Effect and safety of 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 31 patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To investigate the early effect and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with a 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) /myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) . Methods: From April 2021 to May 2022, 31 AML/MDS patients who received allo-HSCT with a 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen were analyzed. Results: AML (n=10), MDS-AML (n=6), CMML-AML (n=1), and MDS (n=14) were identified in 31 patients, 16 males, and 15 females, with a median age of 41 (20-55) yr. Neutrophils and platelets were successfully implanted in 31 patients (100%), with a median implantation duration of 12 (9-30) and 14 (9-42) days, respectively. During the preconditioning period, 16 patients (51.6%) developed oral mucositis, with 15 cases of Ⅰ/Ⅱ grade (48.4%) and one case of Ⅲ grade (3.2%). After transplantation, 13 patients (41.9%) developed CMV viremia, six patients (19.4%) developed hemorrhagic cystitis, and four patients (12.9%) developed a local infection. The median time of acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) following transplantation was 33 (12-111) days. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD and Ⅲ/Ⅳ grade aGVHD was 41.9% (95% CI 26.9%-61.0%) and 22.9% (95% CI 13.5%-47.5%), respectively. There was no severe cGVHD, and mild and moderate chronic GVHD (cGVHD) incidence was 23.5% (95% CI 12.1%-43.6%). As of November 30, 2022, only one of the 31 patients had relapsed, with a 1-yr cumulative relapse rate (CIR) of 3.2% (95% CI 0.5%-20.7%). There was only one relapse patient death and no non-relapse deaths. The 1-yr overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 92.9% (95% CI 80.3%-100%) and 96.8% (95% CI 90.8%-100%), respectively. Conclusions: A 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen for allo-HSCT reduced relapse and was safe and feasible in treating AML/MDS.

Efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of 28 patients with hepatitis-related aplastic anemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for hepatitis-related aplastic anemia (HRAA) patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia patients who received haplo-HSCT at our center between January 2012 and June 2022. October 30, 2022 was the final date of follow-up. Results: This study included 28 HRAA patients receiving allo-HSCT, including 18 males (64.3% ) and 10 females (35.7% ), with a median age of 25.5 (9-44) years. About 17 cases of severe aplastic anemia (SAA), 10 cases of very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA), and 1 case of transfusion-dependent aplastic anemia (TD-NSAA) were identified. Among 28 patients, 15 patients received haplo-HSCT, and 13 received MSD-HSCT. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate, the 2-year failure-free survival (FFS) rate, the 2-year transplant-related mortality (TRM) rate, the 100-day grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) cumulative incidence rate, and the 2-year chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) cumulative incidence rate were 81.4%, 81.4% (95% CI 10.5% -20.6% ), 14.6% (95% CI 5.7% -34.3% ), 25.0% (95% CI 12.8% -45.4% ), and 4.2% (95% CI 0.6% -25.4% ), respectively. After transplantation, all patients had no significant liver function damage. Compared with the MSD-HSCT group, only the incidence of cytomegaloviremia was significantly higher in the haplo-HSCT group [60.0% (95% CI 35.2% -84.8% ) vs 7.7% (95% CI 0-22.2% ), P=0.004]. No statistically significant difference in the Epstein-Barr virus was found in the 2-year OS, 2-year FFS, 2-year TRM, and 100-day grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD cumulative incidence rates and 2-year cGVHD cumulative incidence rate. Conclusion: Allo-HSCT is safe and effective for HRAA, and haplo-HSCT can be used as a safe and effective alternative for newly diagnosed HRAA patients who cannot obtain HLA-matched sibling donors.

The Relationship between Occurrence of aGVHD in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Immune Cell Components in Graft / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the relationship between occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and various immune cell composition in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 104 patients with AML undergoing allo-HSCT in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the hematopoietic reconstitution and occurrence of GVHD were analyzed. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of various types of immune cells in the grafts, the number of graft composition in patients with different degrees of aGVHD was calculated and compared, and to analyze the correlation between the severity of aGVHD in AML patients after allo-HSCT and the immune cell components in the graft.@*RESULTS@#There was no significant difference in the time of hematopoietic reconstitution between the high number group of total number of nucleated cells (TNC) and the low number group, while the time of neutrophil and platelet reconstruction in the high number of CD34 group was significantly faster than that in the low number of CD34 group (P＜0.05), and the total hospital stay also tends to be shorten. Compared with patients in 0-Ι aGVHD group, both HLA-matched and HLA-haploidentical transplantation, the infusion amounts of CD3+ cells, CD3+CD4+ cells, CD3+CD8+ cells, NK cells and CD14+ monocytes were higher in patients of Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group， but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); In addition, in patients with HLA-haploidentical transplantation, the number of CD4+CD25+ cells in Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group was significantly lower than that in 0-Ι aGVHD group (P<0.05), and the same trend was also observed in HLA-matched transplanted patients, but the difference was not significant (P=0.078).@*CONCLUSION@#High number of CD34+ cells in the graft is beneficial to hematopoietic reconstitution in AML patients. To a certain degree, high number of CD3+ cells, CD3+CD4+ cells, CD3+CD8+ cells, NK cells and CD14+ cells tend to increase the occurrence of aGVHD, but high number of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells is beneficial to reduce the incidence of aGVHD in AML patients.

