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Post-Transplant Events

Lymphocyte reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a retrospective study including 148 patients

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 39, pages 613–622 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Here we investigated the influence of parameters known before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as well as the relevance of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation on post transplant lymphocyte reconstitution in 148 patients treated in our institution between 1996 and 2003. Median patient age was 42 (19–68) years, HSCT followed standard high dose (n=91) or reduced-intensity conditioning regimens (n=57) with bone marrow (BM, n=67) or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC, n=81) from related (n=71) or unrelated (n=77) donors. In the first months, we observed a partially faster reconstitution of CD3+4+, CD3+8+ and CD4+45RA+ T cells in patients following peripheral blood stem cell transplantation when compared to bone marrow transplantation. Prolonged CD3+4+ and CD4+45RA+ lymphopenia was noted after unrelated donor HSCT and GvHD prophylaxis containing anti-T-lymphocyte globulin. Lymphocyte subset counts in patients older than the median age were comparable to those in patients transplanted at a younger age and not influenced by the conditioning regimen. CD3+8+ T cell reconstitution was strongly correlated with CMV reactivation, but not significantly affected by CMV serostatus before HSCT. Incidence or extent of GvHD did not significantly influence lymphocyte reconstitution. Therefore, the source of graft is the most predictive parameter in early lymphocyte reconstitution, but the differences in lymphocyte recovery completely resolved within the first year after HSCT.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Rita Fröhlich, Uschi Habig-Buchwald, Marion Riedl and Catrin Stroehlein for expert technical assistance, Elisabeth Lenartz for transplant coordination, Irmgard Matt for data management and Professor Roland Mertelsmann for his continuous support.

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Author notes

  1. D Behringer

    Present address: 4Current address: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Augusta Hospital, Bochum, Germany.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology/Oncology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    C Heining, A Spyridonidis, E Bernhardt, D Behringer, C Grüllich, H Bertz & J Finke

  2. Department of Medical Biometry and Statistics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    J Schulte-Mönting

  3. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Klinikum Offenburg, Offenburg, Germany

    A Jakob

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Correspondence to J Finke.

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Heining, C., Spyridonidis, A., Bernhardt, E. et al. Lymphocyte reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a retrospective study including 148 patients. Bone Marrow Transplant 39, 613–622 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705648

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