Abstract
A syndrome of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, renal dysfunction and neurological abnormalities was first noted in bone marrow transplant recipients 22 years ago. Now known as transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) to distinguish it from other thrombotic microangiopathies, this disorder responds poorly to conventional treatments for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. In this review, we discuss the incidence and risk factors for TA-TMA and describe a pathophysiologic model of the disorder based on results obtained from laboratory models of the thrombotic microangiopathies. We conclude by suggesting possible approaches to the early diagnosis and treatment of TA-TMA based on this model that may warrant testing in future clinical trials.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Powles RL, Clinck HM, Spence D et al. Cyclosporine to prevent graft-versus-host disease in man after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation Lancet 1980 1: 327 329
Pettitt AR, Clark RE . Thrombotic microangiopathy following bone marrow transplantation Bone Marrow Transplant 1994 14: 495 504
Zeigler ZR, Shadduck RK, Nemunaitis J et al. Bone marrow transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy: a case series Bone Marrow Transplant 1995 15: 247 253
Holler E, Kolb HJ, Hiller E et al. Microangiopathy in patients on cyclosporine prophylaxis who developed acute graft-versus-host disease after HLA-identical bone marrow transplantation Blood 1989 73: 2018 2024
Iacopino P, Pucci G, Arcese W et al. Severe thrombotic microangiopathy: An infrequent complication of bone marrow transplantation Bone Marrow Transplant 1999 24: 47 51
Rabinowe S, Soiffer R, Tarbell N et al. Hemolytic-uremic syndrome following bone marrow transplantation in adults for hematological malignancies Blood 1991 77: 1837 1844
Fuge R, Bird JM, Fraser A et al. The clinical features, risk factors and outcome of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura occurring after bone marrow transplantation Br J Haematol 2001 113: 58 64
Shulman H, Striker G, Deeg HJ et al. Nephrotoxicity of cyclosporine A after allogeneic marrow transplantation – glomerular thromboses and tubular injury New Engl J Med 1981 305: 1392 1395
Zarifian A, Meleg-Smith S, O'Donovan R et al. Cyclosporine-associated thrombotic microangiopathy in renal allografts Kidney Int 1999 55: 2457 2466
Chappell ME, Keeling DM, Prentice HG, Sweny P . Haemolytic uraemic syndrome after bone marrow transplantation: an adverse effect of total body irradiation? Bone Marrow Transplant 1988 3: 339 347
Miralbell R, Bieri S, Mermillod B et al. Renal toxicity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: the combined effects of total-body irradiation and graft-versus-host disease J Clin Oncol 1996 14: 579 585
Paquette RL, Trans L, Landaw EM . Thrombotic microangiopathy following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is associated with intensive graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis Bone Marrow Transplant 1998 22: 351 357
Matsuda Y, Hara J, Miyoshi H et al. Thrombotic microangiopathy associated with reactivation of human herpesvirus-6 following high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation in young children Bone Marrow Transplant 1999 24: 919 923
Waiser J, Budde K, Rudolph B et al. De novo hemolytic-uremic syndrome postrenal transplant after Cytomegalovirus infection Am J Kidney Dis 1999 34: 556 560
Pham P-T, Peng A, Wilkinson AH et al. Cyclosporine and tacrolimus-associated thrombotic microangiopathy Am J Kidney Dis 2000 36: 844 850
Daly A, Hasegawa W, Lipton J et al. Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy is associated with transplantation from unrelated donors, acute graft-versus-host disease and venoocclusive disease of the liver Transf Apher Sci 2002 27: 3 12
Furlan M, Robles R, Solenthaler M et al. Deficient activity of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease in chronic relapsing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura Blood 1997 89: 3097 3103
Furlan M, Robles R, Galbusera M . Von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and the hemolytic-uremic syndrome New Engl J Med 1998 339: 1578 1584
Tsai HM, Lian EC . Antibodies to von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease in acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura New Engl J Med 1998 339: 1585 1594