Clinical Analysis of SET-NUP214 Fusion Gene Positive Patients with Acute Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the characteristics and prognosis of acute leukemia(AL) with SET-NUP214 fusion gene.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 17 patients over 14 years old newly diagnosed with SET-NUP214 positive AL admitted in Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital from August 2017 to May 2021 were analyzed retrospectively.@*RESULTS@#Among the 17 SET-NUP214 positive patients, 13 cases were diagnosed as T-ALL (ETP 3 cases, Pro-T-ALL 6 cases, Pre-T-ALL 3 cases, Medullary-T-ALL 1 case), AML 3 cases (2 cases M5, 1 case M0) and ALAL 1 case. Thirteen patients presented extramedullary infiltration at initial diagnosis. All 17 patients received treatment, and a total of 16 cases achieved complete remission (CR), including 12 cases in patients with T-ALL. The total median OS and RFS time were 23 (3-50) months and 21 (0-48) months, respectively. Eleven patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT), with median OS time of 37.5 (5-50) months and median RFS time of 29.5 (5-48) months. The median OS time of 6 patients in chemotherapy-only group was 10.5 (3-41) months, and median RFS time of 6.5 (3-39) months. The OS and RFS of patients with transplantation group were better than those of chemotherapy-only group (P=0.038). Among the 4 patients who relapsed or refractory after allo-HSCT, the SET-NUP214 fusion gene did not turn negative before transplantation. While, in the group of 7 patients who have not relapsed after allo-HSCT till now, the SET-NUP214 fusion gene expression of 5 patients turned negative before transplantation and other 2 of them were still positive.@*CONCLUSION@#The fusion site of SET-NUP214 fusion gene is relatively fixed in AL patients, often accompanied by extramedullary infiltration. The chemotherapy effect of this disease is poor, and allo-HSCT may improve its prognosis.

Clinical characteristics and CT findings of Pneumocystis Jirovecii pneumonia in 46 cases with hematological diseases / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To summarize the original CT features of Pneumocystis Jirovecii pneumonia in patients with hematological diseases. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out in 46 patients with proven pneumocystis pneumonia (PJP) in the Hospital of Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 2014 and December 2021. All patients had multiple chests CT and related laboratory examinations, imaging typing were conducted based on the initial CT presentation, and the distinct imaging types were analyzed against the clinical data. Results: In the analysis, there were 46 patients with proven pathogenesis, 33 males, and 13 females, with a median age of 37.5 (2-65) years. The diagnosis was validated by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) hexamine silver staining in 11 patients and clinically diagnosed in 35 cases. Of the 35 clinically diagnosed patients, 16 were diagnosed by alveolar lavage fluid macrogenomic sequencing (BALF-mNGS) and 19 by peripheral blood macrogenomic sequencing (PB-mNGS) . The initial chest CT presentation was categorized into 4 types, including ground glass (GGO) type in 25 cases (56.5%) , nodular type in 10 cases (21.7%) , fibrosis type in 4 cases (8.7%) , and mixed type in 5 cases (13.0%) . There was no substantial discrepancy in CT types among confirmed patients, BALF-mNGS diagnosed patients and PB-mNGS diagnosed patients (χ(2)=11.039, P=0.087) . The CT manifestations of confirmed patients and PB-mNGS diagnosed patients were primarily GGO type (67.6%, 73.7%) , while that of BALF-mNGS diagnosed patients were nodular type (37.5%) . Of the 46 patients, 63.0% (29/46) had lymphocytopenia in the peripheral blood, 25.6% (10/39) with positive serum G test, and 77.1% (27/35) with elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) . There were no great discrepancies in the rates of lymphopenia in peripheral blood, positive G-test, and increased LDH among different CT types (all P>0.05) . Conclusion: The initial chest CT findings of PJP in patients with hematological diseases were relatively prevalent with multiple GGO in both lungs. Nodular and fibrosis types were also the initial imaging findings for PJP.

