1. ¹Stem Cell Transplant Unit, Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology, G Gaslini Research Institute, Genoa, Italy
2. ²Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology, G Gaslini Research Institute, Genoa, Italy

Correspondence: Dr M Faraci, Stem Cell Transplant Unit, Department of Haematology/Oncology, G Gaslini Children's Hospital, Largo Gaslini 5, Genoa 16147, Italy. E-mail: maurafaraci@ospedale-gaslini.ge.it

Received 13 June 2008; Revised 15 August 2008; Accepted 9 September 2008; Published online 13 October 2008.

Abstract

GVHD remains a serious complication after allogeneic SCT. We describe 13 paediatric patients treated with daclizumab for refractory acute GVHD (aGVHD). After 30 days of daclizumab administration, all patients with cutaneous aGVHD reached complete response. Among patients with gastrointestinal disease, 50 and 30% had complete and partial response, respectively, whereas 11 and 55% of patients with hepatic aGVHD achieved CR and PR, respectively. Overall, complete (46%) and partial (46%) responses were demonstrated in 92% of our patients, whereas the remaining patients (8%) were nonresponders. No life-threatening infectious episodes were recorded within 100 days from transplant in this selected group of paediatric patients. Overall 46% of patients were alive at a median of 461 days from SCT, but 50% of them developed chronic GVHD. In our experience, daclizumab proved to be a useful and safe treatment for refractory and steroid-resistant/dependent aGVHD, in particular for cutaneous and low-moderate intestinal involvement.