Institutional insights into engraftment syndrome: A cohort study on allogeneic transplantation outcomes

Engraftment syndrome (ES) is a clinical condition that may occur during neutrophil recovery after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Diagnosis is challenging because of the varying diagnostic criteria and the controversial relationship between ES and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

To investigate the incidence of ES and its relationship with GVHD in patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT at our institution.

This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT (alloHSCT) at a Brazilian tertiary hospital between January 2015 and December 2016. ES was diagnosed based on the Spitzer or Maiolino criteria.

Of the 79 patients who underwent alloHSCT, three presented with graft failure and were excluded from the analysis. The incidence of ES, according to both Spitzer's and Maiolino's criteria, was 16.5 % and 9.8 % in patients older than 14 years and 28.6 % in children, respectively, with a significant correlation (P < 0.05, Pearson's chi-squared test). ES was associated with prolonged hospitalization (P = 0.01; Student's t-test). No correlation was observed between acute GVHD and ES. There was a positive correlation between the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria and ES development (P < 0.05, Pearson's chi-squared test).

The general incidence of ES in this cohort was consistent with that reported in the literature. Remarkably, ES was associated with prolonged hospitalization (14 days longer than in patients without ES). Moreover, patients who used antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria had a higher incidence of ES.