Efficacy of basiliximab in the treatment of 87 cases of steroid-refractory or steroid-dependent acute graft-versus-host disease / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and prognosis of basiliximab in the treatment of steroid-refractory or steroid-dependent acute graft-versus-host disease (SR/SD-aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) . Methods: Clinical data of 87 patients with SR/SD-aGVHD in the skin, intestine, and liver after allo-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital Transplantation Center from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The administration plan of basiliximab was as follows: 20 mg for adults and children weighing ≥35 kg and 10 mg for children weighing<35 kg. The drug was administered once on the 1st, 4th, and 8th days, respectively, and then once weekly. The efficacy was evaluated on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days after basiliximab treatment. Results: ①There were 51 males (58.6%) and 36 females (41.4%) , with a median (range) age of 34 (4-63) years. There were 54 cases of classic aGVHD, 33 of late aGVHD, 49 of steroid-refractory aGVHD, and 38 of steroid-dependent aGVHD. ②Thirty-five patients (40.2%) achieved complete remission (CR) , 23 (26.4%) achieved partial remission (PR) , and 29 had no remission (NR) . The total effective rate[overall response rate (ORR) ] was 66.7% (58/87) . ③The ORR of the classic and late aGVHD groups was 77.8% (42/54) and 48.5% (16/33) , respectively. ④The median (range) follow-up time was 154 (4-1813) days, the 6-month overall survival (OS) rate of the 87 patients was 44.8% (95% CI 39.5%-50.1%) and the 1-year OS was 39.4% (95%CI 34.2%-44.3%) . ⑤After treatment with basiliximab, the 6-month OS in the CR (35 cases) , PR (23 cases) , and NR (29 cases) groups was 80.0% (95%CI 73.2%-86.8%) , 39.1% (95%CI 28.9%-49.3%) , and 6.9% (95%CI 2.2%-11.6%) , respectively (χ(2)=34.679, P<0.001) , and the 1-year OS was 74.3% (95%CI 66.9%-81.7%) , 30.4% (95%CI 20.8%-40.0%) , and 3.4% (95%CI 0%-6.8%) , respectively (χ(2)=43.339, P<0.001) . The OS of the classic and late aGVHD groups was 57.4% (95%CI 50.7%-64.1%) and 24.2% (95%CI 16.7%-31.7%) , respectively (χ(2)=9.109, P=0.004) , and the 1-year OS was 51.9% (95%CI 45.1%-58.7%) and 18.2% (95%CI 11.5%-24.9%) , respectively (χ(2)=9.753, P=0.003) . ⑥Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that late aGVHD (OR=3.121, 95%CI 1.770-5.503, P<0.001) , Minnesota score high-risk group before medication (OR=3.591, 95%CI 1.931-6.679, P<0.001) , active infection before medication (OR=1.881, 95%CI 1.029-3.438, P=0.040) , and impairment of important organ function caused by non-GVHD (OR=3.100, 95%CI 1.570-6.121, P=0.001) were independent risk factors affecting the efficacy of basiliximab. Conclusion: Basiliximab has good efficacy and safety for SR/SD-aGVHD, but not in patients with late aGVHD, high-risk group of Minnesota score, and infection or impaired function of important organs.

Outcomes of 138 myelodysplastic syndrome patients with HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients who received HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (MSD-PBSCT) . Methods: The clinical data of 138 MDS patients received MSD-PBSCT from Sep. 2005 to Dec. 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, and the overall survival (OS) rate, disease-free survival (DFS) rate, relapse rate (RR) , non-relapse mortality (NRM) rate and the related risk factors were explored. Results: ①After a median follow-up of 1 050 (range 4 to 4 988) days, the 3-year OS and DFS rates were (66.6±4.1) % and (63.3±4.1) %, respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of RR and NRM rates were (13.9±0.1) % and (22.2±0.1) %, respectively. ②Univariate analysis showed that patients with grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) or hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) ≥2 points or patients in very high-risk group of the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) had significantly decreased OS[ (42.9±13.2) %vs (72.9±4.2) %, χ(2)=8.620, P=0.003; (53.3±7.6) %vs (72.6±4.7) %, χ(2)=6.681, P=0.010; (53.8±6.8) %vs (76.6±6.2) %vs (73.3±7.7) %, χ(2)=6.337, P=0.042]. For MDS patients with excess blasts-2 (MDS-EB2) and acute myeloid leukemia patients derived from MDS (MDS-AML) , pre-transplant chemotherapy or hypomethylating agents (HMA) therapy could not improve the OS rate[ (60.4±7.8) %vs (59.2±9.6) %, χ(2)=0.042, P=0.838]. ③Multivariate analysis indicated that the HCT-CI was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS (P=0.012, HR=2.108, 95%CI 1.174-3.785; P=0.008, HR=2.128, 95%CI 1.219-3.712) . Conclusions: HCT-CI was better than the IPSS-R in predicting the outcomes after transplantation. The occurrence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD is a poor prognostic factor for OS. For patients of MDS-EB2 and MDS-AML, immediate transplantation was recommended instead of receiving pre-transplant chemotherapy or HMA therapy.

