Faculty Collaboration Database

Tocilizumab for steroid refractory acute graft-versus-host disease. Leuk Lymphoma 2016;57(1):81-5

Date

07/04/2015

Pubmed ID

26140610

Pubmed Central ID

PMC4698359

DOI

10.3109/10428194.2015.1045896

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84954399184 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   34 Citations

Abstract

Acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) is a frequent and often lethal complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant despite prophylaxis. Tocilizumab is a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody that has evidence of activity in patients with steroid refractory (SR) GVHD. We retrospectively report on nine patients with grade 3 or 4 SR aGVHD who received tocilizumab. Eight mg/kg of tocilizumab was administered intravenously every 3-4 weeks. aGVHD grading and responses were based on consensus criteria. Median age at transplant was 48 years. Five patients had alternate donor sources. Median time from aGVHD onset to tocilizumab administration was 44 days. Two patients had complete responses and two had partial responses. Median survival from start of tocilizumab was 26 days (range 13-1054). Our limited experience demonstrated an overall response rate of 44% (CR + PR); however, this response was not durable. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal time for tocilizumab initiation.

Author List

Roddy JV, Haverkos BM, McBride A, Leininger KM, Jaglowski S, Penza S, Klisovic R, Blum W, Vasu S, Hofmeister CC, Benson DM, Andritsos LA, Devine SM, Efebera YA

Author

Samantha M. Jaglowski MD, MPH Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
Drug Resistance
Female
Graft vs Host Disease
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Receptors, Interleukin-6
Steroids
Transplantation Conditioning
Transplantation, Homologous
Treatment Outcome