Efficacy analysis of anti-thymocyte globulin regimens with different timing strategies for matched sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To compare the effects of two administration time strategies for rabbit antihuman thymocyte immunoglobulin (rATG) of 5mg/kg total dose in matched sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MSD-HSCT) . Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 32 patients who received MSD-HSCT with 5 mg/kg rATG conditioning regimen at the Department of Hematology of the First Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital from October 2020 to April 2022. The patients were classified into two groups: the 4d-rATG group (16 cases), who received antithymocyte globulin (ATG) from day -5 to day -2, and the 2d-rATG group (16 cases), who received ATG from day -5 to day -4. Between the two groups, the transplantation outcomes, serum concentrations of active antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in patients from -4 days to 28 days after graft infusion (+28 days), and the reconstitution of lymphocyte subsets on days +30, +60, and +90 were compared. Results: The cumulative incidences of acute graft-versus-host disease at 100 days after graft infusion were 25.0% (95% CI 7.8% -47.2% ) and 18.8% (95% CI 4.6% -40.2% ) (P=0.605) in the 4d-rATG group and 2d-rATG group, respectively. The 1-year cumulative incidences of chronic graft-versus-host disease were 25.9% (95% CI 8.0% -48.6% ) and 21.8% (95% CI 5.2% -45.7% ) (P=0.896). The 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 37.5% (95% CI 18.9% -65.1% ) and 14.6% (95% CI 3.6% -46.0% ) (P=0.135), and the 1-year probabilities of overall survival were 75.0% (95% CI 46.3% -89.8% ) and 100% (P=0.062). The total area under the curve (AUC) of serum active ATG was 36.11 UE/ml·d and 35.89 UE/ml·d in the 4d-rATG and 2d-rATG groups, respectively (P=0.984). The AUC was higher in the 4d-rATG group than that in the 2d-rATG group (20.76 UE/ml·d vs 15.95 UE/ml·d, P=0.047). Three months after graft infusion, the average absolute count of CD8(+) T lymphocytes in the 4d-rATG group was lower than that in the 2d-rATG group (623 cells/μl vs 852 cells/μl, P=0.037) . Conclusion: The efficiencies of GVHD prophylaxis in MSD-PBSCT receiving 4d-ATG regimen and the 2d-rATG regimen were found to be similar. The reconstruction of CD8(+)T lymphocytes in the 2d-rATG group was better than that in the 4d-rATG group, which is related to the lower AUC of active ATG after transplantation.

Treatment of severe aplastic anemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 器官移植

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a severe bone marrow failure syndrome caused by multiple causes, which is clinically manifested with severe anemia, infection and bleeding. The complex pathogenesis of SAA has not been fully understood. SAA is characterized with acute onset, severe disease condition and rapid progression. At present, with the in-depth study of SAA and the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the therapeutic strategy for SAA has been evolved from classical immunosuppressive therapy based on antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine to the application of thrombopoietin receptor agonist and combined treatment based on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which may promote the reconstruction of hematopoietic function of SAA patients to varying degree and significantly improve survival and clinical prognosis, becoming the research hotspot of SAA treatment. In this article, new advances in the treatment of SAA at home and abroad were reviewed.

Successful treatment of acute leukemia by secondary transplantation after the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation failure / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of secondary transplantation for patients with acute leukemia after failure of the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Methods Two acute leukemia patients underwent the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from two donors with thalassemia, and the number of collected CD34+ cells was 2.57×106/kg and 1.99×106/kg per donor, respectively. The first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation failed. Secondary transplantation was performed from two non-thalassemia donors, and the number of collected CD34+ cells was 4.28×106/kg and 5.75×106/kg per donor, respectively. A reduced-intensity conditioning regimen consisting of fludarabine (Flu), busulfan (Bu) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) was adopted for the secondary transplantation. Results For two recipients, the time of secondary transplantation of neutrophil and platelet was +12 d and +10 d, +10 d and +10 d, respectively. Up to the final follow-up (+1 062 d and +265 d after secondary transplantation), the primary diseases of both two recipients have been completely relieved without evident post-transplantation complications. Conclusions Secondary transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning regimen may successfully treat acute leukemia after failure of the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Expert consensus on perioperative nursing standards for pediatric kidney transplantation / 器官移植