Van der Plas RM, Schiphorst M, Huizinga E . Von Willebrand factor proteolysis is deficient in classic, but not in bone marrow transplantation-associated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura Blood 1999 93: 3798 3802
Elliott M, Nichols W, Plumhoff E et al. Post-transplant thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a complication of high-risk myeloablative and non-myeloablative transplantation, is not associated with von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (vWF-CP) deficiency Blood 2001 98: 193a
Arai S, Allan C, Streiff M et al. Von Willebrand-cleaving protease activity and proteolysis of von Willebrand factor in bone marrow transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy Hematol J 2001 2: 292 299
Cohen H, Bull HA, Seddon A et al. Vascular endothelial cell function and ultrastructure in thrombotic microangiopathy following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation Eur J Hematol 1989 43: 207 214
Laurence J, Mitra D, Steiner M et al. Plasma from patients with idiopathic and human immunodeficiency virus-associated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura induces apoptosis in microvascular endothelial cells Blood 1996 87: 3245 3254
Mitra D, Jaffe E, Weksler B et al. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and sporadic hemolytic-uremic syndrome plasmas induce apoptosis in restricted lineages of human microvascular endothelial cells Blood 1996 88: 1224 1234
Dang CT, Magid M, Weksler B et al. Enhanced endothelial apoptosis in splenic tissue of patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura Blood 1999 94: 1264 1270
Jiminez JJ, Jy W, Mauro L et al. Elevated endothelial microparticles in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: findings from brain and renal microvascular cell culture and patients with active disease Br J Haematol 2001 112: 81 90
Mitra D, Kim J, MacLow C et al. Role of caspases 1 and 3 and Bcl-2-related molecules in endothelial cell apoptosis associated with thrombotic microangiopathies Am J Hematol 1998 59: 279 287
Ballerman BJ . Nephrology forum: endothelial cell activation Kidney Int 1998 53: 1810 1826
Nestel FP, Price KS, Seemayer TA, Lapp WS . Macrophage priming and lipopolysaccharide-triggered release of tumor necrosis factor alpha during graft-versus-host disease J Exp Med 1992 175: 405 413
Rosenthal RA, Chukwuogo NA, Ocasio VH et al. Cyclosporine inhibits endothelial cell prostacyclin production J Surg Res 1989 46: 593 596
Voss BL, Hamilton KK, Samara EN, McKee PA . Cyclosporine suppression of endothelial prostacyclin generation: a possible mechanism for nephrotoxicity Transplantation 1988 45: 793 796
Nangaku M, Alpers C, Pippin J et al. A new model of renal microvascular endothelial injury Kidney Int 1997 52: 182 194
Kim Y-G, Suga S, Kang D-H . Vascular endothelial growth factor accelerates renal recovery in experimental thrombotic microangiopathy Kidney Int 2000 58: 2390 2399
Suga S, Kim Y-G, Joly A . Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF121) protects rats from renal infarction in thrombotic microangiopathy Kidney Int 2001 60: 1297 1308
Buhler L, Goepfert C, Kitamura H et al. Porcine hematopoietic cell xenotransplantation in nonhuman primates is complicated by thrombotic microangiopathy Bone Marrow Transplant 2001 27: 1227 1236
Hillyer DM, Duncan A, Ledford M et al. Chemotherapy-induced hemolytic-uremic syndrome: description of a potential animal model J Med Primatol 1995 24: 68 73
Rock GA, Shumak KH, Buskard NA et al. Comparison of plasma exchange with plasma infusion in the treatment of thrombotic thrombcytopenic purpura New Engl J Med 1991 325: 393 397
Lecornu-Heuze L, Ducloux D, Rebibou J-M et al. Mycophenolate mofetil in cyclosporine-associated thrombotic microangiopathy Nephrol Dial Transplant 1998 13: 3212 3213
Llamas P, Romero R, Cabrera R et al. Management of thrombotic microangiopathy following allogeneic transplantation: what is the role of plasma exchange? Bone Marrow Transplant 1997 20: 305 306
Rock G, Shumak KH, Sutton DM et al. Cryosupernatant as replacement fluid for plasma exchange in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Members of the Canadian Apheresis Group Br J Haematol 1996 94: 383 386
Silva VA, Frei-Lahr D, Brown RA, Herzig GP . Plasma exchange and vincristine in the treatment of hemolytic uremic syndrome/thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with bone marrow transplantation J Clin Apheresis 1991 6: 16 20
