Failure Of Immunosuppressive Therapy Research Articles

Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation Using Total Body Irradiation (600 cGy) and Fludarabine with ATG in Upfront and Salvage Setting in Adult Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia

Background: Haploidentical stem cell transplantation from a related mismatched donor (Haplo-SCT) has extended into adult patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) with advances in controlling graft failure and GVHD. However, because of concerns for morbidity and mortality, Haplo-SCT has been used as salvage treatment after the failure of immunosuppressive therapy (IST). In Haplo-SCT for SAA patients, the achievement of successful engraftment without GVHD is fundamental for better long-term survival with good quality of life. We optimized the dose of rabbit ATG and fractionated TBI (fTBI) with fixed dose of fludarabine (Flu, 150mg/m 2/day) using step-by-step dose de-escalation (Lee et al, Am J Hematol, 2018) and reached fTBI 600 cGy/Flu/intermediate-dose ATG (5 mg/kg). This protocol showed an overall survival rate of 91.0% after a median follow-up of 32.3 months in a study of 47 patients (Lee et al, BBMT, 2020). Here, we evaluated the feasibility of this protocol in both upfront and salvage setting for Haplo-SCT in adult patients with SAA. Methods: We analyzed 68 consecutive patients who underwent Haplo-SCT between Oct. 2014 and Jan. 2023. Fifty-six (82%) patients had salvage Haplo-SCT after the failure of standard IST (ATG + CsA) (n=36) and CsA monotherapy (n=20). Twelve (18%) patients underwent upfront Haplo-SCT. All patients received a conditioning regimen of 600 cGy fTBI (200 cGy, 3 times) and Flu (30 mg/m 2/day) for 5 days. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of ATG/tacrolimus/methotrexate (MTX). ATG (Thymoglobulin ®,2.5 mg/kg/day) was administered on days -2 and -3. All patients received PBSC. Results: The median age was 34.0 years (17-61) and 30 (44%) patients had very SAA (VSAA) at transplantation. Haploidentical donors are composed of mother (n=10), father (n =8), sibling (n=30), offspring (n=17), and others (n=3). All patients achieved primary engraftment. The cumulative incidence of acute GVHD (grade ≥2) and chronic GVHD (≥ moderate) was 26.5% at 100 days and 9.3% at 4 years, respectively. With a median follow-up of 54 months, the 4-year overall survival (OS) and failure-free survival (FFS) was 93.9% and 92.4%, respectively. 4-year OS of upfront and salvage Haplo-SCT was 100 and 94.7%, respectively (P = 0.352). The 4-year GFFS was 78.9%, and there was no significant difference between upfront and salvage Haplo-SCT (83.3% vs 78.1%, P = 0.709). In the subgroup analysis, 4-year GFFS of patients who failed the standard IST (ATG+CsA) excluding CsA monotherapy also showed no statistical difference compared to the others (85.8% vs 71.3%, P = 0.143). Furthermore, after adjusting for the potential factors affecting GFFS (patient's age, donor type, and comorbidity index), no different GFFS was shown between upfront and salvage Haplo-SCT. Conclusions: Our results suggest that Haplo-SCT with fTBI 600 cGy/Flu/ATG-5 can be an effective alternative option in both upfront and salvage settings, when fully matched donors are not available.

Alternative Bone Marrow Transplantation with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide (PTCy) As Initial Therapy for Acquired Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)

Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) is standard front-line treatment for SAA, except for patients aged <20 years with a suitable HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) for BMT. The hematopoietic response after IST, even with the addition of eltrombopag, is ~ 70%-80% and 5-year survival is 60% to 85%. Failure-free survival (alive and in remission without clonal disease) beyond 10 years after IST is ~50%. In contrast, long-term survival after BMT is ~90% in patients aged < 20 years, and 75% in older patients. Currently, BMT with an unrelated or HLA-haploidentical (haplo) donor is reserved for failure of IST because of morbidity and mortality concerns. PTCy improves the safety and efficacy of haplo BMT by facilitating engraftment and decreasing graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), with survival comparable to MSD BMT. Here we review the outcomes of alternative donor BMT and PTCy in treatment-naïve (TN) SAA patients. Eligible patients met criteria for SAA and were TN. Fanconi anemia and telomere biology disorder patients were excluded. Non-myeloablative (NM) conditioning included rabbit antithymocyte globulin (0.5 mg/kg day-9 and 2 mg/kg on days -8,-7), fludarabine (30mg/m2/day on days -6 to -2), low dose CY (14.5 mg/kg on days -6, -5) and total body irradiation (TBI) (200cGy or 400 cGy day -1). After the marrow graft was infused on day 0, cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg/day IV was administered on days 3 and 4 post-transplant. All received mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) from day 5-35 and tacrolimus from day 5 through 1 year. Neutrophil recovery was defined as occurring on the first of three consecutive days of an ANC >1.0 x109/L. Red cell recovery was defined as days from transplant to the last red blood cell transfusion. Platelet recovery was defined as the first day of a platelet count >50,000 without transfusion in the preceding 7 days. Thirty-two eligible patients were treated at Johns Hopkins between 9/2016 and 5/2022. Median follow-up for all patients is 40 months (range 2-78). Table 1 shows demographics. The median age was 25 years (range 3-63) with 24 patients age >20 years, and 56% were males. Median time to neutrophil recovery was 20 days (range 14-88). Median time to red cell recovery was 25 days with 90% transfusion independence by day 60. Median time to platelet recovery was 25 days with 90% transfusion independence by day 100. TBI dose was increased from 200 to 400 cGy to reduce graft failure after graft loss in 3 of the first 7 patients; 2 of these 3 died (from infection and graft failure) and one has been re-transplanted and is now 100% donor. Overall survival at 3 years post-transplant is 93%. (Figure 1) All 24 consecutive patients who received 400 cGy are alive and well with engraftment. CMV reactivated in 13 patients, and 6 required therapy. Rates of acute and chronic GVHD were both 7%, none developed grade 3-4 acute or extensive chronic GVHD, and all patients beyond day 365 are off treatment for GVHD. No secondary malignancies have been observed. NM BMT with PTCy, using mostly haplo donors, can cure SAA. Increasing TBI dose from 200 to 400 cGy improves engraftment. Rates of infection and mortality are not increased compared to standard upfront IST. Historical data show that >50% of patients in this age range require transplantation subsequent to IST. Upfront BMT, as described here, allows patients to come off immunosuppression by 6-12 months post-BMT, prevents the morbidity of prolonged IST, and may reduce healthcare costs. Most patients receiving 200 cGy TBI maintain fertility; we are monitoring fertility rates after 400cGy. This approach forms the basis for the upcoming Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network multicenter study in TN acquired SAA. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Optimization of conditioning for marrow transplantation from unrelated donors for patients with aplastic anemia after failure of immunosuppressive therapy

In 87 patients with aplastic anemia who failed to respond to immunosuppressive treatment, we determined the minimal dose of total body irradiation (TBI) required when added to antithymocyte globulin (ATG, 30 mg/kg x 3) plus cyclophosphamide (CY, 50 mg/kg x 4) to achieve engraftment of unrelated donor marrow. TBI was started at 3 x 200 cGy, to be escalated or deescalated in steps of 200 cGy depending on graft failure or toxicity. Patients were aged 1.3 to 53.5 years (median, 18.6 years). The interval from diagnosis to transplantation was 3 to 328 months (median, 14.6 months). Donors were HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ identical for 62 patients, and nonidentical for 1 to 3 HLA loci at the antigen or allele level for 25. The dose-limiting toxicity was diffuse pulmonary injury. The optimum TBI dose was 1 x 200 cGy. Nine patients did not tolerate ATG and were prepared with CY + TBI. Graft failure occurred in 5% of patients. With a median follow-up of 7 years, 38 (61%) of 62 HLA-identical, and 10 (40%) of 25 HLA-nonidentical transplant recipients are surviving. The highest survival rate with HLA-identical transplants was observed at 200 cGy TBI. Thus, low-dose TBI + CY + ATG conditioning resulted in excellent outcome of unrelated transplants in patients with aplastic anemia who had received multiple transfusions.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for immune checkpoint inhibitor induced–colitis (IMC) refractory to immunosuppressive therapy.

