Gastric emptying after autologous haemopoietic stem-cell transplantation: a prospective trial

Palliative care in BMT

The field of high-dose therapy and SCT has made many advances in the past several years and the success rates have been steadily increasing as newer therapies emerge and improvements in supportive care continue to improve patient survival and cure rates. There still remains a mortality risk for high-dose therapy and the need for palliative care becomes more apparent as the focus also incorporates quality of life in all facets of cancer treatment and care. This paper reports on the lack of literature available on palliative care into the BMT and explores areas of future research in the integration of these two fields of medicine.

Gut protection by palifermin during autologous haematopoietic SCT

Conditioning therapy in connection with haematopoietic SCT (HSCT) induces a disruption of the intestinal barrier function facilitating the permeation of bacteria and endotoxin through the bowel wall with subsequent increased risk of septicaemia and a worsening of GVHD in the allogeneic setting. Palifermin (recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor) reduces the severity of oral mucositis with HSCT. The present trial investigates its effect on intestinal barrier function. Seventeen lymphoma patients undergoing autologous HSCT received palifermin. Intestinal permeability was assessed before the conditioning therapy and on days +4 and +14. Clinical oral and gastrointestinal toxicity was prospectively assessed in parallel. A comparison was made with matched historical study patients (n=21). Patients treated with palifermin had a significantly better preserved intestinal barrier function (P=0.01 on day +4) and were in less need of total parenteral nutrition (P=0.005) as compared with controls. No significant reduction of clinical gastrointestinal or oral toxicity was observed. The intestinal barrier function, normally disrupted by the conditioning therapy, is preserved by palifermin. Whether intestinal barrier preservation protects from invasive infections, and in the allogeneic setting diminishes GVHD severity, remains to be investigated in randomized controlled trials.

Pulmonary complications of haematopoietic cell transplantation in children

Paediatric haematopoietic cell transplantation has experienced significant advances in the last few decades. However, pulmonary complications are an important limitation to the efficacy of this intervention, contributing to post-transplantation morbidity and mortality. Such complications persist even in experienced centres and occur in adult and paediatric recipients. This review identifies the paediatric pulmonary complications that are commonly seen following haematopoietic cell transplantation and addresses both infectious and non-infectious aetiologies and their clinical manifestations, evaluation, and potential therapy. Ultimately, improvement in outcomes will require attention to immunosuppression as well as traditional diagnostic procedures and treatment. This article aims to review the current state of pulmonary complications post-transplantation, to examine the impact of our recent advances and changes in treatment, and to identify potential future therapies and hypothesise what role these might have on long-term survival.

Enteral Feeding and Early Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Following Myeloablative Conditioning

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of enteral nutrition on early outcome of patients after myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). From January 2001 to January 2003, 22 patients agreed to receive enteral nutrition via a nasogastric feeding tube; the remaining 23 patients received parenteral nutrition (n=22) or standard oral feeding (n=1). Early complications and factors influencing 100-day overall survival (OS) were investigated. Patients who received enteral nutrition developed less often acute-grade III/IV graft-versus-host disease (18%) than those who did not (35%) (P=0.011). In addition, this group showed lower mortality from infection during the first 100 days after transplantation. In multivariate analyses, only the absence of enteral nutrition was found to adversely influence 100-day OS with a hazard ratio of 8.3. Enteral nutrition is a safe and effective method for feeding allo-SCT patients. A randomized trial is warranted to confirm its advantage on early patient outcome.

Disposition of two oral formulations of cyclosporine in pediatric patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplants

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To compare the disposition of cyclosporine after the administration of two oral formulations to children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and to evaluate the relationship between whole blood cyclosporine concentrations during the dosing interval and the area under the whole blood concentration-time curve.

DESIGN

Prospective, descriptive, crossover study.Setting. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation unit in a tertiary-quaternary university-affiliated pediatric hospital.

PATIENTS

Twenty-four pediatric patients aged 0.5-16.9 years undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

INTERVENTION

The modified oral formulation of cyclosporine was given on the first day (divided as two doses), and a single identical dose of the original oral formulation was given on the morning of the second day.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Blood samples were obtained at 0, 0.5, 1.25, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 hours after the morning dose from the lumen of the central venous catheter not previously used for intravenous cyclosporine administration. Cyclosporine concentration-time data were analyzed by using noncompartmental methods. Mean +/- SD maximum concentrations were significantly higher after administration of the modified form than after administration of the original form (594.9 +/- 349.7 vs 483.0 +/- 363.0 microg/L, p=0.003), as was the area under the concentration-time curve from 0-12 hours (AUC0-12; 3432 +/- 1563 vs 3144 +/- 1780 microg/L x hr, p=0.022). For both formulations, cyclosporine concentrations at 4 hours after administration were most strongly correlated with the AUC0-12. Unlike that of the original formulation, the trough cyclosporine concentration of the modified form had the weakest relationship with AUC (Spearman rho coefficient 0.584, p=0.003).

CONCLUSION

Cyclosporine absorption is lower in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation than in children receiving solid organ transplants. Dosage adjustment for the modified formulation based on trough concentration may not be appropriate because its relationship with the AUC was weak. The link between pharmacokinetic parameters and clinical outcomes, such as graft-versus-host disease, must be further studied.

A prospective study of gastric emptying and its relationship to the development of nausea, vomiting, and anorexia after autologous stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Gastric motor dysfunction may be responsible, in some patients, for the nausea and emesis that occur following high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT). We sought to define the prevalence of gastric emptying abnormalities and their relationship to the development of nausea, vomiting, and anorexia in patients undergoing HDT and autologous SCT.

METHODS

We prospectively studied patients with a variety of malignancies who received standard transplantation doses of chemotherapeutic agents and antiemetics. Gastric emptying was assessed prior to HDT and on Days 0 (day of stem cell infusion), +7, and +14 from SCT. Symptom assessment was obtained daily from initiation of HDT to 28 days after SCT.

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients were studied. Prior to HDT, gastric emptying was rapid in two patients. Nausea, emesis, and anorexia occurred in all patients, peaked in severity at Day +7 after SCT and, with the exception of anorexia, had returned toward baseline levels by Day +28. As a group, gastric emptying was significantly slower on Days 0 and +7 and returned to baseline level by Day +14. Twenty-six percent and 44% of patients demonstrated delayed gastric emptying (T(1/2) >90 min) on Days 0 and +7, respectively, while 13% and 31% of patients had rapid gastric emptying (T(1/2) <30 min) on Days 0 and +7, respectively. Thirty-nine percent and 75% of patients had either rapid or delayed gastric emptying on Days 0 and +7, respectively. There was an association between delayed gastric emptying and moderate-severe anorexia on Day +7 and between delayed gastric emptying and at least mild vomiting on Day 0. Additionally, there was an association between rapid gastric emptying and at least mild vomiting on Day +7. Finally, an association was found between either rapid or delayed gastric emptying and at least mild nausea on Day +7.

CONCLUSION

Both delayed and rapid gastric emptying occur commonly during the 2-wk period following HDT and autologous SCT and may be responsible, at least in part, for upper gastrointestinal symptoms that occur in these patients.