Thrombotic microangiopathy following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is associated with intensive graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis

• Published in: Bone marrow transplantation (Basingstoke) Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 351 - 357
• Main Authors: PAQUETTE, R. L, TRAN, L, LANDAW, E. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.08.1998
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Bone marrow transplantation; Bone Marrow Transplantation - adverse effects; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; Chemotherapy; Cyclosporine - adverse effects; Cyclosporins; Disease prevention; Female; Glucocorticoids; Glucocorticoids - adverse effects; Graft versus host disease; Graft vs Host Disease - prevention & control; Graft-versus-host reaction; Hemolytic uremic syndrome; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - etiology; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects; Male; Medical sciences; Methotrexate; Methotrexate - adverse effects; Middle Aged; Patients; Prophylaxis; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic - etiology; Regression analysis; Retrospective Studies; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Stem cell transplantation; Thrombocytopenic purpura; Thrombotic microangiopathy; Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Transplantation; Transplantation Conditioning; Treatment Outcome; Skin disease; Chemoprophylaxis; Homograft; Hemopathy; Glucocorticoid; Prevention; Myeloproliferative syndrome; Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; Hemolytic anemia; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Chronic myelocytic leukemia; Bone marrow; Complication; Graft; Ciclosporin; Acute lymphocytic leukemia; Methotrexate; Kidney disease; Human; Immunopathology; Corticosteroid; Nervous system diseases; Urinary system disease; Hemolytic uremic syndrome; Unrelated donor; Acute; Vascular disorders of the skin; Graft versus host reaction; Malignant hemopathy; Chronic; Platelet; Treatment; Risk factor; Renal failure; Capillary vessel disease; Immunosuppressive agent; Acute myelocytic leukemia
• ISSN: 0268-3369; 1476-5365
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1701359

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TM), manifesting clinically as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or hemolytic uremic syndrome, is an uncommon complication after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). A retrospective analysis of potential risk factors for TM following allogeneic BMT was performed. Clinical data were analyzed from seven patients diagnosed with severe TM and 409 patients who underwent BMT during the same time period and who survived for at least 100 days afterwards. Six of the seven patients with TM received intensive GVHD prophylaxis consisting of cyclosporine, methotrexate and glucocorticoids, whereas only 66 of the 409 patients without TM received this regimen (P < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). This regimen was administered to patients older than 40 years, or recipients of a mismatched or unrelated allograft. Univariate analysis also revealed an increased risk of TM associated with the use of an unrelated bone marrow donor (P = 0.02), but no significant association with patient age or gender, diagnosis, amount of prior chemotherapy, transplant conditioning regimen or severity of GVHD. A multivariate exact logistic regression analysis revealed that only the type of GVHD prophylaxis had a significant impact on the risk for TM. The combined use of cyclosporine, methotrexate and glucocorticoids as GVHD prophylaxis may predispose to the development of TM following BMT.