Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018133 (graft-versus-host disease)
 18,032 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Clofazimine (Lamprene) is an antimycobacterial drug that has antiinflammatory activity in a number of chronic autoimmune skin disorders. We report 22 patients treated with clofazimine for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). The initial dose was 300 mg orally in a single daily dose for 90 days. After 90 days, the dose was lowered to 100 mg orally each day and the medication continued indefinitely as tolerated. Treatment courses lasted 7 to 835 days and were generally well tolerated. Gastrointestinal side effects occurred in eight of 22 patients (36%) and hyperpigmentation was noted in 12 of 22 patients (55%), which resolved upon decrease or discontinuation of the drug. Over 50% of patients with skin involvement, flexion contractures, or oral manifestations achieved complete or partial responses. Seven of 22 patients (32%) were able to reduce other immunosuppressive medications. Thus, clofazimine is safe and has encouraging efficacy in cGVHD, particularly if sclerodermatous skin, joint contractures, or oral manifestations are present. The mechanism by which clofazimine induces a response is unknown, but might be secondary to suppression of alloreactive T-cell function in cGVHD target organs. Clofazimine deserves further study for the treatment of cGVHD.
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PMID:Treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease with clofazimine. 911 72

Clofazimine, previously used in the treatment of leprosy, is now used for treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex infection in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, dermatologic disorders, and graft-versus-host disease. An 11-year-old boy developed a severe enteropathy 2 years after initiation of clofazimine treatment for graft-versus-host disease. Clofazimine enteropathy caused by crystal deposition can be life-threatening.
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PMID:Clofazimine enteropathy in a pediatric bone marrow transplant recipient. 1129 24

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in long-term survivors of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). Ocular involvement as well as dermal sclerosis, joint contractures and pathological changes in oral cavity are often refractory to treatment. This kind of patients require complex aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. We are still waiting for drugs against cGVHD, characterized by decreased infectious complications, encouraging efficacy and rare and reversible side effects. We describe eight patients who developed extensive chronic graft versus host disease with eye involvement after alloHSCT. All had ocular manifestations, which were refractory to the first and second line of systemic immunosuppressive therapy. All patients responded to the topical cyclosporine therapy, but clinical improvement was seen only since the fifth month of starting treatment. Topical cyclosporine was well tolerated. Other four patients with sclerodermoid type of skin changes, refractory to second line systemic immunosuppressive therapy, were treated with clofazimine. Clofazimine is a drug used to treat leprosy. Because of its anti-inflammatory effects, clofazimine is used also as a second or third line therapy for various skin disorders including: pyoderma gangrenosum, lupus erythematosus, palmoplantar pustulosis and chronic graft versus host disease. All patients,who received clofazimine due to dermal sclerosis, joint contractures and oral manifestations, achieved partial or complete responses and were able to reduce other immunosuppressive drugs. Clofazimine was generally well tolerated.
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PMID:How can we help patients with refractory chronic graft versus host disease- single centre experience. 1768 73