Hb-adjusted DLCO with GLI reference predicts long-term survival after HSCT in children

Hye Jin Lee1, Kyunghoon Kim1, Seong Koo Kim1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Insights

Pretransplant diffusing capacity, specifically adjusted carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCOadj), predicts non-relapse mortality (NRM) after pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Worse DLCOadj indicates a higher risk of NRM in children undergoing allo-HSCT.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Transplantation Medicine

Background:

  • Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative option for pediatric malignancies.
  • Pulmonary complications, including non-relapse mortality (NRM), remain a significant concern post-transplant.
  • Pretransplant pulmonary function assessment is crucial for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the predictive value of pretransplant diffusing capacity for outcomes in pediatric allo-HSCT.
  • To determine if diffusing capacity parameters can identify children at higher risk of NRM.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 176 children undergoing allo-HSCT.
  • Analysis of pretransplant pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including spirometry, body plethysmography, and diffusing capacity (DLCOadj) using GLI-2017 criteria.
  • Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analyses to assess associations with overall survival (OS), disease-related mortality (DRM), and NRM.

Main Results:

  • Univariate analysis revealed that grades 3-4 DLCOadj and LFS categories III-IV significantly increased NRM (p=0.003 and p=0.008).
  • Multivariate analysis showed grades 3-4 DLCOadj significantly increased NRM risk (HR=4.90, p=0.020).
  • Kaplan-Meier analyses demonstrated a significant stepwise increase in NRM with worse pretransplant DLCOadj grades and LFS categories (p<0.001 and p=0.003).

Conclusions:

  • Compromised pretransplant diffusing capacity and high LFS are significant predictors of NRM after pediatric allo-HSCT.
  • DLCOadj is a valuable predictor of NRM in pediatric patients with malignancy undergoing allo-HSCT.
  • Pretransplant DLCOadj assessment can aid in risk stratification and management strategies.

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