Sarode R, McFarland JG, Flomenberg N et al. Therapeutic plasma exchange does not appear to be effective in the management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome following bone marrow transplantation Bone Marrow Transplant 1995 16: 271 275
Zeigler ZR, Shadduck RK, Nath R, Andrews DF . Pilot study of combined cryosupernatant and protein A immunoadsorption exchange in the treatment of grade 3–4 bone marrow transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy Bone Marrow Transplant 1996 17: 81 86
Dua A, Zeigler ZR, Shadduck RK et al. Apheresis in grade 4 bone marrow transplant associated thrombotic microangiopathy: a case series J Clin Apheresis 1996 11: 176 184
Bosch T, Cuhmann R, Lennertz A et al. Therapeutic plasma exchange in patients suffering from thrombotic microangiopathy after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation Ther Apher 1999 3: 252 256
Teruya J, Styler M, Verde S et al. Questionable efficacy of plasma exchange for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura after bone marrow transplantation J Clin Apheresis 2001 16: 169 174
Zeigler ZR, Rosenfeld CS, Andrews DF . Plasma von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:AG) and thrombomodulin (TM) levels in adult thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS) and bone marrow transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (BMT-TM) Am J Hematol 1996 53: 213 220
Anthony M, Zeigler Z, Lister J et al. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) antigen levels in primary TTP and secondary TTP post-bone marrow transplantation Am J Hematol 1998 59: 9 14
Spyridopoulos I, Brogi E, Kearney M et al. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-α: balance between growth and death signals J Mol Cell Cardiol 1997 29: 1321 1331
Verheul H, Jorna A, Hoekman K et al. Vascular endothelial growth factor-stimulated endothelial cells promote adhesion and activation of platelets Blood 2000 96: 4216 4221
Carlini R, Alonzo E, Dominguez J et al. Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on endothelial cell apoptosis Kidney Int 1999 55: 546 553
Laurence J, Mitra D . Apoptosis of microvascular endothelial cells in the pathophysiology of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/sporadic hemolytic uremic syndrome Semin Hematol 1997 34: 98 105
Richardson PG, Elias AD, Krishnan A et al. Treatment of severe venoocclusive disease with defibrotide: compassionate use results in response without significant toxicity in a high-risk population Blood 1998 92: 737 744
Schroder H . Defibrotide protects endothelial cells, but not L929 tumour cells, from tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated cytotoxicity J Pharm Pharmacol 1995 47: 250 252
Corti P, Uderzo C, Tagliabue A et al. Defibrotide as a promising treatment for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation Bone Marrow Transplant 2002 29: 542 543 (letter)
Kajiume T, Nagita A, Yoshimi S et al. A case of hemolytic-uremic syndrome improved with nitric oxide Bone Marrow Transplant 2000 25: 109 110
San T, Moini H, Emerk K, Bilsel S . Protective effect of defibrotide on perfusion-induced endothelial damage Thromb Res 2000 99: 335 341
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Daly, A., Xenocostas, A. & Lipton, J. Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy: twenty-two years later. Bone Marrow Transplant 30, 709–715 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703710
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703710
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Endothelial function testing before conditioning therapy is useful for predicting transplant-related complications after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
International Journal of Hematology (2023)
-
Endothelial cell dysfunction: a key determinant for the outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Bone Marrow Transplantation (2021)
-
Use of defibrotide to treat adult patients with transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy
Bone Marrow Transplantation (2019)
-
Thrombotic microangiopathy following haematopoietic stem cell transplant
Pediatric Nephrology (2018)
-
Is complement blockade an acceptable therapeutic strategy for hematopoietic cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy?
Bone Marrow Transplantation (2017)