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Return to normal life after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia: a study of patients transplanted from matched sibling donors

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 51, pages 1640–1641 (2016)Cite this article

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Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is still the only treatment that allows complete recovery from thalassemia. Increased knowledge of the immunogenetic mechanisms involved and better conditioning regimens have considerably reduced the incidence of transplant-related mortality and GvHD.1, 2, 3 Despite better outcomes, the transplant procedure with its complications significantly contribute to impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), a multidimensional construct referring to patients’ perceptions of the impact of disease and treatment on their physical, psychological and social well being.4 HRQoL and return to normal life following HSCT for thalassemia has rarely been investigated.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Moreover, there are no reports of differences in HRQoL and socio-demographic profiles between transplanted thalassemia patients and their sibling donors. We investigated global physical health and socio-demographic characteristics in 71 transplanted thalassemia patients, their sibling donors and a group of 71 age and sex matched conventionally treated thalassemia patients. The two groups of thalassemia patients were recruited from larger studies of HRQoL that have been published elsewhere.10

Global health status was assessed by physical component summary and mental component summary (MCS) scores, which represent the aggregation of eight domains on the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) of the medical outcomes study. Scores were computed according to the instructions in the User Manual.12 The results obtained in the three groups were compared using Wilcoxon/Kruskal–Wallis tests. Participants were also asked to fill in a survey requesting information about employment status, working load, achievement of upper education level (high school, university degree or higher), number of pregnancies, marital and living status and participation in social networks. Comparisons were analyzed using a contingency table. Surveys were administered at a median time of 21 years (range 12–29) after HSCT or bone marrow donation.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Anna Maria Koopmans and Samantha Pinna for professional assistance in writing the manuscript.

Author contributions

GLN and GC designed and coordinated the study, interpreted data and wrote the first draft; PR coordinated data analyses; and AV, EP, VS, CD and MM recruited patients and administered and analyzed survey instruments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Ematologia, Università di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    G Caocci & G La Nasa

  2. Centro Trapianti Midollo Osseo, Ospedale Binaghi, Cagliari, Italy

    G Caocci, A Vacca, E Piras, V Serreli & G La Nasa

  3. Clinica Pediatrica, Talassemie e Malattie Rare, Ospedale Pediatrico Microcitemico, Cagliari, Italy

    C Dessi & M Marcias

  4. Dipartimento delle Scienza della Salute (DISSAL), Università di Genova, Genova, Italy

    P Risso

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  1. G Caocci
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  2. A Vacca
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  8. G La Nasa
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Correspondence to G Caocci.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Caocci, G., Vacca, A., Piras, E. et al. Return to normal life after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia: a study of patients transplanted from matched sibling donors. Bone Marrow Transplant 51, 1640–1641 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2016.243

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