Outcomes of unrelated donor stem cell transplantation with or without anti-thymocyte globulin used as graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis in patients with acute leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and infections are complications after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is a strategy used as prophylaxis for GVHD. The study analyses the outcomes and frequency of infections with or without ATG after an unrelated donor alloSCT in patients with acute leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective study of patients receiving an unrelated donor alloSCT between December 2007 and April 2019. The main outcomes were analysed according to use or not of ATG.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients were included. No significant differences were found between the ATG group (n=50) vs. no-ATG group (n=16) in overall survival, cumulative incidence of relapse, cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality or cumulative incidence of acute GVHD or chronic GVHD. There was a greater frequency of infections in the ATG group (60 vs. 19%, P=.004).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, no differences were shown in the main outcomes of alloSCT based on the use of ATG, although more infections were documented in the ATG group.