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John R Wingard

Publications and source records attributed to John R Wingard.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Recommended screening and preventive practices for long-term survivors after hematopoietic cell transplantation: joint recommendations of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

More than 40000 hematopoietic cell transplants (HCTs) are performed worldwide each year. With improvements in transplant technology, larger numbers of transplant recipients survive free of the disease for which they were transplanted. However, there are late complications that can cause substantial morbidity. Many survivors are no longer under the care of transplant centers, and many community health care providers may be unfamiliar with health matters relevant to HCT. The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), and American Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) have developed these recommendations to offer care providers suggested screening and prevention practices for autologous and allogeneic HCT survivors.

Community Health Centers↗

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of the drug interaction between intravenous itraconazole and intravenous tacrolimus or intravenous cyclosporin A in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

A single-institution, open-label prospective pharmacokinetic evaluation of the interaction between intravenous itraconazole and intravenous cyclosporin A and tacrolimus was conducted in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. The study was conducted in 2 phases, with patients acting as their own controls. In phase 1, steady-state concentrations and clearance of cyclosporin A and tacrolimus administered alone were evaluated. Phase 2 evaluated serum concentrations and clearance of cyclosporin A and tacrolimus under the influence of itraconazole therapy. Among 17 patients who completed both phases of the study, the mean increase in the serum tacrolimus concentration was 83% (P<.0001), and the mean increase in the serum cyclosporin A concentration was 80% (P=.0001). There was no correlation between serum itraconazole concentrations and the serum concentrations of tacrolimus or cyclosporin A. The drug interaction between itraconazole and calcineurin inhibitors is predictable and occurs within 48 hours of concomitant drug administration. The data suggest that dose reductions of tacrolimus and cyclosporin A in the range of 50% to 100% are necessary when itraconazole therapy is initiated and that subsequent close monitoring of serum concentrations is necessary to guide further dose modifications.

Adult↗

Strategy of following voriconazole versus amphotericin B therapy with other licensed antifungal therapy for primary treatment of invasive aspergillosis: impact of other therapies on outcome.

BACKGROUND: In a previous randomized trial of voriconazole versus amphotericin B deoxycholate for primary therapy of invasive aspergillosis, voriconazole demonstrated superior efficacy and better survival. In that trial, treatment with voriconazole or amphotericin B deoxycholate could be followed with other licensed antifungal therapies (OLAT). Here, we report the impact of OLAT on the outcome of patients with invasive aspergillosis. METHODS: Data on dose, duration, and the reason for switching to the first OLAT were analyzed, and outcome at week 12 was assessed. RESULTS: Fewer patients in the voriconazole group (52 [36%] of 144) switched to OLAT, compared with patients in the amphotericin B deoxycholate group (107 [80%] of 133). Lipid formulations of amphotericin B were the most common OLAT (38% of patients). Switches were made because of intolerance or insufficient response in 70% for patients in the amphotericin B deoxycholate group, compared with 24% of patients in the voriconazole group. Favorable responses to OLAT in the amphotericin B deoxycholate group occurred in only 19% of patients with initial insufficient response and 38% of patients with intolerance. Salvage therapy with a lipid formulation of amphotericin B after initial treatment with amphotericin B deoxycholate was successful for only 30% of patients (14 of 47). Treatment success among patients randomized to receive amphotericin B, including those whose treatment was switched to OLAT, was 32%, compared with 55% among patients who received voriconazole alone (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the limited efficacy of salvage antifungal therapy, including therapy with lipid formulations of amphotericin B, and demonstrates the importance of effective initial therapy in invasive aspergillosis.

Amphotericin B↗

Study of renal safety in amphotericin B lipid complex-treated patients.

To investigate the renal safety of amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), records from 3514 ABLC-treated patients with fungal infections were reviewed. The median change in predicted creatinine clearance (CCr) from baseline to the end of therapy was -3 mL/min (range, -119 to 118 mL/min); doubling of serum creatinine (S-Cr) level occurred in 13% of patients, and new dialysis was needed for 3% of patients. Patients with underlying renal disease who had received prior antifungal therapy demonstrated a median CCr of 0.5 mL/min (range, -107 to 52 mL/min). Despite increased risk for renal impairment in allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients, only 17% of patients demonstrated end-of-therapy doubling of S-Cr levels, and the median change in CCr was -10 mL/min (range, -107 to 108 mL/min). In ABLC-treated patients, concomitant treatment with potentially nephrotoxic agents and a baseline S-Cr level of <2 mg/dL were factors predisposing for the development of nephrotoxicity. These data provide evidence that ABLC may be used safely to treat patients who are at increased risk for renal impairment.

