ABSTRACT
We evaluated the incidence of GVHD, risk factors and the impact of graft composition on acute GVHD (aGVHD) in 92 children who underwent BMT for thalassemia following busulfan/cyclophosphamide (BUCY)-based conditioning regimens and GVHD prophylaxis with CSA/short-MTX and methylprednisolone. The incidence of grade 2-4 and 3-4 aGVHD was 35% (95% confidence interval (CI) 25-44) and 9% (95% CI 4-16), respectively. We found that CD3(+) and CD34(+) cell doses above the median were associated with high incidence of grade 2-4 aGVHD (49 vs 20%, P=0.005 and 46 vs 23%, P=0.021, respectively). In multivariate analysis, high CD3(+) (hazard ratio (HR) 4.6; 95% CI 1.4-14.7; P=0.010) and CD34(+) (HR 4.3; 95% CI 1.4-12.7; P=0.011) cell doses were associated with grade 2-4 aGVHD. We further examined the effect of CD3(+) and CD34(+) cell doses on aGVHD using quartile cutoff points and found a minimum threshold for CD3(+) (38 × 10(6)/kg) and CD34(+) (4 × 10(6)/kg) cells above which the incidence of grade 2-4 aGVHD is significantly increased. This study shows for the first time a positive correlation between the number of CD3(+) and CD34(+) cells and aGVHD in children receiving sibling BMT, and indicates that using tailored and more intensive post transplant immunosuppression may permit to better control aGVHD.
Subject(s)
Antigens, CD34 , Bone Marrow Transplantation , CD3 Complex , Graft vs Host Disease/epidemiology , Graft vs Host Disease/prevention & control , Thalassemia/therapy , Transplantation Conditioning , Acute Disease , Adolescent , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Busulfan/administration & dosage , Child , Child, Preschool , Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Immunosuppression Therapy/methods , Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage , Incidence , Infant , Male , Methotrexate/administration & dosage , Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage , Myeloablative Agonists/administration & dosage , Siblings , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
There is evidence that platelets may be used locally as a source of growth factors that play a fundamental role in wound healing. From October 2008 to September 2009, at Tor Vergata Rome University Hospital, seven patients were enrolled in the study. All of these patients had ulcers with a extension over 3.5 cm(2). Four patients achieved a total recovery of the ulcers, while three experienced a reduction of the diameter of the ulcers. Our data are preliminary, but it is possible to suggest that recovery of the ulcers using the FIBRINET® system is related to platelet activation in the specific ulcer area.