3067 Background: ICIs are efficacious treatment for several advanced malignancies. IMC can limit their use, and can be refractory to medical treatment (immunosuppression) with significant morbidity. Gut microbiome alteration affects IMC development. We sought FMT as a novel therapy for IMC refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. Methods: 15 patients who received FMT for IMC after failure of immunosuppressive therapy were included (6/2017-1/2020). FMT was performed via colonoscopy with healthy donor’s stool. Results: Median age was 55 years with 67% males. 5 patients received PD(L)-1, one CTLA-4 and 9 on combination. Majority had genitourinary cancers followed by melanoma. Median time from ICI to IMC was 75 days. 14 patients had grade 3-4 diarrhea and 9 had grade 3-4 colitis. Endoscopy showed mucosal inflammation in 12 patients and normal mucosa in 3 patients. IMC was refractory to 2-3 doses of infliximab or vedolizumab after corticosteroids prior to FMT. Median time from IMC onset to FMT was 75 days. 13 patients received one . 11 patients achieved clinical response within 10 days of FMT (7-14). Symptom remission was maintained for a median follow-up of 13 months. 6 patients resumed non ICI cancer treatments after FMT. 4 patients had persistent symptoms; 2 continued on vedolizumab, 1 had total colectomy, and 1 transferred to hospice. 4-8 weeks after FMT, endoscopic remission was achieved in 64% of the 11 patients who responded to FMT. No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: FMT treatment was successful in 73% of patients with for IMC refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. Controlled clinical trials are warranted to confirm our conclusion. [Table: see text]

Nursing Care After Kidney Transplant: Case Report.

Kidney transplant is the leading treatment method for patients with recent renal failure in terms of quality of life, cost, and survival. After transplant, rejection, infection, cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, immunosuppressive therapy failure, and psychologic problems may occur. Posttransplant nursing care is as important as pretransplant nursing care in terms of enhancing quality of life, preventing complications, and providing necessary changes to treatment. In this report, we presented ways to increase quality of care after transplant and outlined standardized nursing care to reduce work and time loads by ensuring integrative and systematic approaches of nurses.

Clinical outcomes in adult patients with aplastic anemia: A single institution experience.

Newer treatment modalities are being investigated to improve upon historical outcomes with standard immunosuppressive therapy (IST) in aplastic anemia (AA). We analyzed outcomes of adult patients with AA treated with various combinatorial anti-thymoglobulin-based IST regimens in frontline and relapsed/refractory (R/R) settings. Pretreatment and on-treatment clinical characteristics were analyzed for relationships to response and outcome. Among 126 patients reviewed, 95 were treatment-naïve (TN) and 63, R/R (including 32 from the TN cohort); median ages were 49 and 50 years, respectively. Overall survival (OS) was superior in IST responders (P < .001). Partial response to IST was associated with shorter relapse-free survival (RFS), as compared with complete response (P = .03). By multivariate analysis, baseline platelet and lymphocyte count predicted for IST response at 3 and 6 months, respectively. While additional growth factor interventions led to faster count recovery, there were no statistically significant differences in RFS or OS across the various frontline IST regimens (i.e., with/without G-CSF or eltrombopag). While marrow cellularity did not correlate with peripheral-blood counts at 3 months, cytomorphological assessment revealed dyspoietic changes in all nonresponders with hypercellular-marrow indices. Covert dysplasia, identified through early bone marrow assessment, has implications on future therapy choices after IST failure. Salvage IST response depended upon prior response to ATG: prior responders (46%) vs. primary refractory (0%) (P < .01). In the R/R setting, there was no survival difference between IST and allogeneic stem cell transplant groups, with a trend toward superior OS in the former. Transplant benefits in the R/R setting may be underrealized due to transplant-related mortality.

A Comparison of Resource Utilization, Cost and Mortality in Children Treated for Severe Aplastic Anemia

