Quadruple Therapy with CsA, MTX, MMF and ATG and Triple Therapy with CsA, MTX and ATG for Preventing Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Objective To explore the effective protocol for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (URD-HSCT).

Methods 31 patients with leukemia received URD-HSCT, of whom 16 received quadruple therapy (quadruple group) with CsA, MTX, MMF and ATG for GVHD prophylaxis and 15 received triple therapy (triple group) with CsA, MTX and ATG. 22 patients were matched in all HLA genetic loci with donors, seven were mismatched in one HLA genetic locus, 1 in two HLA genetic loci, and 1 in three HLA genetic loci. Total body irradiation (TBI) plus cyclophosphamide (CTX) was adopted in 17 cases and modified BuCY conditioning regimen (hydroxyurea, busulfan, Ara-C, Cyclophosphamide) in the other 14 cases. Immune reconstitution of quadruple group and triple group at 1,3, 6, 9,12 month after transplantation were examined by flow cytometer, and the diference of the two group were estimated with Independent-Samples T test. The incidence of GVHD of the two group was esitimated with Mann-Whitney Test. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis model was used to estimate the overall survival and the disease-free survival (DFS).

Results Immune reconstitution after transplantation of quadruple group and triple group have no significant difference (P>0.05). Acute GVHD (aGVHD) occurred in 9 patients (56.25%) of the quadruple group and in 11 (73.33%) of the triple group, respectively. The incidence of acute GVHD (aGVHD) differed little between the two group (P=0.238). The incidence ofIII~IV°aGVHD in the two group were 6.30% and 26.67%, respectively, and there was no significant difference (P=0.122). 6 patients had chronic GVHD (cGVHD), in the16 cases who could be followed up in quadruple group, 3 of the 11 patients who could be followed up in triple group developed cGVHD postoperatively (P=0.580). Four patients of quadruple group died of hemorrhagic cystitis, mycotic pneumonia, tuberculosis and relapse, respectively. 3 patients of triple group died of GVHD, and the other 3 died of GVHD associated interstitial pneumonia, cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia and pneumocystis carinii infection. The lethality of GVHD of quadruple group and triple group were 0%,26.7%, respectively, and there was significant difference(P=0.027). The one-year disease-free survival rate was 75% and 60% in patients of the quadruple and the triple group, respectively, and significant difference was not noted (P= P=0.188).

Conclusion Compared with triple therapy with CsA, MTX and ATG, CsA+MTX+MMF+ATG procedure dose not worsen the immune reconsititution after transplantation. It can’t decrease the incidence and severity of aGVHD, but can lower the lethality of GVHD in URD-HSCT. The quadruple procedure may lead to higher relapse rate after URD-HSCT.