lymphoproliferative disease with a tailored regimen including EBV-specific T cells

Am J Transplant. 2005 Jun;5(6):1415-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.00854.x.

Abstract

The treatment of EBV-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) poses a considerable challenge. Efforts have been made to define regimens based on combination of the available therapeutic agents, chosen and tailored on a patient-by-patient basis, with the aim of augmenting event-free patient and graft survival. Recently, autologous EBV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) have proved effective in enhancing EBV-specific immune responses and reducing viral load in organ transplant recipients with active infection. We investigated the use of a tailored combined approach including autologous EBV-specific CTL for the treatment of EBV-related PTLD developing after pediatric kidney transplantation. Five patients with disseminated monoclonal (n = 3) or localized polyclonal (n = 2) PTLD unresponsive to reduction of immunosuppression were enrolled. The patients with disseminated PTLD received 4-5 courses of reduced-dosage polychemotherapy, accompanied by rituximab on the first day of each course, while localized disease was removed surgically. At treatment completion, autologous EBV-specific CTL were infused. All patients showed a complete response to treatment, without therapy-related toxicity or rejection, and persist in remission with good renal function at a median follow-up of 31 months. These preliminary results suggest that a combined chemoimmunotherapy regimen including virus-specific T-cells is well tolerated and potentially effective as first-line treatment of EBV-related PTLD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / therapy*
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / virology
  • Female
  • Graft Survival
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Kidney Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Lymphocyte Transfusion*
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / therapy*
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / virology
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications*
  • Rituximab
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Virus Replication / drug effects

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Rituximab