BACKGROUND:Cytokines play an important role in the occurrence and development of graft-versus-host disease, but there is a current lack of reports on the association between cytokines and graft-versus-host disease after al ogeneic hematopoietic stem cel transplantation for treatment ofβ-thalassemia major.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the association between cytokines and graft-versus-host disease after al ogeneic hematopoietic stem cel transplantation forβ-thalassemia major.
METHODS:We observed the dynamic variation of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, interleukin 12, tumor necrosis factor-αand macrophage migration inhibitory factor in 11 children withβ-thalassemia major before onset of graft-versus-host disease, when graft-versus-host disease occurred, at days 4 and 7 after onset of graft-versus-host disease, and when graft-versus-host disease disappeared.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There was a significant difference in serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, macrophage migration inhibitory factor in different time points, and the highest levels of different cytokines appeared when graft-versus-host disease occurred, fol owed by those at 7 days after
graft-versus-host disease. There was a significant difference in serum levels of interleukin-8 in different time points, and the highest level appeared at 4 days after graft-versus-host disease. The dynamic expression of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, macrophage migration inhibitory factor can estimate the immune function ofβ-thalassemia major patients who develops graft-versus-host disease after al ogeneic hematopoietic stem cel transplantation, and can be used as the immunobiology indicators for the early diagnosis of graft-versus-host disease.

【Objective】 To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in pediatric patients with thalassemia major (TM) weighing 20 kg or less. 【Methods】 PBSCs collection data of 170 pediatric patients with TM weighing 20 kg or less from January 2013 to December 2020 in our center were reviewed. Safety was assessed by the occurrence of adverse events during apheresis procedures, and efficacy was evaluated by the number of CD34+ cells collected. 【Results】 A total of 171 PBSCs procedures were performed on 170 patients with TM weighing 20 kg or less, with a median age of (4.98±1.53) years and a median weight of (17.30±2.18) kg. The probability of collecting at least 1×10⁶ CD34+ cells/kg during a single course of apheresis was 99.41% (169/170), with a median (5.88±4.23) ×10⁶ CD34+ cells collected per kg of weight of the recipient. A minimum pre-apheresis hemoglobin (Hb) of 60 g/L in patients with TM weighing 20 kg or less was safe and feasible. The most common adverse event of G-CSF mobilization in TM patients is bone pain, with the incidence of 7.65% (13/170), which was higher than that of healthy children donors in our center. The most common adverse events during the collection were pain at the puncture site of the femoral vein (6.47%, 11/170) and low pressure of the fluid (2.92%, 5/170). And no serious complications related to PBSCs mobilization, central venous catheter(CVC)placement or the apheresis procedure occurred. 【Conclusion】 PBSCs collection by COM.TEC blood cell separator in children weighing 20 kg or less is safe and efficacious.