AUTHOR=Penack Olaf , Peczynski Christophe , Boreland William , Lemaitre Jessica , Afanasyeva Ksenia , Kornblit Brian , Jurado Manuel , Martinez Carmen , Natale Annalisa , Pérez-Simón Jose Antonio , Brunello Lucia , Avenoso Daniele , Klein Stefan , Ozkurt Zubeyde Nur , Herrera Concha , Wichert Stina , Chiusolo Patrizia , Gavriilaki Eleni , Basak Grzegorz W. , Schoemans Hélène , Koenecke Christian , Moiseev Ivan , Peric Zinaida 

TITLE=ECP versus ruxolitinib in steroid-refractory acute GVHD – a retrospective study by the EBMT transplant complications working party

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1283034

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1283034

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Extracorporal Photophoresis (ECP) is in clinical use for steroid-refractory and steroiddependent acute GVHD (SR-aGVHD). Based on recent Phase-III study results, ruxolitinib has become the new standard of care for SR-aGVHD. Our aim was to collect comparative data between ruxolitinib and ECP in SR-aGVHD in order to improve the evidence base for clinical decision making. We asked EBMT centers if they were willing to participate in this study by completing a data form (Med-C) with detailed information on GVHD grading, -therapy,dosing, -response and complications for each included patient. 31 centers responded positively (14%) and we included all patients receiving alloSCT between 1/2017-7/2019 and treated with ECP or ruxolitinib for SR-aGVHD grades II-IV from these centers. We identified 53 and 40 patients with grades II-IV SR-aGVHD who were treated with ECP and ruxolitinib, respectively.