Bone Grafts Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bone Grafts, including details on spine fusion, surgery, procedure, risks.

Clonal cytogenetic changes and myeloma relapse after reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation.

Lee CK, Zangari M, Fassas A, Thertulien R, Talamo G, Badros A, Cottler-Fox M, van Rhee F, Barlogie B, Tricot G

1The Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.

To identify a correlation between metaphase cytogenetics and relapse after reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) allotransplant for patients with multiple myeloma, data on 60 patients (median age 52) who received grafts from a sibling (n=49) or unrelated donor (n=11) were analyzed. Fifty-three patients (88%) showed chromosomal abnormalities (CA) before the allotransplant, including 42 with abnormalities involving 13q (CA13). Twenty-two patients (41%) relapsed post-allotransplant at a median of 165 days. Of these, 11 patients showed abnormal cytogenetics at the time of post-allotransplant relapse at a median of 167 days. Of 54 patients who developed graft-versus-host disease, relapse occurred in 19 of 48 patients (43%) with CA present before RCI allotransplant, versus 1 of 6 without CA (17%) (P=0.06). Loss of CA before RIC allotransplant and disease status>PR after RIC allotransplant were significantly associated with a lower risk of post-allotransplant relapse with cytogenetic abnormalities; 5.2 vs 36%, and 18 vs 53%, (both P<0.05), respectively. The current data suggests that myeloma associated with persistent clonal cytogenetic abnormalities is an entity which most likely escapes the effects of a graft versus myeloma activity, maybe because of acquisition of resistance to immunologic manipulations.Bone Marrow Transplantation (2006) 37, 511-515. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1705267; published online 23 January 2006.

Published 23 February 2006 in Bone Marrow Transplant, 37(5): 511-5.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Bone Grafts Research Today. All Rights Reserved.