Different efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil as salvage treatment for acute and chronic GVHD after allogeneic stem cell transplant

Cell Therapy Transplant Canada (CTTC) Consensus-Based Guideline 2024 for Management and Treatment of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease and Future Directions for Development

This is a consensus-based Canadian guideline whose primary purpose is to standardize and facilitate the management of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) across the country. Creating uniform healthcare guidance in Canada is a challenge for a number of reasons including the differences in healthcare authority structure, funding and access to healthcare resources between provinces and territories, as well as the geographic size. These differences can lead to variable and unequal access to effective therapies for GvHD. This document will provide comprehensive and practical guidance that can be applied across Canada by healthcare professionals caring for patients with cGvHD. Hopefully, this guideline, based on input from GvHD treaters across the country, will aid in standardizing cGvHD care and facilitate access to much-needed novel therapies. This consensus paper aims to discuss the optimal approach to the initial assessment of cGvHD, review the severity scoring and global grading system, discuss systemic and topical treatments, as well as supportive therapies, and propose a therapeutic algorithm for frontline and subsequent lines of cGvHD treatment in adults and pediatric patients. Finally, we will make suggestions about the future direction of cGvHD treatment development such as (1) a mode-of-action-based cGvHD drug selection, according to the pathogenesis of cGvHD, (2) a combination strategy with the introduction of newer targeted drugs, (3) a steroid-free regimen, particularly for front line therapy for cGvHD treatment, and (4) a pre-emptive approach which can prevent the progression of cGvHD in high-risk patients destined to develop severe and highly morbid forms of cGvHD.

Mesenchymal stromal cells plus basiliximab improve the response of steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease as a second-line therapy: a multicentre, randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

For patients with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD), effective second-line regimens are urgently needed. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been used as salvage regimens for SR-aGVHD in the past. However, clinical trials and an overall understanding of the molecular mechanisms of MSCs combined with basiliximab for SR-aGVHD are limited, especially in haploidentical haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID HSCT).

METHODS

The primary endpoint of this multicentre, randomized, controlled trial was the 4-week complete response (CR) rate of SR-aGVHD. A total of 130 patients with SR-aGVHD were assigned in a 1:1 randomization schedule to the MSC group (receiving basiliximab plus MSCs) or control group (receiving basiliximab alone) (NCT04738981).

RESULTS

Most enrolled patients (96.2%) received HID HSCT. The 4-week CR rate of SR-aGVHD in the MSC group was obviously better than that in the control group (83.1% vs. 55.4%, P = 0.001). However, for the overall response rates at week 4, the two groups were comparable. More patients in the control group used ≥ 6 doses of basiliximab (4.6% vs. 20%, P = 0.008). We collected blood samples from 19 consecutive patients and evaluated MSC-derived immunosuppressive cytokines, including HO1, GAL1, GAL9, TNFIA6, PGE2, PDL1, TGF-β and HGF. Compared to the levels before MSC infusion, the HO1 (P = 0.0072) and TGF-β (P = 0.0243) levels increased significantly 1 day after MSC infusion. At 7 days after MSC infusion, the levels of HO1, GAL1, TNFIA6 and TGF-β tended to increase; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Although the 52-week cumulative incidence of cGVHD in the MSC group was comparable to that in the control group, fewer patients in the MSC group developed cGVHD involving ≥3 organs (14.3% vs. 43.6%, P = 0.006). MSCs were well tolerated, no infusion-related adverse events (AEs) occurred and other AEs were also comparable between the two groups. However, patients with malignant haematological diseases in the MSC group had a higher 52-week disease-free survival rate than those in the control group (84.8% vs. 65.9%, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

For SR-aGVHD after allo-HSCT, especially HID HSCT, the combination of MSCs and basiliximab as the second-line therapy led to significantly better 4-week CR rates than basiliximab alone. The addition of MSCs not only did not increase toxicity but also provided a survival benefit.

Basiliximab Treatment for Patients With Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease Following Matched Sibling Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Basiliximab is an important treatment for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD). We performed this retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of basiliximab treatment in SR-aGVHD patients following matched sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MSD-HSCT) (n = 63). Overall response rate (ORR) was 63.5% and 54% at any time and at day 28 after basiliximab treatment. Grade III-IV aGVHD before basiliximab treatment predicted a poor ORR after basiliximab treatment. The rates of virus, bacteria, and fungi infections were 54%, 23.8%, and 3.1%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 730 (range, 67-3,042) days, the 1-year probability of overall survival and disease-free survival after basiliximab treatment were 58.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 47.6%-72.2%) and 55.4% (95% CI = 44.3%-69.2%), respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality after basiliximab treatment were 18.9% (95% CI = 8.3%-29.5%) and 33.8% (95% CI = 21.8%-45.7%), respectively. Comorbidities burden before allo-HSCT, severity of aGVHD and liver aGVHD before basiliximab treatment showed negative influences on survival. Thus, basiliximab was safe and effective treatment for SR-aGVHD following MSD-HSCT.

Understanding and treatment of cutaneous graft-versus-host-disease

The skin is the outermost mechanical barrier where dynamic immune reactions take place and is the most commonly affected site in both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). If not properly treated, pain and pruritis resulting from cutaneous GVHD can increase the risk of secondary infection due to erosions, ulcerations, and damage of underlying tissues. Furthermore, resulting disfiguration can cause distress and significantly impact patients' quality of life. Thus, a deeper understanding of skin-specific findings of GVHD is needed. This review will highlight some promising results of recent pre-clinical studies on the pathophysiology of skin GVHD and summarize the diagnostic and staging/grading procedures according to the clinical manifestations of skin GVHD. In addition, we will summarize outcomes of various GVHD treatments, including skin-specific response rates.

[Humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody as a salvage therapy for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients. Methods: A total of 64 patients with SR-aGVHD between June 2019 and October 2020 in Suchow Hopes Hematology Hospital were enrolled in this study. Humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies 1 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) were administered on days 1, 3, and 8, and then once per week according to the disease progression. Efficacy was assessed at days 7, 14, and 28 after humanized anti-CD 25 treatment. Results: Of the 64 patients with a median age of 31 (15-63) years, 38 (59.4%) were male and 26 (40.6%) were female. The overall response (OR) rate of the humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody in 64 patients with SR-aGVHD on days 7, 14, and 28 were 48.4% (31/64), 53.1% (34/64), and 79.7% (51/64), respectively. Liver involvement is an independent risk factor for poor efficacy of humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody for SR-aGVHD at day 28 (OR=9.588, 95% CI 0.004-0.291, P=0.002). The median follow-up time for all patients was 17.1 (0.2-50.8) months from the start of humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody therapy. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 63.2% (95% CI 57.1% -69.3%) and 52.6% (95% CI 46.1% -59.1%), respectively. The 1- and 2-year DFS rates were 58.4% (95% CI 52.1% -64.7%) and 49.8% (95% CI 43.4% -56.2%), respectively. The 1- and 2-year NRM rates were 28.8% (95% CI 23.1% -34.5%) and 32.9% (95% CI 26.8% -39.0%), respectively. The results of the multifactorial analysis showed that liver involvement (OR=0.308, 95% CI 0.108-0.876, P=0.027) and GVHD grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ (OR=9.438, 95% CI 1.211-73.577, P=0.032) were independent risk factors for OS. Conclusion: Humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody has good efficacy and safety for SR-aGVHD. This study shows that SR-aGVHD with pretreatment grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ GVHD and GVHD involving the liver has poor efficacy and prognosis and requires early intervention.

Tocilizumab combined with ruxolitinib in the treatment of children with steroid resistant graft versus host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: report of 6 cases

Six children with steroid resistant graft versus host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation admitted in the hospital, including 4 cases of acute GVHD and 2 cases of chronic GVHD. Among the 4 acute GVHD cases, the main manifestations were large area rash and fever in 2 cases, and abdominal pain and diarrhea in 2 cases. In 2 chronic GVHD cases, one presented lichenoid dermatosis, and the other showed repeated oral ulcers with difficult mouth opening. Patients received tocilizumab (8 mg/kg per dose every 3 weeks) and ruxolitinib (5-10 mg/d, 28 d), at least 2 courses were completed. All patients had complete responses (100%), and 5 patients responded after completion of two treatment courses, with the median time of remission was 26.7 d. The median follow-up period was 11 (7-25) months, and no severe treatment-related adverse reactions were observed.

Efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in steroid-refractory graft-versus-host disease: A meta-analysis

Ruxolitinib is an important treatment for steroid refractory graft-versus-host disease (SR-GVHD). Therefore, we reported the updated results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of ruxolitinib as treatment for SR-GVHD. In addition, we wanted to compare the efficacy and safety between children and adults with SR-GVHD. Overall response rate (ORR) after ruxolitinib treatment was chosen as the primary end point. Complete response rate (CRR), infection, myelosuppression, and overall survival (OS) were chosen as secondary end points. A total of 37 studies were included in this meta-analysis, and 1,580 patients were enrolled. ORR at any time after ruxolitinib treatment was 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68–0.84] and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.74–0.81), respectively, for SR-aGVHD and SR-cGVHD. CRR at any time after ruxolitinib treatment was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.40–0.57) and 0.15 (95% CI: 0.10–0.23), respectively, for SR-aGVHD and SR-cGVHD. The ORRs at any time after treatment was highest in mouth SR-cGVHD, followed by skin, gut, joints and fascia, liver, eyes, esophagus, and lung SR-cGVHD. The incidence rate of infections after ruxolitinib treatment was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.45–0.76) and 0.47 (95% CI: 0.31–0.63), respectively, for SR-aGVHD and SR-cGVHD. The incidence rates of overall (grades I–IV) and severe (grades III–IV) cytopenia were 53.2% (95% CI: 16.0%–90.4%) and 31.0% (95% CI: 0.0–100.0%), respectively, for SR-aGVHD, and were 28.8% (95% CI:13.0%–44.6%) and 10.4% (95% CI: 0.0–27.9%), respectively, for SR-cGVHD. The probability rate of OS at 6 months after treatment was 63.9% (95% CI: 52.5%–75.2%) for SR-aGVHD. The probability rates of OS at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment were 95% (95% CI: 79.5%–100.0%), 78.7% (95% CI: 67.2%–90.1%), and 75.3% (95% CI: 68.0%–82.7%), respectively, for SR-cGVHD. The ORR, CRR, infection events, and myelosuppression were all comparable between children and adults with SR-GVHD. In summary, this study suggests that ruxolitinib is an effective and safe treatment for SR-GVHD, and both children and adults with SR-GVHD could benefit from ruxolitinib treatment.

Basiliximab for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease: A real-world analysis

Steroid-refractory (SR) acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is one of the leading causes of early mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We investigated the efficacy, safety, prognostic factors, and optimal therapeutic protocol for SR-aGVHD patients treated with basiliximab in a real-world setting. Nine hundred and forty SR-aGVHD patients were recruited from 36 hospitals in China, and 3683 doses of basiliximab were administered. Basiliximab was used as monotherapy (n = 642) or in combination with other second-line treatments (n = 298). The cumulative incidence of overall response rate (ORR) at day 28 after basiliximab treatment was 79.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 76.5%-82.3%). The probabilities of nonrelapse mortality and overall survival at 3 years after basiliximab treatment were 26.8% (95% CI 24.0%-29.6%) and 64.3% (95% CI 61.2%-67.4%), respectively. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed to compare the efficacy and safety between the monotherapy and combined therapy groups. Combined therapy did not increase the ORR; conversely, it increased the infection rates compared with monotherapy. The multivariate analysis showed that combined therapy, grade III-IV aGVHD, and high-risk refined Minnesota aGVHD risk score before basiliximab treatment were independently associated with the therapeutic response. Hence, we created a prognostic scoring system that could predict the risk of having a decreased likelihood of response after basiliximab treatment. Machine learning was used to develop a protocol that maximized the efficacy of basiliximab while maintaining acceptable levels of infection risk. Thus, real-world data suggest that basiliximab is safe and effective for treating SR-aGVHD.

Efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells treatment for multidrug-resistant graft-versus-host disease after haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PURPOSE

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is an important complication after human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haploidentical donor (HID) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which may lead to poor prognosis. Our study intends to identify the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for multidrug-resistant (MDR)-GVHD after HID HSCT.