Outcomes and prognostic factors of myelodysplastic syndrome patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes and prognostic factors of myelodysplasia syndrome (MDS) patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) . Methods: 165 cases of MDS who underwent allo-HSCT from Jan. 2010 to Mar. 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, focusing on the overall survival (OS) , disease free survival (DFS) , relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM) and their related risk factors. Results: Of all the 165 cases, 105 were male and 60 were female. The 3-year OS and DFS rate were 72.5% (95%CI 64.9%-80.1%) and 67.4% (95%CI 59.17%-75.63%) , respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse and NRM were 12.11% (95%CI 7.03%-18.65%) and 20.44% (95%CI 14.15%-27.56%) , respectively. HCT-comorbidity index (P=0.042, HR=2.094, 95%CI 1.026-4.274) was identified as independent risk factor for OS by the multivariate analysis. Intensive chemotherapy before HSCT or hypomethylation agents treatment had no effects on OS[ (67.0±7.5) %vs (57.7±10.9) %, χ(2)=0.025, P=0.874]. Conclusions: allo-HSCT is a promising means for MDS, and NRM is the major cause of treatment failure. MDS with refractory anemia with excess blasts and secondary acute myeloid leukemia patients may not benefit from intensive chemotherapy or hypomethylation agents treatment before HSCT.

Decitabine-based conditioning regimen is feasible and effective in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of decitabine-based conditioning regimen in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) , acute myeloid leukemia secondary to MDS (MDS-AML) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) . Methods: From March 1, 2013 to May 25, 2015, 22 patients who underwent allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with decitabine-based conditioning regimen were analyzed retrospectively. Results: ①22 patients, 14 males and 8 females with a median age of 42.5 (24-56) years old, were diagnosed as MDS (n=14) , CMML (n=4) , MDS-AML (n=4) . ②15 patients were treated with the conditioning regimen of decitabine combined with busulfan, cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, and cytarabine, the other 7 cases were treated with decitabine, busulfan, fludarabine, and cytarabine. The dose of decitabine was 20 mg·m(-2)·d(-1) for 5 days.Rabbit anti-human anti-thymocyte globulin (2.5 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) for 4 days) was involved in conditioning regimen in patients with unrelated donor or haploidentical transplantation. ③Except 1 patient died of infection in 2 months after transplantation, the other patients were engrafted successfully. The median time of granulocyte engraftment was 13 (12-18) days, and the median time of platelet engraftment was 16 (13-81) days. ④The incidence of acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) was (41.3±10.6) %, and severe aGVHD (grade of III-IV) was (18.4±9.7) %. The incidence of chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) was (56.4±11.3) %, and extensive cGVHD was (36.4±12.1) %. ⑤8 patients were suffered with cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia. Among the 18 patients with definitely infection, 6 occurred during myelosuppression and 12 cases occurred after hematopoietic reconstruction. The 2-year and 3-year non-relapse mortality was (13.9±7.4) % and (24.3±9.5) %, respectively. ⑥The 2-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) was (77.3±8.9) % and (67.9±10.0) %, respectively. The 2-year and 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) was (72.7±9.5) % and (63.6±10.3) %, respectively. Conclusions: allo-HSCT with decitabine-based conditioning regimen is feasible in the treatment of MDS, MDS-AML or CMML.

HLA-10/10 matched unrelated donor versus sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for adult acute myeloid leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MUD-HSCT) for adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a single center. Methods: Consecutive adult AML who received MUD-HSCT in our center from January 2008 to April 2017 were studied retrospectively, comparing with patients undergoing matched sibling donor (MSD) -HSCT in the same period. The rates of overall survival (OS) , disease free survival (DFS) , relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM) , engraftment, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD and cGVHD) were analyzed. Results: A total of 247 consecutive cases were enrolled, including 46 patients with MUD-HSCT and 201 with MSD-HSCT. All the patients experienced neutrophil engraftment except for one patient who died early in the MSD group, but the median day of engraftment was longer in the MUD group (15.0 vs 14.0, P=0.017) . The accumulative engraftment rate of platelet was comparable between the two groups (93.5%vs 98.0%, P=0.128) . The accumulative incidences of aGVHD (50.0%vs 46.3%, P=0.421) and cGVHD (37.8%vs 43.0%, P=0.581) were not statistically different between the two groups. Compared with the MSD group, the accumulative NRM rate at+36 months after transplantation was significantly higher in the MUD group (22.0%vs 10.4%, P=0.049) , while the relapse rate was not statistical difference (20.5 vs 28.3%, P=0.189) . Both the 3-year OS (61.6%vs 63.3%, P=0.867) and DFS (57.5%vs 61.6%, P=0.760) were comparable between the two groups. Four independent risk factors were confirmed by the multivariate analysis: patient age ≥45 years old, CR2 or NR before transplantation, a history of extramedullary infiltration and the occurrence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD. No statistical differences were demonstrated in the survival rate between MUD-and MSD-HSCT in different subgroups. Conclusions: The outcomes, such as GVHD, relapse, OS and DFS, were comparable between MUD-and MSD-HSCT for adult AML, but higher incidence of NRM and longer time to neutrophil engraftment in the MUD group. MUD-HSCT is practical and feasible for adult AML who are lack of MSD.

Comparison of the Biological Functions between Human Bone Marrow Derived CD106 Mesenchymal Stem Cells and CD106 Subgroup / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To analyze the differences in biological functions between bone marrow(BM)-derived CD106 mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)and the CD106 subgroup. Methods The MSCs from normal BM were isolated and expanded.The subgroups of CD106 and CD106 MSCs were sorted.The cell proliferation and adhesion functions,chemotactic activities,adipogenic and osteogenic potentials,senescence,and senescence protein 21(p21)were detected.The capacity of translocation into nucleus of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)when stimulated by tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)was measured. Results The proliferative ability was higher in CD106 MSCs than that in CD106 MSCs.In 48 hours,the value of optical density(OD)was significantly higher in CD106 MSCs than that in CD106 subgroup(1.004±0.028 0.659±0.023,=3.946,=0.0225).In 72 hours,this phenomenon was even more pronounced(2.574±0.089 1.590±0.074,=11.240,=0.0000).The adhesive capacity of CD106 MSCs was significantly stronger than that of CD106 subgroup(0.648±0.018 0.418±0.023,=7.869,=0.0002).Besides,the metastasis ability of CD106 MSCs were significantly stronger than that of CD106 subgroup(114.500±4.481 71.000±4.435,=6.900,=0.0005).The CD106 MSCs had signifcnatly lower proportions of senescent cells.The expression of aging protein p21 in CD106 MSCs was significantly lower than that in CD106 MSCs [(17.560±1.421)% (45.800±2.569)%,=9.618,=0.0000].Furthermore,there were no visible pigmenting cells after β-galactosidase staining in CD106 MSCs subgroup.However,in CD106 MSCs,some colored green cells were detected.The rate of NF-κB translocation into nucleus after stimulated by TNF-α was significantly higher in CD106 MSCs than CD106 MSCs [(37.780±3.268)% (7.30±1.25)%,=8.713,=0.0001]. Conclusion Bone marrow-derived CD106 MSCs possess more powerful biological functions than CD106 MSCs.

Prognostic significance of early phase donor chimerism after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of early phase full donor chimerism (FDC) after myeloablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT). Methods: The clinical data of 72 hematological patients received myeloablative allo-PBSCT from Feb. 2016 to Jul. 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The median age was 36.5 years (range 4-59), 44 were males and 28 females. Of the donors, there were 35 HLA matched sibling donors, 27 haploidentical donors and 10 unrelated donors. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of short tandem repeat sequence (PCR-STR) was used to detect donor cell chimerism (DC) rate of recipient bone marrow at one, two and three months after transplantation. Results: The median follow-up was 462 d (range: 47-805 d), 55 cases were still alive, and 45 cases were disease-free survival (DFS) at the end of follow-up. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and DFS were (68.9±7.7)% and (59.5±6.3)%, respectively. A number of 16 cases underwent relapses, with 2-year cumulative incidence of (24.1±5.3)%. The median time of recurrence was 157(32-374) d. Forty cases (55.6%) developed acute graft-versus-host diseases (aGVHD), with median time of 35.5 (13-90) d. Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) occurred in 23 patients (31.9%), with median time of 169 (94-475) d. Univariate analysis found the following factors were not related to OS, DFS or relapse rate (RR), including age, sex, blood type and sex of donor-recipient, occurrence of aGVHD and cGVHD. The OS and DFS in cases reached FDC and no FDC at two months after transplantation were (85.2±6.9)% vs (66.1±7.7)% (P=0.051) and (76.7±7.7)% vs (48.9±8.1)% (P=0.021), respectively. The RR rate in FDC group was lower than that in no FDC group [(16.6±6.8)% vs (30.4±7.8)%, P=0.187, respectively]. Conclusion: The present study confirmed the important value for predicting the prognosis with whether or not the patients reached FDC at the early phase after allo-PBSCT. The OS and DFS in cases with FDC at two months after transplantation were significantly higher than those of no FDC patients.

