Effect of cord blood processing on transplantation outcomes after single myeloablative umbilical cord blood transplantation.

Variations in cord blood manufacturing and administration are common, and the optimal practice is not known. We compared processing and banking practices at 16 public cord blood banks (CBB) in the United States and assessed transplantation outcomes on 530 single umbilical cord blood (UCB) myeloablative transplantations for hematologic malignancies facilitated by these banks. UCB banking practices were separated into 3 mutually exclusive groups based on whether processing was automated or manual, units were plasma and red blood cell reduced, or buffy coat production method or plasma reduced. Compared with the automated processing system for units, the day 28 neutrophil recovery was significantly lower after transplantation of units that were manually processed and plasma reduced (red cell replete) (odds ratio, .19; P = .001) or plasma and red cell reduced (odds ratio, .54; P = .05). Day 100 survival did not differ by CBB. However, day 100 survival was better with units that were thawed with the dextran-albumin wash method compared with the "no wash" or "dilution only" techniques (odds ratio, 1.82; P = .04). In conclusion, CBB processing has no significant effect on early (day 100) survival despite differences in kinetics of neutrophil recovery.

Hematopoietic cell transplantation with cord blood for cure of HIV infections.

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using CCR5-Δ32/Δ32 stem cells from an adult donor has resulted in the only known cure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, it is not feasible to repeat this procedure except rarely because of the low incidence of the CCR5-Δ32 allele, the availability of only a small number of potential donors for most patients, and the need for a very close human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match between adult donors and recipients. In contrast, cord blood (CB) transplantations require significantly less stringent HLA matching. Therefore, our hypothesis is that cure of HIV infections by HCT can be accomplished much more readily using umbilical CB stem cells obtained from a modestly sized inventory of cryopreserved CCR5-Δ32/Δ32 CB units. To test this hypothesis, we developed a screening program for CB units and are developing an inventory of CCR5-Δ32/Δ32 cryopreserved units available for HCT. Three hundred such units are projected to provide for white pediatric patients a 73.6% probability of finding an adequately HLA matched unit with a cell dose of ≥2.5 × 10(7) total nucleated cells (TNCs)/kg and a 27.9% probability for white adults. With a cell dose of ≥1 × 10(7) TNCs/kg, the corresponding projected probabilities are 85.6% and 82.1%. The projected probabilities are lower for ethnic minorities. Impetus for using CB HCT was provided by a transplantation of an adult with acute myelogenous leukemia who was not HIV infected. The HCT was performed with a CCR5-Δ32/Δ32 CB unit, and posttransplantation in vitro studies indicated that the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells were resistant to HIV infection.

Cell recovery comparison between plasma depletion/reduction- and red cell reduction-processing of umbilical cord blood.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Limited cell dose has hampered the use of cord blood transplantation (CBT) in adults. One method of minimizing nucleated cell loss in cord blood (CB) processing is to deplete or reduce plasma but not red blood cells - plasma depletion/reduction (PDR). METHODS: The nucleated cell loss of PDR was studied, and determined to be less than 0.1% in the discarded supernatant plasma fraction in validation experiments. After testing and archival sampling, the median nucleated cell recovery for PDR processing was 90%, and median CD34(+) cell recovery 88%. In a CB bank inventory of 12 339 products with both pre- and post-processing total nucleated cells (TNC), PDR processing resulted in median post-processing TNC recoveries of 90.0% after testing and archival samples removal. Using the same 10 CB units divided into two halves, we compared directly the recovery of PDR against hydroxyethyl starch red cell reduction (RCR) for TNC, CD34(+) cells and colony-forming units (CFU-GM, CFU-E, CFU-GEMM and total CFU) after parallel processing. We also compared the loss of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSEL). RESULTS: We demonstrated significantly higher recoveries using PDR for TNC (124%), CD34(+) cells (121%), CFU-GM (225%), CFU-GEMM (201%), total CFU (186%) and VSEL (187%). The proportion of high TNC products was compared between 10 912 PDR and 38 819 RCR CB products and found to be 200% higher for products that had TNC ≥150 × 10(7) (P = 0.0001) for the PDR inventory. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that PDR processing of CB provides a significantly more efficient usage of this valuable and scarce resource.

