Antimicrobial Prophylaxis to Prevent Opportunistic Infections in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after Allogeneic Blood or Marrow Transplantation

Abstract

Opportunistic infections have been a problem after BMT in CLL. We have allografted seven patients with B-CLL (n = 6) or B-prolymphocytic leukemia (n = 1) from matched siblings (n = 6) or a mismatched unrelated donor (n = 1). Amongst the first six, we saw two cases of recurrent or prolonged cytomegaloviremia and CMV disease, one listeria meningitis, and one fatal toxoplasma encephalitis. The latter two developed in the setting of steroid therapy of GVHD with extensive prior fludarabine therapy. Prophylaxis for opportunistic infections was developed on an ongoing basis as new infectious complications were seen. The current drug prophylaxis, which has been successful for eight months in the last patient despite pretreatment with fludarabine and steroid therapy for GVHD, is directed against pneumocystis, toxoplasma, fungi, and pneumococci. It includes immunoglobulin (for 3 1/2 months), pyrimethamine-sulfadiazine (for 4 months and during steroids), fluconazole (for 2 1/2 months), cotrimoxazole or pentamidine (for 2 years) and penicillin (lifelong). Dietary precautions are followed for 4 months and during steroids to prevent listeriosis. Four patients are alive in remission with no active infectious problems 8–44 months (median 29) after BMT. We recommend adoption of these or similar prophylactic measures for BMT in CLL as a baseline which can be modified if new infections are identified and according to individual needs.

Key Words:

• Antimicrobial prophylaxis
• bone marrow transplantation
• chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• fludarabine
• immunocompromised host
• listeriosis
• opportunistic infections
• toxoplasmosis