Anti-T-lymphocyte globulin exposure is associated with acute graft- versus-host disease and relapse in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a multinational prospective study

Haematologica. 2024 Sep 1;109(9):2854-2863. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2023.284632.

Abstract

Anti-T-lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) is used in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft failure. To date, insight in ATLG pharmacokinetics and -dynamics (PK/PD) is limited, and population PK (POPPK) models are lacking. In this prospective study, we describe ATLG POPPK using NONMEM® and the impact of ATLG exposure on clinical outcome and immune reconstitution in a homogeneous cohort of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients transplanted with a matched unrelated donor and receiving uniform ATLG dosing. Based on 121 patients and 812 samples for POPPK analysis, a two-compartmental model with parallel linear and non-linear clearance and bodyweight as covariate, best described the ATLG concentration-time data. The level of ATLG exposure (day active ATLG <1 AU/mL, median 16 days post-HSCT) was strongly associated with aGVHD grade II-IV, with a lower incidence in patients with prolonged active ATLG exposure (≤day 16 50% vs. >day 16 8.2%; P<0.001). When stratified for remission state, patients transplanted in complete remission (CR) 2 or 3 with prolonged ATLG exposure had a higher relapse risk, while this effect was not seen in CR1 patients (P=0.010). High level ATLG exposure was associated with delayed CD4 T-cell recovery at 4 and 8 weeks post-HSCT, but not at 12 weeks, and overall and relapse-free survival were not influenced by CD4 recovery at 12 weeks post-HSCT. This study underlines the importance of individualized ATLG exposure with the use of model-informed precision dosing in order to optimize the HSCT outcome in pediatric ALL.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antilymphocyte Serum* / administration & dosage
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease* / etiology
  • Graft vs Host Disease* / prevention & control
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* / methods
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* / diagnosis
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* / mortality
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* / therapy
  • Prospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antilymphocyte Serum

Grants and funding

Funding: The work described in this project was funded in part by Neovii Pharmaceuticals Ag (Rapperswil, Switzerland). Neovii Pharmaceuticals Ag has neither been involved in data generation, analysis, interpretation nor in the manuscript writing process.