Cold antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemias.

The cold antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemias (AIHAs) are primarily comprised of cold agglutinin syndrome (CAS) and paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH) but, in addition, there are unusual instances in which patients satisfy the serologic criteria of both warm antibody AIHA and CAS ("mixed AIHA"). CAS characteristically occurs in middle-aged or elderly persons, often with signs and symptoms exacerbated by cold. The responsible antibody is of the IgM immunoglobulin class, is maximally reactive in the cold but with reactivity up to at least 30 degrees C. Therapy is often ineffective, but newer agents such as rituximab have been beneficial in some patients. PCH occurs primarily in children, often after an upper respiratory infection. The causative antibody is of the IgG immunoglobulin class and is a biphasic hemolysin that is demonstrated by incubation in the cold followed by incubation at 37 degrees C in the presence of complement. Acute attacks are frequently severe but the illness characteristically resolves spontaneously within a few days to several weeks after onset and rarely recurs. Treatment consists of supportive care, with transfusions frequently being needed.

Bystander immune cytolysis.

In addition to alloimmune and autoimmune cell lysis, a third category of immune destruction of blood cells should be recognized. This additional immunologic response occurs when cells or tissues are injured by immunologic reactions in which the cells act as "innocent bystanders." One mechanism by which an immune response to an exogenous antigen leads to the destruction of autologous blood cells is the temporary development of autoantibodies. This is actually an alloimmune reaction which results in a temporary state of "pseudo"-autoimmunity. Although originally described as a type of hemolysis of autologous cells, the concept of bystander immune cytolysis has been extended to include other instances in which immune destruction of cells is caused by antibody that is not developed in response to intrinsic antigens on the cell being lysed. In recent years, compelling data have been presented documenting bystander immune cytolysis in a number of different clinical settings, and efforts have been made to define the mechanisms by which this occurs. Physicians must be aware that some examples of immune lysis of autologous cells are, in reality, examples of temporary bystander immune cytolysis rather than true autoimmune disease. Furthermore, some alloimmune hemolytic reactions can result in lysis of bystander cells.

Immune hemolysis associated with transplantation.

Immune hemolysis is one of the adverse effects that can occur following hematopoietic cell or solid organ transplantation. Understanding the clinical settings and the various causes of immune hemolysis is necessary for prompt diagnosis and appropriate management. One of the important causes is the passenger lymphocyte syndrome, which occurs following minor ABO blood group incompatibility between donor and recipient. Hemolysis in this syndrome is often modest in severity but may be severe and even life-threatening. Major ABO blood group incompatibility is also associated with hemolysis, although this is relatively unusual and generally not severe. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a relatively common late complication of allogeneic transplantation and carries significant risk of mortality. Also, alloantibodies may be produced by engrafted cells of the donor's immune system or by residual cells of the patient's immune system following hematopoietic cell transplantation. Hemolysis may occur after solid organ transplantation, particularly as part of the passenger lymphocyte syndrome.

Progress toward curing HIV infection with hematopoietic cell transplantation.

HIV-1 infection afflicts more than 35 million people worldwide, according to 2014 estimates from the World Health Organization. For those individuals who have access to antiretroviral therapy, these drugs can effectively suppress, but not cure, HIV-1 infection. Indeed, the only documented case for an HIV/AIDS cure was a patient with HIV-1 and acute myeloid leukemia who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from a graft that carried the HIV-resistant CCR5-∆32/∆32 mutation. Other attempts to establish a cure for HIV/AIDS using HCT in patients with HIV-1 and malignancy have yielded mixed results, as encouraging evidence for virus eradication in a few cases has been offset by poor clinical outcomes due to the underlying cancer or other complications. Such clinical strategies have relied on HIV-resistant hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells that harbor the natural CCR5-∆32/∆32 mutation or that have been genetically modified for HIV-resistance. Nevertheless, HCT with HIV-resistant cord blood remains a promising option, particularly with inventories of CCR5-∆32/∆32 units or with genetically modified, human leukocyte antigen-matched cord blood.

