haploidentical allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Preventive Use of Azacitidine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Haploidentical Allo-BMT

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION , ,

RSh Badaev, DB Zammoeva, LL Girshova, DV Babenetskaya, NA Il’ina, YuA Alekseeva, AYu Zaritskey, DV Motorin

VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341

For correspondence: Dmitrii Vasil’evich Motorin, MD, PhD, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341; e-mail: almazov-bmt@mail.ru

For citation: Badaev RSh, Zammoeva DB, Girshova LL, et al. Preventive Use of Azacitidine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Haploidentical Allo-BMT. Clinical oncohematology. 2019;12(1):37–42.

DOI: 10.21320/2500-2139-2019-12-1-37-42

ABSTRACT

Background. Haploidentical bone marrow transplantation (BMT) can be a reliable alternative if a fully matched donor is not available. The main challenges after BMT are a relapse of major disease, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and infections. Azacitidine possesses antileukemic effect together with immunomodulating properties and being administered soon after BMT can significantly improve the outcome.

Aim. To study azacitidine effect on the outcome of haploidentical BMT in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the early post-transplantation period.

Materials & Methods. The trial included 18 AML patients who received haploidentical BMT at VA Almazov National Medical Research Center. In all patients MRD-negative remission was achieved on the 30th day after BMT. Azacitidine therapy was initiated not earlier than 2 months after BMT with a complete engraftment of transplant and no GVHD. Azacitidine 100 mg/day was administered on D1–D5 every 28 days within a year after BMT. When a molecular relapse was detected, donor lymphocytes were additionally infused during every other cycle of therapy.

Results. Eleven patients received preventive azacitidine treatment, 7 patients were included in control group. Median onset of azacitidine treatment after haploidentical BMT was 4 months (range 2–10 months), median number of azacitidine courses was 3.5 (range 1–9). During azacitidine treatment acute GVHD was identified in 5 (45.4 %) patients. In 4 of them an exacerbation of earlier GVHD was detected (3 with cutaneous form and 1 with intestinal form), and only in 1 patient de novo acute intestinal GVHD was discovered.

Conclusion. Azacitidine treatment of AML patients after haploidentical allo-BMT is safe and well tolerated. Preventive azacitidine treatment after haploidentical BMT improves overall survival of AML patients.

Keywords: haploidentical allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, azacitidine, acute myeloid leukemia.

Received: June 22, 2018

Accepted: December 11, 2018

Read in PDF 

REFERENCES

  1. Dohner H, Estey E, Grimwade D, et al. Diagnosis and management of AML in adults: 2017 ELN recommendations from an international expert panel. Blood. 2016;129(4):424–47. doi: 10.1182/blood-2016-08-733196.

  2. McCurdy SR, Kanakry JA, Showel MM, et al. Risk-stratified outcomes of nonmyeloablative HLA-haploidentical BMT with high-dose posttransplantation cyclophosphamide. Blood. 2015;125(19):3024–31. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-01-623991.

  3. Ciurea SO, Zhang M-J, Bacigalupo AA, et al. Haploidentical transplant with posttransplant cyclophosphamide vs matched unrelated donor transplant for acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2015;126(8):1033–40. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-04-639831.

  4. Bashey A, Zhang X, Jackson K, et al. Comparison of Outcomes of Hematopoietic Cell Transplants from T-Replete Haploidentical Donors Using Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide with 10 of 10 HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 Allele-Matched Unrelated Donors and HLA-Identical Sibling Donors: A Multivariable Analysis Including Disease Risk Index. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2016;22(1):125–33. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2015.09.002.

  5. Dombret H, Seymour JF, Butrym A, et al. International phase 3 study of azacitidine vs conventional care regimens in older patients with newly diagnosed AML with >30% blasts. Blood. 2015;126(3):291–9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-01-621664.

  6. Pozzi S, Geroldi S, Tedone E, et al. Leukaemia relapse after allogeneic transplants for acute myeloid leukaemia: predictive role of WT1 expression. Br J Haematol. 2013;160(4):503–9. doi: 10.1111/bjh.12181.

  7. Glucksberg H, Storb R, Fefer A, et al. Clinical manifestations of graft-versus-host disease in human recipients of marrow from HL-A-matched sibling donors. Transplantation. 1974;18(4):295–304. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197410000-00001.

  8. Filipovich AH, Weisdorf D, Pavletic S, et al. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: I. Diagnosis and Staging Working Group Report. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2005;11(12):945–56. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2005.09.004.

