Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified the number of CD19+ 10<sup>6</sup>/kg (HR 2.79; 95% CI 1.35-5.74), CD3+ 10<sup>6</sup>/kg (HR 2.18; 95% CI 1.04-4.59) infused cells and the presence of patient HLA antibodies before transplantation (HR 2.34; CI 1.11-4.95) as significant risk factors for the development of moderate to severe cGVHD.
Use of TCRαβ/CD19 depletion was associated with a significantly lower incidence of grade II to IV aGvHD (11.5%) and cGvHD (0%), although with a greater incidence of viral reactivation (70%) in comparison with other grafts.
Our results demonstrate that CD19(+)CD21(low) B cells and CD4(+)CD45RA(+)CD31(+) T cells are significantly elevated in patients with newly diagnosed cGVHD.
In this article, we report that although 39% of CD5(+)CD19(+) cells were CD43(+) in controls, >75% of CD5(+)CD19(+) cells were CD43(+) in patients independent of the presence or absence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (P = .0001).
Factors associated with lower CD19+ B cell levels were as follows: aGVHD grades II-IV had a trend to affect CD19+ B cell reconstitution at +180 days; clinically extensive cGVHD was significantly associated with CD19+ B cell deficiency at +360 days and serum IgG level at +180 and +360 days; cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurred after +38 days was correlated with lower B cell level at both +90 and +360 days, while those occurred before +38 days did not show this effect; glucocorticoids used around +90 and +180 days was associated with lower CD19+ B cell levels at +90 and +360 days, respectively, especially in patients that did not experience extensive cGVHD.