research paper: Immune reconstitution after purified autologous and allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation compared with unmanipulated bone marrow transplantation in children

• Published in: British journal of haematology 2006-10, Vol.135 (1), p.76-84
• Main Authors: Schwinger, Wolfgang, Weber-Mzell, Daniela, Zois, Birgit, Rojacher, Tanja, Benesch, Martin, Lackner, Herwig, Dornbusch, Hans Juergen, Sovinz, Petra, Moser, Andrea, Lanzer, Gerhard, Schauenstein, Konrad, Ofner, Petra, Handgretinger, Rupert, Urban, Christian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0007-1048; 1365-2141
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2006.06244.x

Immune reconstitution is critical for the long-term success of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We prospectively analysed immune reconstitution parameters after transplantation of autologous (group 1; n = 10) and allogeneic (group 2; n = 12) highly purified CD34 super(+) peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and unmanipulated allogeneic bone marrow (BM) (group 3; n = 9) in children. Median follow-up after HSCT was 56 (group 1), 61 (group 2), and 40.5 months (group 3). Median CD34-cell dose transplanted in the three groups was 9.4 x 10 super(6)/kg, 20.3 x 10 super(6)/kg, and 4.25 x 10 super(6)/kg recipient's body weight (BW) respectively. Complete haematopoietic engraftment was seen in all patients without any significant differences between the three groups. T-cell reconstitution at 6 months was significantly delayed in autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) compared with allogeneic BM transplantation (P < 0.028) and allogeneic PBSCT (P < 0.034). At 3 months after transplantation numbers of CD56 super(+)/3 super(-) natural killer cells were higher in the allogeneic PBSC group (P < 0.01) compared with the BM group. The numbers of proven bacterial and viral infections were equally distributed between the three groups. In conclusion, recipients of allogeneic highly purified CD34 super(+) PBSC or unmanipulated BM have higher lymphocyte subset counts at 6 months after transplantation than recipients of autologous CD34-selected PBSC. Infection rates and outcome, however, were not significantly different.