Pediatric kidney transplant recipients differ from adult counterparts in primary disease, physiology, psychology, organ function and immune status and their perioperative treatment and nursing management are different from those of adult kidney transplantation. To standardize holistic perioperative nursing regimens for pediatric kidney transplantation, Surgery Nursing Committee of Shanghai Nursing Association organized national medical and nursing experts in the fields of transplantation to jointly draft "expert consensus on perioperative nursing standards for pediatric kidney transplantation " (abbreviated as "consensus"). After three rounds of online expert inquiry, all revised opinions were jointly discussed combined with literature evidence, and the expert consensus was finally reached. The highlights of perioperative treatment and nursing care for pediatric kidney transplantation were summarized and stated, including preoperative evaluation, preoperative and postoperative nursing care, which were of scientific and practical value.

Diagnosis and Management of Acquired Aplastic Anemia: Consensus Statement of Indian Academy of Pediatrics

Justification: In India, there is a lack of uniformity of treatment strategies for aplastic anemia (AA), and many children are managed only with supportive care due to non-availability of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Process: Eminent national faculty members were invited to participate in the process of forming a consensus statement in Hyderabad in July, 2016. Draft guidelines were circulated to all members, and comments received in a online meeting in October, 2020 were incorporated into the final draft. These were approved by all experts. Objective: To facilitate appropriate management of children with acquired aplastic anemia. Recommendations: Key recommendations are: i) A bone marrow biopsy is must to make a diagnosis of AA; ii) Rule out inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS), connective tissue disorders, viral infections, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), drug or heavy metal induced marrow suppression in all cases of AA; iii) Conservative approach to transfusions should be followed, with a target to keep hemoglobin >6 g/dL in children with no co-morbidities; iv) HLA-matched sibling donor HSCT is the preferred choice of treatment for newly diagnosed very severe/ severe AA; v) In absence of HLA-matched family donor, a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant or immunosuppressive therapy (IST) should be considered as alternate choice based on physician expertise; vi) Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) based conditioning with cyclosporine and methotrexate as graft versus host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis is the preferred regimen; vii) Horse ATG and cyclosporine are the recommended drugs for IST. One should wait for 3-6 months for the response assessment and consideration of next line therapy.

Pharmacokinetic study of anti-human T-cell porcine immunoglobulin combined with cyclosporine A immunosuppressive therapy in patients with severe aplastic anemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To study the metabolic characteristics of anti-human T-cell porcine immunoglobulin (p-ATG) in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) . Methods: For patients with SAA treated with p-ATG combined cyclosporine A (CsA) immunosuppressants between February 2017 and December 2017, the p-ATG dose was 20 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) over 12 h of intravenous administration for 5 consecutive days. The blood concentration of p-ATG was detected by the three-antibody sandwich ELISA method, the pharmacokinetic analysis software was fitted, and the second-chamber model method was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters and plot the pharmacokinetic curve. Adverse events were recorded and the hematologic reactions were determined at 6 months after treatment. Results: Sixteen patients with SAA treated with p-ATG were enrolled, including 8 females and 8 males, with a median age of 22 years (range, 12 to 49 years) and a median weight of 62.5 kg (range, 37.5 to 82.0 kg) . The pharmacokinetics of p-ATG could be evaluated in 14 cases. p-ATG is distributed in vivo as a two-chamber model, with an average drug concentration peak (T(max)) of (5.786±2.486) days, a peak concentration (C(max)) of (616±452) mg/L, and a half-life of (10.479±8.242) days. The area under the drug time curve (AUC) was (5.807±3.236) mg/L·d. Six months after treatment, 8 of 14 patients received a hematologic response; the AUC (0-t) of the effective group and ineffective groups was (7.50±3.26) mg/L·d vs (4.50±2.18) mg/L·d, and the C(max) was (627±476) mg/L vs (584±382) mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: The plasma concentration of p-ATG reached a peak after 5 days of continuous infusion, and then decreased slowly, with a half-life of 10.479 days, and the residual drug concentration was detected in the body 60 days after administration. A relationship between drug metabolism and efficacy and adverse reactions could not be determined.