METHODS

MDR-GVHD was referring to GVHD remaining no response to at least two types of therapy, and hUCB-MSCs were given at the dose of (1.0-2.0) × 106/kg once a week.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study (acute GVHD (aGVHD): n = 14, chronic GVHD (cGVHD): n = 7). The median dose of MSCs was 1.2 × 106 cells/kg (range, 0.8-1.8 × 106) cells/kg, and the median numbers of infusion were 2 (range, 1-7) and 3 (range, 2-12) for MDR-aGVHD and MDR-cGVHD patients, respectively. In MDR-aGVHD patients, the overall response rate (ORR) was 57.1%, including 50.0% complete response (CR) and 7.1% partial response (PR), and the median time to response was 49.5 days (range, 16-118) days. The 2-year probability of overall survival after MSCs was 64.3%. Five patients (35.7%) developed infections after MSCs, and no obvious hematologic toxicities were observed. Five MDR-aGVHD patients died after MSCs treatments because of GVHD progression (n = 1), severe infection (bacterial central nervous system infection: n = 1; fungal pneumonia: n = 2), and poor graft function (n = 1). In MDR-cGVHD patients, three patients (42.9%) achieved PR after MSCs and the median time to response was 56 days (22-84) days. The ORRs for moderate and severe cGVHD were 50.0% and 33.3%, respectively. Four MDR-cGVHD patients died after MSCs treatments because of GVHD progression (n = 2), severe fungal pneumonia (n = 1), and relapse (n = 1).

CONCLUSION

MSCs treatment may be safe and effective for MDR-GVHD after HID HSCT.

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Version 2.2020, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) involves the infusion of hematopoietic progenitor cells into patients with hematologic disorders with the goal of re-establishing normal hematopoietic and immune function. HCT is classified as autologous or allogeneic based on the origin of hematopoietic cells. Autologous HCT uses the patient's own cells while allogeneic HCT uses hematopoietic cells from a human leukocyte antigen-compatible donor. Allogeneic HCT is a potentially curative treatment option for patients with certain types of hematologic malignancies, and autologous HCT is primarily used to support patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy. Advances in HCT methods and supportive care in recent decades have led to improved survival after HCT; however, disease relapse and posttransplant complications still commonly occur in both autologous and allogeneic HCT recipients. Allogeneic HCT recipients may also develop acute and/or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which results in immune-mediated cellular injury of several organs. The NCCN Guidelines for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation focus on recommendations for pretransplant recipient evaluation and the management of GVHD in adult patients with malignant disease.

Efficiency and Toxicity of Ruxolitinib as the Salvage Treatment in Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Haplo-Identical Stem Cell Transplantation

Haplo-identical stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT) for hematological malignancies has ushered in a new era in which everyone has a potential donor. However, the occurrence of steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD), with no priority among second-line therapies, leads to late mortality after haplo-SCT. Ruxolitinib is the first drug recommended for SR-aGVHD. Here, we report the outcome data from 40 patients after haplo-SCT following the Beijing Protocol who had received ruxolitinib as a salvage therapy for grades II to IV SR-aGVHD in our center between November 2017 and May 2019. The overall response rate was 85% (34/40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 73.4% to 96.6%), including 25 patients with complete response. The median time to first response was 10 days. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and T cell activation declined, and the percentage of regulatory T cells increased. The rate of GVHD relapse was 26.5% (9/34; 95% CI, 10.8% to 42.1%) in responders. Cytomegalovirus reactivation and cytopenia were the major adverse events after ruxolitinib was begun (57.5% and 60%, respectively). The 6-month overall survival estimate was 56.8% (95% CI, 41.5% to 72.1%), and the event-free survival was 45% (95% CI, 29.7% to 60.3%). Liver GVHD was associated with a worse response rate and poor survival. Collectively, ruxolitinib could be an effective treatment for SR-aGVHD patients after haplo-SCT.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Fatal Graft-versus-host Disease After Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after liver transplantation (LT) is a rare but serious complication. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors, including immunosuppressive regimens, for mortality due to GVHD (fatal GVHD).

METHODS

Using data from the OPTN/UNOS registry, 77,416 adult patients who underwent LT between 2003 and 2018 were assessed. Risk factors for fatal GVHD were analyzed by focusing on induction and maintenance immunosuppression regimens.

RESULTS

The incidence of fatal GVHD was 0.2% (121/77,416), of whom 105 (87%) died within 180 days and 13 (11%) died between 181 days and 1 year. Median survival after LT was 68.0 (49.5-125.5) days. Recipient age minus donor age greater than 20 years (HR 2.57, P<0.001) and basiliximab induction (HR 1.69, P=0.018) were independent risk factors for fatal GVHD. Maintenance therapy with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was associated with a decrease in fatal GVHD (HR 0.51, P=0.001). In an increased risk cohort of patients with recipient-donor age discrepancy greater than 20 years, MMF use was associated with a 50% decline in fatal GVHD (HR 0.50, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Recipient age minus donor age greater than 20 years remains a significant risk factor for fatal GVHD. The risk of fatal GVHD significantly increases in association with basiliximab induction and decreases with MMF maintenance. These associations were pronounced in patients with recipient minus donor age greater than 20 years. These results emphasize the importance of donor age and individualized immunosuppression regimens on the risk of fatal GVHD.

Current Prophylaxis and Treatment Approaches for Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, higher event-free survival (EFS) was observed in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and grade II aGvHD vs. patients with no or grade I GvHD in the randomised, controlled, open-label, international, multicentre Phase III For Omitting Radiation Under Majority age (FORUM) trial. This finding suggests that moderate-severity aGvHD is associated with a graft-versus-leukaemia effect which protects against leukaemia recurrence. In order to optimise the benefits of HSCT for leukaemia patients, reduction of non-relapse mortality-which is predominantly caused by severe GvHD-is of utmost importance. Herein, we review contemporary prophylaxis and treatment options for aGvHD in children with ALL and the key challenges of aGvHD management, focusing on maintaining the graft-versus-leukaemia effect without increasing the severity of GvHD.

Ruxolitinib is an effective salvage treatment for multidrug-resistant graft-versus-host disease after haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation without posttransplant cyclophosphamide

The purpose of our study is to identify the efficacy of ruxolitinib in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) recipients with multidrug-resistant (MDR)-graft-versus-host disease (GVHD, n = 34). MDR-GVHD was defined as GVHD showing no improvement after at least 3 types of treatments. The median number of previous GVHD-therapies was 4 for both MDR-acute GVHD (aGVHD) and MDR-chronic GVHD (cGVHD). For MDR-aGVHD (n = 15), the median time to response was 10 days (range 2 to 65), and the overall response rate (ORR) was 60.0% (9/15), including 40.0% (6/15) complete response (CR) and 20.0% (3/15) partial response (PR). The 1-year probability of overall survival after ruxolitinib was 66.7%. The rates of hematologic and infectious toxicities were 73.3% and 46.7% after ruxolitinib treatment. For MDR-cGVHD (n = 19), the median time to response was 29 days (range 6 to 175), and the ORR was 89.5% (17/19), including 26.3% (5/19) CR and 63.2% (12/19) PR. All patients remained alive until our last follow-up. The rates of hematologic and infectious toxicities were 36.8% and 47.4% after ruxolitinib treatment. Ruxolitinib is an effective salvage treatment for MDR-GVHD in haplo-HSCT recipients.

