Prolonged thrombocytopenia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and its association with a reduction in ploidy and an immaturation of megakaryocytes
Xiaohui Zhang, Haixia Fu, Lanping Xu, Daihong Liu, Jianzhong Wang, Kaiyan Liu, Xiaojun Huang, Xiaohui Zhang, Haixia Fu, Lanping Xu, Daihong Liu, Jianzhong Wang, Kaiyan Liu, Xiaojun Huang
Abstract
Prolonged thrombocytopenia is a frequent complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT); however, its pathogenesis has remained obscure. In the present study, we used flow cytometry to determine the frequency of bone marrow megakaryocytes (MKs) and MK ploidy distributions in allo-HSCT recipients with or without prolonged thrombocytopenia (n = 32 and 27, respectively) and healthy volunteers (n = 13). In addition, the expression of c-Mpl in MKs was measured. The results indicate that the proportions of MKs in marrow mononuclear cells or the percentages of CD110(+) MKs in total MKs did not significantly differ between the 3 groups; however, in a comparison of nonthrombocytopenic allo-HSCT recipients to healthy volunteers, the allo-HSCT patients who had prolonged thrombocytopenia exhibited significant shifts toward low ploidy cells (left shift), which were accompanied by a marked increase in ≤ 8N cells (P = .036 and P < .001, respectively) and significant decreases in 16N cells (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively) and ≥ 32N cells (P = .01 and P <.001, respectively). These results indicate that there were more immature MKs in allo-HSCT recipients who had prolonged thrombocytopenia, in comparison to nonthrombocytopenic allo-HSCT recipients and healthy volunteers. We conclude that prolonged thrombocytopenia and slow platelet engraftment after allo-HSCT may be related to a reduction in ploidy and an immaturation of MKs.
Copyright © 2011 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: PubMed