For patients with high-risk or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) lacking a related histocompatible donor, autologous (Auto) and unrelated donor (URD) transplantation are available options. We compared outcomes and toxicities in 712 patients with ALL (517 URD, 195 Auto) in first complete remission (CR1) or second complete remission (CR2) who underwent transplantation. All patients were <50 years old, although URD patientswere younger (median age, 14 versus 18 years, P < .002). The proportion of patients in CR1 versus CR2 was similar (36% versus 38%, P = .57), but more URD recipients than Auto recipients had high-risk karyotypes (25% versus 13%, P = .003) and white blood cell (WBC) counts > or =50 x 10(9)/L (33% versus 14%, P < .001). Engraftment was similar in URD and Auto recipients. Ex vivo purging delayed but did not prevent engraftment after Auto transplantation. Transplantation-related mortality was higher after URD transplantation (42%+/-8%) than after Auto transplantation (20%+/-12%) in CR1 (P = .004) and also in CR2. Conversely, relapse was more frequent after Auto transplantation in CR1 (Auto, 49%+/-12% versus URD, 14%+/-5%) and CR2 (64%+/-8% versus 25%+/-5%) (P< .0001). These findings showed net similar outcomes for these 2 transplantation choices. Transplantation in CR1 yielded similar 3-year survival rates for URD (51%+/-7%) and Auto (44%+/-12%), as did transplantation in CR2 (40%+/-6% versus 32%+/-9%, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis identified significantly better disease-free survival after the first 6 months in matched URD versus Auto in younger patients, in those in CR2 with CR1 >1year, WBC <50 x 10(9)/L, performance status > or =90%, and in those who have undergone transplantation since 1995. These comparative data suggest that both matched URD and Auto transplantation can yield extended survival. Although URD transplantation offers substantially better protection against leukemic relapse, improvements in allotransplantation safety and refinements in patient selection are required to better aid treatment decision making for the best overall survival.

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The prognostic importance of genetic information in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) was recently highlighted in a study of over 1000 cytogenetically-annotated patients; 5-year survival rates were 8% for very high risk (VHR), 27% "unfavorable" and 45% "favorable" karyotype. The current study addresses the practice-relevant question of whether or not allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) can overcome the detrimental survival effect of VHR or unfavorable karyotype. The study included 67 patients with PMF or secondary MF who received HCT at the Mayo Clinic and in whom pretransplant cytogenetic information was available. Dynamic international prognostic scoring system (DIPSS) risk distribution was 13% high, 66% intermediate-2 and 21% intermediate-1. Cytogenetic risk distribution was 11% VHR, 34% unfavorable and 55% favorable. At median post-HCT follow-up of 60 months for living patients (range 34-170), 28 (42%) deaths were recorded. Five-year survival was 62% and was not affected by VHR or unfavorable karyotype (P = .68). The salutary effect of HCT in patients with VHR or unfavorable karyotype was also apparent during analysis of a combined dataset that included a nontransplant cohort of 383 patients with PMF; multivariable analysis of the combined dataset (n = 450) resulted in HRs (95% CI) of 2.4 (1.6-3.6) for absence of transplant, 3.3 (2.2-4.8) for VHR karyotype, 1.6 (1.2-2.1) for unfavorable karyotype, 2.9 (2.0-4.2) for DIPSS high and 1.7 (1.4-2.2) for DIPSS intermediate-2. These observations were further confirmed by analysis of more stringently matched case-control subset cohorts and provide the evidence for the therapeutic preference of HCT in cytogenetically high risk patients with MF.

Background Marrow damage from chemo- and radiation therapies has been suggested to affect quality and quantity of Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) products. We tested the hypothesis that CD34+ cells (HSC) from low mobilizers are qualitatively inferior to HSC from high mobilizers. Materials and Methods HSC quality was defined by proportion of primitive HSC subsets (CD34+CD38−, CD34+HLA-DR− and CD34+ in G0 stage of cell cycle), the proportion of HSCs that express CXCR4 and CD26 homing proteins and days, to neutrophil and platelet engraftments post transplant. HSC content and CD34 subsets analyses were performed using flow cytometry following ISHAGE protocol. We evaluated the HSC quantity and quality of 139 autologous filgrastim mobilized HSC products. Patients were categorized into low, moderate and high mobilizers if their total HSC collection was <3 ×106/kg, ≥3 ×106/kg and <5 ×106/kg, and ≥5 × 106/Kg respectively. Results The median number of primitive CD34 subsets increases with increasing HSC numbers and this association was statistically significant (p = 0.001). However, when the ratios of the primitive CD34 subsets to total HSC counts were compared among the mobilization groups, the ratios were not significantly different. Co-expression of neither CD26 nor CXCR4 with CD34 antigen correlated with HSC mobilization. Evaluation of days to neutrophil engraftment among the mobilization groups did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.1). However, days to platelet engraftment among the mobilization groups was statistically significantly different (p = 0.05). Conclusion The quality of HSCs from low mobilizers was comparable to HSCs from high mobilizers.