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Post-Transplant Events

Mismatch of minor histocompatibility antigen contributes to a graft-versus-leukemia effect rather than to acute GVHD, resulting in long-term survival after HLA-identical stem cell transplantation in Japan

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 38, pages 681–686 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

We determined the alleles of five polymorphic molecules including HA-1 and four adhesion molecules for 106 patients transplanted with HLA-identical stem cell grafts and investigated the association of mismatches as correlates of relapse and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). All 106 recipients underwent stem cell transplantation (SCT) after myeloablative conditioning between 1985 and 2002. Risk status of disease at SCT was standard (n=63) and high (n=42). After SCT, 36, 49 and 33 developed acute GVHD, chronic GVHD and relapsed, respectively. Our patients relapsed at rates of 16.7 and 38.6% with one or more and without incompatibilities (P=0.013). The relapse rates of patients with CD62L, CD31 codon 563, CD31 codon 125, HA-1 and CD49b incompatibilities were 5.9, 11.8, 15.4, 16.0 and 33.3%, respectively. The frequency of acute GVHD did not differ regardless of incompatibilities. In standard-risk group, the accumulated relapse rates of 19 and 44 patients with and without minor histocompatibility antigen incompatibility were 22% and unexpectedly 66%, respectively (P=0.02). The probability of 12-year survival was 88% in the former and 66% in the latter patients (P=0.03). Our data suggest that incompatibility of CD62L, CD31 codon 563 and CD31 codon 125 contributes to a graft-versus-leukemia effect rather than to GVHD, resulting in prolonged survival after HLA-identical SCT.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid for Cancer Research 13-1 and regulatory science H-16-020 from Ministry and Welfare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Science, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Kanazawa City, Japan

    T Katagiri, M Wakano & E Muranaka

  2. Division of Transfusion Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa City, Japan

    S Shiobara & N Kuba

  3. Cellular Transplantation Biology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa City, Japan

    S Nakao

  4. Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata City, Japan

    T Furukawa

  5. First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Occupational and Environment Health, Kitakyuhsyu City, Japan

    J Tsukada

  6. Medical Laboratory Division, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata City, Japan

    H Takeda

  7. Division of Hematology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Niigata City, Japan

    Y Aizawa

  8. First Department of Internal Medicine, Kyushu University School of Medicine, Fukuoka City, Japan

    M Harada

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  1. T Katagiri
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  2. S Shiobara
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  10. Y Aizawa
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  11. M Harada
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Correspondence to S Shiobara.

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Katagiri, T., Shiobara, S., Nakao, S. et al. Mismatch of minor histocompatibility antigen contributes to a graft-versus-leukemia effect rather than to acute GVHD, resulting in long-term survival after HLA-identical stem cell transplantation in Japan. Bone Marrow Transplant 38, 681–686 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705506

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