Adolescent↗

Long-term health-related quality of life, growth, and spiritual well-being after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

PURPOSE: To examine health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and growth, and spiritual well-being in adult survivors of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) for a malignant disease. METHODS: HSCT survivors (n = 662) were recruited through the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry/Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry and were drawn from 40 transplantation centers. HSCT survivors completed a telephone interview and a set of questionnaires a mean of 7.0 years post-HSCT (range, 1.8 to 22.6 years). Study measures included a variety of standardized measures of HRQOL and growth and spiritual well-being. An age- and sex-matched healthy comparison (HC) group (n = 158) was recruited using a peer nomination method. The HC group completed a parallel telephone interview and set of questionnaires. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of variance analyses found the HSCT survivor group reported poorer status relative to the HC group for all HRQOL outcome clusters including physical health, physical functioning, social functioning, psychological adjustment, and dyadic adjustment. In contrast, the HSCT survivor group reported more psychological and interpersonal growth. Mean effect size for the 24 outcome indices examined was 0.36 standard deviations, an effect size often considered clinically meaningful or important. The largest group differences were found for measures of general health, physical function and well-being, depression, cognitive function, and fatigue. CONCLUSION: The experience of HSCT for a malignant disease has a wide-ranging, longstanding, and profound impact on adult recipients. Relative to healthy controls, HSCT survivors reported poorer physical, psychological, and social functioning but, conversely, more psychological and interpersonal growth, differences that appeared to persist many years after HSCT.

Adult↗

An assay for human hematopoietic stem cells based on transplantation into nonobese diabetic recombination activating gene-null perforin-null mice.

Abstract Nonobese diabetic recombination activating gene-null perforin-null (NOD- Rag1 null Prf1 null ) mice, which totally lack mature T and B cells and natural killer cell cytotoxic function, survive longer and are easier to breed than NOD-severe combined immunodeficiency ( scid ) or NOD- scid /beta 2 -microglobulin null mice. We have tested the use of NOD- Rag1 null Prf1 null mice as recipients in a long-term xenograft assay for human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by adopting Yoder and colleagues' method of conditioned newborn mice, with minor modifications. Pregnant NOD- Rag1 null Prf1 null dams were treated with busulfan 22.5 mg/kg. On the day of delivery, the busulfan-exposed pups underwent transplantation with 4 to 5 million T cell--depleted human cord blood mononuclear cells via the facial vein. At 2 months after transplantation, all 11 transplanted mice showed human hematopoietic engraftment in the peripheral blood. At 6 months after transplantation, human cells were detected in 5 mice, which showed higher than 0.9% human cell engraftment at 2 months. The mean percentage of human CD45 + cells in the bone marrow of engrafted mice was 43.9% +/- 36.5% (range, 2.0%-79.9%). Next, we tested the usefulness of conditioned newborn NOD- Rag1 null Prf1 null mice for applications to characterize the dye efflux capability and phenotypic features of human HSCs. Given that cord blood HSCs have the ability to efflux rhodamine 123 (Rho), we attempted transplantations of sorted cells that retained a low level (Rho low ) or high level (Rho high ) of Rho. Six-month engraftment was found only with the Rho low cells, which contained high percentages of CD34 + CD38 - cells and side population cells with Hoechst 33324 efflux activity. These observations suggest that Rho low cells are highly enriched for primitive hematopoietic cells. Accordingly, conditioned newborn NOD- Rag1 null Prf1 null mice provide a desirable model for an assay of long-term transplantable human HSCs.

Animals↗

Increased levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha are associated with an increased risk of cytomegalovirus infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) has been implicated in the reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) at a cellular level. We therefore hypothesized that increased posttransplantation TNF levels may be associated with the development of CMV antigenemia (CMV-Ag). We studied 134 patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. After excluding CMV-negative donor and recipient pairs, 94 patients were evaluable. By cluster analysis, 2 groups were designated by TNF levels obtained between days 4 and 7 after transplantation: 58 patients had low levels (median, 0 pg/mL; range, 0-5.5 pg/mL), and 36 patients had high levels (median, 43.75 pg/mL; range, 7.5-1756 pg/mL). To determine the independent effect of TNF on the development of CMV-Ag and acute graft-versus-host disease and on survival, Kaplan-Meier and Cox models stratified by TNF patient groups were evaluated. High TNF levels were associated with a more rapid onset of CMV-Ag (P < .001) and with the occurrence of the composite end point of CMV-Ag or death (P < .001). Factors independently associated with CMV-Ag in multivariate analysis were a high TNF level (hazard ratio [HR], 2.57; P = .003) and acute graft-versus-host disease (as a time-dependent covariate; HR, 2.30; P = .010). Factors independently associated with the composite end point of CNV-Ag or death were a high TNF level (HR, 2.42; P < .001) and patient age (per year; HR, 1.93; P = .017). In conclusion, a high posttransplantation TNF level is significantly associated with the risk for developing CMV infection. Early detection of high levels of TNF may be used to identify patients at high risk for developing CMV-Ag.

