Maximal concentration of intravenous busulfan as a determinant of veno-occlusive disease: a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis in 293 hematopoietic stem cell transplanted children

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a severe adverse reaction to busulfan-containing regimens used in the preparation of children for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We conducted a retrospective analysis of data to examine determinants of VOD in children who received IV busulfan for HSCT conditioning. Busulfan PK parameters as well as various indices (maximal concentration—Cmax, area under the concentration-time curve—AUC) were estimated using a validated Bayesian approach. The influence of available PK, demographic, and clinical variables on the incidence of VOD was evaluated by using logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses. Among the 293 patients included, the mean age was 6.5 years and the mean actual body weight was 26.3 kg. The incidence of VOD was 25.6%. Busulfan Cmax as well as weight