Background: Patients with steroid-refractory intestinal acute graft-versus-host disease
(aGvHD) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) represent a population with a high need for
alternative and effective treatment options. Methods: We report real-life data from 18 patients treated
with extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP). This cohort consisted of nine patients with steroid-refractory
intestinal aGvHD and nine patients with BOS. Results: We document partial or complete clinical
response and reduction of symptoms in half of the patients with intestinal acute GvHD and patients
with BOS treated ECP. Responding patients tended to stay on treatment longer. In patients with BOS,
stabilization of lung function and forced expiratory volume was observed, whereas, less abdominal
pain, less diarrhea, and a reduction of systemic corticosteroids were seen in patients with intestinal
acute GvHD. Conclusions: ECP might not only abrogate symptoms but also reduce mortality caused
by complications from high-dose steroid treatment. Taken together, ECP offers a serious treatment
avenue for patients with steroid-refractory intestinal acute GvHD and BOS.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:88484 |
| Date | 06 December 2023 |
| Creators | Reschke, Robin, Zimmerlich, Stephanie, Döhring, Christine, Behre, Gerhard, Ziemer, Mirjana |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 2227-9059, 10.3390/biomedicines10081887 |
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