Adult↗

Interleukin 12 is associated with reduced relapse without increased incidence of graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Interleukin (IL)-12 has antitumor effects in murine studies. To evaluate this clinically, we investigated whether high levels of circulating IL-12 in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are associated with improved relapse-free survival. We prospectively studied 134 patients undergoing HSCT. Median follow-up was 1158 days (range, 70-1792 days). Plasma IL-12 levels were measured before transplantation and on days 0, +4, +7, and +14 after transplantation. The highest levels were seen on days +4 and +7 and were categorized by a cluster analysis of the logarithmically transformed IL-12 concentrations, which were then correlated with relapse-free survival. Forty-six patients had low levels of IL-12 (median, 2 pg/mL; range, 0-6.5 pg/mL), 49 patients had medium levels (median, 20.5 pg/mL; range, 7-75.5 pg/mL), and 25 patients had high levels (median, 181 pg/mL; range, 84-623 pg/mL). Patients with high IL-12 levels before transplantation had the highest increase after transplantation. With a multivariate Cox model for relapse onset, with the low IL-12 level as the reference, patients in the high-IL-12 group had an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.27 (95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.79), and medium group patients had a hazard ratio of 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.31-1.36). The incidences of relapse at 500 days by Kaplan-Meier analysis by IL-12 group were 23.0% (high group), 40.3% (medium group), and 48.8% (low group). There was no association between IL-12 levels and the risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD; P = .51) or chronic GVHD (P = .28). In conclusion, high IL-12 levels after HSCT are associated with improved relapse-free survival without increasing the risk for GVHD. Patients with high pretransplantation IL-12 levels have an increased likelihood of higher posttransplantation IL-12 levels, possibly because of a host-graft interaction, and this may predispose to better clinical outcomes.

Acute Disease↗

National Institutes of Health consensus development project on criteria for clinical trials in chronic graft-versus-host disease: I. Diagnosis and staging working group report.

This consensus document is intended to serve 3 functions. First, it standardizes the criteria for diagnosis of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Second, it proposes a new clinical scoring system (0-3) that describes the extent and severity of chronic GVHD for each organ or site at any given time, taking functional impact into account. Third, it proposes new guidelines for global assessment of chronic GVHD severity that are based on the number of organs or sites involved and the degree of involvement in affected organs (mild, moderate, or severe). Diagnosis of chronic GVHD requires the presence of at least 1 diagnostic clinical sign of chronic GVHD (e.g., poikiloderma or esophageal web) or the presence of at least 1 distinctive manifestation (e.g., keratoconjunctivitis sicca) confirmed by pertinent biopsy or other relevant tests (e.g., Schirmer test) in the same or another organ. Furthermore, other possible diagnoses for clinical symptoms must be excluded. No time limit is set for the diagnosis of chronic GVHD. The Working Group recognized 2 main categories of GVHD, each with 2 subcategories. The acute GVHD category is defined in the absence of diagnostic or distinctive features of chronic GVHD and includes (1) classic acute GVHD occurring within 100 days after transplantation and (2) persistent, recurrent, or late acute GVHD (features of acute GVHD occurring beyond 100 days, often during withdrawal of immune suppression). The broad category of chronic GVHD includes (1) classic chronic GVHD (without features or characteristics of acute GVHD) and (2) an overlap syndrome in which diagnostic or distinctive features of chronic GVHD and acute GVHD appear together. It is currently recommended that systemic therapy be considered for patients who meet criteria for chronic GVHD of moderate to severe global severity.

Chronic Disease↗

Caspofungin versus amphotericin B for candidemia: a pharmacoeconomic analysis.

BACKGROUND: In a randomized, comparative, clinical trial, caspofungin was found to be as effective as amphotericin B deoxycholate (ampho B) for treating candidemia (favorable outcomes in 71.7% and 62.8% of patients, respectively) and exhibited a generally better safety profile, particularly with respect to impaired renal function (IRF) (P = 0.02). OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine whether cost savings generated from the reduced rates of IRF observed in the clinical trial would be enough to offset the higher acquisition cost of caspofungin relative to ampho B. METHODS: We developed an economic model in which 100 hypothetical patients with candidemia were treated with caspofungin or ampho B. Rates of IRF and duration of drug therapy were taken from the clinical trial. Information on the cost of treating IRF was obtained through a search of MEDLINE using the terms amphotericin and cost, amphotericin and resource, amphotericin and hospital, and amphotericin and toxicity; and the medical subject headings kidney failure, acute/drug therapy; kidney failure, acute/epidemiology; kidney failure, acute/etiology; kidney/drug effects; cost of illness; costs and cost analysis; kidney failure, acute, and economics; and kidney failure, acute/economics. In addition, the Web site was searched for relevant references, and the Merck publication alert system was used. Antifungal drug costs were estimated using data from IMS Health. Costs were reported in year-2003 US dollars. RESULTS: In the base case, the model projected that using caspofungin instead of ampho B would result in substantially lower treatment costs for IRF, which would more than offset the higher drug acquisition cost (cost-offset percentage, 122%), leading to a net mean savings of 758.60 US dollars per patient. These results were not very sensitive to the difference in daily drug cost, but were sensitive to the mean cost attributable to treating IRF. As that varied, the cost-offset percentage varied from 61% (substantial cost offset) to 183% (cost savings). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this economic model suggest that, based only on differences in drug acquisition cost and renal toxicity, the use of caspofungin instead of ampho B in patients with candidemia may be a cost-saving strategy from the perspective of a hospital.

