In an abstract presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO), Houston, Texas, Lazar Chadievski, MD, University Clinic for Hematology, Skopje, Macedonia, presented the results of a comparative analysis study evaluating the effects of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) on in vivo T cell depletion in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The researchers hoped that ATG would significantly decrease the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after HSCT.
The researchers retrospectively analyzed the results of 40 patients with AML who underwent allogeneic HSCT between 2014 and 2021, comparing the outcomes of patients treated with ATG to those who did not receive ATG (numbers not specified).
According to Dr. Chadievski, the incidence of acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, and grade III-IV acute GVHD were significantly higher in the non-ATG group (29% vs 15.8%, 24% vs 15.8%, and 19% vs 10%, respectively). Similarly, the relapse rates were higher in the non-ATG group (19% vs 16%).
The research team observed no differences between the 2 groups in overall survival.
Based on the study’s results, the authors concluded, “Using ATG in the conditioning of patients with AML undergoing allogeneic HSCT for in vivo T-cell depletion is justified as it leads to lower rates of GvHD and better quality of life without worsening relapse rates while maintaining the curative potential of allogeneic HSCT.”
Reference
Chadievski L, Veljanovska AP, Stojanovska S, et al. The Efficacy of Anti-Thymocyte Globulin for in Vivo T Cell Depletion in Conditioning in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation From Related and Unrelated Donors. Abstract AML-325. Presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology; September 6-9, 2023; Houston, Texas.