CCR5 Δ32 homozygous cord blood allogeneic transplantation in a patient with HIV: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic donor CCR5 Δ32 homozygous haemopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) provides the only evidence to date of long-term control of HIV infection. However, availability of conventional CCR5 Δ32 homozygous donors is insufficient to develop this as a therapeutic strategy further. METHODS: We present a 37-year-old patient with HIV-1 infection and aggressive lymphoma who had disease progression after five lines of radiochemotherapy including an autologous HCT, and in the absence of matched sibling donors, received an allogeneic HCT with four of six HLA-matched CCR5 Δ32 homozygous cord blood cells (StemCyte, Covina, CA), supported with purified CD34+ cells from a haploidentical sibling. Blood or tissue samples were obtained before and weekly after HCT to monitor transplant and HIV infection, including chimerism analysis, CCR5 genotyping and viral tropism, viral isolation and sequence, viral reservoir analysis, immune activation and proliferation, and ex-vivo cell infectivity assays. Combined antiretroviral therapy continued during the procedure. FINDINGS: The patient's HIV was CCR5-tropic by genotypic and phenotypic analyses. Baseline latent reservoir tests showed HIV DNA copies in bulk and resting CD4 T cells and in gut-associated lymphoid tissue, CD4 T-cell-associated HIV RNA, replication competent viral size of 2·1 copies per 10(7) CD4 T cells, and single copy assay of 303 copies per mL. After HCT, plasma HIV DNA load was undetectable by ultrasensitive analyses. Upon cord blood full chimerism, the patient's CCR5 Δ32 homozygous CD4 T cells responded to proliferation and activation stimuli and became resistant to infection by the patient's viral isolate and by laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strains. Death related to lymphoma progression regretfully prevented long-term monitoring of the patient's viral reservoir. INTERPRETATION: CCR5 Δ32 homozygous cord blood reconstitution can successfully eliminate HIV-1 and render the allogeneic graft recipient's T lymphocytes resistant to HIV infection. Thus, they build on the evidence available to strongly support the use of cord blood as a strategic platform for a broader application of non-functional CCR5 transplantation to other infected individuals. FUNDING: Spanish Secretariat of Research, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

Analysis of hematopoietic cell transplants using plasma-depleted cord blood products that are not red blood cell reduced.

Limited cell dose hampers wider use of cord blood transplantation (CBT). By depleting plasma but not RBC during processing, nucleated cell (NC) loss is reduced to <0.1% which increases significantly the proportion of high cell dose products-3-fold for products with NC >or=200 x 10(7). Clinical outcome for plasma depleted (PD) CBT was previously unavailable. A retrospective audited analysis was performed on 118 PD CBT, with mean and median NC doses of 7.6 x 10(7)/kg and 5.6 x 10(7)/kg, respectively, for this mostly pediatric population. The median times to engraftment and engraftment rates for ANC 500 and platelet 20K were 22 and 50 days, respectively, and 90% +/- 3% and 77% +/- 5%, respectively. The incidences of grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) were 13% +/- 4% and 17% +/- 6%, respectively. Relapse rate for malignancies was 25% +/- 6% and 100-day treatment-related mortality (TRM) was 16% +/- 3%. With a median follow-up of 557 days, the 1-year overall survival and relapse-free survival are 65% +/- 5% and 51% +/- 6%, respectively. These results demonstrate that PD CBT is safe and effective, and that eliminating RBC reduction or depletion improves cell recovery during CB processing, resulting in a larger proportion of the inventory with high NC number.

Photochemically treated fresh frozen plasma for transfusion of patients with acquired coagulopathy of liver disease.

