Long-term donor health and its relationship with outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract

Data on long-term follow-up of donors for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are limited. Donors of 612 adult allogeneic HSCT were studied, at a median of 81 (14-181) months post-HSC donation. Nine donors had severe health problems. Five donors died from aggressive malignancies or terminal illness, at a median of 41 (16-57) months post-donation. Notably, all their recipients had leukemic relapses. In contrast, donors of recipients in remission were all living. This observation might be due to an inherent depressed immunosurveillance in the donors, or selection of donors with suboptimal health for desperate patients with poor risks pre-HSCT.

Uniform examination of stem cell donors

“…Obviously with older age the chance for occult malignancy increases. It has been reported that recipients of HSCT from donors who developed cancer after stem cell donation are associated with a higher relapse rate in the recipient [18].…”