ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of posaconazole for preventing invasive fungal disease (IFD) in the aplastic anemia patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods A total of 46 aplastic anemia patients received allogeneic HSCT. They were treated with oral posaconazole 200 mg, three times a day from HSCT pretreatment to granulocyte recovery after transplantation. G test and GM test were done 1, 2 and 4 weeks after the end of posaconazole treatment, and chest CT scan repeated 4 weeks after the end of posaconazole treatment. Posaconazole prophylaxis was defined as successful if there were no clinical manifestations indicative of fungal infection. Results All the 46 patients experienced neutropenia. The median of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) nadir was 0.02 (0-0.05)×109/L for a median time of 10 (8-19) days. The median duration of posaconazole prophylaxis was 26 (15-41) days. Neutropenic fever was reported in 45 patients, which lasted a median time of 5 (1-13) days. Six patients (13.3％ of the patients with neutropenic fever) failed to respond to the empirical treatment of broad spectrum antibiotics with persistent fever over 7 days. Their treatment was switched to short-term empirical treatment with broad spectrum antifungal agents. However, subsequent G test, GM test and chest CT showed negative results. None of the six patient was consistent with IFD diagnosis. Breakthrough fungal infection was not considered. Oral posaconazole solution was resumed for preventing IFD. G test, GM test and chest CT scan did not show any sign of fungal infection 1, 2 and 4 weeks after the end of posaconazole prophylactic treatment in all the 46 patients, proving the success of oral posaconazole in preventing IFD. Posaconazole was not discontinued due to adverse drug reaction in any patient. Conclusions Posaconazole is effective for preventing IFD in the aplastic anemia patients receiving HSCT with good safety profile and few adverse reactions.