Transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells for adult T-cell leukemia: a nationwide retrospective study

Blood. 2010 Aug 26;116(8):1369-76. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-10-247510. Epub 2010 May 17.

Abstract

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is increasingly used as a curative option for adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), an intractable mature T-cell neoplasm causally linked with human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). We compared outcomes of 386 patients with ATL who underwent allogeneic HSCT using different graft sources: 154 received human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related marrow or peripheral blood; 43 received HLA-mismatched related marrow or peripheral blood; 99 received unrelated marrow; 90 received single unit unrelated cord blood. After a median follow-up of 41 months (range, 1.5-102), 3-year overall survival for entire cohort was 33% (95% confidence interval, 28%-38%). Multivariable analysis revealed 4 recipient factors significantly associated with lower survival rates: older age (> 50 years), male sex, status other than complete remission, and use of unrelated cord blood compared with use of HLA-matched related grafts. Treatment-related mortality rate was higher among patients given cord blood transplants; disease-associated mortality was higher among male recipients or those given transplants not in remission. Among patients who received related transplants, donor HTLV-I seropositivity adversely affected disease-associated mortality. In conclusion, allogeneic HSCT using currently available graft source is an effective treatment in selected patients with ATL, although greater effort is warranted to reduce treatment-related mortality.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft Survival
  • Graft vs Leukemia Effect / immunology*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / metabolism
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / pathogenicity
  • Humans
  • Japan / epidemiology
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / immunology
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / therapy*
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation, Homologous