Search

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has the capacity to cure numerous malignant and nonmalignant disorders. A dreaded complication is graft failure (GF), as it puts patients at high risk of infection and disease relapse. There are few contemporary data on the risks, outcomes, and economic burden of GF in pediatric patients. In this study, we address this gap by focusing on 14 years of transplant at our single center, for which data are compared in 2 time periods: 2005 to 2010 (n = 146) and 2011 to 2018 (n = 144). In the 290 patients studied, the median age was 9.33 years, and 50.3% had malignant versus nonmalignant disease. Cell source included bone marrow (51%), cord blood (19.7%), unmanipulated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs; 12.1%), and CD34-selected PBSCs (17.2%). Twenty-one percent of patients had reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC), and 54.8% of transplants were fully HLA matched. Most patients received serotherapy with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (39.3%) or alemtuzumab (42.8%). The incidence of neutropenic and non-neutropenic GF (NGF and NNGF) was 6.6% and 3.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated alemtuzumab (odds ratio [OR], 6.256, P.001) was the main variable associated with a higher rate of GF in both time periods, whereas RIC (OR, 11.8, P.001) and cell source (CD34-selected PBSCs; OR, 4.22, P = .04) showed period-specific effects. Specifically, from time periods 1 to 2, cord blood transplants were discontinued at our center, with a concomitant increase in CD34-selected grafts and a shift from more episodes of NGF to NNGF. Overall survival was 69% in the entire HCT cohort and 50% among patients with GF. Survival among GF patients improved from time periods 1 to 2 (20% versus 80%, P = .001), potentially due to a higher incidence of NNGF and increased ability to perform stem cell boosts from the same donor once cord blood transplants were phased out. Inpatient length of stay was consistently higher for patients with GF. Similar trends were seen for inpatient costs, although improvements were seen in our entire HCT population over time. In summary, GF remains a significant challenge in pediatric HCT and poses an economic burden on the health care system.

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) can cure many nonmalignant conditions, but concern for morbidity and mortality remains. To help physicians estimate patient-specific transplant mortality risk, the HCT comorbidity index (HCT-CI) is used. However, pediatric physicians use the HCT-CI less frequently than adult counterparts. We used the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research database to expand the HCT-CI comorbidity definitions to be more inclusive of children and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, adding history of mechanical ventilation, history of invasive fungal infection, assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by estimated glomerular filtration rate, expanding the definition of obesity, and adding an underweight category. A total of 2815 children and AYAs (40 years old) who received first allogeneic HCT for nonmalignant diseases from 2008 to 2017 were included to create an expanded youth nonmalignant HCT-CI (expanded ynHCT-CI) and a simplified non-malignant (simplified ynHCT-CI) HCT-CI. The expanded comorbidities occurred frequently-history of mechanical ventilation (9.6%), history of invasive fungal infection (5.9%), mild CKD (12.2%), moderate/severe CKD (2.1%), obesity (10.9%), and underweight (14.5%). Thirty-nine percent of patients had an increase in their comorbidity score using the expanded ynHCT-CI, leading to a redistribution of scores: ynHCT-CI score 0 (35%), 1-2 (36.4%), and ≥3 (28.6%). Patients with an increase in their comorbidity score had an increased hazard of mortality compared to those whose score remained the same (hazard ratio = 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.98). Modifications to the HCT-CI can benefit children and AYA patients with nonmalignant diseases, creating a risk assessment tool that is clinically relevant and better captures comorbidity in this younger population.

Background: Little is known about the effect of COVID-19 disease on pediatric hematology, oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) patients brbr

Interferon consensus sequence–binding protein (Icsbp) is required for terminating emergency granulopoiesis, an episodic event responsible for granulocyte production in response to infections and a key component of the innate immune response. Icsbp inhibits the expression of Stat3 and C/ebpβ, transcription factors essential for initiating and sustaining granulopoiesis, and activates transcription of Fanconi C (FANCC), a DNA repair protein. In prior studies, we noted accelerated bone marrow failure in Fancc−/− mice undergoing multiple episodes of emergency granulopoiesis, associated with apoptosis of bone marrow cells with unrepaired DNA damage. Additionally, we found increased expression of Fanconi C and F proteins during emergency granulopoiesis. These findings suggest that Icsbp protects the bone marrow from DNA damage by increasing activity of the Fanconi DNA repair pathway, but the mechanisms for FANCC activation during initiation of emergency granulopoiesis are unclear. In this study, we observed that Stat3 and C/ebpβ activate FANCC transcription and contribute to DNA repair. Our findings indicate that FancC expression is increased during Stat3- and C/ebpβ-induced initiation of emergency granulopoiesis by these transcription factors and is maintained through termination by Icsbp. Our work reveals that Stat3- and C/ebpβ-mediated FancC expression is a critical component for initiating and sustaining key innate immune responses.

