Abstract
Aim: Recently, extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has become a promising therapeutic approach for steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) because of its advantage over other therapies. The mechanism of action in ECP still remains to be elucidated. To investigate the evidence for clinical efficacy of ECP in the treatment of steroid-refractory cGVHD, we conducted a systematic search and meta-analysis comprising several databases and abstracts presented at recent annual meetings in the field. Methods: A systematic review of publications indexed in the PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane-controlled trials registry, the Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of knowledge were performed on January 10, 2015. Eight studies including 176 patients were identified. Meta-analyses were carried out to calculate the overall response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR) of cGVHD and the organ-specific responses. Results: In patients with cGVHD, pooled ORR and CRR were 0.66 and 0.46, respectively, with organ-specific responses of 0.80 for skin, 0.79 for gut, 0.57 for oral mucosa, 0.57 for liver, 0.50 for eye, and 0.46 for joint involvement. Conclusion: The present analysis revealed a promising clinical benefit of ECP for patients with steroid-refractory cGVHD. Further prospective trials with larger cohorts are mandatory.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
