[Pentoxifylline is not useful in the prevention of toxicity associated with bone marrow transplantation].

Background: To evaluate the possible beneficial effect of pentoxifylline (PTX) on both the decrease of toxicity related to bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and the acceleration of the hematopoietic graft.

Methods: Twenty consecutive patients treated with BMT received pentoxifylline (400 mg/6 hours, orally) up to day +50 to prevent toxicity derived from BMT. A previous group of 29 consecutive patients transplanted in the same center were used as controls. The different clinical toxicities (mucositis, kidney failure, hepatic venocclusive disease, graft versus host disease, number of days with fever, day of hospital discharge and survival at day +50), the time elapsed until the hematopoietic graft and the levels of tumoral necrosis factor alpha were evaluated.

Results: No significant differences were observed in any of the parameters studied in the two groups of patients.

Conclusions: Treatment with pentoxifylline does not prevent the toxicity derived from BMT or accelerate the hematopoietic grafting.