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Autografting

Prognostic analysis of pre-transplant peripheral T-cell levels in patients receiving an autologous hematopoietic progenitor-cell transplant

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 36, pages 425–430 (2005)Cite this article

Summary:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre-transplant T-cell status in autologous hematopoietic progenitor-cell transplantation (HPCT) recipients. Between 1999 and 2002 we prospectively enrolled 85 autologous HPCT recipients with solid tumors (N=50) or hematological malignancies (n=35). Patient diagnoses included breast cancer (N=49), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (N=20), myeloma (N=11), Hodgkin's disease (N=3), germ-cell tumor (N=1) and amyloidosis (N=1). Levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, memory and naïve CD4, and CD8 T-cell subsets were analyzed before autologous HPCT. Autologous HPCT recipients presented with lower pre-transplant counts of CD3, CD4, but not CD8 T cells, as compared to healthy controls. Pre-transplant CD4 T-cell levels correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) (P=0.002) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.05), in patients with hematologic malignancies (P=0.02) and breast cancer (P=0.04). Specifically, pre-transplant memory CD4 + CD45RA − CD62L − T-cell levels correlated with PFS (P=0.01). The prognostic effects of pre-transplant CD4 and CD4 + CD45RA − CD62L − T cells were independent of tumor diagnosis, tumor stage, tumor sensitivity, and, for breast cancer patients, Her2 / neu status. Our results suggest that pre-transplant CD4 T-cell status, specifically CD4 + CD45RA − CD62L − memory T cells, correlates with the outcome of autologous HPCT recipients. These observations suggest the feasibility of prospective identification of those patients at higher risk of relapse, based on their immune status.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the nurses and house staff of the University of Colorado Bone Marrow Transplant Program. We are grateful to our patients for their willingness to participate in this study.

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  1. Bone Marrow Transplant Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    S L Rosinski, I K McNiece, E J Shpall, N Clough, P Russell, B Blunk & Y Nieto

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  1. S L Rosinski
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  3. E J Shpall
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Correspondence to S L Rosinski.

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Rosinski, S., McNiece, I., Shpall, E. et al. Prognostic analysis of pre-transplant peripheral T-cell levels in patients receiving an autologous hematopoietic progenitor-cell transplant. Bone Marrow Transplant 36, 425–430 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705073

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