[Decrease of chronic graft-versus-host disease by adding anti-human thymocyte globulin to the conditioning regimen]

To observe the influence of adding anti-human thymocyte globulin (ATG) into conditioning regimen on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and life quality of the patients of allo-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT).

Patients were distributed into study (19 cases) and control (24 cases) groups at random. Median dose of rabbit ATG was added to the conditioning regimen based on the fludara, busufan and cyclophosphamide (FBC) in study group, and no ATG in the control group. Acute and chronic GVHD disease and Karnofsky scores were compared between two groups after allo-PBSCT.

The patients in the study group received a mean of 6.0 (3 - 9) x 10(8)/kg mononucleated cells and 5.5 (4.5 - 7.5) x 10(6)/kg in the control group. The mean CD(34)(+) cells number was 5.5 (3.0 - 6.5) x 10(5)/kg in the study and 5.0 (3.0 - 7.0) x 10(6)/kg in the control group respectively. Eighteen patients in the study group and in the control group were successfully engrafted. The mean time of absolute neutrophil count recovered more than 500/ micro l was 13 days and 12 days respectively. Acute GVHD occurred in 6 patients of the study group, and 15 of the control group. Seven patients suffered from chronic GVHD and 14 got 90 Kanrofsky scores in a mean of 250 days follow-up in the study group, and 19 patients GVHD and 4 patients respectively in a mean of 440 days follow-up in the control group. There was a significant difference for acute and chronic GVHD and life quality between the two groups.

Addition of anti-thymocyte globulin to the FBC conditioning regimen had no effect on stem cells engraftment but could decrease acute and chronic GVHD and improve patients life quality.