Protein A immunoadsorption in the treatment of de novo DSA-mediated acute rejection after lung transplantation / 器官移植

Objective To investigate the treatment on de novo donor specific antibody (dnDSA) mediated acute rejection after lung transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 1 recipient with antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) early after lung transplantation was retrospectively analyzed. The process of diagnosis and treatment were assessed. Results The recipient underwent right lung transplantation due to systemic sclerosis-associated end-stage interstitial lung disease. Preoperatively, classⅠ panel reactive antibody (PRA) was positive (11%). No pretreatment was given before transplantation. Antithymocyte globulin induction therapy was delivered on the day of transplantation and postoperatively. The recipient was properly recovered early after transplantation. Chest tightness and shortness of breath occurred at postoperative 13 d, which were progressively worsened and rapidly progressed into type Ⅰ respiratory failure. Class Ⅰ PRA was increased to 58%, and dnDSA was observed at the loci of A24: 02. The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) was 2 110. According to the guidelines of International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the recipient was diagnosed as possible AMR. After comprehensive treatment including plasmapheresis, protein A immunoadsorption, glucocorticoid pulse, rituximab and immunoglobulin intravenous drip, the PRA and DSA levels were gradually decreased, and the MFI of DSA was 0 at postoperative 20 d. Clinical condition of the recipient was gradually improved. The dyspnea was healed, shortness of breath was eased, respiratory failure was treated, and pulmonary effusion was gradually absorbed. At postoperative 45 d, the recipient was discharged after full recovery. During 1-year follow-up, the recipient was physically stable and obtained normal quality of life. Class Ⅰ PRA was 5%, and class Ⅱ PRA was negative. No DSA was noted. Conclusions Based on traditional drug therapy, supplement of protein A immunoadsorption therapy may effectively eliminate DSA from the circulating blood of the recipient and mitigate the damage of target organs. Ideal short- and long-term prognosis may be achieved. Traditional drug therapy combined with immunoadsorption may yield ideal efficacy in treating AMR after lung transplantation.

Efficacy and safety of basiliximab and antithymocyte globulin in immune induction in kidney transplantation: a Meta-analysis / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of basiliximab (BAS) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in immune induction therapy in kidney transplantation by systematic review and Meta-analysis. Methods Prospective randomized controlled clinical trials screening and comparing BAS and ATG in immune induction therapy in kidney transplantation were systematically searched from global databases, screened and compared. The quality of clinical trials was evaluated by Jadad scoring system and data extraction was performed. The effects of BAS and ATG on the incidence of acute rejection, survival rate of kidney allografts, survival rate of recipients, incidence of delayed graft function, infection, cytomegalovirus infection, malignant tumor, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia at 1 year after kidney transplantation were analyzed. Results A total of 10 clinical trials in English consisting of 1 721 kidney transplant recipients were searched, including 883 cases in the ATG group and 838 cases in the BAS group. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of acute rejection, survival rate of kidney allografts, survival rate of recipients, incidence of delayed graft function, infection, cytomegalovirus infection and thrombocytopenia at postoperative 1 year between the ATG and BAS groups (all P > 0.05). The incidence of malignant tumor and leukopenia at postoperative 1 year in the ATG group were significantly higher than those in the BAS group (both P < 0.05). Conclusions The use of ATG and BAS for immune induction therapy in kidney transplantation yield equivalent efficacy at postoperative 1 year, but BAS is safer than ATG. Clinical trials related to stratified analyses of immune risk are urgently required to achieve individualized precision treatment.

