No indication of increased infection rates using low-dose alemtuzumab instead of anti-thymocyte globulin as graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis before allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Background: Alemtuzumab as part of the conditioning protocol is effective in reducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), but may be associated with increased infection rates, especially when using high doses (ie, 100 mg).

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center, case-control study analyzing the rates of neutropenic fever, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, clinical manifest toxoplasmosis, and clinical manifest human herpesvirus-6 (HHV6) infection using low-dose alemtuzumab in comparison with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) as GvHD prophylaxis before allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Forty-four patients transplanted from unrelated donors between 2001 and 2012 were matched by age, diagnosis, and conditioning regimen and treated either with alemtuzumab 10 mg at day -2 (respectively, 20 mg in case of mismatch transplantation) or ATG.

Reduced platelet transfusions and earlier platelet engraftment using alemtuzumab-based conditioning regimen in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Purpose: In patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation, conditioning regimens containing alemtuzumab instead of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) may result in an earlier platelet engraftment and a reduced number of platelet transfusions.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center, case-control study analyzing time to engraftment and transfusion needs using alemtuzumab in comparison with ATG as part of conditioning protocol.

Results: Median values for time to platelet engraftment, number of transfused platelet concentrates and number of transfused red cell concentrates were 12 versus 19.

Low-dose alemtuzumab vs. standard policy for prevention of graft-versus-host disease in unrelated and related allogeneic stem cell transplantation-a matched pair analysis.

Antibody-mediated in vivo T cell depletion is common prior to unrelated (URD) or mismatched allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) and optional in HLA-identical sibling (FAM) alloSCT. While anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is the current standard, alemtuzumab is an alternative. The optimal dose of alemtuzumab has not been defined.