Immune Recovery of Lymphocyte Subsets 6 Years after Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation (PBSCT) for Lymphoproliferative Diseases. A Comparison between NHL, HD and MM in Group of 149 Patients

Abstract

To evaluate the normalization of lymphocyte subsets several years after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (aPBSCT) and to detect any differences based on the underlying lymphoproliferative diseases, we analyzed the immunological recovery of 149 patients with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin's Disease (HD), Multiple Myeloma (MM). Lymphocyte recovery was assessed before the transplant, on days 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 and on years 1, 2, 4, 6. Analysis of a total of 709 lymphocytes, including total lymphocyte count, CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 +, CD4 +/CD8 + ratio, CD19 +, CD3 + HLA-DR +, CD16 + 56 +, was performed. The normalization of total lymphocyte counts was achieved between days 14 to 22 following PBSCT. CD3 + cells count showed a normalization after 2 years in the HD and NHL groups and after 4 years in MM group. CD4 + subset achieved normalization during the sixth year in the 3 groups. The CD8 + and CD19 + lymphocytes subsets achieved normal values in the 3 groups at day 60 and at day 120 respectively. CD16 + 56 + and CD3 +/HLA-DR + lymphocytes showed median values above the normal range starting from day 30. Immunological recovery was similar in all 3 groups. Moreover, the recovery of all subsets evaluated was similarly demonstrated within 6 years after aPBSCT.

Hematologic, immunologic reconstitution, and outcome of 342 autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantations after cryopreservation in a −80°C mechanical freezer and preserved less than 6 months

“…Few studies analyzed long‐term immune recovery after autologous transplantation with a small number of patients and only with the cryopreservation method in liquid nitrogen 30‐33 . According to our study, CD16+CD56+ NK cells are the first cells to recover and reach normal values at 3 months.…”

Kinetics of peg-filgrastim after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

“…The analysis of immunological reconstitution showed a significant reduction, on day þ 30 and þ 60 after transplant, of CD16 þ CD56 þ lymphocyte subset in patients treated with peg-filgrastim. This difference was due to a reduction of the characteristic natural killer subset overshoot observed consistently after aPBSCT not receiving G-CSF 30 and, although there is no current explanation for this observation, it is worth to be addressed in depth.…”

Immune recovery after low-dose Campath therapy in a group of pretreated patients affected by B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

“…2 Before treatment all lymphoid subsets, except for total lymphocytes and NK cells, showed median values within the normal range.…”

“…Arsenic trioxide has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia in newly diagnosed disease, 1,2 as well as in refractory/relapsed disease. 2,3 Normal range…”