Amphotericin B↗

The changing face of invasive fungal infections in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent observations that describe changes in the likelihood of invasive fungal infections, shifts in types of fungal pathogens, and altered manifestations of fungal syndromes after hematopoietic cell transplantation and explore how changes in transplant practices are influencing these epidemiologic shifts. RECENT FINDINGS: Shifts in invasive fungal infections are occurring as a consequence of changes in transplant practices, including the intensity of conditioning regimens, new immunosuppressive therapies, new antineoplastic therapies administered before hematopoietic cell transplantation, and possibly use of mold-active agents as prophylaxis. Non-fumigatus Aspergillus species and other mold pathogens, such as Fusarium and zygomycosis, are assuming greater prominence and may be increasing. SUMMARY: Epidemiologic shifts in invasive fungal infections are likely co-travelers with advances in transplant practices. Thus, ongoing studies of epidemiologic shifts in invasive fungal infections are important.

Fusarium↗

Developmental differences in megakaryocyte maturation are determined by the microenvironment.

Historically, physicians have attributed delayed platelet engraftment following umbilical cord blood transplant to decreased numbers of stem cells in cord blood compared with adult bone marrow. However, recent studies suggest that delayed platelet engraftment may be caused by an intrinsic inability of neonatal stem cells to produce mature, polyploid megakaryocytes. We tested this hypothesis by transplanting adult bone marrow and newborn liver hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein into myeloablated wild-type recipients and comparing the size and ploidy levels of megakaryocytes that developed in adult transplant recipients. Transplanted stem and progenitor cells, regardless of their source, gave rise to megakaryocytes that were larger than normal adult megakaryocytes as early as 7 days post-transplant. However, megakaryocytes that developed after transplant of neonatal stem and progenitor cells were significantly smaller than those derived from adult stem and progenitor cells. Furthermore, megakaryocytes derived from neonatal cells had lower ploidy values than megakaryocytes derived from adult cells at 18 days post-transplant, when ploidy could first be reliably measured in the bone marrow. These differences in size and ploidy disappeared by 1 month post-transplant. The largest megakaryocytes developed in the spleen. These results suggest that, in the mouse, the microenvironment is responsible for some of the maturational differences in size and ploidy between neonatal and adult megakaryocytes. Furthermore, neonatal and adult megakaryocyte progenitors also have cell-intrinsic differences in the way they engraft and respond to thrombocytopenic stress. These differences may contribute to the delay in platelet engraftment that frequently complicates cord blood transplants.

Age Factors↗

The design of clinical trials that evaluate antifungal prophylaxis and combination therapy: introduction and overview.

On 8 February 2003, the second in a series of meetings in honor of John E. Bennett, M.D., was convened in New York City. A report from the previous meeting was published in 2003. The goal of this second meeting was to discuss the design of clinical trials in prophylaxis and combination therapy. This supplement presents 12 articles by leading clinicians who are currently active in trials in this area and presents a current view of the unmet needs and challenges.

Antifungal Agents↗

Design issues in a prospective randomized double-blinded trial of prophylaxis with fluconazole versus voriconazole after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Aspergillus infections pose the toughest infectious challenges to the clinician caring for hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. About 15% of patients become infected, with a case fatality rate of approximately 65%. To date, no effective prophylactic strategies have been developed. METHODS: Voriconazole, a recently licensed extended-spectrum azole, with demonstrated efficacy against aspergillus, is currently being tested as a potential prophylactic agent against aspergillus and other invasive fungal infections. Logistic issues--such as patient selection, choice of comparator, blinding of study drugs, duration of study drug administration, and how to handle empirical amphotericin B for possible invasive fungal infections--and analytic concerns, including choice and definition of the primary end point and the potential confounding effect of informative censoring (as a result of noninfectious events), were considered in the design of the clinical trial. RESULTS: The trial is now under way, with a projected 3-year enrollment period. CONCLUSIONS: Each design decision shaped the trial in a way that permitted certain questions to be answered while not allowing others to be addressed. Once completed, the trial's results must be interpreted in light of these design details.

Antifungal Agents↗