BACKGROUNDSevere Aplastic Anemia (SAA) in childhood is fatal if untreated and has a reported incidence of 2.34/ million. With the use of treatment guidelines, outcomes have improved over the years. In the United States (US), Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is preferentially utilized in young patients with an HLA matched sibling donor, whereas Immunosuppressive Therapy (IST) comprised of Horse Antithymocyte Globulin (ATG) and Cyclosporine (CSA) is utilized in those that lack one. Upon failure of IST, the latter typically undergo unrelated donor HSCT. At this time, national trends in resource utilization and the financial impact of this diagnosis and its treatment are unknown. Our objective was to ascertain whether treatment paradigms could be identified within a national database and compare cost and outcomes within Childrens hospitals across the US within the context of SAA. METHODSWe utilized the Pediatric Hospital Information System (PHIS) database to perform a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to Childrens Hospital Association Hospitals (36 of 48 were free-standing) to compare length of stay (LOS), billed charges and inpatient mortality in patients with SAA who received IST compared to SCT. This database was queried to identify all patients ≤21 years of age who were first admitted between 2010 to 2014 with a diagnosis of SAA, as defined by ICD 9 codes (284. 0, 284.1, 284.9, 284.89, 284.12). Within this data set we identified patients with a Bone Marrow Aspiration (BMA) procedure code (41.3, 41.31) billed within 6 months of the code for SAA and use of transplant procedure codes (41.0, 41.00, 41.02, 41.03, 41.05, 06, and 08) drug codes for agents typically utilized as IST (164130, 164131, and 167115) or conditioning for HSCT (171103, 171125, 164130, and 164131). Patients were excluded for constitutional bone marrow failure, cancer and other diagnoses. Those meeting criteria were summarized using descriptive statistics and comparisons among groups were assessed using non-parametric methods. Cost, number of admissions, LOS, intensive care unit (ICU) utilization, inpatient mortality and comorbidities were analyzed with various charge codes that were adjusted by the CMS wage/price index for the hospital’s location. The data set was validated by internal chart review. RESULTSA total of 446 patients (57% male, 43% female, median age at diagnosis 10 years) met study criteria. 282(63%) patients were treated with IST alone, 98(22.3%) patients who underwent SCT without IST and 66(14.7%) patients received both forms of therapy. The overall mortality rate for the cohort was 8.6%. The likelihood of death correlated with the presence of Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) and LOS > 100 days in the group that underwent SCT.A total of 1631 admissions were evaluated with a total LOS of 24,369 days. Median LOS for the cohort was 36 days but significantly lower for those that underwent IST only (p<0.0001). Average LOS was highest in the group that had both therapies. ICU utilization was significantly higher in the transplant group that failed IST (P=0.0058). Overall inpatient cost of care across the cohort was $ 389,743,175. However cumulative adjusted charges were significantly different across the groups: a median of $244,513 for patients treated with IST, $793,009 for those who underwent SCT alone and $1,365,051 for those that had both forms of therapy (p <0.0001). The highest costs in each group correlated with pharmacy (37%), nursing and room/operating room (32%) charge codes. 84% of patients included originated from areas with urban zip codes without a significant difference in the payer mix (private or public insurance) for urban or rural patients. CONCLUSIONSThis is the first reported evaluation of inpatient resource utilization, mortality and costs in children treated for SAA in the US. While the overall cost of care for these patients is high, it is >3 fold higher for patients undergoing HSCT and over 6 times higher if HSCT is utilized upon failure of IST. With further comparative analyses, stakeholders can better understand where excess variation in care and cost occurs and define best practices required to further improve outcomes at lower cost. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Transplantation for bone marrow failure: current issues.

The preferred treatment of idiopathic aplastic anemia (AA) is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donor. Transplantation from a well-matched unrelated donor (MUD) may be considered for patients without a sibling donor after failure of immunosuppressive therapy, as may alternative transplantation (mismatched, cord blood or haplo-identical HSCT) for patients without a MUD. HSCT may also be contemplated for congenital disorders in cases of pancytopenia or severe isolated cytopenia. Currently, HSCT aims are not only to cure patients but also to avoid long-term complications, notably chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), essential for a good quality of life long term. This paper summarizes recent advances in HSCT for idiopathic and inherited AA disorders. The effect of age on current transplantation outcomes, the role of transplantation in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and the prevention of GVHD are also discussed. Emerging strategies regarding the role of up-front unrelated donor and alternative donor HSCT in idiopathic AA, along with advances in the treatment of clonal evolution in Fanconi anemia, are also examined.

Myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative disorders of childhood.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative disorders are rare in children; they are divided into low-grade MDS (refractory cytopenia of childhood [RCC]), advanced MDS (refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation), and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), each with different characteristics and management strategies. Underlying genetic predisposition is recognized in an increasing number of patients. Germ line GATA2 mutation is found in 70% of adolescents with MDS and monosomy 7. It is challenging to distinguish RCC from aplastic anemia, inherited bone marrow failure, and reactive conditions. RCC is often hypoplastic and may respond to immunosuppressive therapy. In case of immunosuppressive therapy failure, hypercellular RCC, or RCC with monosomy 7, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using reduced-intensity conditioning regimens is indicated. Almost all patients with refractory anemia with excess blasts are candidates for HSCT; children age 12 years or older have a higher risk of treatment-related death, and the conditioning regimens should be adjusted accordingly. Unraveling the genetics of JMML has demonstrated that JMML in patients with germ line PTPN11 and CBL mutations often regresses spontaneously, and therapy is seldom indicated. Conversely, patients with JMML and neurofibromatosis type 1, somatic PTPN11, KRAS, and most of those with NRAS mutations have a rapidly progressive disease, and early HSCT is indicated. The risk of relapse after HSCT is high, and prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease and monitoring should be adapted to this risk.

