Initial dosage optimisation of cyclosporine in Chinese paediatric patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation based on population pharmacokinetics: a retrospective study

Abstract

Objective Improved understanding of cyclosporine A (CsA) pharmacokinetics in children undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is crucial for effective prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease and medication safety. The aim of this study was to establish a population pharmacokinetic (Pop-PK) model that could be used for individualised therapy to paediatric patients undergoing allo-HSCT in China.Design, setting and participants A retrospective analysis of 251 paediatric HSCT patients who received CsA intravenously in the early post transplantation period at Women and Children’s Medical Center in Guangzhou was conducted.Analysis measures The model building dataset from 176 children was used to develop and analyse the CsA Pop-Pk model by using the nonlinear mixed effect model method. The basic information was collected by the electronic medical record system. Genotype was analysed by matrix-assisted time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The stability and predictability of the final model were verified internally, and a validation dataset of 75 children was used for external validation. Monte Carlo simulation is used to adjust and optimise the initial dose of CsA in paediatric allo-HSCT patients.Results The typical values for clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (Vd) were 14.47 L/hour and 2033.53 L, respectively. The body weight and haematocrit were identified as significant variables for V, while only body weight had an impact on CL. The simulation based on the final model suggests that paediatrics with HSCT required an appropriate intravenous dose of 5 mg/kg/day to reach the therapeutic trough concentration.Conclusions The CsA Pop-PK model established in this study can quantitatively describe the factors influencing pharmacokinetic parameters and precisely predict the intrinsic exposure to CsA in children. In addition, our dosage simulation results can provide evidence for the personalised medicationsTrial registration number ChiCTR2000040561