Neurological complications of hematopoietic cell transplantation in children and adults

Hematopoietic cell transplantation（HCT） is widely performed for neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. HCT involves intravenous infusion of hematopoietic progenitor cells from human leukocyte antigen（HLA）-matched donor（allogeneic） or from the patient（autologous）. Before HCT, the patient is prepared with high dose chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy residual malignant cells and to reduce immunologic resistance. After HCT, chemotherapy is used to prevent graft rejection and graft versus host disease（Gv HD）. Neurological complications are related to the type of HCT, underlying disease, toxicity of the conditioning regimens, immunosuppression caused by conditioning regimens, vascular complications generated by thrombocytopenia and/or coagulopathy, Gv HD and inappropriate immune response. In this review, neurological complications are presented according to time of onset after HCT：（1） early complications（in the first month）-related to harvesting of stem cells, during conditioning（drug toxicity, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome）, related to pancytopenia,（2） intermediate phase complications（second to sixth month）-central nervous system infections caused by prolonged neutropenia and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy due to JC virus,（3） late phase complications（after sixth month）-neurological complications of Gv HD, second neoplasms and relapses of the original disease.

Ailogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for malignant hematological diseases in patients older than 50 years of age

Objective To investigate the efficiency and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for malignant hematological diseases in patients older than 50 years of age. Methods From May 2002 to January 2010,35 patients P 】 50 years with malignant hematological diseases received allogeneic hematopoietic

COVID-19 impact in Crohn’s disease patients submitted to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),a disease that has been blamed for inducing or exacerbating symptoms in patients with autoimmune diseases.Crohn's disease(CD)is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects genetically susceptible patients who develop an abnormal mucosal immune response to the intestinal microbiota.Patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT)are considered at risk for COVID-19.AIM To describe for the first time the impact of COVID-19 in CD patients who had undergone autologous,non-myeloablative HSCT.METHODS In this descriptive study a series of 19 patients were diagnosed with positive COVID-19.For two patients there were reports of the occurrence of two infectious episodes.Parameters related to HSCT,such as time elapsed since the procedure,vaccination status,CD status before and after infection,and clinical manifestations resulting from COVID-19,were evaluated.RESULTS Among the patients with COVID-19,three,who underwent Auto HSCT less than six months ago,relapsed and one,in addition to the CD symptoms,started to present thyroid impairment with positive anti-TPO.Only one of the patients required hospitalization for five days to treat COVID-19 and remained in CD clinical remission.Nine patients reported late symptoms that may be related to COVID-19.There were no deaths,and a statistical evaluation of the series of COVID-19 patients compared to those who did not present any infectious episode did not identify significant differences regarding the analyzed parameters.CONCLUSION Despite the change in CD status in three patients and the presence of nine patients with late symptoms,we can conclude that there was no significant adverse impact concerning COVID-19 in the evaluated patients who underwent HSCT to treat CD.

Sarcopenia and gut microbiota alterations in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia(SP) and its relationship with gut microbiota alterations in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT).Methods: A total of 108 patients with various hematological disorders were selected from Peking University People’s Hospital. SP was screened and diagnosed based on the 2019 Asian Sarcopenia Diagnosis Strategy. Physical measurements and fecal samples were collected, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted. Alpha and beta diversity analyses were performed to evaluate gut microbiota composition and diversity.Results: After HSCT, significant decreases in calf circumference and body mass index(BMI) were observed,accompanied by a decline in physical function. Gut microbiota analyses revealed significant differences in the relative abundance of Enterococcus, Bacteroides, Blautia and Dorea species before and after HSCT(P<0.05). Before HSCT, sarcopenic patients had lower Dorea levels and higher Phascolarctobacterium levels than non-sarcopenia patients(P<0.01). After HSCT, no significant differences in species abundance were observed. Alpha diversity analysis showed significant differences in species diversity among the groups, with the highest diversity in the postHSCT 90-day group and the lowest in the post-HSCT 30-day group. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in species composition between pre-and post-HSCT time points but not between SP groups. Linear discriminant analysis effect size(LEfSe) identified Alistipes, Rikenellaceae, Alistipes putredinis, Prevotellaceae defectiva and Blautia coccoides as biomarkers for the pre-HSCT sarcopenia group. Functional predictions showed significant differences in anaerobic, biofilm-forming and oxidative stress-tolerant functions among the groups(P<0.05).Conclusions: This study demonstrated a significant decline in physical function after HSCT and identified potential gut microbiota biomarkers and functional alterations associated with SP in patients with hematological disorders. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of aplastic anemia by relative with mutations and normal telomere length: A case report

