Montelukast to Treat Bronchiolitis Obliterans

Inclusion Criteria

• •Age greater than 6 years old.
• •Diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans after allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplant. The criteria will be based on the definitions created by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) consortium on chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD). As part of these criterion, for patients without pathologic evidence of BO, one other sign of chronic GVHD must be present. For diagnosis of cGVHD, a minimum of the following must be present: 1) a process distinct from that diagnosed as acute GVHD, 2) the presence of a diagnostic sign or a distinctive sign supported by another clinical or laboratory test, and 3) the exclusion of other pathologies (i.e. recurrent cancer, drug reaction or infection (see Appendix 5a for a list of diagnostic signs.). To meet criteria for a diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans, patients must fulfill all 3 criteria. Prior lung tissue biopsy will be analyzed and confirmed to show evidence of bronchiolitis obliterans by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Laboratory of Pathology if available. If tissue is not available for confirmation, a new biopsy will not be performed.
• •For bronchiolitis obliterans:
• •1. Forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1) less than or equal to 75 percent of predicted by pulmonary function evaluation for height and weight.
• •2. Evidence of air-trapping or small airway thickening or bronchiectasis on high resolution chest computed tomography (CT) and residual volume (RV) or RV/forced vital capacity (FVC) greater than 120 percent and evidence of chronic GVHD of another organ, OR FEV1/ vital capacity (slow or forced VC whichever is larger) ratio less than 5 percent of predicted for age or less than 0.7, OR pathologic evidence of bronchiolar inflammation and obstruction of the lumen consistent with a diagnosis of BO. Pulmonary function tests will utilize body plethysmography not helium studies for pertinent values when there is a discrepancy if available.
• •3. Absence of active infection with appropriate investigation of any clinical symptoms to include radiographic, microbiologic, and pathologic studies as determined by the PI or LAI.
• •Patients must also have 2 PFT measurements with documented FEV1 values greater than 3 months apart to calculate the entry FEV1 slope. All available prior PFTs will be utilized for baseline slope calculation. For adult patients, the absolute FEV1 will be utilized for slope calculation; for pediatric patients, the percent predicted will be used. For patients enrolled after an acute decline following BMT without 2 post-BMT values greater than 3 months apart, the pre-BMT value may be utilized as the first value and the entry PFT value may be the second for the slope calculation. The baseline and 6th-cycle PFT should be done at the accruing site.
• •Prior therapy: For patients with a chronic diagnosis of BO who have been on treatments, any prior therapy that has been administered chronically for \> 3 months will be acceptable for enrollment as long as the patient has not demonstrated consistent improvement attributed to these agents in a one month (or more) period of observation preceding enrollment. For patients on steroids, a steroid burst exceeding and increase of one half mg/kg/day will be considered for the start of the 3 month monitoring period. Notably, documented intercurrent infections that are treated with antimicrobials that result in improvements to, but not above previous baselines will not be considered an improvement attributable to immunosuppressive therapy. Patients who have had consistent improvements in the months preceding trial entry will not be eligible since there will be no way to discern improvement due to montelukast versus another therapy. Alternatively, a patient with a new diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans characterized by a new decrease in FEV1 is also eligible for this study. Notably, patients who have received bronchodilators or other pulmonary therapies may be included in this study as long as montelukast is not part of this regimen.
• •Performance status: Karnofsky or Lansky performance status greater than or equal to 40 percent (Appendix 1).
• •Ability to give informed consent. For patients less than 18 years of age, their legal guardian must give informed consent. Pediatric patients will be included in an age appropriate discussion in accordance with NIH guidelines or participating institutional guidelines.
• •Hepatic function: Patients must have evidence of adequate liver function prior to enrollment defined by total bilirubin less than 3 times the upper limit of normal and transaminases less than 5 times the upper limit of normal for age appropriate indices.
• •Cardiac function: Patients must have evidence of adequate cardiac function prior to enrollment defined by ejection fraction greater than 25 percent performed within the last 6 months at NIH and absence of symptoms of cardiac disease at FHCRC, JHH, or Hackensack.
• •Pulmonary function: Patients must have an FEV1 greater than or equal to 20 percent predicted for inclusion in this study.