Application progress of individualized immune induction therapy in kidney transplantation / 器官移植

The risk of early acute rejection after kidney transplantation is relatively high, which severely affects the quality of life of the recipients. In 2009, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) recommended that immune inducers should be included in the immune-inducing regime before kidney transplantation, aiming to provide certain strength of immunosuppression during this critical phase and effectively reduce the incidence of acute rejection following kidney transplantation. At present, the selection, efficacy and safety of immune inducers remain controversial among transplantation centers around the world. In this article, clinical efficacy of monoclonal antibodies including interleukin-2 receptor antagonist, alemtuzumab, rituximab and polyclonal antibody antithymocyte globulin in immune induction therapy before kidney transplantation were compared and literature review was performed at home and abroad, aiming to provide reference for promoting the individualized selection of immune inducers for kidney transplantation and improving the quality of life of recipients.

Clinical application progress of immune induction regimen for kidney transplantation / 器官移植

With the development of immunosuppressants and optimization of immunosuppressive regimens, the survival rates of kidney transplant recipients and grafts have been significantly increased, whereas the incidence of acute rejection and delayed graft function have also been significantly reduced. However, the standard triple immunosuppressive regimen (calcineurin inhibitor+antimetabolite+glucocorticoid) still cannot effectively control the rejection of transplant kidney. Consequently, immune induction before transplantation has been proposed. Immune induction therapy may delay the application time and reduce the dosage of calcineurin inhibitor, lower the incidence of short-term acute rejection after operation, and improve the middle- and long-term prognosis of the recipients. In this article, research progresses on monoclonal antibody-based immune induction regimen, polyclonal antibody-based immune induction regimen and mesenchymal stem cell-based immune induction regime were investigated, aiming to provide reference for optimizing the immune induction regime for kidney transplantation.

Similar transplant outcomes between haploidentical and unrelated donors after reduced-intensity conditioning with busulfan, fludarabine, and anti-thymocyte globulin in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome

BACKGROUND: Although T-cell-replete hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from haploidentical donors (HIDs) using anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) has shown promising outcomes, previous studies often adopted heterogenous graft sources and conditioning.METHODS: We retrospectively compared HCT outcomes from 62 HIDs, 36 partially-matched unrelated donors (PUDs), and 55 matched unrelated donors (MUDs) in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome using the same graft source of peripheral blood and a reduced intensity conditioning of busulfan, fludarabine, and ATG.RESULTS: The estimates of 3-yr disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were not significantly different among the MUD, HID, and PUD groups, at 46%, “41%, and 36%” for the DFS rate (P=0.844), and 55%, 45%, and 45% for the OS rate (P=0.802), respectively. Cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality at 3 yr was similar among different donor types. Subsequent multivariable analyses showed that the sex of the patient (male) and a high/very high disease risk index were independently associated with poorer DFS and OS, while the donor type was not.CONCLUSION: T-cell replete HCT from HIDs using an ATG-containing reduced intensity conditioning regimen may be a reasonable option in the absence of matched related donors in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.

Treatment progress of severe aplastic anemia / 器官移植

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a rare type of bone marrow hematopoietic failure, which is associated with toxic T lymphocyte-based immune dysfunction, abnormal hematopoietic microenvironment and damage of hematopoietic stem cells in patients. SAA characterized by acute onset, rapid progression and high mortality rate, which requires rapid and stable recovery of the patients' hematopoietic function. In this article, the therapeutic progresses on immunosuppressive therapy (IST), sibling human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched allogenetic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), replacement of donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and unrelated umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (UCBT) for SAA were reviewed.

Anti-thymocyte globulin in haematology: Recent developments

Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is a polyclonal antiserum introduced into clinical medicine more than 30 years ago. It induces a broad non-specific immunosuppression. In haematology, standard indications are severe aplastic anaemia and prophylaxis and treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (after allogeneic transplantation). For aplastic anaemia, ATG from horses has been found to be superior to ATG from rabbits. In the situation of allogeneic transplantation, ATG lessens the risk of chronic GVHD but may not improve survival. There is current controversy regarding which patients benefit most from ATG and what the ideal dosage is. It is likely that in the coming years a more specific immunosuppressive will be developed that will minimize GVHD while maintaining the graft-versus-malignancy effect.

Effect of different induction therapies on the clinical outcomes of ABO-incompatible living donor kidney transplantation recipients / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of low-dose rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG ) vs basiliximab as induction therapy in recipients of ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation (ABOi-KT) .Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted for e the clinical data of 40 ABOi-KT recipients between March 2017 and March 2019 .17 recipients of them received induction therapy with basiliximab (basiliximab group) while another 23 recipients received low-dose rATG (rATG group ,rATG 25 mg/d × 3 d) .During a median follow-up period of 282 days , the data of serum creatinine and eGFR at 1 week and 1 month ,graft survival rate and complication rate of two groups were compared .Results No significant difference existed in age ,gender ,dialytic modality/ duration , blood groups of recipients , HLA mis-match , blood group antibody titers , dose of rituximab ,blood groups of donors or donor age ( P > 0 .05 ) . The times of double filtration plasmapheresis in Basiliximab group were more (P< 0 .05) .No significant difference existed in serum creatinine and eGFR at 1 week or 1 month ( P > 0 .05 ) . No significant difference existed in graft survival rate . No significant difference existed in rate of acute rejection ,parvovirus B19 infection , urinary tract infection or hematoma .Conclusions Low-dose of rATG is as effective as basiliximab for ABOi-KT recipients .And rATG does not increase the rate of infection .

Application of low-dose ATG for GVHD prophylaxis in patients undergoing PBSCT aged over forty years old / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a novel GVHD prophylaxis regimen containing low-dose anti-T lymphocyte globulin (ATG) in patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from HLA-matched sibling donors (MSD) given both the patients and donors were aged over forty years old. Methods: From March 2013 to April 2017, 98 patients with hematologic malignancies were enrolled in the study. Standard GVHD prophylaxis consisted of the administration of cyclosporine A/tacrolimus and a short course of methotrexate. In ATG group, 43 patients received low-dose rabbit ATG (Sanofi, 1.5 mg/kg per day for 3 consecutive days) before PBSCT. A retrospective matched-pair analysis was performed and 55 matched controls were available. The therapeutic process and clinical outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Results: ①Neutrophil engraftment was achieved earlier in ATG group than the control one [13(11-17)d vs 14(12-24)d, P=0.001]. The time to platelet engraftment was similar between the two groups [14(11-43)d vs 15(11-42)d, P=0.071]. ②The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was significantly lower in ATG group [25.6% (95%CI 13.7%-39.3%) vs 49.1% (95%CI 35.2%-61.6%), P=0.018]. The incidences of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD [18.6% (95%CI 8.6%-31.5%) vs 23.6% (95%CI 13.4%-35.6%), P=0.509] and cGVHD [49.6% (95% CI 31.6%-65.3%) vs 56.4% (95% CI 41.4%-69.0%), P=0.221] were not significantly different between the two groups. ③The 1-year cumulative incidence of CMV viremia was similar between the two groups [21.1%(95%CI 10.3%-34.5%) vs 31.1% (95%CI 18.8%-44.2%), P=0.429]. ④The cumulative incidences of disease relapse [24.0%(95%CI 11.5%-38.9%) vs 24.0% (95% CI 12.1%-38.2%), P=0.608), non-relapse mortality [10.2% (95% CI 3.1%-22.1%) vs 21.6% (95% CI 9.4%-37.0%), P=0.411] and DFS [65.8% (95%CI 50.3%-81.3%) vs 54.4% (95%CI 37.7%-71.1%), P=0.955] were comparable between the two groups. 2-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in ATG group than the control one [83.8% (95% CI 71.8%-90.0%) vs 58.0% (95% CI 42.2%-73.9%), P=0.019]. Conclusion: The addition of low-dose ATG decreased the incidence of aGVHD and improved OS. The incidences of viral infections and disease relapse remained to be similar between the two groups. These results suggested that elderly patients undergoing MSD-PBSCT may benefit from this low-dose ATG containing GVHD prophylaxis regimen.