BACKGROUND Immunosuppressive therapy and matched sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(MSD-HSCT)are the preferred treatments for aplastic anemia(AA).CASE SUMMARY In this report,we describe a 43-year-old male patient with severe AA who carried BRIP1(also known as FANCJ),TINF2,and TCIRG1 mutations.Screening of the family pedigree revealed the same TINF2 mutation in his mother and older brother,with his older brother also carrying the BRIP1 variant and demonstrating normal telomere length and hematopoietic function.The patient was successfully treated with oral cyclosporine A,eltrombopag,and acetylcysteine,achieving remission 4 years after receiving MSD-HSCT from his older brother.CONCLUSION This case provides a valuable clinical reference for individuals with suspected pathogenic gene mutations,normal telomere length,and hematopoietic function,highlighting them as potential donors for patients with AA.

Advantageous tactics with certain probiotics for the treatment of graft-versus-host-disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT)becomes a standard form of cellular therapy for patients with malignant diseases.HSCT is the first-choice of immunotherapy,although HSCT can be associated with many complications such as graft-versus-host disease(GVHD)which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic HSCT.It has been shown that certain gut microbiota could exert protective and/or regenerative immunomodulatory effects by the production of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)such as butyrate in the experimental models of GVHD after allogeneic HSCT.Loss of gut commensal bacteria which can produce SCFAs may worsen dysbiosis,increasing the risk of GVHD.Expression of G-protein coupled receptors such as GPR41 seems to be upre-gulated in the presence of commensal bacteria,which might be associated with the biology of regulatory T cells(Tregs).Treg cells are a suppressive subset of CD4 positive T lymphocytes implicated in the prevention of GVHD after allogeneic HSCT.Here,we discuss the current findings of the relationship between the modification of gut microbiota and the GVHD-related immunity,which suggested that tactics with certain probiotics for the beneficial symbiosis in gut-immune axis might lead to the elevation of safety in the allogeneic HSCT.

