1.
Thalassemia-free and graft-versus-host-free survival: outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia major, Turkish experience
Yesilipek, M. A., Uygun, V., Kupesiz, A., Karasu, G., Ozturk, G., Ertem, M., Şaşmaz, İ, Daloğlu, H., Güler, E., Hazar, V., et al
Bone marrow transplantation. 2022
Abstract
We report the national data on the outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for thalassemia major (TM) patients in Turkey on behalf of the Turkish Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Group. We retrospectively enrolled 1469 patients with TM who underwent their first HSCT between 1988 and 2020 in 25 pediatric centers in Turkey. The median follow-up duration and transplant ages were 62 months and 7 years, respectively; 113 patients had chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and the cGVHD rate was 8.3% in surviving patients. Upon the last visit, 30 patients still had cGvHD (2.2%). The 5-year overall survival (OS), thalassemia-free survival (TFS) and thalassemia-GVHD-free survival (TGFS) rates were 92.3%, 82.1%, and 80.8%, respectively. cGVHD incidence was significantly lower in the mixed chimerism (MC) group compared to the complete chimerism (CC) group (p < 0.001). In survival analysis, OS, TFS, and TGFS rates were significantly higher for transplants after 2010. TFS and TGFS rates were better for patients under 7 years and at centers that had performed over 100 thalassemia transplants. Transplants from matched unrelated donors had significantly higher TFS rates. We recommend HSCT before 7 years old in thalassemia patients who have a matched donor for improved outcomes.
2.
Prognostic Factors and a New Prognostic Index Model for Children and Adolescents with Hodgkin's Lymphoma Who Underwent Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Multicenter Study of the Turkish Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Study Group
Kesik, V., Atas, E., Karakukcu, M., Aksoylar, S., Erbey, F., Tacyildiz, N., Kupesiz, A., Oniz, H., Unal, E., Kansoy, S., et al
Turkish Journal of Haematology. 2016;33(4):265-272
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The prognostic factors and a new childhood prognostic index after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS The prognostic factors of 61 patients who underwent AHSCT between January 1990 and December 2014 were evaluated. In addition, the Age-Adjusted International Prognostic Index and the Childhood International Prognostic Index (CIPI) were evaluated for their impact on prognosis. RESULTS The median age of the 61 patients was 14.8 years (minimum-maximum: 5-20 years) at the time of AHSCT. There were single relapses in 28 patients, >2 relapses in eight patients, and refractory disease in 25 patients. The chemosensitivity/chemorefractory ratio was 36/25. No pretransplant radiotherapy, no remission at the time of transplantation, posttransplant white blood cell count over 10x103/micro L, posttransplant positron emission tomography positivity at day 100, and serum albumin of <2.5 g/dL at diagnosis were correlated with progression-free survival. No remission at the time of transplantation, bone marrow positivity at diagnosis, and relapse after AHSCT were significant parameters for overall survival. CONCLUSION The major factors affecting the progression-free and overall survival were clearly demonstrated. A CIPI that uses a lactate dehydrogenase level of 500 IU/L worked well for estimating the prognosis. We recommend AHSCT at first complete remission for relapsed cases, and it should also be taken into consideration for patients with high prognostic scores at diagnosis.