An ex vivo photochemical treatment (PCT) process was developed to inactivate pathogens in fresh frozen plasma (PCT-FFP). A prospective, controlled, double-blinded, randomized study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PCT-FFP compared with conventional FFP (C-FFP). Patients (n = 121) with acquired coagulopathy, largely due to liver disease, including hepatic transplantation, were transfused with either PCT-FFP or C-FFP for up to 7 days. Primary end points were changes in the prothrombin time (PT) and the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) in response to the first FFP transfusion. Secondary analyses compared changes in the PT and the PTT, factor VII levels, clinical hemostasis, blood component usage, and safety following FFP transfusions for up to 7 days. Following the first transfusion, correction in the PT and PTT adjusted for FFP dose and patient weight was not different. Changes in the PT were equivalent between treatment groups (P = .002 by noninferiority). Equivalence was not demonstrated for changes in the PTT. Following multiple transfusions, correction of the PT and the PTT was similar between groups. No differences were observed in use of blood components, clinical hemostasis, or safety. These results suggest PCT-FFP supported hemostasis in the treatment of acquired coagulopathy similarly to conventional FFP.

A physician's guide to transfusion in autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.

Patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) frequently have anaemia of sufficient severity as to require a blood transfusion. However, it is impossible to find compatible blood when, as is frequently the case, the autoantibody in the patient's serum reacts with all normal red blood cells. Further, the autoantibody may mask the presence of a red cell alloantibody capable of causing a haemolytic transfusion reaction. Optimal patient management in this clinical setting requires special compatibility test procedures in the transfusion service laboratory. Equally important is that clinicians must understand the principles of the compatibility tests performed. Provided appropriate compatibility tests are performed, the indications for transfusion in patients with AIHA are not significantly different than for similarly anaemic patients without AIHA. Communication between clinicians and laboratory personnel are important to review the urgency of transfusion and the compatibility test methods used to select the optimal unit of red blood cells for transfusion.

Red cell antigens as functional molecules and obstacles to transfusion.

Blood group antigens (BGAs) can act as functional molecules but also can evoke autoantibodies and alloantibodies, causing autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hemolytic disease of the newborn and hemolytic transfusion reactions. In Section I, Dr. Marilyn Telen discusses physiologic and pathologic functions of RBC BGA-bearing molecules. She reviews some associations of BGAs with RBC membrane integrity and hemolytic anemia; association of BGAs with enzymatic and transport functions; and adhesion molecules expressed by RBCs, especially with reference to their pathophysiological role in sickle cell disease. In Section II, Dr. Lawrence Petz discusses the problems of providing blood for patients who have RBC autoantibodies. He provides an algorithm for excluding the presence of "hidden" alloantibodies, when all units appear to be incompatible due to the autoantibody. He emphasizes that clinicians should be aware of these approaches and not accept "the least incompatible unit." In Section III, Dr. George Garratty describes two processes, in development, that produce RBCs that result in RBCs that can be described as "universal" donor or "stealth" RBCs. The first process involves changing group A, B, or AB RBCs into group O RBCs by removing the immunospecific sugars responsible for A and B specificity by using specific enzymes. The second process involves covering all BGAs on the RBC surface using polyethylene glycol (PEG). Results of in vitro and in vivo studies on these modified RBCs are discussed.

New Views of Sickle Cell Disease Pathophysiology and Treatment.

This review addresses several areas of concern in the care of patients with sickle cell disease. In Sections I and II, the fundamental pathogenetic mechanisms of sickle cell disease and their clinical consequences are discussed. Dr. Narla presents the evidence for abnormal cell adhesiveness by SS cells and Dr. Rosse examines the role of the increased whole blood viscosity. In Section III, Dr. Petz reviews common and uncommon alloimmune consequences of transfusion in sickle cell disease and discusses the diagnosis and management of sickle cell patients with hyperhemolysis after transfusion. In Section IV, Dr. Steinberg gives an update on the use of hydroxyurea in the treatment of sickle cell disease, including the SC and S-beta thalassemia variants.