Extracorporeal photo-apheresis for the treatment of steroid-resistant graft versus host disease☆☆☆
Abstract
Acute and chronic graft versus host disease are frequent and potentially severe complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and are among the leading causes of non-relapse transplant-related mortality. For patients with steroid refractory disease, prognosis is particularly poor and although a variety of treatment options are available, responses are commonly transient and the side effects often intolerable. Since it was first introduced for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, extracorporeal photo-apheresis has been utilized as an immunomodulatory therapy for certain autoimmune diseases and solid organ transplant rejection. Recently, extracorporeal photo-apheresis has become a promising alternative for patients with graft versus host disease with disabling or potentially lethal complications. Here we review the experience of extracorporeal photo-apheresis for the treatment of steroid refractory acute and chronic graft versus host disease based on the current literature.
Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
Corresponding author. Address: Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 1W-3750, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892-1104, USA. Tel.: +001 301 496 4256; fax: +001 301 451 7010.
☆ This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research.
☆☆ The authors are employees of the United States Government, and, as such, this work was done in that capacity. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the United States Government.
ABSTRACT