title: Oral effects of nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation: a prospective observational study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel. eladhome@md.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elad
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Sandre
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McNeal
authors.forename: Reuven
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Or
authors.forename: Adi A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Garfunkel
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirschhorn
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bitan
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Gesundheit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barasch
mesh_terms: 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*