Efficacy of eltrombopag in thrombocytopenia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND/AIM: Thrombocytopenia is a common complication following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Eltrombopag has been used in thrombocytopenia treatment after HSCT in recent years. Herein, we present our experience of 25 patients treated with eltrombopag for post-HSCT thrombocytopenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and 10 allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients treated with eltrombopag for treatment of prolonged isolated thrombocytopenia (PIT) or secondary failure of platelet recovery (SFPR) in the stem cell transplantation unit of Hacettepe University Hematology Department between 2017 and 2021 were included in the study. The primary endpoint of this study is eltrombopag response in patients diagnosed with PIT or SFPR. Platelet count above 50,000/mm(3) for five consecutive days without platelet transfusion was considered as eltrombopag response. Overall survival (OS) analyses were calculated based on the time between HSCT and death from any cause. The patients who were alive at the last follow-up were censored at this time for calculation of OS analyses. RESULTS: AHSCT (66.7% (10/15)) and allo-HSCT (50% (5/10)) recipients responded to eltrombopag for the treatment of post-HSCT thrombocytopenia. There was no excess toxicity related to the eltrombopag use. The median response duration of allo-HSCT recipients and AHSCT recipients were 41 (13–104) days and 50 (7–342) days, respectively. There was a statistically significant OS duration difference between the responders and nonresponders in allo-HSCT and AHSCT recipients with p values of 0.005 and 0.02, respectively. CONCLUSION: Eltrombopag is promising for the treatment of thrombocytopenia after AHSCT and allo-HSCT in terms of efficacy and safety.