Hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: risk factors, graft source and survival.

Although hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a common complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), its risk factors and effects on survival are not well known. We evaluated HC in a large cohort (n=1321, 2003-2012) receiving alloHCT from all graft sources, including umbilical cord blood (UCB). We compared HC patients with non-HC (control) patients and examined clinical variables at HC onset and resolution. Of these 1321 patients, 219 (16.6%) developed HC at a median of 22 days after alloHCT. BK viruria was detected in 90% of 109 tested HC patients. Median duration of HC was 27 days. At the time of HC diagnosis, acute GVHD, fever, severe thrombocytopenia and steroid use were more frequent than at the time of HC resolution. In univariate analysis, male sex, age <20 years, myeloablative conditioning with cyclophosphamide and acute GVHD were associated with HC. In multivariate analysis, HC was significantly more common in males and HLA-mismatched UCB graft recipients. Severe grade HC (grade III-IV) was associated with increased treatment-related mortality but not with overall survival at 1 year. HC remains hazardous and therefore better prophylaxis, and early interventions to limit its severity are still needed.

Higher therapeutic CsA levels early post transplantation reduce risk of acute GVHD and improves survival.

We studied whether early CsA trough levels were associated with the risk of acute GVHD in 337 patients after either sibling PBSC or double umbilical cord blood transplantation. All patients, regardless of donor type, started CsA at a dose of 5 mg/kg i.v. divided twice daily, targeting trough concentrations 200-400 ng/mL. The CsA level was studied by a weighted average method calculated by giving 70% of the weight to the level that was measured just before the onset of the event or day +30. We found that higher weighted average CsA trough levels early post transplantation contributed to lower risk of acute GVHD, and lower non-relapse and overall mortality. Thus, our data support close monitoring with active adjustments of CsA dosing to maintain therapeutic CsA levels in the first weeks of allo-HCT. In patients who are near or even modestly above the CsA target trough level, in the absence of CsA-related toxicity, dose reduction should be cautious to avoid subtherapeutic drug levels resulting in higher risk of acute GVHD.

High fludarabine exposure and relationship with treatment-related mortality after nonmyeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Despite its common use in nonmyeloablative preparative regimens, the pharmacokinetics of fludarabine are poorly characterized in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients and exposure-response relationships remain undefined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between plasma F-ara-A exposure, the systemically circulating moiety of fludarabine, and engraftment, acute GVHD, TRM and OS after HCT. The preparative regimen consisted of CY 50 mg/kg/day i.v. day -6; plus fludarabine 30-40 mg/m²/day i.v. on days -6 to -2 and TBI 200 cGy on day -1. F-ara-A pharmacokinetics were carried out with the first dose of fludarabine in 87 adult patients. Median (range) F-ara-A area-under-the-curve (AUC((0-∞))) was 5.0 µg h/mL (2.0-11.0), clearance 15.3 L/h (6.2-36.6), C(min) 55 ng/mL (17-166) and concentration on day(zero) 16.0 ng/mL (0.1-144.1). Despite dose reductions, patients with renal insufficiency had higher F-ara-A exposures. There was strong association between high plasma concentrations of F-ara-A and increased risk of TRM and reduced OS. Patients with an AUC((0-∞)) greater than 6.5 µg h/mL had 4.56 greater risk of TRM and significantly lower OS. These data suggest that clinical strategies are needed to optimize dosing of fludarabine to prevent overexposure and toxicity in HCT.

Comparison of two mycophenolate mofetil dosing regimens after hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is the active component of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Low MPA exposure is associated with a higher incidence of acute GVHD and possibly worse engraftment. Therapeutic plasma targets have been proposed in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), however, are difficult to achieve in adult patients with MMF doses of 2 g/day. Mycophenolate pharmacokinetics was prospectively studied in adults undergoing nonmyeloablative HCT who received MMF 3 g/day with CYA. The first 15 individuals received 1.5 g every 12 h and the second 15 received 1 g every 8 h. Sampling was performed in each patient with i.v. and oral administration. There were no differences in total or unbound MPA 24-h cumulative area under the curves (AUCs), concentrations at steady state (Css) or troughs between the two dosing regimens (all P>0.01). The previously proposed total MPA Css target of 3 microg/ml and trough >or=1 micro/ml were achieved in only 13-27% and 20-53% of patients, respectively, on 3 g/day. However, the 3 g/day regimens readily achieved satisfactory unbound 24-h cumulative AUC targets of 0.600 microg(*)h/ml in 87-100% of subjects. There appears to be no significant difference in daily MPA exposure when MMF of 3 g/day is divided into two or three equal doses.

A prospective randomized trial of the anti-emetic efficacy of ondansetron and granisetron during bone marrow transplantation.

To determine the comparative anti-emetic efficacy of ondansetron and granisetron in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation, we performed a double-blind, randomized trial in pediatric and adult patients receiving transplants at the University of Minnesota. The results in 187 patients stratified by age (<18 years, n = 51; > or =18 years, n = 136) were analyzed. The average number of emetic episodes in the entire group from day -7 to 2 was 0.86/day for patients receiving ondansetron and 0.73/day for those receiving granisetron (p = 0.32). No differences were noted between the two drugs in total days of complete or major control of emesis or in the number of requests for additional drugs to alleviate symptoms of nausea. The use of total-body irradiation-containing conditioning regimens was associated with a decreased number of emetic episodes compared with regimens of chemotherapy alone. Perceived nausea was evaluated using a nausea scoring system, and no differences were apparent between the granisetron and ondansetron groups; however, reported nausea was significantly higher in females (p<0.01) and in the adult population (p = 0.05). We conclude that both ondansetron and granisetron provide good control of nausea and vomiting experienced with conditioning regimens for bone marrow transplantation. The relative cost of the drugs within an institution must be considered in developing standard anti-emetic regimens for bone marrow transplantation.