Prognostic factors and long-term follow-up of basiliximab for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease: Updated experience from a large-scale study

Acute graft-vs-host disease (aGVHD) is one of the most important causes of early mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), particularly for those with steroid-refractory (SR)-aGVHD. We aimed to identify the prognostic factors and long-term clinical outcomes of basiliximab treatment for SR-aGVHD. Basiliximab was administered on days 1, 3, and 8, and repeated weekly until aGVHD was less than grade II, or patients showed no response after four doses. Out of 1498 patients receiving allo-HSCT, 230 patients with SR-aGVHD were enrolled. Grade III to IV aGVHD before basiliximab treatment significantly and independently predicted a poorer response to basiliximab in multivariate analysis. And, the cumulative incidence of overall response at 14 days, 28 days, and 56 days after treatment was 41.4% vs 23.1% (P = .023), 70.2% vs 43.6% (P = .002), and 80.1% vs 66.7% (P = .013), respectively. This was for those with grade II and grade III to IV aGVHD. Patients receiving more than four doses of basiliximab had higher rates of infections. The 4-year cumulative incidence of total and severe chronic GVHD after basiliximab treatment was 44.8% (95% CI 38.3%-51.3%) and 2.2% (95% CI 0.3%-4.1%), respectively. The 4-year cumulative incidence of relapse, non-relapse mortality, disease-free survival, and overall survival after basiliximab treatment was 11.3% (95% CI 7.2%-15.4%), 30.0% (95% CI 24.1%-35.9%), 58.7% (95% CI 52.3%-65.1%), and 61.7% (95% CI 55.4%-68.0%), respectively. Comorbidities before allo-HSCT and refined Minnesota aGVHD risk score at diagnosis had significant influences on long-term survival. Thus, basiliximab was a safe and effective treatment for patients with SR-aGVHD.

Ruxolitinib treatment for SR-aGVHD in patients with EBV-HLH undergoing allo-HSCT

Ruxolitinib is a promising option for treating steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). In this study, we describe ruxolitinib treatment for SR-aGVHD in HSCT patients with Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (EBV-HLH) to evaluate its effectiveness. We evaluated the outcomes of 12 patients who received ruxolitinib for SR-aGVHD between January 2017 and March 2019. Of the 12 patients who received ruxolitinib, 7 patients achieved a complete response (CR), 3 had a partial response (PR), and 2 experienced treatment failure (TF). OS and CR rates were 83.3% and 58.3%, respectively. Moreover, CR was achieved by the six patients who had aGVHD with skin involvement. The mean time of steroid application in the patients who received ruxolitinib was 28.1 days. Median survival after HSCT was 64.6 weeks. The adverse effects of ruxolitinib included grades 3 to 4 neutropenia (n = 7) and grades 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia (n = 6). Cytomegalovirus reactivation was observed in three patients. A high rate of CR and short steroid application time of ruxolitinib as a salvage treatment were observed in HSCT patients with EBV-HLH. Consequently, from this study, it was determined that ruxolitinib is an optimal choice to treat SR-aGVHD in patients with EBV-HLH.

Safety and efficacy of amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AM01) in patients with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a study protocol for a phase I/II Japanese trial

INTRODUCTION

Regenerative medicine and cell therapies have been gaining much attention among clinicians. Therapeutic infusion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is now a leading investigational strategy for the treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). Bone marrow MSCs are approved for manufacture and marketing as a cell therapy for aGVHD. Our non-clinical studies confirmed that human amnion-derived MSCs had immunomodulatory activity equal to or higher than that of human bone marrow MSCs. This study will aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of amnion-derived MSCs (AM01) in patients with steroid-refractory aGVHD.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will be a multicentre, single-arm, open-label trial (an interventional study). This clinical trial will begin with a low-dose group, and when safety has been confirmed in at least three cases in the low-dose group, treatment will begin for the high-dose group, for which the safety will also be verified. The primary endpoint is to assess the safety of intravenous infusion therapy of AM01 within 24 hours after intravenous infusion of AM01. The secondary endpoint is to explore the efficacy of intravenous infusion therapy with AM01.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The institutional review boards of all participating hospitals approved this study protocol (latest V3.3.0, 3 August 2018). Final data will be publicly announced. A report releasing the study results will be submitted for publication to an appropriate peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000029945.

New and emerging therapies for acute and chronic graft versus host disease

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Despite the use of prophylactic GVHD regimens, a significant proportion of transplant recipients will develop acute or chronic GVHD following HSCT. Corticosteroids are standard first-line therapy, but are only effective in roughly half of all cases with ~50% of patients going on to develop steroid-refractory disease, which increases the risk of nonrelapse mortality. While progress has been made with improvements in survival outcomes over time, corticosteroids are associated with significant toxicities, and many currently available salvage therapies are associated with increased immunosuppression, infectious complications, and potential loss of the graft versus leukemia (GVL) effect. Thus, there is an unmet need for development of newer treatment strategies for both acute and chronic GVHD to improve long-term post-transplant outcomes and quality of life for HSCT recipients. Here, we provide a concise review of major emerging therapies currently being studied in the treatment of acute and chronic GVHD.

Pentostatin therapy for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease: identifying those who may benefit

We report outcomes of 60 patients with steroid-refractory (SR)-aGVHD treated with pentostatin. Almost half (47%) of patients had grade 4 GVHD-22% had stage 3-4 liver GVHD and 51% had stage 3-4 lower gastrointestinal tract (LGI) GVHD. Patients received a median of 3 courses (range, 1-9) of pentostatin. Day 28 overall response rate (ORR) was 33% (n = 20) (complete response 18% (n = 11), partial response 15% (n = 9)). Non-relapse mortality was 72% (95% confidence interval (CI) 61-84%) and overall survival (OS) was 21% (95% CI 12-32%) at 18 months. On univariate analysis, age >60 years (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.01-3.7, p = 0.045) and presence of liver GVHD (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-3.3, p = 0.03) were significant predictors of poor OS while patients with LGI GVHD had superior OS than those without (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.8, p = 0.01). On stratified analysis, patients <60 years with isolated LGI GVHD had the best outcomes with an ORR of 48% and OS of 42% at 18 months. Among older patients, OS was 14% in those with isolated LGI aGVHD and 0% in others. Pentostatin remains a viable treatment option for SR-aGVHD, especially in patients 60 years or younger with isolated LGI involvement.

Treatment Options in Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Objective:

To evaluate the treatment options in steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Data Sources:

Literature was obtained by searching MEDLINE (1966–May 2007) and EMBASE (1980–May 2007).

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All pertinent clinical trials, retrospective studies, case reports, and compassionate use studies were identified and evaluated for safety and efficacy of the pharmacologic agents.

Data Synthesis:

Steroid-refractory acute GVHD is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Although various pharmacologic agents have been studied in the treatment of steroid-refractory acute GVHD, no treatments have been established as a salvage therapy. Preliminary data on different pharmacologic agents have been identified and evaluated for their efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of steroid-refractory acute GVHD. The effects of the pharmacologic agents varied significantly among patients: severity of the disease, involvement of different organs, and the patient's age seem to be the major factors that affect an individual's response to drug therapy. In addition, the treatments are further challenged by the high incidence of potentially fatal opportunistic infections that occur during the therapy.

Conclusions:

Selection of pharmacologic agents for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute GVHD should be based on the target organs, adverse drug reactions, and economic factors. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to better understand the roles of these agents in the treatment of steroid-refractory acute GVHD.

Ruxolitinib in corticosteroid-refractory graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a multicenter survey

Despite major improvements in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation over the past decades, corticosteroid-refractory (SR) acute (a) and chronic (c) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) cause high mortality. Preclinical evidence indicates the potent anti-inflammatory properties of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib. In this retrospective survey, 19 stem cell transplant centers in Europe and the United States reported outcome data from 95 patients who had received ruxolitinib as salvage therapy for SR-GVHD. Patients were classified as having SR-aGVHD (n=54, all grades III or IV) or SR-cGVHD (n=41, all moderate or severe). The median number of previous GVHD-therapies was 3 for both SR-aGVHD (1-7) and SR-cGVHD (1-10). The overall response rate was 81.5% (44/54) in SR-aGVHD including 25 complete responses (46.3%), while for SR-cGVHD the ORR was 85.4% (35/41). Of those patients responding to ruxolitinib, the rate of GVHD-relapse was 6.8% (3/44) and 5.7% (2/35) for SR-aGVHD and SR-cGVHD, respectively. The 6-month-survival was 79% (67.3-90.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI)) and 97.4% (92.3-100%, 95% CI) for SR-aGVHD and SR-cGVHD, respectively. Cytopenia and cytomegalovirus-reactivation were observed during ruxolitinib treatment in both SR-aGVHD (30/54, 55.6% and 18/54, 33.3%) and SR-cGVHD (7/41, 17.1% and 6/41, 14.6%) patients. Ruxolitinib may constitute a promising new treatment option for SR-aGVHD and SR-cGVHD that should be validated in a prospective trial.

Tocilizumab for steroid refractory acute graft-versus-host disease

Acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) is a frequent and often lethal complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant despite prophylaxis. Tocilizumab is a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody that has evidence of activity in patients with steroid refractory (SR) GVHD. We retrospectively report on nine patients with grade 3 or 4 SR aGVHD who received tocilizumab. Eight mg/kg of tocilizumab was administered intravenously every 3-4 weeks. aGVHD grading and responses were based on consensus criteria. Median age at transplant was 48 years. Five patients had alternate donor sources. Median time from aGVHD onset to tocilizumab administration was 44 days. Two patients had complete responses and two had partial responses. Median survival from start of tocilizumab was 26 days (range 13-1054). Our limited experience demonstrated an overall response rate of 44% (CR + PR); however, this response was not durable. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal time for tocilizumab initiation.

Extracorporeal Photopheresis for Second-Line Treatment of Chronic Graft-versus-Host Diseases: Results from a Health Technology Assessment in Italy

OBJECTIVES

To develop a comparative, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact analysis of Therakos online extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) compared with the main alternatives used for the treatment of steroid-refractory/resistant chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) in Italy.

METHODS

The current therapeutic pathway was identified by searching medical databases and from the results of a survey of practice in Italian clinical reference centers. A systematic review was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of second-line alternatives. Budget impact and cost-effectiveness analyses were performed from the Italian National Health Service perspective over a 7-year time horizon through the adaption of a Markov model. The following health states were considered: complete and partial response, stable disease, and progression. A discount rate of 3% was applied to costs and outcomes.

RESULTS

The most common alternatives used in Italy for the management of steroid-refractory/resistant cGvHD were ECP, mycophenolate, pentostatin, and imatinib. The literature review highlighted that complete and partial responses are higher with ECP than with the alternatives while serious adverse events are less common. The economic analysis showed that Therakos online ECP represents the dominating alternative, in that it delivers greater benefit at a lower cost. In fact, according to the alternatives considered, cost saving ranged from €3237.09 to €19,903.51 per patient with 0.04 to 0.21 quality-adjusted life-year gained.

CONCLUSIONS

Therakos online ECP should be considered an effective, safe, and cost-effective alternative in steroid-refractory/resistant cGvHD. There is inequality in access, and a dedicated reimbursement tariff, however, should be introduced to overcome these barriers.

Extracorporeal photopheresis (photochemotherapy) in the treatment of acute and chronic graft versus host disease: immunological mechanisms and the results from clinical studies

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an immunomodulatory alternative for treatment of graft versus host disease (GVHD). The blood is then separated into its various components through apheresis; buffy coat cells are thereafter treated with 8-methoxypsoralen before exposure to ultraviolet light and finally reinfused into the patient. There is a general agreement that this treatment has an anti-GVHD effect, but the mechanisms of action behind this effect are only partly understood. However, altered maturation of dendritic cells (DC) and thereby indirect modulation of T-cell reactivity seems to be one important mechanism together with DC-presentation of antigens derived from apoptotic donor T cells and induction of regulatory T cells. The treatment has been best studied in patients with chronic GVHD (both pediatric and adult patients), but most studies are not randomized and it is difficult to know whether the treatment is more effective than the alternatives. The clinical studies of ECP in adults with acute GVHD are few and not randomized; it is not possible to judge whether this treatment should be a preferred second- or third-line treatment. There is no evidence for increased risk of leukemia relapse or suppression of specific graft versus leukemia reactivity by this treatment, so specific antileukemic immunotherapy may still be possible. Thus, even though the treatment seems effective in patients with GVHD, further clinical (especially randomized) as well as biological studies with careful standardization of the treatment are needed before it is possible to conclude how ECP should be used in acute and chronic GVHD.

