Indication and timing of trough plasma-voriconazole (VCZ)-concentration (t-PVC) measurement during VCZ treatment is a debated issue. Patterns of t-PVC were prospectively evaluated in pediatric (50 ...courses) and adult (95 courses) hematologic patients. Efficacy patterns were defined: adequate, t-PVC always ≥1 mcg/ml; borderline, at least one t-PVC measurement <1 mcg/ml but median value of the measurements ≥1 mcg/ml; inadequate, median value of the measurements <1 mcg/ml. Toxicity patterns were defined: favorable, t-PVC always ≤5 mcg/ml; borderline, one or more t-PVC measurements >5 mcg/ml but median value of the measurements ≤5 mcg/ml; unfavorable, median value of the measurements >5 mcg/ml. In children and adults the mean t-PVCs were higher during intravenous treatments. The t-PVC efficacy pattern was adequate, borderline and inadequate in 48%, 12%, and 40% of courses, respectively, in children, and in 66.3%, 16.8%, and 16.8% of courses, respectively, in adults. Adequate efficacy pattern was more frequent in children with body weight above the median (≥25 kg) (OR 4.8; P = .011) and in adults with active hematological disease receiving intravenous therapy (OR 3.93; P = .006). Favorable toxicity pattern was more frequent in children receiving VCZ daily dosage below the median (<14 mg/kg) (OR 4.18; P = .027) and in adults with body weight below the median (<68 kg) (OR 0.22; P = .004). T-PVC measurement is generally needed, however, a non t-PVC guided approach may be considered in heavier adults receiving intravenous VCZ. The risk of supratherapeutic levels does not seem an absolute indication for t-PVC monitoring.
Background. Similar probabilities of survival have been reported for patients transplanted from Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD), Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) or Haploidentical (Haplo) donors as ...alternative hematopoietic stem cell sources. However, few studies have compared these results with those obtained in patients transplanted from HLA Id-siblings (Id-sib). Moreover, all reported studies are retrospective and the criteria of donor selection were not predefined. We report the intention to treat (ITT) analysis results on 238 patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) prospectively transplanted according to the policy of the Rome Transplant Network (RTN), a metropolitan transplant program established in Rome in 2006.
Patients and Methods. For AML patients eligible to an allogeneic transplant, the RTN policy consists of an algorithm of donor choice based on a hierarchy according to the following criteria: 1) HLA identical sibling; 2) MUD ≥8/10 HLA 3) UCB as single unit selected on the base of cell dose and number of HLA disparities (0-1/6 HLA: TNC ≥2.5x107/kg and CD34 ≥1x105/kg; 2/6 HLA: TNC ≥3.5x107/kg and CD34 ≥2x105/kg); 4) G-CSF primed, unmanipulated bone marrow Haplo donor. Myeloablative (MAC) or reduced intensity (RIC) TBF (Tiothepa, Busulfan, Fludarabine) conditioning regimen was identical for all patients, GVHD prophylaxis was uniform for each categories. of transplant
Results. From January 2006 to December 2014, 238(89%) out of 303 adult patients candidates to an allogeneic transplant for high-risk AML were considered eligible. Overall, a donor was available for 205 (86%) of 238 eligible patients. At time of the analysis, 17 of these 205 patients (8%) had lost the transplant eligibility and 4 (2%) were still scheduled for transplant, therefore 184/205 (90%) patients with an available donor were finally transplanted from Id-sib (n=76), MUD (n=38), UCB (n=17) or Haplo (n=53) donors. The 8-yrs overall survival (OS) of the 238 eligible patients from time of HLA typing and of the 184 transplanted patients from time of the graft was 40±4%and 43±4%, respectively. By excluding the low number of UCB recipients (n=17), the OS was particularly dismal for the 34 patients transplanted in advanced disease phase (7±4% at 4 yrs), whereas for the 132 patients transplanted in early (CR1+ CR2) phase the 8-yr OS was 56±5%: 58±7% for 61 HLA Id-sib, 50±8% for 40 Haplo and 63±10% for 27 MUD recipients (P=NS). The OS of patients transplanted in early phase was 63±5% for 97 patients receiving MAC and 33±9% for RIC recipients. For these 97 patients, the survival by type of donor was 62±10% either for 47 Id-sib or 28 Haplo and 70±10% for 22 MUD recipients (P=NS). The results were analyzed by various donor/recipient (D/R) combinations such as age, sex and CMV status. The median donor age was 39 years (range, 18-70) and the median patient age was 43 years (range, 16-59): the 8-yr OS of patients (n=30) with younger D/R combination (D<39y-R<43y) was79±9%, significantly higher than 55±7% observed for the other D/R combinations (P=0.04). The 4 D/R sex combinations were homogeneously distributed among Id-sib, MUD and Haplo recipients: for 51 sex mismatched (DM/RF; DF/RM) patients the 8-yr OS was 73±7%, significantly higher than the 53±8% rate observed for 46 sex matched patients (P=0.03). Finally, the 8-yr OS by D/R CMV status was 68±6% for 74 D/R CMV matched and 46±12% for D/R CMV mismatched patients (P=NS). In multivariate analysis, the factors influencing survival were D/R age (P=0.059), D/R sex (P=0.03) and D/R CMV status (P=0.04). The donor source (Id-sib vs MUD vs Haplo) did not affect survival (P=NS).