Acquired aplastic anemia in Korean children: treatment guidelines from the Bone Marrow Failure Committee of the Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology.

The treatment of choice for aplastic anemia (AA) in children has been HLA-matched family donor (MFD) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). For those lacking MFD, immunosuppressive therapy (IST) consisting of horse antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine has been successful. The choices of second and third line treatments are more complex and debatable, especially in the situation of unavailability of horse ATG. IST with rabbit ATG seems to be less effective. Recently, improved survival of non-MFD HSCTs has been documented. The outcome of matched or mismatched unrelated donor, umbilical cord blood, or haploidentical family donor transplantations will be discussed in AA children after IST failure. Experimental approaches of upfront HSCT using non-MFDs will be briefly touched. In this review, a treatment guideline for children with AA from the Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology will be presented along with a brief review of literature on current clinical practices in Korea.

Sweet spot for cyclophosphamide: a balancing act

Severe aplastic anaemia is a rare but life-threatening disorder for which allogeneic haemopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) is a potential cure. In patients younger than 35 years and up to 50 years of age without substantial comorbidities with HLA-matched sibling donor, upfront HSCT is the recommended treatment. Healthy patients without a HLA-matched sibling donor are offered HSCT as a second-line treatment after failure of immunosuppressive therapy. 1 Marsh JC Ball SE Cavenagh J et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of aplastic anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2009; 147: 43-70 Crossref PubMed Scopus (419) Google Scholar Although 60–70% of patients respond to immunosuppressive therapy, blood counts return to normal only in a third of patients, and another third need long-term cyclosporin therapy and the risk of relapse of aplastic anaemia and clonal evolution to myelodysplastic syndromes occurs in a further third of patients. HSCT, however, offers an opportunity for longlasting haematological response and minimises the risk of relapse and reduces the likelihood of clonal evolution. Cyclophosphamide conditioning in patients with severe aplastic anaemia given unrelated marrow transplantation: a phase 1–2 dose de-escalation studyCyclophosphamide at 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg with TBI 2 Gy, fludarabine, and anti-thymocyte globulin results in effective conditioning and few early deaths after unrelated donor transplantation for severe aplastic anaemia. These doses of cyclophosphamide provide a framework for further regimen optimisation strategies. Full-Text PDF

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients with Refractory Cytopenia of Childhood

