Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Azacitidine for Prophylactic and Preventive Purposes after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of preventive and prophylactic post-transplantation therapy using azacitidine (5-AZA) in patients at high risk of post-transplantation relapse.

Methods. 136 patients were included in the study performed by the pairwise comparison: 68 of them received 5-AZA after allo-HSCT and 68 patients were included in the historical control group. 5-AZA was prescribed for prophylactic or preventive purposes. The results were assessed according to the OS, RR, EFS, DUM, and relapse-free and GVHR-free survival.

Results. 1-year OS was 76 % in the 5-AZA group (95% CI 60–84 %) and 44 % in the reference group (95% CI 33–55 %) (p = 0.001); 2-year OS was 63 % (95% CI 39–67 %) and 37 % (95% CI 26–48 %) (p = 0.007), respectively. The relapse rate (RR) in the 5-AZA group was 34 % (95% CI 22–46 %) during 1 year and 51 % (95% CI 38–64 %) in the reference group (p = 0.02). 1- and 2-year disease unrelated mortality (DUM) was similar: 5 % in the 5-AZA group (95% CI 0.1–14.0 %) and 25 % (95% CI 13–37 %) in the reference group (p = 0.005). 1-year EFS was 76 % in the 5-AZA group (95% CI 61–85 %) and 44 % in the reference group (95% CI 33–55 %) (p = 0.001); 2-year EFS was 63 % (95% CI 39–67 %) and 37 % (95% CI 26–48 %) (p = 0.01), respectively. 1-year relapse-free and GVHR-free survival was 55 % in the 5-AZA group (95% CI 41–69 %) and 28 % in the reference group (95% CI 17–39 %) (p = 0.001); 2-year relapse-free and GVHR-free survival was 47 % (95% CI 32–62 %) and 27 % (95% CI 17–37 %) (p = 0.002), respectively.

Conclusion. The use of 5-AZA for prophylactic and preventive purposes after allo-HSCT does not increase the risk of GVHR and DUM, does not suppress the GVL effect and can be used in combination with the donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). The therapy with 5-AZA is safe during the early period after allo-HSCT. The drug does not suppress the GVL effect and can be used in high risk patients to prevent early post-transplantation relapse. The use of 5-AZA in combination with DLI does not increase the incidence of severe GVHR.

• Varvara Nikolaevna Ovechkina RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• S.N. Bondarenko RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• E.V. Morozova RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• I.S. Moiseev RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• O.A. Slesarchuk RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• A.G. Smirnova RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• O.S. Uspenskaya Leningrad District Clinical Hospital, 45–49 Lunacharskogo pr-t, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 194291 ; ГБУЗ «Ленинградская областная клиническая больница», пр-т Луначарского, д. 45–49, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 194291
• Ya.V. Gudozhnikova RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• A.A. Osipova RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• V.S. Sergeev RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• N.N. Mamaev RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• L.S. Zubarovskaya RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022
• B.V. Afanas’ev RM Gorbacheva Scientific Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantation; Academician IP Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 12 Rentgena str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197022 ; НИИ детской онкологии, гематологии и трансплантологии им. Р.М. Горбачевой, Первый Санкт-Петербургский государственный медицинский университет им. акад. И.П. Павлова, ул. Льва Толстого, д. 6/8, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197022

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