Cardiac transplantation followed by dose-intensive melphalan and autologous stem-cell transplantation for light chain amyloidosis and heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis who present with severe heart failure due to cardiac involvement rarely survive more than 6 months. Survival after cardiac transplantation is markedly reduced due to the progression of amyloidosis. Autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) has become a common therapy for AL amyloidosis, but there is an exceedingly high treatment-related mortality in patients with heart failure.

METHODS: We developed a treatment strategy of cardiac transplant followed by ASCT. Twenty-six patients were evaluated, and of 18 eligible patients, nine patients underwent cardiac transplantation. Eight of these patients subsequently received an ASCT.

RESULTS: Six of seven evaluable patients achieved a complete hematologic remission, and one achieved a partial remission. At a median follow-up of 56 months from cardiac transplant, five of seven patients are alive without recurrent amyloidosis. Their survival is comparable with 17,389 patients who received heart transplants for nonamyloid heart disease: 64% in nonamyloid vs. 60% in amyloid patients at 7 years (P=0.83). Seven of eight transplanted patients have had no evidence of amyloid in their cardiac allograft.

CONCLUSIONS: This demonstrates that cardiac transplantation followed by ASCT is feasible in selected patients with AL amyloidosis and heart failure, and that such a strategy may lead to improved overall survival.