  9. Chang Y-J, Wang Y, Liu Y-R, et al. Haploidentical allograft is superior to matched sibling donor allograft in eradicating pre-transplantation minimal residual disease of AML patients as determined by multiparameter flow cytometry: a retrospective and prospective analysis. J Hematol Oncol. 2017;10(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s13045-017-0502-3.

  10. Frassoni F, Barrett AJ, Granena A, et al. Relapse after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute leukaemia: a survey by the E.B.M.T. of 117 cases. Br J Haematol. 1988;70(3):317–20. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1988.tb02488.x.

  11. Bosi A, Laszlo D, Labopin M, et al. Second Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Acute Leukemia: Results of a Survey by the European Cooperative Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19(16):3675–84. doi: 10.1200/jco.2001.19.16.3675.

  12. Verdonck L, Petersen E, Lokhorst H, et al. Donor leukocyte infusions for recurrent hematologic malignancies after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: impact of infused and residual donor T cells. Bone Marrow Transplant. 1998;22(11):1057–63. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1701496.

  13. Collins RH, Shpilberg O, Drobyski WR, et al. Donor leukocyte infusions in 140 patients with relapsed malignancy after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. J Clin Oncol. 1997;15(2):433–44. doi: 10.1200/jco.1997.15.2.433.

  14. Fenaux P, Mufti GJ, Hellstrom-Lindberg E, et al. Azacitidine Prolongs Overall Survival Compared With Conventional Care Regimens in Elderly Patients With Low Bone Marrow Blast Count Acute Myeloid Leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(4):562–9. doi: 10.1200/jco.2009.23.8329.

  15. Maurillo L, Venditti A, Spagnoli A, et al. Azacitidine for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer. 2011;118(4):1014–22. doi: 10.1002/cncr.26354.

  16. Schroeder T, Czibere A, Platzbecker U, et al. Azacitidine and donor lymphocyte infusions as first salvage therapy for relapse of AML or MDS after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Leukemia. 2013;27(6):1229–35. doi: 10.1038/leu.2013.7.

  17. Tessoulin B, Delaunay J, Chevallier P, et al. Azacitidine salvage therapy for relapse of myeloid malignancies following allogeneic hematopoietic SCT. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2014;49(4):567–71. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2013.233.

  18. Craddock C, Labopin M, Robin M, et al. Clinical activity of azacitidine in patients who relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia. Haematologica. 2016;101(7):879–83. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2015.140996.

  19. Schroeder T, Rachlis E, Bug G, et al. Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome Relapse after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation with Azacitidine and Donor Lymphocyte Infusions—A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis from the German Cooperative Transplant Study Group. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2015;21(4):653–60. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2014.12.016.

  20. Platzbecker U, Wermke M, Radke J, et al. Azacitidine for treatment of imminent relapse in MDS or AML patients after allogeneic HSCT: results of the RELAZA trial. Leukemia. 2011;26(3):381–9. doi: 10.1038/leu.2011.234.

  21. Schroeder T, Frobel J, Cadeddu R-P, et al. Salvage therapy with azacitidine increases regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of patients with AML or MDS and early relapse after allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation. Leukemia. 2013;27(9):1910–3. doi: 10.1038/leu.2013.64.

  22. Goodyear OC, Dennis M, Jilani NY, et al. Azacitidine augments expansion of regulatory T cells after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Blood. 2012;119(14):3361–9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-09-377044.

  23. Choi J, Ritchey J, Prior JL, et al. In vivo administration of hypomethylating agents mitigate graft-versus-host disease without sacrificing graft-versus-leukemia. Blood. 2010;116(1):129–39. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-12-257253.

  24. Cooper ML, Choi J, Karpova D, et al. Azacitidine Mitigates Graft-versus-Host Disease via Differential Effects on the Proliferation of T Effectors and Natural Regulatory T Cells In Vivo. J Immunol. 2017;198(9):3746–54. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1502399.

  25. Garcia-Delgado R, de Miguel D, Bailen A, et al. Effectiveness and safety of different azacitidine dosage regimens in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Res. 2014;38(7):744–50. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2014.03.004.

  26. Lyons RM, Cosgriff TM, Modi SS, et al. Hematologic Response to Three Alternative Dosing Schedules of Azacitidine in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(11):1850–6. doi: 10.1200/jco.2008.17.1058.

  27. Jabbour E, Giralt S, Kantarjian H, et al. Low-dose azacitidine after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for acute leukemia. Cancer. 2009;115(9):1899–905. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24198.

  28. Jabbour E, Short NJ, Montalban-Bravo G, et al. Randomized phase 2 study of low-dose decitabine vs low-dose azacitidine in lower-risk MDS and MDS/MPN. Blood. 2017;130(13):1514–22. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-06-788497.