The Disease Status at Transplant Is the Major Factor Association with the Long Term Survival of HLA Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Transplantation.

Objective: To evaluate the factors effecting the long term survival of refractory leukemia patients who received the therapy of HLA haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells transplantation.

Methods: To analysis the factors effecting long term survival of refractory leukemia patients who underwent HLA haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells transplantation. The HLA mismatched locus between the donors and patients, the disease status of patients at transplant, the grafted mononucleaer cells number, and the occurrence of GVHD, the age of patients and other factors were considered and analyzed by data reduction SSP11. From July, 1998 to May, 2004, 30 Patients with refractory leukemia patients including 13 cases of acute non-lymphocytes leukemia, 10 cases of acute lymphocytes leukemia, 6 cases chronic myeloid leukemia and 1 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma underwent HLA haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells transplantations. The median age was 25 years old (3– 52 years old). Twelve patients received stem cells from parents, four from daughter and son, and the other from sibling donors. Twelve patients received three HLA locus mismatched stem cells, thirteen patients received two HLA mismatched donors stem cells, and five patients received one HLA mismatched donors stem cells. The conditioning regime consisted of fludara (25mg/m2 X5d), busufan (4mg/kg X4d) and cyclophosphamide ( 60mg/kg X2d). Median dose of rabbit anti-human lymphocyte globulin (5mg/kg X5d) was added in the in some patients. A mean of 6.0 x 10⁸ /kg (3–9 x10⁸ /kg) mono-nucleated cells was grafted. The mean CD34⁺ cells number was 5.5 x10⁶ /Kg (3–6.5 x10⁶/kg).

Results: Twenty-nine patients were successfully grafted and one failed to graft. The mean time of white cell count more than 1x10⁹/L was 13 days (10–18 days) and 12 days (9–16) respectively. Severe acute graft versus host disease occurred in six patients, and four died. Seven patients suffered from intensive chronic graft versus host disease. Nine patients relapsed and died. The mean relapse time was 10 months (3 months to 24 months). Four patients died from intensive chronic graft versus host disease. Fourteen patients are still disease free survival with high karnofsky performs. The relapse of leukemia was the main cause of death. Five the patients less than 20 year’s old age are still disease free survival with high karnofsky performs scores.

Conclusion: HLA haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells transplantation may be an effect therapy for refractory leukemia. Although graft versus leukemia effect may be strong in HLA haploidentical blood stem cells transplantation, leukemia relapse is still the main cause to death. We suggest that for these patients with leukemia who can not find full matched donor perform related HLA mismatched peripheral blood stem cells transplantation as earlier as to get the better long term outcome.