title: Bone marrow B cell precursor number after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and GVHD development.
abstract: Patients without chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) have robust B cell reconstitution and are able to maintain B cell homeostasis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). To determine whether B lymphopoiesis differs before cGVHD develops, we examined bone marrow (BM) biopsies for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and PAX5 immunostaining early post-HSCT at day 30 when all patients have been shown to have high B cell activating factor (BAFF) levels. We found significantly greater numbers of BM B cell precursors in patients who did not develop cGVHD compared with those who developed cGVHD (median = 44 vs 2 cells/high powered field [hpf]; respectively; P < .001). Importantly, a significant increase in precursor B cells was maintained when patients receiving high-dose steroid therapy were excluded (median = 49 vs 20 cells/hpf; P = .017). Thus, we demonstrate the association of BM B cell production capacity in human GVHD development. Increased BM precursor B cell number may serve to predict good clinical outcome after HSCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fedoriw
authors.forename: T Danielle
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Samulski
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Deal
authors.forename: Cherie H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Dunphy
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharf
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Serody
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarantopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051757:PAX5 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000379:methods; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D015415:Biomarkers; D051757:PAX5 Transcription Factor; C497281:PAX5 protein, human; D013256:Steroids; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human