Introduction: Refractory cytopenia of childhood (RCC) is an entity of the pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) proposed in the World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 classification and is characterized by persistent cytopenia with dysplasia and <5% blasts in the bone marrow (BM). Although the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy (IST) has been reported in RCC with response rate of 40-60%, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is still thought as the only curative therapy for children with MDS. However, appropriate setting of HSCT for patients with RCC has not been established. Recently, we described clinical characteristics and treatment outcome in 65 cases with RCC who were prospectively registered through the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (JSPHO) (Hasegawa et al, BJH 2014). In this analysis, we focused on a subgroup that underwent HSCT in order to identify the factors that can predict the outcome of patients with RCC after HSCT.Patients and Methods: From July 1999 to February 2008, 618 children who were suspected of having MDS were prospectively registered into the JSPHO database and 65 were diagnosed based on the central review of morphology as having primary MDS without excess blasts, which was compatible with criteria of RCC. Therapeutic strategy was determined by each physician based on the recommendations provided by the Japanese Childhood MDS Study Group MDS99. As a first-line therapy, 25 patients received IST, 12 patients received HSCT, and one patient received intensive chemotherapy. The remaining 27 patients were followed without treatment for more than 2 years. Eventually, 28 (11 male and 17 female) children ended up undergoing HSCT.Results: Median age at HSCT was 10.3 years (range, 1.5 - 17.2 years). Median duration between diagnosis and HSCT was 481 days (range, 123 – 2674 days). Twelve patients had a history of receiving IST. As a stem cell source, 15 patients received BM from an unrelated donor, 5 received BM from matched-sibling donor, 4 received BM from family donor, and 4 received unrelated cord blood. As a conditioning regimen, myeloablative conditioning (MAC) with total-body irradiation regimen was given to 8 patients, MAC with busulfan regimen was given to 7, and 13 patients received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC). As a GVHD prophylaxis, 22 patients received tacrolimus and 6 received cyclosporine (CyA). Engraftment was confirmed in all patients. Grade III-IV acute GVHD was observed in 3 patients. Of 23 evaluable patients, 7 patients had chronic GVHD. Seventeen patients remained in remission after HSCT. Secondary graft failure was observed in 2 patients who received RIC after failure of IST. Nine patients died due to the following causes: transplantation-related mortality (TRM; n=7), relapse (n=1), and secondary brain tumor (n=1). Seven patients died of TRM at a median time of 103 days after HSCT (range, 44-926 days) and 5-year cumulative incidence of TRM was 28±9%. Grade III-IV acute GVHD and the presence of chronic GVHD were associated with a higher probability of TRM (p=0.03 and 0.02, respectively). Five-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) was 58±10% and 66±9%, respectively. No patient characteristics or transplantation-related variables showed statistically significant difference in EFS or OS. Of 13 children receiving RIC, 7 remained in remission, whereas 3 succumbed to TRM, 2 experienced secondary graft failure, and one developed brain tumor.Discussion: TRM was the main cause of treatment failure in patients with RCC receiving HSCT. This analysis suggested appropriate prevention of GVHD might be important to succeed in HSCT for patients with RCC. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Diagnosis and treatment of pediatric acquired aplastic anemia (AAA): An initial survey of the North American Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Consortium (NAPAAC)

Randomized clinical trials in pediatric aplastic anemia (AA) are rare and data to guide standards of care are scarce. Eighteen pediatric institutions formed the North American Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Consortium to foster collaborative studies in AA. The initial goal of NAPAAC was to survey the diagnostic studies and therapies utilized in AA. Our survey indicates considerable variability among institutions in the diagnosis and treatment of AA. There were areas of general consensus, including the need for a bone marrow evaluation, cytogenetic and specific fluorescent in situ hybridization assays to establish diagnosis and exclude genetic etiologies with many institutions requiring results prior to initiation of immunosuppressive therapy (IST); uniform referral for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as first line therapy if an HLA-identical sibling is identified; the use of first-line IST containing horse anti-thymocyte globulin and cyclosporine A (CSA) if an HLA-identical sibling donor is not identified; supportive care measures; and slow taper of CSA after response. Areas of controversy included the need for telomere length results prior to IST, the time after IST initiation defining a treatment failure; use of hematopoietic growth factors; the preferred rescue therapy after failure of IST; the use of specific hemoglobin and platelet levels as triggers for transfusion support; the use of prophylactic antibiotics; and follow-up monitoring after completion of treatment. These initial survey results reflect heterogeneity in diagnosis and care amongst pediatric centers and emphasize the need to develop evidence-based diagnosis and treatment approaches in this rare disease.

Basiliximab en el tratamiento del rechazo celular agudo resistente a los corticoides postrasplante hepático

We present the case of a liver transplant recipient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma who developed biopsy-proven acute steroid-resistant rejection 3 months after liver transplantation. After the failure of immunosuppressive therapy with intravenous boluses of 6-methyl-prednisolone and switching of the immunosuppressive regimen to tacrolimus plus mycophenolate mofetil, two doses of intravenous basiliximab were administered four days apart. Clinical, analytical, and biopsy-proven histological response was complete. No basiliximab-related adverse events were detected. Basiliximab may represent an alternative in liver transplantation immunosuppression to treat acute steroid-resistant rejection, without increasing the incidence of infections, neoplasms, or other adverse events, as shown by this case.

Excellent outcome of matched unrelated donor transplantation in paediatric aplastic anaemia following failure with immunosuppressive therapy: a United Kingdom multicentre retrospective experience

We retrospectively analysed the outcome of consecutive children with idiopathic severe aplastic anaemia in the United Kingdom who received immunosuppressive therapy (IST) or matched unrelated donor (MUD) haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The 6-month cumulative response rate following rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG)/ciclosporin (IST) was 32·5% (95% CI 19·3-46·6) (n = 43). The 5-year estimated failure-free survival (FFS) following IST was 13·3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4·0-27·8). In contrast, in 44 successive children who received a 10-antigen (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1) MUD HSCT there was an excellent estimated 5-year FFS of 95·01% (95% CI 81·38-98·74). Forty of these children had failed IST previously. HSCT conditioning was a fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and alemtuzumab (FCC) regimen and did not include radiotherapy. There were no cases of graft failure. Median donor chimerism was 100% (range 88-100%). A conditioning regimen, such as FCC that avoids total body irradiation is ideally suited in children. Our data suggest that MUD HSCT following IST failure offers an excellent outcome and furthermore, if a suitable MUD can be found quickly, MUD HSCT may be a reasonable alternative to IST.

Minilaparoscopy-assisted natural orifice total colectomy: technical report of a minilaparoscopy-assisted transrectal resection

Experimental experience and the technological evolution of minimally invasive surgical devices have allowed initial reports describing the clinical applicability of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Colorectal resections are an interesting target for the NOTES platform. Theoretically, the transrectal approach could overcome the proposed limitations of transvaginal access, increasing NOTES clinical applicability. Hybrid procedures such as minilaparoscopy-assisted natural orifice surgery (MA-NOS) are the safe progression to pure NOTES. This report describes the first clinical case of a transrectal MA-NOS total colectomy. The patient was a 36-year-old man with severe ulcerative colitis (UC) who experienced failure of immunosuppressive therapy. The standard steps of laparoscopic total colectomy were respected, with basic triangulation maintained throughout the case. A transrectal endoscopic device was used for optic assistance, colon dissection, ileum section, and specimen retrieval. Transrectal MA-NOS total colectomy was assisted by three laparoscopic ports: a 12-mm port used as the terminal ileostomy site, a 2-mm needle epigastric port, and a 5-mm umbilical port used as a drain site at the final intervention. No intraoperative complications occurred. The total operative time was 240 min. Oral intake was initiated on postoperative day 2. Because of UC rectal activity, a course with azathioprine was completed, and the patient was discharged receiving 1 g of rectal mesalazine for maintenance. The final pathology demonstrated pancolonic inflammatory bowel disease in the form of UC with severe activity. Transrectal MA-NOS total colectomy was feasible and safe in the reported case. Improvement in NOTES instrumentation and selective clinical applications are mandatory before clinical trials.

Retrospective Survey on the Prevalence and Outcome of Prior Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Aplastic Anemia Reported to the Registry of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Background: Aplastic anemia (AA) is rarely described after a diagnosis of autoimmune disease (aID). Aims: To assess the prevalence of prior aID in patients with AA recorded in the registry of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and to evaluate treatment and outcome. Methods: 1,251 AA patients from 18 EBMT centers were assessed. Results: Fifty patients (4%) were eligible: 22 males and 28 females with a median age of 46 years at the diagnosis of aID and of 51 years at the diagnosis of AA. Information on the treatment of AA was available in 49 patients: 38 received only immunosuppressive therapy (IST), 8 patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) – 6 as first-line therapy and 2 after failure of IST – whilst 3 patients had a spontaneous recovery. After a median follow-up of 3.19 years, 32 patients were alive, including 7 of the 8 patients who underwent HSCT. Only 6 of 32 patients who were alive at the last follow-up were receiving IST for AA. Conclusions: Most cases of AA following aID benefitted from IST or HSCT if a matched donor was available. Further prospective investigation is needed to assess the effects of IST on the outcome of underlying aID.

