Vedolizumab therapy for pediatric steroid-refractory gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host disease

• Published in: International journal of hematology Vol. 115; no. 4; pp. 590 - 594
• Main Authors: Isshiki, Kyohei, Kamiya, Takahiro, Endo, Akifumi, Okamoto, Kentaro, Osumi, Tomoo, Kawai, Toshinao, Arai, Katsuhiro, Tomizawa, Daisuke, Ohtsuka, Kazuo, Nagahori, Masakazu, Imai, Kohsuke, Kato, Motohiro, Kanegane, Hirokazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01-04-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Case Report; Child, Preschool; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal Tract; Graft versus host disease; Graft vs Host Disease - drug therapy; Graft vs Host Disease - etiology; Graft-versus-host reaction; Hematology; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - adverse effects; Humans; Immunosuppressive agents; Infant; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Monoclonal antibodies; Oncology; Patients; Pediatrics; Side effects; Steroids - therapeutic use; Refractory; GVHD; Gastrointestinal tract; Vedolizumab; Children
• ISSN: 0925-5710; 1865-3774
• DOI: 10.1007/s12185-021-03245-0

Vedolizumab, an immunosuppressive drug that acts locally on the gastrointestinal tract, is mainly used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, and has been reported to be effective against gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host disease (GI-aGVHD) in adults. However, there is insufficient evidence for pediatric GI-aGVHD. We used vedolizumab to treat three cases of GI-aGVHD in patients aged 1.5–4.4 years. It was significantly effective in two patients and did not cause serious side effects in any patient. Vedolizumab might be effective and safe for pediatric GI-aGVHD refractory to other treatments, but this must be confirmed in future studies.