Higher plasma bilirubin predicts veno-occlusive disease in early childhood undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with cyclosporine.

AIM: To analyze the association between plasma bilirubin levels and veno-occlusive disease (VOD) in non-adult patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) during cyclosporine therapy.

METHODS

A total of 123 patients taking cyclosporine were evaluated using an electronic medical system at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital from the years 2004 through 2011. Patients were grouped by age and analyzed for incidence and type of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) including VOD.

RESULTS

The HSCT patients were divided into three age groups: G#1 ≥ 18; 9 ≤ G#2 ≤ 17; and G#3 ≤ 8 years of age). The majority of transplant donor types were cord blood transplantations. Most prevalent ADRs represented acute graft-vs-host disease (aGVHD) and VOD. Although the incidences of aGVHD did not vary among the groups, the higher frequency ratios of VOD in G#3 suggested that an age of 8 or younger is a risk factor for developing VOD in HSCT patients. After cyclosporine therapy, the trough plasma concentrations of cyclosporine were lower in G#3 than in G#1, indicative of its increased clearance. Moreover, in G#3 only, a maximal total bilirubin level (BILmax) of ≥ 1.4 mg/dL correlated with VOD incidence after cyclosporine therapy.

CONCLUSION

HSCT patients 8 years of age or younger are more at risk for developing VOD, diagnosed as hyperbilirubinemia, tender hepatomegaly, and ascites/weight gain after cyclosporine therapy, which may be represented by a criterion of plasma BILmax being ≥ 1.4 mg/dL, suggestive of more sensitive VOD indication in this age group.