Administration of imatinib in the first 90 days after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background Relapse happens frequently after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation （alIo-HCT） in the patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia （Ph^＋ ALL）. Detection of the minimal residual disease （MRD） before and after alIo-HCT is associated with higher relapse rate. Early administration of imatinib after alIo-HCT may prevent recurrent Ph^＋ ALL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of imatinib in preventing hematological relapse when imatinib was administrated in the first 90 days after alIo-HCT. Methods Patients with Ph^＋ ALL that underwent alIo-HCT were enrolled in a prospective study. A TaqMan-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （RQ-PCR） technique was used to detect the MRD （bcr-abl transcript levels）. Imatinib therapy was initiated prior to 90 days after alIo-HCT if the patient＇s absolute neutrophil count （ANC） was above 1.0×10^9/L （without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor （G-CSF） administration） and the platelet count was greater than 50.0×10^9/L, or if the bcr-abl transcript levels were elevated in two consecutive tests, or if the bcr-abl transcript levels were 〉10.2 after the initial engraftment. The initial daily dose of imatinib was 400 mg/d for adults and 260 mg/m^2 for children （younger than 17 years）. Imatinib was administered for at least I month and the bcr-abl TaqMan results were negative for 3 consecutive tests, or complete molecular remission （CR^mol） was sustained for at least 3 months. Results From May 2005 to October 2008, 29 patients were enrolled in this study, of whom, 19 patients were male and 10 were female. The median age of the enrolled patients was 33 years （range 6-50 years）. Imatinib therapy was started at a median time of 60 days （range 20-122 days） post HCT （only one patient started Imatinib therapy at 122nd day after HCT）. Twenty-five adult patients could tolerate a dose of 300-400 mg/d of imatinib, and three children tolerated a dose of 260 mg·m^2·d^-1. Sixty-eight percent of the patients experienced various adverse events during imatinib therapy, hematological toxicity being the most common adverse event. The median duration of imatinib treatment was 3 months （range 7 days-18 months）. During the median follow-up of 24 months （range 16.0-54.5 months）, 3 out of 27 patients that could be evaluated for efficacy died from relapse. The 3-year probability of relapse for the evaluated patients was （11.34-0.61）%. The relapse rates among the subgroup of positive and negative bcr-abl patients before allo-HCT were 13.6% and 0, respectively （P 〉0.05）. The relapse rates among the subgroups of bcr-abl positive and negative patients after alIo-HCT were 20.0% and 5.9%, respectively （P 〉0.05）. The relapse rates among the patients in first complete remission （CR1） and second complete remission/non-remission （CR2/NR） before transplantation were 0 and 31.4%, respectively （P 〈0.05）. The 3-year probability of overall survival （OS） and disease-free survival （DFS） for the all enrolled patients were （75.3±8.1）%. The 3-year probabilities for OS and DFS among the subgroup of patients in CR1 and CR2/NR before transplantation were （87.7±8.2）% and （54.6±15.0）%, respectively （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Administration of irnatinib at a dose of 300-400 mg/d in the first 90 days after allo-HCT is feasible in Ph^＋ ALL patients. With this treatment, bcr-abl positive patients before or after transplantation do not have a higher relapse rate after allo-HCT compared with the bcr-abl negative patients. Because of lower relapse rate and better OS and DFS, we recommend that Ph^＋ ALL patients receive allo-HCT in CRI.

Haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation for severe acquired aplastic anemia: a case-control study of post-transplant cyclophosphamide included regimen vs. anti-thymocyte globulin & colony-stimulating factor-based regimen

Dear Editor,Haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT),a curative therapy for severe aplastic anemia(SAA)patients,has been used clinically for decades.Two models,not involving ex vitro T-cell depletion,have been adopted for haplo-HSCT in patients with SAA.The first is referred to as the"Beijing protocol"(Xu et al.,2017),and comprises a conditioning regimen using busulfex(BU),cyclophosphamide(CY).

Increased risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease after hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with previous history

Background:The impacts of previous cardio-cerebrovascular disease(pre-CCVD)on the outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplantation(HCT)are not well described.Patients with pre-CCVD may often be poor candidates for HCT.This study aimed to investigate the impact of pre-CCVD on transplant outcomes.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted between patients with and without pre-CCVD who consecutively received allogeneic or autologous HCT between November 2013 and January 2020 with a matching of age and disease status.The cardiovascular complications and HCT outcomes of the two groups were evaluated and compared.The primary endpoints were post-transplant cardio-cerebrovascular disease(post-CCVD)and non-relapse mortality(NRM).We used a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model and the Fine-Gray competing risk regressions for analyses to estimate the hazard ratios(HRs).Results:The outcomes of 23 HCT recipients with pre-CCVD were compared with those of 107 patients in the control group.No significant differences were noted in terms of engraftment,overall survival(OS)(67.00%vs.67.90%,P=0.983),or relapse(29.78%vs.28.26%,P=0.561)between the pre-CCVD group and the control group.The cumulative incidences of 2-year NRM were similar between patients with pre-CCVD and the controls(14.68%vs.17.08%,P=0.670).However,pre-CCVD was associated with an increased incidence of post-CCVD(HR:12.50,95%confidence interval[CI]:3.88–40.30,P<0.001),which was an independent risk factor for increased NRM(HR:10.29,95%CI:3.84–27.62,P<0.001)and inferior OS(HR:10.29,95%CI:3.84–27.62,P<0.001).Conclusions:These findings suggest that the existence of pre-CCVD before transplantation might not result in increased mortality directly but superpose the toxicity of the transplantation procedure,leading to a risk of post-CCVD.Post-CCVD was a powerful predictor for high NRM and inferior OS.Further risk stratification of pre-CCVD is needed to reduce NRM in various transplantation settings.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia: An overview of obstacles and opportunities