Application of low-dose ATG for GVHD prophylaxis in patients undergoing PBSCT aged over forty years old / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To explore the effectiveness of a novel GVHD prophylaxis regimen containing low-dose anti-T lymphocyte globulin (ATG) in patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from HLA-matched sibling donors (MSD) given both the patients and donors were aged over forty years old.@*Methods@#From March 2013 to April 2017, 98 patients with hematologic malignancies were enrolled in the study. Standard GVHD prophylaxis consisted of the administration of cyclosporine A/tacrolimus and a short course of methotrexate. In ATG group, 43 patients received low-dose rabbit ATG (Sanofi, 1.5 mg/kg per day for 3 consecutive days) before PBSCT. A retrospective matched-pair analysis was performed and 55 matched controls were available. The therapeutic process and clinical outcome were retrospectively analyzed.@*Results@#①Neutrophil engraftment was achieved earlier in ATG group than the control one [13(11-17)d vs 14(12-24)d, P=0.001]. The time to platelet engraftment was similar between the two groups [14(11-43)d vs 15(11-42)d, P=0.071]. ②The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was significantly lower in ATG group [25.6% (95%CI 13.7%-39.3%) vs 49.1% (95%CI 35.2%-61.6%), P=0.018]. The incidences of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD [18.6% (95%CI 8.6%-31.5%) vs 23.6% (95%CI 13.4%-35.6%), P=0.509] and cGVHD [49.6% (95% CI 31.6%-65.3%) vs 56.4% (95% CI 41.4%-69.0%), P=0.221] were not significantly different between the two groups. ③The 1-year cumulative incidence of CMV viremia was similar between the two groups [21.1%(95%CI 10.3%-34.5%) vs 31.1% (95%CI 18.8%-44.2%), P=0.429]. ④The cumulative incidences of disease relapse [24.0%(95%CI 11.5%-38.9%) vs 24.0% (95% CI 12.1%-38.2%), P=0.608), non-relapse mortality [10.2% (95% CI 3.1%-22.1%) vs 21.6% (95% CI 9.4%-37.0%), P=0.411] and DFS [65.8% (95%CI 50.3%-81.3%) vs 54.4% (95%CI 37.7%-71.1%), P=0.955] were comparable between the two groups. 2-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in ATG group than the control one [83.8% (95% CI 71.8%-90.0%) vs 58.0% (95% CI 42.2%-73.9%), P=0.019].@*Conclusion@#The addition of low-dose ATG decreased the incidence of aGVHD and improved OS. The incidences of viral infections and disease relapse remained to be similar between the two groups. These results suggested that elderly patients undergoing MSD-PBSCT may benefit from this low-dose ATG containing GVHD prophylaxis regimen.

Does anti-thymocyte globulin have a place in busulfan/fludarabine conditioning for matched related donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is controversy about the prophylactic effect of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) on graft versus host disease (GVHD) in the setting of matched related-donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This study assessed the inf luences of ATG on the incidences of acute and chronic GVHD and other clinical outcomes in matched related-donor HSCT. METHODS: Sixty-one patients received allogeneic HSCT from human leukocyte antigen-matched, related donors. Patients received busulfan/fludarabine conditioning regimens and standard GVHD prophylaxis with or without additional ATG. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the cumulative incidences of overall acute GVHD, grade II to IV acute GVHD at day 100, and chronic GVHD during the follow-up period between the ATG and non-ATG groups. Three-year overall survival rates were very similar, but three year disease-free survival of the non-ATG group was higher than that of the ATG group (56.2% for ATG vs. 63.1% for non-ATG, p = 0.597). Relapse rate at 3 years in the ATG group was slightly higher than that of the non-ATG group (37.5% vs. 20%, p = 0.29). Non-relapse mortality rate at 3 years was lower in the ATG group (6.25% vs. 15.6%, p = 0.668). CONCLUSIONS: Although the addition of ATG doesn't guarantee a reduction in the incidences of acute and chronic GVHD, pre-transplantation ATG may result in lower non-relapse mortality in the context of matched related-donor HSCT with a busulfan/fludarabine conditioning regimen. However, caution is needed when using ATG because of a possibility to increase relapse rate.

