Sm. Muller et al., Definition of a critical T cell threshold for prevention of GVHD after HLAnon-identical PBPC transplantation in children, BONE MAR TR, 24(6), 1999, pp. 575-581
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Hematology,"Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
The aim of this study was to reduce the rate of graft failure after HLA non
-identical stem cell transplantation by using G-CSF mobilized CD34(+) perip
heral blood progenitor cells (PBPC), either in combination with bone marrow
or as single grafts, To prevent GVHD, PBPC were highly purified, resulting
in a 5 to 6 log T cell depletion. In additon to T cell depletion no furthe
r GVHD prophylaxis was used, We transplanted 23 pediatric patients with lif
e-threatening malignant or non-malignant hematological disorders, who had n
o available matched donor. Engraftment was obtained in 18 of 21 evaluable p
atients, Five patients developed acute GVHD of grade II and III, which beca
me chronic in four cases and was fatal in four. The use of highly purified
PBPC allowed the exact quantification of residual T cells in the grafts and
a strict correlation between the residual T cell load and the development
of GVHD was observed: patients with GVHD had received numbers of T cells be
tween 8 and 20 x 10(4)/kg, whereas patients without GVHD were grafted with
T cell numbers ranging from 0.7 to 6.0 x 10(4)/kg. We therefore clearly dem
onstrate that a residual T cell content of <5 x 10(4)/kg is safe for preven
tion of GVHD after HLA non-identical PBPC transplantation in children.