Tear Film Immunological Profile in Patients with Ocular Graft versus Host Disease.

PURPOSE: To analyze and compare the tear immunological profile in ocular GVHD (oGVHD) patients with that in non-oGVHD patients and to correlate them with ocular surface parameters based on the International Chronic Ocular GVHD Consensus Group (ICCGVHD) diagnostic criteria. METHODS: Tear samples from 20 individuals who underwent allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and were grouped according the presence or absence of oGVHD were analyzed using Bio-Plex assay. RESULTS: IL-8 and MIP-1α levels were significantly higher in tears from oGVHD patients compared with those in tears from non-oGVHD patients (p<0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). Tear IL-8 levels correlated significantly with OSDI criteria (ρ=0.5159, p=0.001), ocular hyperemia (ρ=0.469, p=0.002), and corneal staining (ρ=0.339, p=0.032), whereas tear Mip-1α levels correlated with OSDI score (ρ=0.358, p=0.023). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated higher tear levels of IL-8 and MIP-1α in oGVHD patients and significant correlations between theses cytokines and ocular surface parameters based on the ICCGVHDCG criteria.

Higher Anti-A/B isoagglutinin titers of IgG class, but not of IgM, are associated with increased red blood cell transfusion requirements in bone marrow transplantation with major ABO-mismatch.

BACKGROUND: Major ABO mismatch between donor and recipient in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) may cause hemolysis, delayed red blood cell (RBC) engraftment and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA), which result in increased transfusion needs. High pretransplant anti-A/B antibody titers have been associated with increased risk of PRCA. Herein, we studied the impact of anti-A/B titers on transfusion needs after BMT with major ABO mismatch. METHODS: We reviewed the medical charts of 27 patients who underwent to BMT with major ABO mismatch and categorized them into two groups according to anti-A/B titers of IgG (≤16 and ≥32). We recorded the number of RBC and platelet units transfused in the first 180 days after transplantation. We also evaluated the impact of anti-A/B titers on overall survival. RESULTS: Patients with anti-A/B titer ≥32 of IgG class required more RBC transfusion than patients with titer ≤16 (6.60±4.55 vs 21.29±14.68; P=.03). Anti-A/B of IgM class had no impact on both RBC and platelet transfusion needs. Anti-A/B titers had no impact on overall survival. CONCLUSION: Higher titers of anti-A/B antibodies of IgG class, but not of IgM, are associated with a higher demand for RBC transfusion.