title: Leukemia lineage-specific chimerism analysis and molecular monitoring improve outcome of donor lymphocyte infusions.
abstract: A retrospective analysis was performed of 118 patients with hematologic malignancies who received donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Treatment was either given because of hematologic relapse (n = 44), molecular/cytogenetic relapse (n = 52), or other causes (n = 22). Molecular relapse was in most cases based on leukemia lineage-specific chimerism analysis. Patients with acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome showed a 3-year survival of 42% if DLI treatment was given because of molecular relapse, compared to 16% in hematologic relapse (P < .006). In multivariate analysis, there was a correlation between response to DLI and nonhematologic relapse (risk ratio [RR] 3.36, P = .001), chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) (RR = 1.51, P = .005), and late relapse (RR = 2.06, P = .017). The overall incidences of acute GVHD (aGVHD) grades I-II and grades III-IV aGVHD were 33% and 8.5%, respectively. Probability of cGVHD was 33%. The development of aGVHD or cGVHD did not significantly influence the response of DLI in patients with molecular/cytogenetic relapse. However, the development of cGVHD was significantly associated with a better response in patients with hematologic relapse because only 4 of 29 patients without cGVHD responded compared to 7 of 12 with cGVHD (P = .007). The development of cGVHD increased significantly if DLI was given >12 months after ASCT (46% versus 27%, P = .04). In contrast, time between ASCT and start of DLI treatment had no significant influence on the risk of developing aGVHD. To conclude, monitoring of leukemia lineage-specific chimerism is of utmost importance for DLI response after ASCT.
authors.affiliation: Center for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Medicine at Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sairafi
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remberger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uhlin
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ringdén
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mattsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult