Continuous infusion cyclosporine and nifedipine to day +100 with short methotrexate and steroids as GVHD prophylaxis in unrelated donor transplants

Unrelated donor marrow transplantation is associated with an increased incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) compared with sibling donor transplants. Forty-one patients undergoing unrelated donor transplants were treated with a GVHD prophylaxis regimen that consisted of continuous infusion cyclosporine from day -1 to 100 days post transplant along with nifedipine, glucocorticoids and short-course methotrexate. The regimen was well-tolerated in this cohort with mostly high risk disease. Fifty-one percent of patients developed acute GVHD, which was grade III-IV in 22% of patients. Six of 22 patients at risk for chronic GVHD developed extensive chronic GVHD, five of whom were adults. In patients <18 years of age, there was a >40% chance of 2 year disease-free survival. Use of continuous infusion cyclosporine with nifedipine as an immunosuppressant and protectant against cyclosporine-induced toxicities in unrelated donor transplants is well-tolerated, and results in acute GVHD incidence favorable to that reported with bolus cyclosporine.