Induction of autologous graft-versus-host disease after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Abstract

Autologous graft-versus-host disease has been reported after the administration of cyclosporine in patients who have received autologous bone marrow transplantation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether autologous graft-versus-host disease could be induced in recipients of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and whether tacrolimus induced the disease instead of cyclosporine. Twelve patients with acute leukemia and 5 patients with malignant lymphoma received either cyclosporine (1 mg/kg/day) or tacrolimus (0. 05 mg/kg/day) orally after autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Autologous graft-versus-host disease of the skin, confirmed by histopathologic criteria, occurred in 40% of the patients at 8 to 25 days after transplantation and lasted 3 to 15 days. The frequency of autologous graft-versus-host disease was approximately the same (40%) irrespective of the source of the graft (bone marrow cells or peripheral blood stem cells) and the drug used for induction (cyclosporine or tacrolimus). This pilot study suggests that autologous graft-versus-host disease can be induced in recipients of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation by cyclosporine or tacrolimus.