Counting circulating endothelial cells in allo-HSCT: an ad hoc designed polychromatic flowcytometry-based panel...

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Immunology
• Oncology

Background:

• Endothelial damage is linked to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) pathogenesis.
• Circulating Endothelial Cells (CEC) monitoring is a potential diagnostic tool for GVHD.
• Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative treatment for hematologic malignancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare CEC counts obtained by the CellSearch system and a novel polychromatic flow cytometry (PFC) method.
• To evaluate the utility of CEC monitoring for early GVHD diagnosis in allo-HSCT patients.
• To assess the kinetic changes of CEC in relation to GVHD development.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 50 patients undergoing allo-HSCT for hematologic disorders.
• Parallel measurement of CEC using the CellSearch system and a custom PFC Lyotube assay at 5 time points.
• Statistical analysis including Spearman rank correlation, Bland Altman plots, and Passing Bablok regression.

Main Results:

• Significant correlation found between CEC counts from both methods across all time points (p<0.0001).
• Passing Bablok regression indicated no significant differences between the two CEC counting systems.
• Bland Altman analysis showed non-significant bias at most time points, suggesting good agreement.

Conclusions:

• CEC counts generated by CellSearch and PFC methods exhibit superimposable kinetics in allo-HSCT patients.
• Both CEC counting methods are reliable and have potential for routine clinical use in GVHD diagnosis.
• CEC monitoring can assist clinicians in the early diagnosis and management of GVHD.