OBJECTIVETo analyze the incidence and the risk factors of late-onset non-infectious pulmonary complications (LONIPC) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

METHODSClinical data from 144 patients who underwent allo-HSCT and survived more than 3 months at our institution between January 2003 and August 2006 were collected, and the incidence and its risk factors of LONIPC were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSWith a median follow-up time of 1149 (103 - 2151) d, 24 patients (16.7%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for LONIPC. The median time to diagnosis of LONIPC was 235 days after transplantation (range, 116 - 950 days). Three variables were associated with LONIPC on univariate analysis: CMV antigenaemia (P = 0.000), grade II-IV aGVHD (P = 0.026) and cGVHD (P = 0.002). By using a Binary Logistic regression model for multivariate analysis, cGVHD (OR = 18.804, P = 0.004) and CMV antigenaemia (OR = 14.376, P = 0.000) were the risk factors of LONIPC.

CONCLUSIONLONIPC is one of the major complications after allo-HSCT and cGVHD and CMV antigenaemia are the risk factors for developing LONIPC.