BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a recognized second-line treatment for @entity479 -refractory chronic @entity2132 (cGVHD). Treatment course is usually long, expensive, and demanding for @entity1 , so predictors for response are needed. We carried out a retrospective study on cGVHD @entity1 treated at our institution with the aim to identify a possible correlation between apheretic yields composition and probability of response. STUDY DESIGN: @entity1 treated for at least 6 months were eligible for the study. Flow cytometry data, including absolute counts of lymphocytes and their subpopulations in ECP products from cGVHD @entity1 , were collected. For each cell population 1) the median dose per procedure harvested during the first 3 months of treatment and 2) the cumulative dose collected in the same period were compared with clinical response. RESULTS: A total of 726 ECP procedures were performed in 15 @entity1 . Overall response, defined as either a complete response (CR) or a partial response according to National Institutes of Health criteria, was obtained in 10 of 15 @entity1 (66.7%), and CR, in eight of 15 (53.3%). According to Cox regression analysis, the probability of achieving an overall response is significantly correlated with the median number of CD3+, CD3+ @entity404 +, and CD3+ @entity405 + lymphocytes collected during the early treatment phase (first 3 months). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that CD3+ cell evaluation in ECP during the early phase of treatment course could predict response and help identify @entity1 who deserve further treatment.

Response of XXXX -refractory chronic @entity2132 to extracorporeal photopheresis correlates with the dose of CD3+ lymphocytes harvested during early treatment cycles.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity404 :: ('920', 'Gene') :: ['CD4'] @entity2132 :: ('MESH:D006086', 'Disease') :: ['graft-versus-host disease'] @entity405 :: ('925', 'Gene') :: ['CD8'] @entity479 :: ('D013256', 'Chemical') :: ['steroid']
@entity479 :: (D013256,Chemical) :: ['steroid']
