Serum Cyclosporine Concentration and Risk of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Marrow Transplantation

Abstract
To determine the relation between the serum cyclosporine concentration and the risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), we studied 179 recipients of bone marrow grafts from HLA-identical sibling donors who received prophylaxis with cyclosporine, either by itself or combined with methotrexate. Cyclosporine was given either orally or intravenously at full doses from the day before transplantation until day 50; it was then tapered off and discontinued on day 180. Trough concentrations of serum cyclosporine were measured by radioimmunoassay. The relation between patients' characteristics and the risk of acute GVHD was analyzed with a relative-risk regression model.