The impact of anti-thymocyte globulin on the outcomes of Patients with AML with or without measurable residual disease at the time of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Leukemia. 2020 Apr;34(4):1144-1153. doi: 10.1038/s41375-019-0631-5. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Abstract

Measurable residual disease (MRD) status pre-allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) has been shown to predict transplant outcomes. We investigated the effect of Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (ATG) on acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) relapse by pretransplant MRD status. AML patients undergoing allo-HCT in first complete remission from either a matched sibling or unrelated donor during the 2006-2017 period were selected. Outcomes of 1509 patients (MRD+, n = 426) were studied. ATG was used in 561 (52%) and 239 (58%) patients within the MRD- and MRD+ cohorts, respectively. In MRD- patients, ATG did not affect relapse incidence (RI) (HR = 0.80, p = 0.17), but was associated with reduced incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD, grade II-IV and chronic GVHD, reduced nonrelapse mortality (HR = 0.66, p = 0.05), improved leukemia-free survival (HR = 0.74, p = 0.02), overall survival (HR = 0.69, p = 0.01), and GVHD-relapse free survival (HR = 0.62, p < 0.01). In MRD+ patients, ATG was associated with a lower incidence of chronic GVHD (total, HR 0.56 p = 0.03; extensive, HR 0.40 P = 0.01), without an impact on other allo-HCT outcome parameters, including RI(HR = 1.02, p = 0.92). The use of ATG was associated with reduced risk for GVHD. ATG did not increase RI, even in high-risk AML patients who were MRD+ before allo-HCT.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antilymphocyte Serum / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft vs Host Disease / drug therapy
  • Graft vs Host Disease / etiology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / mortality*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / pathology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm, Residual / drug therapy
  • Neoplasm, Residual / etiology
  • Neoplasm, Residual / mortality*
  • Neoplasm, Residual / pathology
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation Conditioning
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antilymphocyte Serum
  • Immunosuppressive Agents