title: Panel reactive antibodies in women with ovarian cancer undergoing high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell rescue: a case control study.
abstract: High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support is associated with a period of profound thrombocytopenia. During periods of thrombocytopenia, alloreactive antibodies can limit the effectiveness of platelet transfusion. In this institution, women undergoing high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support for treatment of their ovarian cancer seemed to have a high incidence of panel reactive antibodies (PRA). To evaluate this further, a case-control study was performed comparing pretransplant PRA values in 22 consecutive women undergoing high-dose chemotherapy as intensification therapy for their ovarian cancer and a control group of 51 women receiving similar or identical therapy for their breast cancer. Parity was similar in both groups. Nonparametric t-test comparison of the two groups demonstrated a significantly higher PRA value in women with ovarian cancer compared to those with breast cancer (p = 0.032). Platelet transfusions were more common in women with ovarian cancer as compared to those with breast cancer (5.45/pt and 4.79/pt), although this difference did not reach statistical significance. This finding suggests that alloimmunization may be a more frequent problem in patients with ovarian cancer than in women with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ligibel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seiden
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Spitzer
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D007518:Isoantibodies