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Clinical effects of recombinant thrombomodulin and defibrotide on sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a lethal complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Defibrotide (DF) is the only drug internationally recommended for SOS treatment in Western countries. Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM), which is promising for the treatment of patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation, is also reported to be potentially effective for SOS. To clarify the safety and efficacy of DF and rhTM, we conducted a retrospective survey of these agents in Japan. Data from 65 patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT and received DF (n  =  24) or rhTM (n  =  41) for SOS treatment were collected. The complete response rates for SOS on day 100 were 50% and 54% in the DF and rhTM groups, respectively. The 100-day overall survival rates were 50% in the DF group, and 48% in the rhTM group. Several severe hemorrhagic adverse events were observed in one patient in the DF group and five patients in the rhTM group. The main causes of death were SOS-related death, and no patient died of direct adverse events of DF or rhTM. Our results suggest that rhTM, as well as DF, can be effective as a novel treatment option for SOS.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all patients and their families in our study, the medical staffs in the participating centers, and collaborators Dr. Nozomu Kawashima (Nagoya University Hospital), Dr. Kai Yamasaki (Osaka City General Hospital), Dr. Yuichi Kato (Yamagata University Hospital), Dr. Hideo Yagi (Kindai University Nara Hospital), Dr. Shotaro Tatekawa (Konan Kosei Hospital), Dr. Taichi Ikebe (Oita University Hospital), and Dr. Yoshihisa Morishita (Konan Kosei Hospital).

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Correspondence to Kimikazu Yakushijin.

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KY received honoraria from Asahi-kasei Pharma, JAZZ Pharmaceuticals, and Pfizer Inc. TI received grant/research support from Asahi-kasei Pharma. YU received research funding and travel expense fee from Kainos Laboratories Inc., Ablynx NV., and Eli Lilly Japan, outside submitted work. AK received grant/research support from JAZZ Pharmaceuticals and Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Yakushijin, K., Ikezoe, T., Ohwada, C. et al. Clinical effects of recombinant thrombomodulin and defibrotide on sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 54, 674–680 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-018-0304-4

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