Relationship between helper T cell 17/regulatory T cells balance and acute graft versus host disease after allogeneic hematopoieticstem cell transplantation / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To investigate the relationship between the helper T cell 17 (TH 17)/ Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) balance in peripheral blood with acute graft-versus-host reaction (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT),as well as the impact of anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) on helper T cells in peripheral blood.Method Seventyeight hematologic patients underwent allo-HSCT,conditioning with or without ATG.Ten healthy volunteers severed as a control group.The helper T and regulatory T cells in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry.Enzyme-linked irnmunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum concentrations of interleukin(IL)-17,IL-21,IL22,IL23,γ interferon (IFN-γ),and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1).Result The percentage of Treg cells,TH17 cells and ratio of TH17/Treg cells in patients without aGVHD showed no significant difference from the healthy controls (P＞ 0.05).As compared with control group and non aGVHD group,the ratio of Treg cells was increased,the percentage of TH 17 cells,and TH 17/Treg cells were significantly increased in 1-2-degree aGVHD group (P＜0.01).With increased degree of aGVHD,the difference as above was more significant in 3-4-degree aGVHD recipients (P＜0.01).In aGVHD group,the IL-17,IL-23,IL-21 and IFN-γ concentrations were higher than the healthy group (P＜0.01) and non-aGVHD group (P＜0.05).Serum TGF-β1 level in aGVHD group was significantly decreased as compared with healthy group and non-GVHD group (P＜0.05),while IL-22 concentrations showed no statistically significant difference among three groups (P＞0.05).In anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG) pretreatment group,the absolute count of peripheral blood lymphocytes was less than in healthy control group (P＜0.01).In ATG group,the absolute counts of TH1 cells,TH17 cells,CD3+ CD4+ cells and non-TH1/17 cells were less than in non-ATG group (P =0.0000),while the absolute counts of lymphocytes,CD3+ CD4-cells,and TH 1/17 cells were less than in non-ATG group,but there was significant difference (P＞0.05).Conclusion The balance of TH 17/Treg cells and related cytokines were closely associated with aGVHD after allo-HSCT,and ATG influences the reconstruction of TH 17 and Th1 cells at early stage.

Evaluation of the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy with rabbit-antithymocyte globulin combined with Cyclosporine in children with severe aplastic anemia / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and adverse reaction of the first line therapy with rabbit-antithymocyte globulin (ATG) combined with Cyclosporine (CsA) in children with acquired severe aplastic anemia.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed.The clinical data included 44 children with acquired severe aplastic anemia treated with ATG combined with CsA in Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University between June 2006 and December 2013.The SPSS 19.0 statistical package was used for data analysis.Results Sixteen cases were severe aplastic anemia,and 28 cases were very severe aplastic anemia.The median age of treatment with ATG was 8 years old and 10 months.The median follow-up period was 24 months.The hematologic response rate was 66％ (29/44 cases) in 6 months after ATG treatment,and the overall response rate was 77％ (34/44 cases) at the endpoint of follow-up.The median time of partial remission (PR) was 3 months,of complete remission (CR) was 12 months.Eighty-five percent (29/34 cases)effective cases achieved PR during 6 months,while 56％ (15/27 cases)cases achieved CR in 12 months.There was no significant difference between the response rate with ATG treatment and gender,severity of disease,age,interval from clinical onset to ATG treatment,and ratio of CD4 +/CD8 +.The response rate in children without serum sickness was superior to that with serum disease(P =0.006).Thirty-four cases (77％) manifested immediate side-effects with ATG infusion.The side-effects included fever,chill,rash,gastrointestinal distress and irritable cough.The overall 2-year survival rate was 87.3％ (39/44 cases) and the 2-year transplantation-free survival rate was 82.5％ (37/44 cases) (x2 =0.34,P =0.56).Conclusions The response rate with rabbit-ATG combined with CsA in children with acquired severe aplastic anemia was 77％.The adverse reactions were minor.The immunosuppressive therapy should begin as soon as possible in children without chance for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.