Posttransplant hematopoiesis in patients undergoing sibling allogeneic stem cell transplantation reflects that of their respective donors although with a lower functional capability

Exp Hematol. 2005 Aug;33(8):935-43. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2005.04.009.

Abstract

We tested the principle of whether patient long-term hematopoiesis following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) reflects the characteristics of the hematopoiesis of their respective donor. For this purpose, we analyzed bone marrow (BM) hematopoiesis using long-term cultures (LTC), delta assays, and clonogeneic assays as well as CD34+ cells and their subsets by flow cytometry in a series of 37 patients undergoing allo-SCT, and we compared it to that of their respective human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling donors in a paired study performed more than 1 year after the transplant procedure. Interestingly, the main factor that influenced post-allo-SCT BM hematopoiesis in the long term was donor hematopoiesis. Nevertheless, compared to their respective donors, patients exhibited a significantly lower number of colony-forming units granulomonocytic, burst-forming units erythroid, and immature progenitors (CD34++/CD38dim/CD90+/CD133+ cells, LTC-initiating cells, and colonies generated in the delta assay). Moreover, BM stromal function was diminished in patients undergoing allo-SCT compared to their donors. In addition, the presence of chronic graft-versus-host disease under immunosuppressive treatment also conditioned an impaired hematopoietic function. In summary, our study shows that BM hematopoiesis evaluated more than 1 year after an allo-SCT mainly reproduces that of their respective donors, although with a significantly decreased in vitro activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antigens, CD / biosynthesis
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Colony-Forming Units Assay
  • Erythroid Precursor Cells* / cytology
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease / physiopathology
  • Granulocyte Precursor Cells* / cytology
  • Hematopoiesis*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Living Donors*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Stromal Cells / cytology
  • Transplantation Chimera
  • Transplantation, Homologous*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD