post-transplant TNF level predicts survival

Filed in archive Studies on February 21, 2006

The level of the protein called tumor necrosis factor or TNF after seven days in bone marrow transplant recipients can determine which ones were likely to develop a serious and deadly complication according to Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

TNF (a trigger for inflammation) is known to be elevated in people who develop graft vs. host disease or GVHD, the most common serious side effect of a bone marrow transplant from a donor.

Bone marrow transplant is a lifesaving treatment given to children or adults with certain types of cancer, such as leukemia or lymphoma, or to people with some blood or immune disorders. A transplant allows higher doses of chemotherapy to be used to destroy cancer, because the damaged bone marrow is replaced by the transplanted healthy marrow.

But the complicated treatment carries a risk of the body rejecting the new bone marrow, a condition called graft vs. host disease, or GVHD. The transplanted immune cells can attack the patient's skin, liver and gastrointestinal cells, triggering a massive inflammatory reaction that can kill the patient.

The study suggests that patients can be targeted to prevent GVHD based on post-transplant level of TNF. Further, if reliable tests can be developed to predict such complications, experts can look at treating it before symptoms develop. Over-all, this finding is one small step in the long road to making transplants safer and more effective.

Photo Source: [Wikipedia]