impact of CD34 cell dose and T lymphocyte subsets on the incidence of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease [GVHD] following allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

ABSTRACT

A prospective study of 50 patients of different hematological disorders allografted with peripheral blood stem cells from HLA matched siblings [group I] and 100 recipients of allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell [PBSC] transplantation were reviewed retrospectively [group II]. Patients were classified into two subgroups, subgroup A, patients who did not develop GVHD, while subgroup B were those who developed GVHD either acute or chronic. Acute GVHD was graded according to Settle criteria [1995]. Patients were followed up to two years. From the results obtained, it was concluded that acute and chronic GVHD remains an important factor affecting morbidity and mortality after allogeneic PBSCT. The higher the number of infused CD34+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, the severer the form of acute GVHD. Patients, who developed gastrointestinal GVHD received higher numbers of these cells than those who developed skin or hepatic GVHD. While, patients who developed chronic GVHD either de-novo or on top of acute GVHD received lower numbers of infused CD34+ cells