title: Impaired B-cell reconstitution in lymphoma patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT: an effect of pretreatment with rituximab?
abstract: Allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) is increasingly considered an option in refractory or relapsing lymphoma. Today, most patients with B-cell lymphoma are treated with the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab before HSCT. We hypothesized that prior therapy with rituximab might alter immune reconstitution after allogeneic transplantation due to in vivo depletion of B cells at the time of graft infusion. We studied B-cell immune reconstitution in 12 patients with lymphoma receiving rituximab 1-12 months before HSCT. Compared to an age- and sex-matched population of patients transplanted for myeloid malignancies, lymphoma patients with rituximab pretreatment showed significantly reduced B-cell counts at time of HSCT at +3, +6 and +12 months; B-cell counts reached values comparable to controls only 24 months after HSCT. In parallel, levels of immunoglobulins were markedly reduced for up to 2 years post transplant in patients with prior rituximab treatment. Two patients suffered from severe late bacterial infections to which the impaired humoral immunity may have contributed. In contrast, T- and NK-cell reconstitution was not different compared to control patients.In conclusion, B-cell reconstitution can be significantly delayed in allogeneic HSCT recipients with prior rituximab treatment. Rituximab appears to have clinical consequences beyond the immediate early post-transplant period.
authors.affiliation: Hematology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. busera@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medinger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lohri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tichelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gratwohl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000069283:Rituximab