Oral effects of nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation: a prospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE
Nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation (NST) is a relatively new type of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that has gained wider use in the last decade. Oral effects of NST have not been described. The goal of the study was to evaluate the oral mucosal effects, including oral acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD), in patients undergoing NST in comparison to patients undergoing myeloablative HSCT.


METHODS
This prospective, longitudinal pilot study included 34 consecutive patients undergoing HSCT. Demographic data were collected. Patients were evaluated every 2 weeks between baseline and day 100 posttransplantation. Statistical methods included univariate and multivariable regression analyses (level of significance, P < .05) .


RESULTS
Patients undergoing NST had significantly less oral aGVHD (P = .032, OR = 0.11, CI: 0.02-0.83). Systemic aGVHD-related lesions were common in all patients. The prevalence of opportunistic oral infections was not statistically different between the NST and ablative groups (P = .94).


CONCLUSIONS
In this pilot study, cancer patients treated with NST had a lower incidence of oral aGVHD than those receiving myeloablative HSCT. The incidence of other oral soft tissue lesions, including opportunistic infections, was not affected by the type of HSCT.
Elad
Sharon
S
Deparment of Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel. eladhome@md.huji.ac.il
Shapira
Michael Y
MY
McNeal
Sandre
S
Or
Reuven
R
Garfunkel
Adi A
AA
Hirschhorn
Ariel
A
Bitan
Menachem
M
Resnick
Igor
I
Benjamin
Gesundheit
G
Barasch
Andrei
A
D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000209:etiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*