Abstract

Many haematological disease patients can be cured with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Genetic inequity between donors and recipients, particularly when it involves the human leukocyte antigen system, is a crucial determinant in the success of transplants. To assess retrospectively the characteristics of the donors and their relationships to the occurrence of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, disease-free survival, and overall survival in a Brazilian population that underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between 1994 and 2012 at a single centre. There were 347 transplants that happened one after another. There were substantially more related transplants (81.2%) than unrelated transplants (18.7%); donor and recipient median ages were 34 and 33 years, respectively; and 333 (95.9%) patients had donor HLAs that matched their HLAs. ABO incompatibility, CMV status, and donor gender had no impact on the total five-year survival rate. In univariate analysis, the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease had a detrimental effect on overall survival. For many patients suffering from hematologic diseases, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative procedure. The plan is to use healthy hematopoietic stem cells from an HLA-compatible donor to replace the patient’s immune and hematopoietic systems. For HSCT to be successful, genetic differences between the donor and recipient, particularly at HLA loci, are crucial. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) continue to be major causes of morbidity and mortality after HSCT despite improvements in genetic characterisation, immuno-suppressive medications, and supportive treatment. Along with genetic differences and GVHD, the source of the stem cells, conditioning regimens, and infection problems are linked to the success of HSCT.

Keywords: Transplantation; Antibodies; Hematopoietic Stem Cell; Lymphoblastic