As an important treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT) plays an important role in reducing relapse and improving long-term survival. With rapid advancements in basic research in molecular biology and immunology and with deepening understanding of the biological characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells, allo-HSCT has been widely applied in clinical practice. During allo-HSCT, preconditioning, the donor, and the source of stem cells can be tailored to the patient’s conditions, greatly broadening the indications for HSCT, with clear survival benefits. However, the risks associated with allo-HSCT remain high, i.e. hematopoietic reconstitution failure, delayed immune reconstitution, graft-versus-host disease, and posttransplant relapse, which are bottlenecks for further improvements in allo-HSCT efficacy and have become hot topics in the field of HSCT. Other bottlenecks recognized in the current treatment of individuals diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and subjected to allo-HSCT include the selection of the most appropriate conditioning regimen and post-transplantation management. In this paper, we reviewed the progress of relevant research regarding these aspects.

Nutritional assessment with different tools in leukemia patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Objective： Correct nutritional assessment is essential for leukemia patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation （HSCT）. This study aimed to investigate the best nutritional assessment method for leukemia patients after HSCT, and find the possible nutritional risk of the patients during the transplantation process in order to intervene in the patients with nutritional risks and undernourished patients timely, so that the entire transplantation process could be successfully completed. Methods： A prospective study was performed in 108 leukemia patients after HSCT, and different nutritional assessment methods, including nutritional risk screening 2002 （NRS2002）, mini nutritional assessment （MNA）, subjective globe assessment （SGA） and malnutritional universal screening tools （MUST）, were used. The associations between nutritional status of these patients and nutritional assessment methods were analyzed. Results： A total of 108 patients completed SGA, and 99 patients completed NRS2002, MNA and MUST. During the treatment process, 85.2% of the patients lost weight, wherein, 50% lost weight greater than 5%, and 42.6% had significantly reduced food intake. For nutritional risk assessment, the positive rates of NRS2002, MNA and MUST were 100%, 74.7% and 63.6%, respectively. There was a significant difference （P〈0.05） among the positive rates of NRS2002, MNA and MUST. In undernutrition assessment, the positive rate of SGA （83.3%） was significantly higher than that of MNA （17.2%） （P〈0.05）, and the incidence rate of nutritional risk among leukemia patients _〈30 years old was greater than that of patients 〉30 years old （P〈0.05）. Conclusions： Patients with leukemia were in poor nutritional status during and after HSCT. The leukemia patients 〈30 years old had a greater incidence rate of nutritional risk. As nutritional risk screening tool, the specificity of NRS2002 is not high, but it can be used for evaluating nutritional deficiencies. MNA is a good nutritional risk screening tool, but not an adequate tool for nutritional assessment. If assessment of undernutrition is necessary, the combination of all these screening tools and clinical laboratory indicators should he applied to improve accuracy.

