Factors influencing B lymphopoiesis after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

In 93 allograft recipients, the numbers of marrow B-cell precursors on days 80 and 365 correlated with the counts of circulating B cells, suggesting t hat the posttransplantation B-cell deficiency is at least in part due to in sufficient B lymphopoiesis, Factors that could affect B lymphopoiesis were evaluated. The number of marrow B-cell precursors on days 30 and 80 was at least 4-fold lower in patients with grade 2 to 4 acute graft-versus-host di sease (GVHD) compared with patients with grade 0 to 1 acute GVHD, The numbe r of B-cell precursors on day 365 was 18-fold lower in patients with extens ive chronic GVHD compared with patients with no or limited chronic GVHD. Th e number of B-cell precursors was not related to CD34 cell dose, type of tr ansplant (marrow versus blood stem cells), donor age, or patient age. It wa s concluded that posttransplantation B-cell deficiency results in part from inhibition of B lymphopoiesis by GVHD and/or its treatment. (C) 2001 by Th e American Society of Hematology.