Outcome of acute myeloid leukemia with FLT3-ITD mutation treated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with FLT3-ITD mutation. Methods: From September 2008 to December 2016, 40 AML patients with FLT3-ITD mutation were enrolled in the study. The therapeutic process, outcomes and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The median of WBC at initial diagnosis was 35.0 (range 1.7-185.0) ×10(9)/L. The median course number of chemotherapy was 4 (range 2-7). At the time of transplantation, 34 patients were at the first complete remission (CR(1)) stage, and the other 6 ones were non-remission after chemotherapy. 24 patients received allogeneic transplants from an HLA-matched sibling donor, 7 cases from a HLA-matched unrelated donor, the remaining 9 ones received allograft from a haploidentical donor. The rate of 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) in all patients were both 74.3% (95% CI 60.4%-88.2%). The 3-year cumulative incidences of disease relapse and non-relapse mortality were 7.5% (95%CI 1.9%-18.4%) and 18.2% (95% CI 7.9%-32.0%), respectively. More than one course of chemotherapy before achieving CR(1) and the occurrence of acute GVHD after transplantation were associated with poor outcome in terms of OS and DFS. The relapse rates were significantly lower in patients receiving transplantation at CR(1) stage [0 vs 50.0% (95%CI 77.7%-82.9%) , P<0.001] and achieving CR(1) after one course induction therapy [0 vs 16.7% (95%CI 3.9%-37.3%) , P=0.020]. Conclusions: Allo-HSCT was an efficient approach for AML patients with FLT3-ITD mutation. Patients obtained better survival, especially for those achieving CR after one course induction therapy and receiving transplantation at CR(1) stage.

Application of low-dose ATG for GVHD prophylaxis in patients undergoing PBSCT aged over forty years old / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a novel GVHD prophylaxis regimen containing low-dose anti-T lymphocyte globulin (ATG) in patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from HLA-matched sibling donors (MSD) given both the patients and donors were aged over forty years old. Methods: From March 2013 to April 2017, 98 patients with hematologic malignancies were enrolled in the study. Standard GVHD prophylaxis consisted of the administration of cyclosporine A/tacrolimus and a short course of methotrexate. In ATG group, 43 patients received low-dose rabbit ATG (Sanofi, 1.5 mg/kg per day for 3 consecutive days) before PBSCT. A retrospective matched-pair analysis was performed and 55 matched controls were available. The therapeutic process and clinical outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Results: ①Neutrophil engraftment was achieved earlier in ATG group than the control one [13(11-17)d vs 14(12-24)d, P=0.001]. The time to platelet engraftment was similar between the two groups [14(11-43)d vs 15(11-42)d, P=0.071]. ②The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was significantly lower in ATG group [25.6% (95%CI 13.7%-39.3%) vs 49.1% (95%CI 35.2%-61.6%), P=0.018]. The incidences of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD [18.6% (95%CI 8.6%-31.5%) vs 23.6% (95%CI 13.4%-35.6%), P=0.509] and cGVHD [49.6% (95% CI 31.6%-65.3%) vs 56.4% (95% CI 41.4%-69.0%), P=0.221] were not significantly different between the two groups. ③The 1-year cumulative incidence of CMV viremia was similar between the two groups [21.1%(95%CI 10.3%-34.5%) vs 31.1% (95%CI 18.8%-44.2%), P=0.429]. ④The cumulative incidences of disease relapse [24.0%(95%CI 11.5%-38.9%) vs 24.0% (95% CI 12.1%-38.2%), P=0.608), non-relapse mortality [10.2% (95% CI 3.1%-22.1%) vs 21.6% (95% CI 9.4%-37.0%), P=0.411] and DFS [65.8% (95%CI 50.3%-81.3%) vs 54.4% (95%CI 37.7%-71.1%), P=0.955] were comparable between the two groups. 2-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in ATG group than the control one [83.8% (95% CI 71.8%-90.0%) vs 58.0% (95% CI 42.2%-73.9%), P=0.019]. Conclusion: The addition of low-dose ATG decreased the incidence of aGVHD and improved OS. The incidences of viral infections and disease relapse remained to be similar between the two groups. These results suggested that elderly patients undergoing MSD-PBSCT may benefit from this low-dose ATG containing GVHD prophylaxis regimen.

