Severe cardiac toxicity in hematological stem cell transplantation: predictive value of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction

Abstract

Eighty patients receiving hematological stem cell transplantation (HCT) with a preparative regimen consisting of total body irradiation (12.5 Gy), cyclophosphamide (4000 or 4500 mg/m²), and thiotepa (400 mg/m²) were evaluated for the development of cardiac toxicity. Patients in whom the pretransplant cumulative dose of anthracycline was more than or equal to 300 mg/m² showed a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) before HCT compared to patients with less than 300 mg/m² (0.61 ± 0.09 vs0.67 ± 0.06, P = 0.0010). Patients who had undergone more than or equal to six courses of chemotherapy showed a decreased EF before HCT compared to those after less than six courses (0.67 ± 0.05 vs0.63 ± 0.09, P = 0.03). Three of seven patients (43%) whose pretransplant EF had been less than or equal to 0.55 developed severe cardiac toxicity, characterized by congestive heart failure (CHF) compared with none of 83 patients (0%) whose pretransplant EF had been more than 0.55 (P = 0.00026). Of the three patients who developed severe cardiac toxicity, two were given more than 300 mg/m² of cumulative anthracycline and underwent 23 courses and six courses of chemotherapy, while the other patient received only two courses of chemotherapy with a total dose of 139 mg/m² of anthracycline. These results indicate that an increased cumulative dose of anthracycline and number of chemotherapy treatments are correlated with a decrease of the EF and that the EF before HCT is useful for predicting the risk of cardiac complications for recipients who have received chemotherapy. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 27, 307–310.