Death by Graft-Versus-Host Disease Associated With Hla Mismatch, High Recipient Age, Low Marrow Cell Dose, and Splenectomy

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

In 65 recipients of marrow from HLA-identical siblings, the death rate from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) at 1 year was 13%, which was significantly less when compared with 50% among 10 recipients of marrow from HLA-non-identical donors (P less than 0.001 log-rank test). Among recipients of HLA-matched marrow the following was found: patients below 17 years of age had a death rate from GVHD of 4% compared with 32% in elder patients (P less than 0.01). In patients who received greater than or equal to 3 X 10(8) marrow cells/kg 3% died of GVHD compared with 31% in those receiving fewer marrow cells (P less than 0.02). Furthermore, death by GVHD was 11% among nonsplenectomized patients compared with 60% in splenectomized patients (P less than 0.001). Among all children, and among nonsplenectomized patients, those receiving less than 3 X 10(8) marrow cells/kg had a significantly increased death rate by GVHD. The number of T cells or T cell subsets in the marrow graft was not correlated with GVHD or death by GVHD.