Effects of preexisting donor-specific HLA antibodies for graft failure in un-manipulated haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To investigate the effects of donor-specific HLA antibodies(DSA) for graft failure in un-manipulated haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT) and the feasible treatment for DSA. Methods: HLA antibodies were examined using the Luminex-based single Ag assay for 92 patients who were going on haplo-SCT and the correlations of graft failure and DSA among the patients who had finished SCT were analyzed. Results: Of the total 92 patients who were going on haplo-HSCT, sixteen (17.4%) patients were HLA Ab-positive, including six (6.5%) patients with antibodies corresponding to donor HLA Ags (DSA-positive). Among the patients who had finished the haplo-HSCT with conventional myeloablative conditioning regimen, the engraftment rate was significantly higher in DSA (-) patients than that in DSA (+) patients [92.3% (24/26) vs 25.0%(1/4), χ2=8.433, P=0.004] and DSA was the only factor relevant with graft failure in multiple-factor analysis [OR=12.0(95% CI 1.39-103.5), P=0.024]. Strategies to decrease antibody levels were taken for 4 patients, two were their first transplantations, and the other two patients were their second haplo-HSCT. Three of the four patients were HLA-I-DSA positive and had gained donor engraftment by means of donor platelet transfusions to decreased the level of DSA, the fourth patient with both HLA-I and HLA-II DSA also gained engraftment with the treatments of TBI, rituximab and donor platelet transfusion. Conclusion: DSA is one of the key factors of graft failure in haplo-HSCT. Donors should be selected on the basis of an evaluation of HLA antibodies before transplantation. If haplo-HSCT from donors with DSA must be performed, then recipients should be treated for DSA to improve the chances of successful engraftment.

Clinical efficacy and safety of porcine antihuman lymphocyte immunoglobulin in alternative donor allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To compare eficacy and safety of porcine antihuman lymphocyte immunoglobulin (pALG) and rabbit antithymocyte immunoglobulin (rATG) as a part of alternative donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AD allo-HSCT) for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Methods: The clinical data of 46 SAA patients received AD allo-HSCT from January 2006 to November 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort of patients were divided into two groups based on rATG or pALG as a part of conditioning regimen to compare implantation rate, transplantation related complications and outcome. Results: In rATG group 30 patients achieved ANC reconstitution, 27 patients achieved PLT reconstitution. In pALG group all 16 patients achieved ANC and PLT reconstitutions. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) (P=0.475), Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD (P=0.876), chronic GVHD (cGVHD) (P=0.309), extensive cGVHD (P=0.687), graft rejection (GR) (P=0.928), bloodstream infection (P=0.443), invasive fungal disease (P=0.829), cytomegalovirus viremia (P=0.095) respectively. Prospective 5-year overall survival (OS) in rATG and pALG groups were (75.1±8.2)% and (53.6±13.3)% with median follow-up of 14(2-102) and 23(4-63) months, respectively (P=0.190). Conclusion: As a part of conditioning regimen, pALG could achieve similar efficacy as rATG, without increasing the incidences of transplantation complications such as GVHD, GR and infection, in the setting of AD allo-HSCT for SAA patients.

The Effect of Serum Cytokine Levels prior Transplantation on the Outcome of Severe Aplastic Anemia Patients Received Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the role of serum cytokine levels prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell trans-plantation (allo-HSCT) in the outcome of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients received allo-HSCT treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 117 SAA patients received allo-HSCT were enrolled in this study. The overall survival (OS), graft versus host disease (GVHD) incidence and relationship of serum cytokines with OS and major transplantation complications were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients enrolled in this study included 78(66.7%) cases received HSCT matched sibling donors (MSD), 12(10.2%) HSCT of unrelated donors (MUD) and 27 cases received HSCT of haploidentical donors (HID). The 5-years OS was 76.0%(95% CI: 64.4-87.5%); aGVHD cumulative incidence was 49.6%(95% CI: 40.4%-58.8%) and cumulative incidence cGVHD was 31.6%(95% CI:23.1%-40.2%). MSD allo-HSCT had a significantly higher 5-years OS as compared with the other donors(82.3%±6.6% vs 61.3%±11.7%, P<0.05). HLA matching, donor's age, cytomegalovirus/ Epstein-Barr virus (CMV/EBV) infection were important factors of affecting occurence of aGVHD. The patients with higher serum IL-6 had reduced platelet recovery time after transplantation (14.6±1.8 vs 18.3±2.6 d)(P=0.050) and higher serum TNF-α level accompanied by a lower incidence of CMV/EBV infection (37.8%±11.1% vs 58.8±16.8%)(P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MSD allo-HSCT is the effective treatment for SAA patients. Donor's type remains the strong predictor of survival. The serum levels IL-6 and TNF-α before transplantation associate with platelet recovery and CMV/EBV infection.</p>

Relationship between Early Peak Temperature and Neutropenia Duration in Acute Leukemia Patients after Chemotherapy and Its Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between early peak body temperature and neutropenia duration and its potential mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 111 patients with CR1 phase acute leukemia (AL) with neutropenia infection were enrolled in this study. The relationship between early peak body temperature and neutropenia duration was analyzed retrospectively, and the IL-6 serum level in patients with different peak of body temperature was detected, and the single cell culture system in vitro was established, the incorparation rate of EdU in vivo was detected, and the effect of IL-6 on mouse hematopoietic stem cells /progenitor cells was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of 111 patients with nentropenia, the body temperature <38 °C and the neutropenia duration 9.5±3.69 d were observed in 44 patients, while the body temperature >38 °C and neutropenia duration 7.33±4.20 d were observed in 69 patients, the differences between 2 groups was statistically signficant (P<0.05). The EdU test showed that the number of EdU hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells increased. The IL-6 level was different in patients with different peaks of initial bady temperature (P<0.05). The results of amimal experiment showed that the IL-6 could promote the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells/ progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For patients with neutropenic infection when initial body temperature peak is <38 °C, the probability of neutropenia duration prolonging after chamotherapy increases, which may relate with promotive effect of pro-inflammatory cytokins on prliferation of hematopoietic stem cells/progenitor cells.</p>

Influence of MicroRNA-382 on Biological Properties of Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of microRNA-382 (miR-382) on the biological properties of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The mimics and inhibitor of miR-382 were transfected into hUC-MSC with lipo2000. Inverted microscopy was used to observe the morphology change of hUC-MSC. The proliferation of hUC-MSC was detected by CCK-8. Oil red O and alizarin red staining were applied to assess the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of hUC-MSC. Cetylpyridinium chloride was used to the quantitative analysis of osteogenic differentiation. The expression of Runx2 and some cytokines were detected by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>miR-382 did not influence the morphology, proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of hUC-MSC miR-382 inhibited the expression of Runx2, thus could inhibit the osteogenesis of hUC-MSC, being confirmed by alizarin red stain; miR-382 could influence the expression of key cytokines secreted from hUC-MSC, such as IL-6, IDO1, G-CSF, M-CSF, GM-CSF.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>miR-382 decreases the expression of Runx2 and inhibites the osteogenesis of hUC-MSC. In addition, it also affects the expression of some key cytokines secreted from hUC-MSC.</p>

Outcomes of Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia After Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and the Significance of Pretransplantation Minimal Residual Disease: Analysis from a Single Center of China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The postremission therapies for adult patients generally contain consolidation chemotherapy, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT). Because of the various results from different centers, the optimal therapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients is still uncertain. This study aimed to better understand predictive factors and role of auto-HSCT in the postremission therapy for adult ALL patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The outcomes of 135 adult patients with ALL, who received the first auto-HSCT in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Center of Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 1, 1994 to February 28, 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and simultaneous effects of multiple covariates were estimated with the Cox model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years for the whole cohort were 59.1 ± 4.5% and 59.0 ± 4.4%, respectively. The cumulative nonrelapse mortality and relapse rate at 5 years were 4.5 ± 0.03% and 36.6 ± 0.19%. For both OS and DFS, acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia, high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) at diagnosis, blast cell proportion ≥5% on the 15 th day of induction therapy, and extramedullary infiltration before HSCT were the poor prognosis factors. In addition, age ≥35 years predicted poor DFS. Only T-ALL and high LDH were the independent undesirable factors associated with OS and DFS in Cox regression model. For 44 patients who had results of pretransplantation minimal residual disease (MRD), positive MRD (MRD ≥0.01%) indicated poor OS (P = 0.044) and DFS (P = 0.008). Furthermore, for the standard risk group, the patients with negative MRD (MRD <0.01%) had better results (OS at 18 months was 90.0 ± 9.5%, while for the patients with positive MRD OS was 50.0 ± 35.4%, P = 0.003; DFS at 18 months was 90.0 ± 9.5%, while for the positive MRD group DFS was 0%, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study confirmed that auto-HSCT combined with posttransplantation maintenance chemotherapy could be an option for adult ALL patients and pretransplantation MRD may play a significant role in the direction of therapy for adult ALL patients.</p>