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  • Original Article
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Post-Transplant Events

Effects of spleen status on early outcomes after hematopoietic cell transplantation

Abstract

To assess the impact of spleen status on engraftment, and early morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), we analyzed 9,683 myeloablative allograft recipients from 1990 to 2006; 472 had prior splenectomy (SP), 300 splenic irradiation (SI), 1,471 with splenomegaly (SM), and 7,440 with normal spleen (NS). Median times to neutrophil engraftment (NE) and platelet engraftment (PE) were 15 vs 18 days and 22 vs 24 days for the SP and NS groups, respectively (P<0.001). Hematopoietic recovery at day +100 was not different across all groups, however the odds ratio of days +14 and +21 NE and day +28 PE were 3.26, 2.25 and 1.28 for SP, and 0.56, 0.55, and 0.82 for SM groups compared to NS (P<0.001), respectively. Among patients with SM, use of peripheral blood grafts improved NE at day +21, and CD34+ cell dose >5.7 × 106/kg improved PE at day+28. After adjusting variables by Cox regression, the incidence of GVHD and OS were not different among groups. SM is associated with delayed engraftment, whereas SP prior to HCT facilitates early engraftment without having an impact on survival.

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Acknowledgements

The CIBMTR is supported by Public Health Service Grant/Cooperative Agreement U24-CA76518 from the National Cancer Institute, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); a Grant/Cooperative Agreement 5U01HL069294 from NHLBI and NCI; a contract HHSH234200637015C with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA/DHHS); two grants N00014-06-1-0704 and N00014-08-1-0058 from the Office of Naval Research; and grants from Allos, Inc.; Amgen, Inc.; Angioblast; anonymous donation to the Medical College of Wisconsin; Ariad; Be the Match Foundation; Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; Buchanan Family Foundation; CaridianBCT; Celgene Corporation; CellGenix, GmbH; Children’s Leukemia Research Association; Fresenius-Biotech North America, Inc.; Gamida Cell Teva Joint Venture Ltd.; Genentech, Inc.; Genzyme Corporation; GlaxoSmithKline; Kiadis Pharma; The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; the Medical College of Wisconsin; Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Milliman USA, Inc.; Miltenyi Biotec, Inc.; National Marrow Donor Program; Optum Healthcare Solutions, Inc.; Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Seattle Genetics; Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals; Soligenix, Inc.; Swedish Orphan Biovitrum; THERAKOS, Inc.; and Wellpoint, Inc. The views expressed in this article do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Institute of Health, the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense or any other agency of the U.S. Government.

Author contributions: GA designed the study, interpreted results, and drafted the manuscript; BL, MAA analyzed data and interpreted results; MCP, HML, DIM, MB, OR, RTM, VG, UP, DM, BJB, JDR, KKB, KRC, PLM and VTH critically reviewed and revised the manuscript; and all authors approved the final version.

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Correspondence to G Akpek.

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Akpek, G., Pasquini, M., Logan, B. et al. Effects of spleen status on early outcomes after hematopoietic cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 48, 825–831 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2012.249

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