Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: comparison with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

Autores de IIS La Fe

• Bonaventura Casanova Estruch

  Autor

• Isidro Jarque Ramos

  Autor

• Francisco Gascon Gimenez

  Autor

• Francisco Carlos Pérez Miralles

  Autor

• 

  Javier De La Rubia Comos

  Autor

• Carmen Alcala Salmeron

  Autor

• Jaime Sanz Caballer

  Autor

• Angeles Cervello Donderis

  Autor

• Aránzazu Navarré Gimeno

  Autor

• Isabel Boscá Blasco

  Autor

• Sara María García Gil-Perotín

  Autor

• Miguel Ángel Sanz Alonso

  Autor

• Francisco Coret Ferrer

  Autor

Participantes ajenos a IIS La Fe

• Hernandez-Boluda, JC
• Mallada, J
• Carcelen-Gadea, M
• Solano, C

Grupos

• Hematología y Hemoterapia

• Investigación en Neuroinmunología y Esclerosis Múltiple

Abstract

The main objective of our work is to describe the long-term results of myeloablative autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) in multiple sclerosis patients. Patients that failed to conventional therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) underwent an approved protocol for AHSCT, which consisted of peripheral blood stem cell mobilization with cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), followed by a conditioning regimen of BCNU, Etoposide, Ara-C, Melphalan IV, plus Rabbit Thymoglobulin. Thirty-eight MS patients have been transplanted since 1999. Thirty-one patients have been followed for more than 2 years (mean 8.4 years). There were 22 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and 9 secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients. No death related to AHSCT. A total of 10 patients (32.3%) had at least one relapse during post-AHSCT evolution, 6 patients in the RRMS group (27.2%) and 4 in the SPMS group (44.4%). After AHSCT, 7 patients (22.6%) experienced progression of disability, all within SP form. By contrast, no patients with RRMS experienced worsening of disability after a median follow-up of 5.4 years, 60% of them showed a sustained reduction in disability (SRD), defined as the improvement of 1.0 point in the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) sustains for 6 months (0.5 in cases of EDSS >= 5.5). The only clinical variable that predicted a poor response to AHSCT was a high EDSS in the year before transplant. AHSCT using the BEAM-ATG scheme is safe and efficacious to control the aggressive forms of RRMS.

Keywords

• Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Multiple sclerosis; Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis; Immunotherapy; Immunosupression; Neurodegeneration