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (autoHCT) has become a critical component in the treatment of pediatric malignancies, allowing for high-dose chemotherapy to be given safely and with greater efficacy in a subset of children at high risk for relapse. Risk factors associated with hospital length of stay (LOS) in adults undergoing autoHCT have been studied extensively; however, there is a paucity of studies describing risk factors associated with LOS and health care cost in children undergoing autoHCT. This study sought to identify factors influencing LOS and cost in pediatric autoHCT. We assessed LOS from autologous stem cell infusion from day 0 (D0) in 100 autoHCT admissions in 73 patients with malignant disease between 2007 and 2019. We evaluated demographic, pre-transplantation, post-transplantation, and socioeconomic variables to identify potential risk factors associated with LOS and cost. AutoHCT cost data were provided by the Pediatric Health Information System database. Indications for autoHCT included neuroblastoma (35.6%), brain tumor (27.4%), and relapsed lymphoma (24.7%). The median patient age was 4.88 years (range, 0.72 to 22 years), with 71% age12 years, and the cohort was 63% male, 77% white, and 41% Hispanic. The median LOS from D0 was 19 days (range, 13 to 100 days). On multivariable analysis, age12 years compared with 2 to 12 years (estimate, -8.9 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], -15.1 to -2.8; P = .004) and complete remission/very good partial response disease status (estimate, -5.0 days; 95% CI, -9.6 to -0.4 days; P = .031) were associated with a significantly decreased median LOS, whereas Hispanic ethnicity (estimate, +6.8 days; 95% CI, 1.1 to 12.6 days; P = .019),5 days of fever (estimate, +7.3 days; 95% CI, 1.4 to 13.2 days; P = .015), and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) LOS (estimate, +14.9 days; 95% CI, 1.8 to 28.0 days; P = .025) were associated with a significant increase in median LOS. The median cost per transplantation admission was $96,850 (range, $39,833 to $587,321). Multivariable analysis showed that age12 years (estimate, -$6,776; 95% CI, -$71,787 to -$11,402; P = .007) or2 years (estimate, -$32,426; 95% CI, -$53,507 to -$11,345; P = .003), and complete remission/very good partial response disease status (estimate, -$20,266; 95% CI, -$40,211 to -$322; P = .046) were associated with significantly decreased median cost, whereas5 days of fever (estimate, +$58,886; 95% CI, $30,667 to $87,105; P.001) and PICU admission (estimate, +$102,458; 95% CI, $23,843 to $181,076; P = .011) were associated with significantly increased median cost. In summary, fever and PICU stay were found to be risk factors for increased LOS and cost. Age12 years and Hispanic ethnicity were risk factors for increased LOS, whereas age2 years and12 years and female sex were associated with decreased cost. Further investigation to determine specific factors influencing LOS and cost is warranted to identify potentially modifiable risks within these patient populations.

Introduction Survival disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) have been observed in a wide range of pediatric treatment settings. Few studies have examined the effects of ethnicity and SES in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Objectives We explored whether survival differed by ethnicity or SES in children receiving alloHCT for non-malignant conditions at a single institution serving a diverse patient population. Methods The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) with the logrank test for between-group comparisons. Cox proportional hazards models were used for adjusted analyses of OS. Results Of 133 subjects from Conclusion Our findings suggest that in patients undergoing alloHCT for non-malignant conditions, treatment at a tertiary care center with a multidisciplinary approach may mitigate the health disparities seen in other treatment settings. Future research should include larger multicenter studies investigating the complex interrelationships among race/ethnicity, SES, and clinical outcomes in this understudied patient population. Occurrence of aGVHD was the only factor associated with inferior OS, emphasizing a need for better prevention and treatment strategies in children with non-malignant diseases.

Background AlloHCT is associated with significant cost, owing to prolonged hospitalization and potential complications. With increasing concern about healthcare utilization in the US, having accurate information on treatment costs is crucial for making informed decisions in our healthcare system. There is little data on predictors of cost in pediatric alloHCT. Methods Primary endpoint was cost of first hospitalization for alloHCT. We analyzed pre-HCT variables for their effect on cost by simple linear regression – age, race, sex, donor, HLA match, graft source, disease, conditioning intensity, TBI use, performance status, Campath/ATG use, recipient CMV status, HCT-CI, and weight; those found to be significant were included in a final multivariable linear regression model. The same variables were analyzed for their association with higher transplant costs (>$150,000) by multivariable logistic regression. Significance was defined as p Results 240 children underwent alloHCT from 2005-16. Median age was 9.5y (0.2-21y). Patients were primarily male (61%), CMV risk (75%), malignancies (52%), and received myeloablative conditioning (78%). Donors were HLA-matched in 53% and were alternative donors in 60%. Bone marrow was the most common graft source (48%). Median cost of first hospitalization was $158,896 (range 13,126-1,471,698). Sex, donor, and graft source were linearly associated with cost (Table 1); an equation to predict cost of first hospitalization can be described as: $126,165 + $51,164(female) + $106,055(alternative donor) – $11,445(unmanipulated PBSC) + $117,238(cord) – $62,351(CD34 selected PBSC). Variables associated with higher cost (>$150,000) of initial hospitalization included alternative donors (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4-6.1, p=0.003), cord blood (OR 7.6, 95% CI 2.8-20.6, p Conclusion Cost of first hospitalization for pediatric alloHCT is primarily related to sex, donor and graft source and can be used to predict expected hospital costs. Although this estimation does not consider cost of complications, it can help define a cost index to predict baseline hospital costs. Validation of this model can help guide center with negotiation of contracts with insurance companies and ultimately lead to policy change.