OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(auto-PBHSCT) combined with adoptive immunotherapy for patients with B lymphocyte malignant lymphoma(ML).

METHODSA total of 110 cases of ML treated with adoptive immunotherapy after auto-PBHSCT from January 2000 to December 2009 were enrolled in adoptive immunotherapy group (treated group), while 74 cases of ML treated without adoptive immunotherapy after auto-PBHSCT from January 1995 to December 1999 were used as control group. The efficacy of 2 groups were analyzed and compared, 110 case of ML in treated group included 78 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL), 32 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma(HL),74 cases of ML in control group included 52 NHL and 22 HL. All of the patients were treated sequentially with chemotherapy regimens for 6 courses. After that, all the patients received auto-PBHSCT. After hematopoietic reconstruction, the patients in treated group were given 6 courses of adoptive immunotherapy(rhIL-2 100 WU/day for 10 days monthly for each course), while the patients in control group were not given immunotherapy. All the patients were followed-up for more than 5 years.

RESULTSThere was one patient in each group, who died of liver failure and cerebral hemorrhage respectively within 3 and 2 months, and all the other patients achieved hematopoietic reconstruction. Following-up for 1, 3, 5 years, the disease-free survival (DFS) rate in treated group was 97.3%,93.6%,87.3% while 91.9%, 73.0%, 64.9% in control group. Following-up for 3 and 5 years, there was very significant difference in DFS between 2 groups(P<0.01). The 1,3 and 5 year DFS rate of patients in stage I/II and III/IV in the treated group were 100%,100%,91.7% and 96.5%,91.9%,86.0% respectively while DFS of control group was 100%, 93.3%, 86.7% and 89.8%, 67.8%, 59.3%, there was a significant difference in 3 and 5 years DFS of III/IV stage patients between 2 groups (P<0.01). The 1,3 and 5 year DFS rate of HL patients were 100%, 93.8%,84.4% in treated group and 100%,72.7%,59.1% in control group respectively. There was significant difference in 3 and 5 years DFS of HL between 2 groups (P<0.05). The 1,3 and 5 year DFS rate of stage I/II HL patients were 100%,100%,88.9% in treated group and 100%,100%,80.0% in control group. The 1,3 and 5 year DFS of HL patients in stage III/IV was 100%,91.3%,82.6% and 94.1%,64.7%,52.9% respectively. There was significant difference in 3 and 5 years DFS of III/IV stage of HL patients between 2 groups (P<0.05). The 1,3 and 5 year DFS rate of NHL patients is 96.2%, 93.6%,88.5% in treated group and 90.4%,73.1%,65.4% in control group respectively. There was a significant difference in 3 and 5 years DFS of NHL between 2 groups(P<0.01). The 1,3 and 5 year DFS rate of stage I/II NHL patients was 100%, 100%, 93.3.9% in treated group and 100%, 90%, 90.0% in control group, respectively. The 1,3 and 5 year DFS of NHL patients in stage III/IV is 95.2%, 92.1%,87.3% and 88.1%,69.0%, 59.5% respectively. There was significant difference in 3 and 5 years DFS of III/IV stage NHL patients between 2 groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONTherapeutic efficacy is satisfactory for the patients of B lymphocyte ML treated with adoptive immunotherapy after auto-PBHSCT, especially benefited the patients of stage III/IV significantly.