23 Years of Management: A Retrospective Review of Treatment for Aplastic Anemia.

Abstract 1091Poster Board I-113 IntroductionAplastic anemia (AA) is a syndrome of bone marrow failure characterized by peripheral pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia. In the past, AA was considered to be a fatal disease; however, current therapies, including bone marrow transplantation or immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CSA), are curative in the majority of patients. IST is effective at restoring hematopoietic stem cell production, but relapse and evolution to myelodysplastic syndromes remain clinical challenges. Additionally, there is no real consensus regarding optimal CSA levels, duration of CSA treatment, or the optimal use of growth factors and their relationship to the development of clonal disease. ObjectivesThe primary objective was to review treatment management for severe AA in pediatric patients in order to elucidate treatment differences and review morbidity and mortality as they relate to treatment variation. Study Design/MethodsA retrospective review of pediatric patients treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for AA (both severe and moderate) over a 23 year period was performed. ResultsA total of 70 patients with AA were treated at our institution from 1985 to July 2008. Exclusions included: 6 patients who received some type of initial treatment at outside institutions, 4 patients who had missing records, and 2 patients who had a diagnosis of moderate AA. Thus, a total of 58 patient records were included in the analysis. Of the total patients reviewed, 60% were male and 40% were female. 34.5% of patients were African-American, and 57% were diagnosed in 2000 or later. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.5±5.8 years. 52% fell into the category of very severe AA based on published diagnostic criteria, 45% had severe AA, and 2 patients (3%) had moderate AA. 15.5% of patients developed AA in the setting of acute hepatitis. More than half of the patients treated with IST had a complete response (CR). The average time to CR was 15±15 months. Average duration of CSA treatment was 15±13 months and 8.6±10.7 months for growth factor. Two patients (3.5%) died, one from complications unrelated to AA and one from infectious complications post-BMT after initial IST failure. Average time to transfusion independence for all patients was 8±11 months (with a range of 0-54 months). Not surprisingly, the time to transfusion independence was significantly associated with IST failure (p=0.010). Patients who failed treatment had an average time to transfusion independence of 17±16 months as compared to those who were complete responders who had an average time to transfusion independence of 3±3 months. Additionally, there was a significant association between IST failure and CSA levels (p=0.014). Patients who had nontherapeutic CSA levels overall had an increased rate of treatment failure. Of those patients who were nontherapeutic, 56% were noncompliant with CSA administration. There was no significant association between IST failure and bone marrow cellularity (p=0.251). PNH was diagnosed in 5% of patients; there were no patients with evidence of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Two of the 3 patients with PNH failed initial IST. Another 2 patients had evidence of a cytogenetic abnormality (16q deletion), but never progressed to MDS. (Note: averages presented as mean±SD) Conclusions/MethodsWith current IST regimens, AA is curative in the majority of pediatric patients. IST failure was associated with nonadherence to CSA treatment. For patients with confirmed clonal disease, it is possible that IST failure and the ultimate development of clonal disease are related. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE: Immunosuppressive Therapy as Frontline Treatment for 33 Children with Acquired Severe Aplastic Anemia

The authors retrospectively analyzed the records of 33 children with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) diagnosed from July 1998 to October 2007 and first treated by immunosuppressive therapy (IST). Serial hematologic parameters, complications, transfusion requirements, and time to response were assessed. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was attempted in 7 patients after failure of IST (n = 6) or relapse following an initial response to IST (n = 1). One child died of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Thirty of the 33 patients are alive and well after a median follow-up of 45 months (range, 7–116 months). Overall (transfusion-independent) response to IST was 73% (24/33). The actuarial 5 years survival rate was 89.4%. In this study, all patients with SAA received IST as standard front-line therapy. Approximately three-fourths of patients with SAA have durable recovery and excellent overall survival.

Obligatory Role for Interleukin-13 in Obstructive Lesion Development in Airway Allografts

The pathogenesis of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO), a common and devastating obliterative disorder of small airways following lung transplantation, remains poorly understood. Lesions are characterized in their early stages by lymphocyte influx that evolves into dense fibrotic infiltrates. Airway specimens taken from patients with histological BO revealed infiltrating myofibroblasts, which strongly expressed the signaling chain of the high affinity interleukin-13 (IL-13) receptor IL-13Ralpha1. Because IL-13 has proinflammatory and profibrotic actions, a contributory role for IL-13 in BO development was examined using murine models of orthotopic and heterotopic tracheal transplantation. Compared with airway isografts, allografts exhibited a significant increase in relative IL-13 mRNA and protein levels. Allogeneic tracheas transplanted into IL-13-deficient mice were protected from BO in both transplant models. Flow cytometric analysis of orthotopic transplant tissue digests revealed markedly fewer infiltrating mononuclear phagocytes and CD3(+) T lymphocytes in IL-13-deficient recipients. Furthermore, protection from luminal obliteration, collagen deposition, and myofibroblast infiltration was observed in heterotopic airways transplanted into the IL-13(-/-) recipients. Transforming growth factor-beta1 expression was significantly decreased in tracheal allografts into IL-13(-/-) recipients, compared to wild-type counterparts. These human and murine data implicate IL-13 as a critical effector cytokine driving cellular recruitment and subsequent fibrosis in clinical and ex-perimental BO.