Rifaximin for Preventing Acute Graft Versus Host Disease (AGVHD)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Acute graft versus host disease is a frequent and often life threatening complication of
allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation. The bacteria that normally reside in the
intestine play a critical role in its development. Injury to the lining of the bowel that
results from the high dose chemotherapy or radiation that transplant patients receive during
the week preceding the transplant allows the bacteria to invade the intestines and spread to
nearby lymph nodes. This, in turn, causes inflammation which has been shown to promote GVHD.
Both pre-clinical and clinical research has demonstrated that oral antibiotics can prevent
graft versus host disease by inhibiting these gut bacteria. Rifaximin has several features
that suggest it could be effective in preventing GVHD. Rifaximin prophylaxis might also
provide an added benefit by protecting highly immunocompromised transplant patients from
severe bacterial infections. This pilot trial will allow the investigators to determine the
feasibility of using Rifaximin for prevention of GVHD and infection in patients undergoing
allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation. The preliminary results will be used to plan a
more definitive trial.