Conclusions. RTN policy allowed donor identification in 86% of all eligible AML patients and allowed an allogeneic transplant to be carried out in 90% of them with no substantial differences in terms of long-term survival between initially eligible (ITT analysis) and definitively transplanted patients. Only the definition of a specific transplant policy and the ITT analysis allow to evaluate the real impact of a transplant program. As the probability of survival is not substantially different comparing different donor stem cell sources, the final conclusion which can be drawn from our study is that for patients with AML undergoing an allogeneic transplant, the HLA matching is unlikely to remain the first criterion for donor identification. Other factors such as D/R age, sex and CMV status should drive the search for the best donor.
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No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Background. During the last years, hematopoietic stem cell transplant from haploidentical donor is increasing by using the unmanipulated graft. We report the results of allogeneic bone marrow ...transplantation (BMT) from haploidentical donor primed with G-CSF in patients (pts) with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), who received an uniform TBF (Thiotepa, Busulfan, Fludarabine) conditioning regimen including antitymocyte globulin and an identical GVHD prophylaxis combining MTX+CSA, MMF and an anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody (Basiliximab).
Patients and Methods. Since August 2005 to December 2014, 165 pts with high-risk hematological malignancy underwent unmanipulated BMT from fully haploidentical donor primed with 4µg/kg/day of G-CSF over 7 days. Of these 165 pts, 71 (median age 49 yrs, (range5-66) were affected by high-risk AML and were in early (CR1 and CR2: n=58) or advanced (>CR2 or active disease: n=13) phase at time of transplant. All pts received the same myeloablative (MAC: n=47) or reduced intensity (RIC: n=24) TBF conditioning regimen including antithymocyte globuline for 4 days (days-4 through -1) and an identical graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisting of the classical association of MTX+CSA combined with MMF from day +7 to day +100 and the administration of 20 mg of Basiliximab at days 0 and +4. The donor were represented by: son (n=25); brother (n=18), mother (n=11), daughter (n=8), sister (n=6) and father (n=3). Anti-infective management, supportive care and transfusion policy were identical for all pts. The experience was conducted at 2 Institutions: Stem Cell Transplant Unit at University Tor Vergata of Rome (n=45) and at Civil Hospital of Pescara (n=26), Italy.
Results. All pts engraftedwith full donor chimerism: median time 20 days (range, 11-35) and CI 94±3%. With a median follow-up (FU) of 3.9 yrs (range, 0.7-7.4), the 7-yrs probability of overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) for all pts was 45±6% and 43±6%, respectively. OS calculated by disease status at transplant was 53±7% at 7 yrs for 58 pts transplanted in early phase and 0.0% at 4 yrs for 13 transplanted in advanced phase (p=0.0027), DFS was 49±7% and 15±10% at 7 and 2 yrs (p=0.007), respectively.
TBF-MAC Regimen: 47 pts (median age 43 yrs, range 5-63), in early (n=38) or advanced (n=9) phase at transplant received a TBF-MAC regimen. For all these pts the CI of engraftment was 94±4% at a median of 20 days (range, 12-35). The 100 day CI of acute GVHD (AGVHD) grade II-IV and III-IV was 32±7% and 6±4%, respectively. The CI of extensive chronic-GVHD (CGVHD) was 19±7%. In the patients transplanted in early phase the CI of transplant related mortality (TRM) at 6 months and 7 yrs was 21±7 and 27±7%, respectively. The CI of relapse at 1 and 7 yrs was 16±6% and 24±7%, respectively. With a median FU of 3.9 yrs (range, 1.3-7.4), the 7-yr probability of OS and DFS was respectively 60±8% and 52±8% with a plateau of the curve from 2 yrs after transplant. None of the 15 variables considered in multivariate analysis (Cox and Fine and Gray models) influenced significantly the outcomes.
TBF-RIC Regimen: 24 pts (median age 61.5 yrs, range 41-66) were conditioned with TBF-RIC. All pts engrafted with full donor chimerism (CI 96±6%). The 100 day CI of AGVHD grade II-IV and III-IV was 33±10% and 13±7%, respectively. The CI of extensive CGVHD was 8±8%.Four pts were in advanced and 20 in early phase at transplant. For these last pts, the CI of TRM at 6 months and 6 yrs was 15±8% and 25±10%, respectively. The CI of relapse at 1 and 6 yrs was 15±8% and 27±11%, respectively. With a median FU of 4.1 yrs (range, 0.8-6), the 6-yr probability of OS and DFS was respectively 42±12% and 41±12% with a plateau of the curve from 2 yrs after transplant. In multivariate analysis, no significant factor was identified.
Conclusions. Although the number of pts does not allow an extensive analysis of the results, the homogeneity of our series in terms of diagnosis, patient selection, conditioning regimen and GVHD prophylaxis supports the conclusion that haploidentical, G-CSF primed, unmanipulated BMT is a valid alternative for high-risk AML pts lacking an HLA identical sibling. The regimen of GVHD prophylaxis is highly effective and can be proposed in alternative to the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide, proposed by the Baltimore group. Finally, TBF-RIC regimen can be confidently offered to unfit or older AML pts candidate to an haploidentical transplant.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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