Immunosuppressive effects of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells on graft-versus-host disease in rats following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major obstacle to successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT). While multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) demonstrate alloresponse in vitro and in vivo, they also have clinical applications toward prevention or treatment of GVHD. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of MSCs to prevent or treat GVHD in a rat BMT model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The GVHD model was established by transplantation of Sprague Dawley rats' bone marrow and spleen cells into lethally irradiated (950 cGy) SDxWistar rat recipients. A total of 49 rats were randomly assigned to 4 study and 3 control groups administered different GVHD prophylactic regimens including MSCs. After transplantation, clinical GVHD scores and survival status were monitored.

RESULTS

All irradiated and untreated control mice with GVHD died. MSCs inhibited lethal GVHD as efficiently as the standard GVHD prophylactic regimen. The gross and histopathological findings of GVHD and the ratio of CD4/CD8 expression decreased. The subgroup given MSCs displayed higher in vivo proportions of CD25+ T cells and plasma interleukin-2 levels as compared to conventional GVHD treatment after allo-BMT.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that clinical use of MSCs in both prophylaxis against and treatment of established GVHD is effective. This study supports the use of MSCs in the prophylaxis and treatment of GVHD after allo-BMT; however, large scale studies are needed.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None declared.

Advances in the treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been widely used for the treatment of hematologic malignant and non-malignant hematologic diseases and other diseases. However, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic transplantation. Acute GVHD may occur in 30% of transplant recipients, which is a syndrome of erythematous skin eruption, cholestatic liver disease and intestinal dysfunction, resulting from the activation of donor T lymphocytes by host antigen-presenting cells, resulting in an immune-mediated inflammatory response. Recent scientific advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis involved in the development of acute GVHD and clinical investigation have provided more effective therapeutic strategies for acute GVHD. This review focuses on major scientific and clinical advances in the treatment of acute GVHD.

Current practice in diagnosis and treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease: results from a survey among German-Austrian-Swiss hematopoietic stem cell transplant centers

To assess current clinical practice in diagnosis and treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), we performed a survey among German, Austrian, and Swiss allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) centers. Thirty-four of 72 contacted centers (47%) completed both the diagnostic and therapeutic sections of the survey, representing 65% of allo-HSCT activity within the participating countries in 2011. Three pediatric centers answered as requested only the diagnostic part of the survey. In the presence of diarrhea and decreased oral intake after engraftment, only 4 centers (12%) do not perform any endoscopy before the start of immunosuppressive treatment. In case of a skin rash with the differential diagnosis of drug reaction, only 12 centers (35%) perform a skin biopsy up front, whereas 19 do so after failure of systemic steroids. In the presence of rapidly increasing cholestasis occurring without any other signs of aGVHD, 11 centers (32%) perform a liver biopsy up front and 14 only after failure of steroid treatment, whereas 9 centers do not perform a liver biopsy at all. Twenty centers (59%) use a percutaneous approach, 12 a transvenous approach, and 1 mini-laparoscopy for liver biopsies. First-line treatment of cutaneous aGVHD stage 1 consists of topical treatment alone in 17 of 31 responding centers (61%), whereas isolated cutaneous aGVHD stage III is treated with systemic steroids (prednisolone below 0.5 mg/kg/day n = 2, 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg/day n = 10, above 1.0 to 2.5 mg/kg/day n = 19) without or with topical agents (steroids n = 10; calcineurin inhibitors n = 3). In gastrointestinal manifestations of aGVHD, 9 centers (29%) add topical to systemic steroids, and 3 consider topical steroids as the only treatment for mild gastrointestinal and cutaneous aGVHD. The choice of agent for second-line treatment as well as the sequence of administration are extremely heterogeneous, most likely due to a lack of convincing data published. Most frequently used are mycophenolate mofetil (n = 14) and extracorporeal photopheresis (n = 10). Our survey also demonstrates that clinicians chose salvage therapies for steroid-refractory aGVHD based on their centers' own clinical experience.

First- and second-line systemic treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease: recommendations of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Despite prophylaxis with immunosuppressive agents or a variety of other approaches, many patients suffer from acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Although consensus has emerged supporting the use of high-dose methylprednisolone or prednisone for initial treatment of aGVHD, practices differ among centers with respect to the initial glucocorticoid dose, the use of additional immunosuppressive agents, and the approach to withdrawal of treatment after initial improvement. Despite many studies, practices vary considerably with respect to the selection of agents for treatment of glucocorticoid-resistant or refractory GVHD. Investigators and clinicians have recognized the lack of progress and lamented the absence of an accepted standard of care for secondary treatment of aGVHD. The American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation has developed recommendations for treatment of aGVHD to be considered by care providers, based on a comprehensive and critical review of published reports. Because the literature provides little basis for a definitive guideline, this review also provides a framework for the interpretation of previous results and the design of future studies.

Secondary treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease: a critical review

Management of steroid-resistant or steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) poses one of the most vexing and difficult problems faced by transplantation physicians. In the current study, we used 10 criteria to evaluate 67 reports describing secondary treatment of patients with aGVHD. The goal of this exercise was not only to provide a critical summary of the literature but also to offer suggestions that could improve future studies. Areas especially in need of improvement include the use of a consistent treatment regimen, the assessment of response at a consistent prespecified time point, consideration of concomitant treatment in assessing response, documentation that selection bias was minimized, and the use of methods that test a formal statistical hypothesis based on a contemporaneous or historical benchmark. Our results suggest that previous published reports collectively offer little guidance in discerning the most effective treatments for patients with steroid-resistant or steroid-refractory aGVHD. Adherence to the proposed criteria in future reports would enable meaningful comparisons across studies and thereby accelerate progress in evaluating new treatments for patients with aGVHD.

Tocilizumab for the treatment of steroid refractory graft-versus-host disease

Corticosteroid refractory graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the major challenges in the management of allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients. Although numerous agents have been employed to treat this patient population, no standardized second-line therapy exists. In this study, we report our experience with the administration of tocilizumab, an anti-interleukin 6 receptor antibody, in the treatment of steroid refractory GVHD. Tocilizumab was administered to 8 patients with refractory acute (n = 6) or chronic GVHD (cGVHD) (n = 2) once every 3 to 4 weeks. The majority of patients with acute GVHD (aGVHD) had grade IV organ involvement of the skin or gastrointestinal tract, whereas both patients with cGVHD had long-standing severe skin sclerosis at the time of treatment. There were no allergic or infusion-related adverse events. Treatment was discontinued in one patient over concerns that tocilizumab may have worsened preexisting hyperbilirubinemia. Several patients also had transient elevations in serum transaminase values. Infections were the primary adverse events associated with tocilizumab administration. Four patients (67%) with aGVHD had either partial or complete responses apparent within the first 56 days of therapy. One patient with cGVHD had a significant response to therapy, whereas the second had stabilization of disease that allowed for a modest reduction in immune suppressive medications. These results indicate that tocilizumab has activity in the treatment of steroid refractory GVHD and warrants further investigation as a therapeutic option for this disorder.

Treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease: Past, present and future

Chronic GVHD was recognized as a complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation more than 30 years ago, but progress has been slowed by the limited insight into the pathogenesis of the disease and the mechanisms that lead to development of immunological tolerance. Only 6 randomized phase III treatment studies have been reported. Results of retrospective studies and prospective phase II clinical trials suggested overall benefit from treatment with mycophenolate mofetil or thalidomide, but these results were not substantiated by phase III studies of initial systemic treatment for chronic GVHD. A comprehensive review of published reports showed numerous deficiencies in studies of secondary treatment for chronic GVHD. Fewer than 10% of reports documented an effort to minimize patient selection bias, used a consistent treatment regimen, or tested a formal statistical hypothesis that was based on a contemporaneous or historical benchmark. In order to enable valid comparison of the results from different studies, eligibility criteria, definitions of individual organ and overall response, and time of assessment should be standardized. Improved treatments are more likely to emerge if reviewers and journal editors hold authors to higher standards in evaluating manuscripts for publication.

Use of mycophenolate mofetil in patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Japan

We evaluated the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in Japan from 1999 to 2008. MMF was administered to 301 patients, including 157 for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), 94 for the treatment of acute GVHD and 50 for the treatment of chronic GVHD. The three most common doses were 500 mg twice daily, 250 mg three times daily and 1,000 mg twice daily, given to 63, 54 and 45 patients, respectively. The incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 30.0% and grade III-IV was 20.0% in the GVHD prevention group. Among treated patients, disappearance or improvement of subjective symptoms occurred in 57.0% of acute GVHD patients and in 52.0% of chronic GVHD patients. With regard to safety, the following major adverse events (grade 3 or more) were recorded: 31 infections, 31 neutropenia, 28 thrombocytopenia, 25 diarrhea and 1 renal disorder. A total of 116 patients developed grade 3 or 4 adverse events, but 79 were successfully treated with supportive treatment. Thus, our findings suggest that MMF is safe and effective for the prevention and treatment of GVHD in patients who have received an allogeneic stem cell transplant.

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy after steroid pulse therapy for polyserositis related to graft-versus-host disease

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is a rare but devastating syndrome that occurs in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, and is associated with a variety of transplantation-related factors, including conditioning regimens, immunosuppressive agents, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and opportunistic infections. TA-TMA has an unfavorable prognosis and responds poorly to conventional treatment including plasma exchange (PE). We present a case of a 37-year-old man with membranous nephropathy (MN) and polyserositis caused by GVHD after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He developed TA-TMA after steroid pulse therapy for polyserositis. We treated the patient with PE and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) after which the TA-TMA successfully improved and the MN underwent complete remission. The present case suggests that corticosteroids with severe GVHD might increase the risk of TA-TMA, and that PE in combination with MMF may be a valuable therapy to improve the prognosis.

Mesenchymal stem cell as salvage treatment for refractory chronic GVHD

Refractory chronic GVHD (cGVHD) is an important complication after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT and is prognostic of poor outcome. MSCs are involved in tissue repair and modulating immune responses in vitro and in vivo. From April 2005 to October 2008, 19 patients with refractory cGVHD were treated with MSCs derived from the BM of volunteers. The median dose of MSCs was 0.6 × 10(6) cells per kg body weight. Fourteen of 19 patients (73.7%) responded well to MSCs, achieving a CR (n=4) or a PR (n=10). The immunosuppressive agent could be tapered to less than 50% of the starting dose in 5 of 14 surviving patients, and five patients could discontinue immunosuppressive agents. The median duration between MSC administration and immunosuppressive therapy discontinuation was 324 days (range, 200-550 days). No patients experienced adverse events during or immediately after MSC infusion. The 2-year survival rate was 77.7% in this study. Clinical improvement was accompanied by the increasing ratio of CD5+CD19+/CD5-CD19+ B cells and CD8+CD28-/CD8+CD28+ T cells. In conclusion, transfusion of MSCs expanded in vitro, irrespective of the donor, might be a safe and effective salvage therapy for patients with steroid-resistant, cGVHD.

Consensus Conference on Clinical Practice in Chronic GVHD: Second-Line Treatment of Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Steroid refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. Although first-line treatment of cGVHD is based on controlled trials, second-line treatment is almost solely based on phase II trials or retrospective analyses. The consensus conference on clinical practice in cGVHD held in Regensburg aimed to achieve a consensus on the current evidence of treatment options as well as to provide guidelines for daily clinical practice. Treatment modalities are the use of steroids and calcineurin inhibitors as well as immunomodulating modalities (photopheresis, mTOR-inhibitors, thalidomide, hydroxychloroquine, vitamin A analogs, clofazimine), and cytostatic agents (mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, pentostatin). Recent reports showed some efficacy of rituximab, alemtuzumab, and etanercept in selected patients. Moreover, tyrosine kinase inihibitors such as imatinib came into the field because of their ability to interfere with the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-R) pathway involved in fibrosis. An other treatment option is low-dose thoracoabdominal irradiation. Although different treatment options are available, the "trial-and-error system" remains the only way to identify the drug effective in the individual patient, and valid biomarkers are eagerly needed to identify the likelihood of response to a drug in advance. Moreover, the sparse evidence for most treatment entities indicates the urgent need for systematic evaluation of second-line treatment options in cGVHD.

Sirolimus for treatment of steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease

Acute GVHD (aGVHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic allograft recipients. The best therapy for patients failing to respond, or not tolerating, systemic glucocorticoids remains undefined. We evaluated the efficacy of sirolimus in 34 patients, median age of 49 (23-67) years, with steroid-refractory (n=31) or steroid-intolerant (n=3) aGVHD. aGVHD was diagnosed at a median of 34 (7-1042) days post allografting, and confirmed by biopsy in all cases. Initial aGVHD treatment consisted of prednisone up to 2 mg/kg. Sirolimus was initiated at a median of 9 (1-255) days after glucocorticoid initiation. A sirolimus loading dose was administered to 19 (56%) of 34 patients, median 6 (3-8) mg, followed by maintenance of 1-2 mg/day to target therapeutic trough levels between 4 and 12 ng/ml. Overall response rate was 76%. Fifteen (44%) of 34 patients achieved CR, defined as complete resolution of aGVHD sustained for at least 1 month, after sirolimus initiation without additional immunosuppressive agents. CR was achieved in 11 (42%) of 31 steroid-refractory and 2 (67%) of 3 steroid-intolerant patients. Median OS after initiation of sirolimus was 5.6 months, and 1-year OS was 44% (95% CI: 27-60%). Sirolimus is effective in controlling steroid-refractory aGVHD.