Comprehensive evaluation of nutritional status before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 170 patients with hematological diseases

Objective： To investigate the nutritional status of patients before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation（HSCT）, and explore optimal methods for assessing nutritional status in patients with hematological diseases.Methods： This cohort study enrolled 170 patients who were diagnosed with hematological diseases and underwent allogeneic HSCT in the Department of Hematology, Peking University People＇s Hospital between May2011 and April 2013. We used fixed-point continuous sampling and four nutritional screening tools, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002（NRS-2002）, Mini Nutritional Assessment（MNA）, Subjective Global Assessment（SGA） and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tools（MUST）, in combination with body measurements, to extensively screen and evaluate nutritional risks and status in patients receiving HSCT before entering and after leaving laminar air flow rooms.Results： After HSCT, patients had significant reduction in weight, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, calf circumference, mid-upper arm circumference, and suprailiac skinfold thickness compared with pre-HSCT measurements. Before HSCT, NRS-2002 identified that 21.2% of patients were at nutritional risks, compared with100% after HSCT. MUST indicated that before HSCT, 11.77% of patients were at high nutritional risk,compared with 59.63% after HSCT. MNA assessed that 0.06% of patients were malnourished before HSCT,compared with 19.27% after HSCT. SGA identified that before HSCT, 1.76% of patients had mild to severe malnutrition, which increased to 83.3% after HSCT. There is a significant increase in the nutritional risk and malnutrition in patients who received HSCT.Conclusions： Before HSCT, some patients already had nutritional risk or nutritional deficiencies, and prompt and close nutritional screening or assessment should be performed. The nutritional status of patients after HSCT was generally deteriorated compared with that before transplantation. Body measurements should be taken more frequently during the subsequent treatment window in the laminar air flow rooms. After HSCT, it is recommended to combine MNA and SGA to fully evaluate the nutritional status, and thus provide timely and reasonable nutritional support.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in chemotherapy-sensitive lymphoblastic lymphoma: treatment outcome and prognostic factor analysis

Objective： The study evaluated the effectiveness of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation （AHSCT） in the treatment of lymphoblastic lymphoma （LL）. Methods： We relxospectively analyzed the data from 41 patients with chemotherapy-sensitive LL who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation （HSCT） from December 1989 to December 2009 in a single institution. Results： HSCT was conducted as first-line consolidation therapy and salvage therapy in 36 and 5 patients, respectively. The median follow-up was 97.1 months （range, 24.6-173.1 months）. The 5-year overall survival （OS） and event-free survival （EFS） rate were 64% and 47% for the initially treated patients, respectively, and were both 20% for the relapsed ones. Bone marrow （BM） involvement and chemotherapy cycles prior to transplantation were identified as significant prognostic factors for EFS in multivariate analysis. Conclusions These results confirm that AHSCT is a reasonable option for chemotherapy-sensitive LL patients in first complete remission （CR1）.

Decitabine for Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation（allo-HSCT） remains a main question on treatment failure. Current strategies for management that usually include salvage chemotherapy, donor lymphocytic infusion and second transplantation. Our study assessed the efficacy of decitabine（DAC） for treating patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia（ALL） who relapsed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation（allo-HSCT）. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 12 patients with relapsed ALL after allo-HSCT who received DAC therapy. Nine patients received DAC combined with chemotherapy and donor stem cell infusion, and 3 patients received single-agent DAC. Ten of the 12 patients achieved complete remission（CR）, 1 achieved a partial remission（PR）, and 1 had no response（NR） after treatment at the latest follow-up（LFU）, the median survival was 11.2 months（range, 3.8–34, 7 months）. The 1-and 2-year overall survival（OS） rates were 50%（6/12） and 25%（3/12）, respectively. Five patients were still alive; 4 had maintained CR and 1 was alive with disease. Patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL had higher survival rate than patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL（57.1% vs. 20%）. No aggravated flares of graft-versus-host disease（GVHD） were observed during DAC treatment. Therefore, DAC may be a promising therapeutic agent for ALL recurrence after allo-HSCT.

Clinical Observation of Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Treated with Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), we performed HSCT in 30 patients with hematologic maligancies. Of the 30 patients, 10 underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT), 13 underwent myeloablative allogeneic HSCT while 7 underwent nonmyeloablative allogeneic HSCT, which were designated as autologous group, myeloablative group and nonmyeloablative group, respectively. All patients except the one who underwent cord blood transplantation, were successfully engrafted. Median time for the granulocytes≥0.5×10\+9/L and platelets≥20×10\+9/L were 12 days and 13 days respectively in autologous group, 16 days and 19 days in myeloablative group, 15 days and 12 days in nonmyeloablative group. In myeloablative group, acute graft-versus-host diseases (aGVHD) was observed in 3 patients, all of which were I—Ⅱgrade. Oral mucous cGVHD was observed in 1 patient. In nonmyeloablative group, 1 patient developed intestinal aGVHD grade Ⅳ and cutaneous cGVHD was induced by donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) in 3 patients. 1 patient had hematological relapse in autologous group. 1 patient had cytogenetic relapse in myeloablative group. In nonmyeloablative group 3 patients had cytogenetic relapse and were cured by DLI, 1 patient had hematological relapse. 4 of the 30 patients died of infection (2 patients), grade Ⅳ aGVHD (1) and relapse (1) respectively. 26 patients are still alive. 3 years overall survival (OS) and 3 years disease free survival (DFS) were 100 % and 64.81 % respectively in autologous group, 78.75 % and 63 % respectively in myeloablative group while both 66.67 % in nonmyeloablative group. In conclusion, autologous group had less transplant-related complications and mortality. Active prophylaxis of relapse could significantly promote DFS. The transplant-related mortality limited DFS in myeloablative group. More relapses occurred in nonmyeloablative group, but could be cured by DLI.

Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Graft-Versus-Host Disease Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation through Multiple Immunoregulations

Summary： Although mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） are increasingly used to treat graft-versus-host disease （GVHD）, their immune regulatory mechanism in the process is elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the curative effect of third-party umbilical cord blood-derived human MSCs （UCB-hMSCs） on GVHD patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation （allo-HSCT） and their immune regulatory mechanism. Twenty-four refractory GVHD patients after allo-HSCT were treated with UCB-hMSCs. Immune cells including T lymphocyte subsets, NK ceils, Treg cells and dendritic cells （DCs） and cytokines including interleukin-17 （IL-17） and tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α） were monitored before and after MSCs transfusion. The results showed that the symptoms of GVHD were alleviated significantly without increased relapse of primary disease and transplant-related complications after MSCs transfusion. The number of CD3^＋, CD3＋CD4^＋ and CD3＋CD8^＋ cells decreased significantly, and that of NK cells remained unchanged, whereas the number of CD4^＋ and CD8^＋ Tregs increased and reached a peak at 4 weeks; the number of mature DCs, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-17 decreased and reached a trough at 2 weeks. It was concluded that MSCs ameliorate GVHD and spare GVL effect via immunoregulations.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with acute leukemia

Objective： The purposes of this study were to assess the efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation （HSCT） for acute leukemia （AL） and analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of these patients. Methods： The clinical and follow-up data of 93 AL patients （median age, 30 years） undergoing allogeneic HSCT in Xiangya Hospital over the past 12 years were collected, and the potential factors affecting the efficacy and prognosis of allogeneic HSCT patients were determined. Results： Hematopoietic reconstitution was achieved in 90 patients. At the last follow-up, the incidences of severe acute graft versus host disease （aGvHD） and extensive chronic GvHD （cGvHD） were 14.0% and 20.0%, the 3-year cumulative incidence of transplantation related mortality （TRM） and relapse rate were 16.8%±6.1% and 21.3%±6.7%, and the estimated 3-year overall survival （OS） and disease-free survival （DFS） of the patients were 64.6%±5.4% and 56.5%±5.5%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that age older than 40 years, HLA mismatch, and severe lung infection within the first 100 days after transplantation were risk factors for severe aGvHD, age older than 40 years, HLA mismatch, severe lung infection within the first 100 days after transplantation, and severe aGvHD were risk factors for TRM, high-risk AL and lack of cGvHD were risk factors for relapse （all P〈0.05）. Survival estimation showed that HLA mismatch, severe lung infection occurring within the first 100 days post-transplantation, high-risk AL severe aGvHD and lack of cGvHD were risk factors associated with poor prognosis （all P〈0.05）. Further multivariate analyses revealed that severe lung infection within the first 100 days post-transplantation, severe aGvHD and lack of cGvHD were independent risk factors for unfavorable outcomes （all P〈0.05）. Conclusions： Allogeneic HSCT can improve the DFS of AL patients, and severe lung infection within the first 100 days post-transplantation, severe aGvHD and lack of cGvHD are independent risk factors affecting the prognosis.

