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Post-Transplant Events

Immature platelet fraction for prediction of platelet engraftment after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Abstract

Platelet regeneration represents an important and separate element in the engraftment process for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Fully automated flow cytometry using blood cell counters now allows reliable quantification of reticulated platelets, expressed as the immature platelet fraction (IPF). We studied the kinetics of IPF in six patients grafted with allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), 12 patients with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and seven patients with cord blood transplantation (CBT). Preconditioning therapy caused an immediate and rapid fall in tri-lineage hematopoiesis. IPF rose transiently above 3% after a mean duration of 11 days post-PBSCT, 18 days post-BMT and 19 days post-CBT. This was 1, 4 and 13 days earlier than platelet engraftment, respectively. A linear correlation model showed a close association between the rise of IPF and tri-lineage engraftment after transplantation. IPF counting may thus provide an accessible measure of thrombopoietic activity, leading to early evaluation of marrow function and allowing monitoring of platelet regeneration.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, Sports and Culture (KAKENHI 18591049) and from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan. We are indebted to the patients and their families, the Japan Bone Marrow Donor Program, the Japan Cord Blood Network, the staff at the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Kanazawa University Medical Center, and Kayo Goto and Rie Ohmi for excellent technical assistance.

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Correspondence to A Takami.

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Takami, A., Shibayama, M., Orito, M. et al. Immature platelet fraction for prediction of platelet engraftment after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 39, 501–507 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705623

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