Evaluation of pentostatin in corticosteroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease in children: a Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium study

There is no standard therapy for steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This problem is particularly daunting in children with chronic GVHD, whereby the effects of the disease and its treatment may impair normal growth and development. Children are also particularly vulnerable to failure and/or toxicity of therapy; for example, joint contractures or joint damage may result in life-long disability. The Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium performed a phase 2 trial of pentostatin for steroid-refractory chronic GVHD in 51 children (median age, 9.8 years) from 24 institutions. Overall response was 53% (95% confidence interval, 40%-64%), with a response of 59% (95% confidence interval, 42%-75%) in sclerosis. Thirteen subjects (25%) had toxicity requiring them to stop pentostatin. The drug had a significant steroid-sparing effect in those that responded. A trend was also observed toward increased survival at 3 years in responders versus nonresponders (69% vs 50%; P = .06). The intravenous administration of the drug ensures compliance in a patient group in which oral therapy is difficult to monitor. Pentostatin has activity in refractory chronic GVHD in children, and future studies, including treatment of children newly diagnosed with high-risk chronic GVHD, are warranted. The trial was registered at www.Clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00144430.

Imatinib for refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease with fibrotic features

We previously reported that patients with fibrotic, chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) have antibodies activating the platelet-derived growth factor receptor pathway. Because this pathway can be inhibited by imatinib, we performed a pilot study including 19 patients with refractory cGVHD, given imatinib at a starting dose of 100 mg per day. All patients had active cGVHD with measurable involvement of skin or other districts and had previously failed at least 2 treatment lines. Patient median age was 29 years (range, 10-62 years), and median duration of cGvHD was 37 months (range, 4-107 months). The organs involved were skin (n = 17), lung (n = 11), and bowel (n = 5); 15 patients had sicca syndrome. Imatinib-related, grade 3 to 4 toxicity included fluid retention, infections, and anemia. Imatinib was discontinued in 8 patients: in 3 because of toxicity and in 5 because of lack of response (n = 3) or relapse of malignancy (n = 2). Overall response rate at 6 months was 79%, with 7 complete remissions (CRs) and 8 partial remissions (PRs). With a median follow-up of 17 months, 16 patients are alive, 14 still in CR or PR. The 18-month probability of overall survival is 84%. This study suggests that imatinib is a promising treatment for patients with refractory fibrotic cGVHD.

Successful treatment of steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver graft-vs-host disease with pulse cyclophosphamide

OBJECTIVE

Corticosteroid-resistant graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is difficult to manage and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. No standard treatment exists. We have previously seen good results with pulse cyclophosphamide (Cy) in the treatment of liver GVHD in contrast to gastrointestinal GVHD, and here we report results of pulse Cy protocol in the treatment of steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver GVHD, with no association to the gut.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cy was infused at a dose of 1,000 mg/m(2). Twenty-nine cyclophosphamide administrations were given to 21 patients. Median time of GVHD onset and Cy administration after transplantation, or donor lymphocyte infusion, were 58 and 69 days, respectively.

RESULTS

Eleven patients (52%) achieved complete remission and 6 patients (29%) achieved partial remission. Four patients (19%) did not respond, however, their condition stabilized and, upon additional therapy, three achieved partial remission and one complete remission. Overall survival of all 21 patients is 86%, with median and maximal follow-up of 33 and 81 months, respectively. Toxicity was mild and easily manageable without influencing chimerism or disease status.

CONCLUSIONS

Pulse Cy seems to be an effective treatment for steroid-refractory hepatitic variant of liver GVHD with a good toxicity profile, which may favor its use instead of drugs with more pronounced immunosuppressive effects.

Etanercept, mycophenolate, denileukin, or pentostatin plus corticosteroids for acute graft-versus-host disease: a randomized phase 2 trial from the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is the primary limitation of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Corticosteroids remain the standard initial therapy, yet only 25% to 41% of patients completely respond. This randomized, 4-arm, phase 2 trial was designed to identify the most promising agent(s) for initial therapy for aGVHD. Patients were randomized to receive methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg per day plus etanercept, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), denileukin diftitox (denileukin), or pentostatin. Patients (n = 180) were randomized; their median age was 50 years (range, 7.5-70 years). Myeloablative conditioning represented 66% of transplants. Grafts were peripheral blood (61%), bone marrow (25%), or umbilical cord blood (14%); 53% were from unrelated donors. Patients who received MMF for prophylaxis (24%) were randomized to a non-MMF arm. At randomization, aGVHD was grade I to II (68%), III to IV (32%), and (53%) had visceral organ involvement. Day 28 complete response rates were etanercept 26%, MMF 60%, denileukin 53%, and pentostatin 38%. Corresponding 9-month overall survival was 47%, 64%, 49%, and 47%, respectively. Cumulative incidences of severe infections were as follows: etanercept 48%, MMF 44%, denileukin 62%, and pentostatin 57%. Efficacy and toxicity data suggest the use of MMF plus corticosteroids is the most promising regimen to compare against corticosteroids alone in a definitive phase 3 trial. This study is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00224874.

Skin response using NIH consensus criteria vs Hopkins scale in a phase II study for steroid-refractory chronic GVHD

One of the obstacles to chronic GVHD research is the lack of standardized response criteria. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has recommended response criteria at a Consensus Conference. These need to be validated. We recently completed and reported a trial of pentostatin in treating steroid-refractory chronic GVHD. During the trial, we prospectively collected percent body-surface-area (BSA) involvement of rash, superficial sclerosis and deep sclerosis. Here, we compare cutaneous responses using the NIH scale and the Hopkins scale. The two scales produced similar overall response rates but different domain response rates. There was 80% agreement in overall response at the final treatment evaluation, but only a 64% agreement for fasciitis/non-moveable sclerosis. There was more disparity in the measurement of sclerosis than in that of erythema, which highlights the difficulty of quantifying sclerosis. For sclerosis, the Hopkins scale, which used skin softening, was more predictive of early response as compared with the NIH scale, which focused on percent BSA. Early assessment of skin softening may be important if trying to detect the activity of a particular agent in chronic GVHD. Further validation of the NIH scale is ongoing, which should produce a clinically useful and predictive scale.