Effect of low-dose oral glutamine on painful stomatitis during bone marrow transplantation.

Painful oral mucositis is a common complication after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Glutamine is a nutrient for rapidly dividing cells and the major energy source for intestinal epithelium. This study tested whether an oral glutamine preparation could decrease the severity of oral mucositis in patients undergoing BMT. Glutamine or a placebo (glycine) were administered from admission until day +28 in 193 BMT patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at a dose of 1.0 g amino acid/m2/dose swish and swallow four times a day. In autologous BMT patients (n = 87) glutamine was associated with significantly less mouth pain by self report and by opiate use (5.0+/-6.2 days of morphine for glutamine vs 10.3+/-9.8 days for placebo; P= 0.005). Matched sibling BMT patients had no effect by self report and an increased duration of opiate use (23.2+/-5.7 days for glutamine vs 16.3+/-8.3 days for placebo) (P = 0.002). However, day 28 survival of allogeneic patients was improved by glutamine. No significant differences in TPN use, rate of relapse or progression of malignancy, parenteral antibiotic use, acute or chronic GVHD, or days of hospitalization were observed in either autologous or allogeneic recipients. No toxicity of glutamine was observed. We conclude that oral glutamine can decrease the severity and duration of oropharyngeal mucositis in autologous BMT patients but not in allogeneic BMT patients, possibly due to interaction with methotrexate.

Extrapyramidal symptoms in a BMT recipient with hyperintense basal ganglia and elevated manganese.

Neurologic syndromes attributed to conditioning or medications have been reported in BMT recipients. A patient is presented who developed extrapyramidal symptoms on day +56 after allogeneic BMT. Brain magnetic resonance images of this patient demonstrated hyperintense basal ganglia, which has been associated with manganese (Mn) toxicity. The patient had received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with standard trace element supplementation and had been cholestatic. Serum Mn was elevated, and continued to be so 5 months after BMT, long after discontinuation of TPN. Cholestatic patients and those on long-term TPN have been found to have high blood or serum levels of Mn, but generally are asymptomatic. When other cholestatic BMT patients were reviewed, all had elevated serum Mn. Manganese supplementation in TPN requires evaluation for BMT recipients.

Biological activity of recombinant interleukin-2 in intravenous admixtures containing antibiotic, morphine sulfate, or total parenteral nutrient solution.

The biological activity of recombinant interleukin-2 in intravenous admixtures containing gentamicin sulfate, tobramycin sulfate, amikacin sulfate, ticarcillin disodium, piperacillin sodium, morphine sulfate, or total parenteral nutrient (TPN) solution was investigated. Recombinant interleukin-2 in a formulation containing human serum albumin was diluted to a therapeutic dose and mixed with the other drugs in test tubes to simulate mixing distal to the Y-site of an i.v. administration set. All test tubes were visually observed for precipitates. Triplicate test samples of recombinant interleukin-2 and interleukin-2 with drug were added to microplate wells containing lymphocyte tissue culture media (an interleukin-2-dependent murine cytotoxic T cell line, CTLL-2) using serial dilutions. The microplates were incubated then pulsed with mouse lymphocyte media containing tritiated thymidine (3H-thymidine). The amount of 3H-thymidine incorporated into lymphocyte DNA was measured using a beta counter. The average counts per minute (cpm) of a sample was analyzed as a function of the logarithm of sample dilution; one interleukin-2 unit was defined as 50% of the maximum cpm measured in the samples. At minimum dilutions, ticarcillin disodium reduced the effect of interleukin-2 on CTLL-2 growth; the other antibiotics and morphine sulfate had no effect. Interleukin-2 mixed with TPN solutions showed slightly enhanced growth of the CTLL-2 line compared with the interleukin-2 standard. Mixtures of multiple antibiotics, morphine, and TPN solutions with and without 20% fat emulsion had no effect on interleukin-2 activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Use of a somatostatin analogue, octreotide acetate, in the management of acute gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease.

PURPOSE: Because the secretory diarrhea of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) of the gut induces serious metabolic and nutritional disturbances, this study was initiated to assess the use of a somatostatin analogue, octreotide acetate, as adjunctive therapy for severe GvHD of the gut with massive diarrhea. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a pilot study, six patients with biopsy-confirmed acute gut GvHD after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation received octreotide 50 to 250 micrograms three times a day subcutaneously. RESULTS: Three of the six treated patients had a prompt and dramatic reduction in stool volume within 1 to 3 days of initiation of octreotide therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Somatostatin and its analogues have been used successfully in diarrheal states by antagonism of neuropeptide overproduction, although other potential therapeutic mechanisms include inhibition of fluid secretion, enhanced salt absorption, and inhibition of gut motility. Somatostatin and its analogues may be promising adjunctive agents in the treatment of gastrointestinal GvHD, although assessment in a controlled trial will be required to confirm their therapeutic efficacy.