Gut microbiome in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and specific changes associated with acute graft vs host disease

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(aHSCT)is a standard validated therapy for patients suffering from malignant and nonmalignant hematological diseases.However,aHSCT procedures are limited by potentially life-threatening complications,and one of the most serious complications is acute graft-versus-host disease(GVHD).During the last decades,DNA sequencing technologies were used to investigate relationship between composition or function of the gut microbiome and disease states.Even if it remains unclear whether these microbiome alterations are causative or secondary to the presence of the disease,they may be useful for diagnosis,prevention and therapy in aHSCT recipients.Here,we summarized the most recent findings of the association between human gut microbiome changes and acute GVHD in patients receiving aHSCT.

High-dose Chemotherapy Combined with Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation as Frontline Therapy for Intermediate/High-risk Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

The role of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(auto-HSCT)following high-dose chemotherapy has been validated and accepted as a standard treatment for patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL).However,its clinical efficacy as frontline therapy remains to be elucidated.This study aimed to examine the feasibility of frontline auto-HSCT for newly diagnosed intermediate/high-risk DLBCL patients.We retrospectively reviewed the data of 223 patients treated with frontline auto-HSCT or chemotherapy alone(year 2008-2014)from four hospitals.The median follow-up time was 29.4 months.Between the two treatment arms among the intermediate/high-risk DLBCL patients,the 3-year overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)rates of patients given frontline auto-HSCT were 87.6%and 81.9%,respectively,and the chemotherapy-alone group showed 3-year OS and PFS rates of 64.9%and 59.59%,respectively.Compared with the chemotherapy-alone group,the frontline auto-HSCT could eliminate the adverse impact of non-germinal center B-cell(GCB)type.In addition,in the frontline auto-HSCT group,patients who achieved complete response(CR)at auto-HSCT had a longer survival time than those who did not achieve CR.Our results suggested that frontline auto-HSCT could improve the prognosis of intennediate/high-risk DLBCL patients.

Nutrition Support Practices of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Centers in China's Mainland

Summary:It has been identified that malnutrition can influence the immune system and time of engraftment,and it's also associated with increased incidence of complications,prolonged length of hospital stays,and transplant mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT),so dynamic nutrition care is highly important.The aim of this study was to better understand the differences between clinical nutrition practices and international recommendations as well as possible barriers to the use of nutrition support in HSCT patients.An evidence-based nutrition support pathway was constructed through a systematic literature review to identify evidence and recommendations relating to the relevant issues.Then,a questionnaire consisting of 28 questions that focused on the 4 topics,namely,assessment and screening for malnutrition,nutrition support interventions,nutrition support in gastrointestinal graft-ver5U5・host disease(GVHD)and neutropenic diet was developed by the study authors and used for data collection.Responses of 18 HSCT centers from 17 provinces were received.General assessment for malnutrition was performed at 72%(13/18)centers.Parenteral nutrition(PN)was given as the first option to HSCT patients in the majority of centers,despite the fact that current guidelines recommend enteral nutrition(EN)over PN.As many as 72%(13/18)of the centers considered a neutropenic diet in the management of HSCT patients,but only one center had a formal neutropenic diet protocol in place for transplant recipients.Criteria for initiating nutrition support in patients with gastrointestinal GVHD were heterogeneous among the centers,and PN was the most widely used technique.The survey results revealed significant heterogeneity with regard to nutrition support practices among the centers,as well as between the practices and the guidelines.Standard nutrition support guidelines or protocols for nutrition support practices were absent in most of the centers.