Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Correspondence
  • Published:

Bone marrow versus peripheral blood stem cells as the graft source for allogeneic transplantation from HLA-matched relative donors in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: A nationwide retrospective study by the ATL working group of the Japanese Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 60, pages 906–909 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

In the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from human leukocyte antigen-matched related donors (MRD), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) or bone marrow (BM) is generally selected as the graft source. Comparative studies between PBSC and BM mainly included patients with acute leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia [1].

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a peripheral T-lymphocytic neoplasm caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) [2]. Aggressive ATL has a dismal prognosis, and allo-HSCT can induce durable remission for aggressive ATL [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Although the prognostic impacts of graft sources depend on the type of underlying disease [1], such impacts remain unclear due to the lack of direct comparisons between BM and PBSC grafts in ATL patients [3, 4]. Recent advances in the development of novel agents for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and infection can further reduce the incidence of GVHD and serious infections [8, 9]. Because MRD is still the first option in allo-HSCT for ATL, the significance of graft selection should be updated. We herein performed a retrospective study using a propensity score analysis to more accurately estimate the prognostic impacts of graft sources among ATL patients who used MRD.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Transplant outcomes in the PSM subset.

Data availability

All data are available within the article or supplementary files or are available upon request from the corresponding author H.I. (itoman820hide@outlook.jp).

References

  1. Bensinger W, Martin P, Storer B, Clift R, Forman S, Negrin R, et al. Transplantation of bone marrow as compared with peripheral-blood cells from HLA-identical relatives in patients with hematologic cancers. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:175–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Cook L, Fuji S, Hermine O, Bazarbachi A, Ramos J, Ratner L, et al. Adult T-Cell Leukemia-Lymphoma International Consensus Meeting Report. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37:677–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Fukushima T, Miyazaki Y, Honda S, Kawano F, Moriuchi Y, Masuda M, et al. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides sustained long-term survival for patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Leukemia. 2005;19:829–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hishizawa M, Kanda J, Utsunomiya A, Taniguchi S, Eto T, Moriuchi Y, et al. Transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells for adult T-cell leukemia: a nationwide retrospective study. Blood. 2010;116:1369–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Itonaga H, Fukushima T, Kato K, Nakano N, Kato T, Tanaka T, et al. Allogeneic transplantation for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in adolescent and young adults (AYA) and young patients: A nationwide retrospective study by the ATL working group of the Japan Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Hematol Oncol. 2024;42:e3315.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Itonaga H, Tsushima H, Taguchi J, Fukushima T, Taniguchi H, Sato S, et al. Treatment of relapsed adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: the Nagasaki Transplant Group experience. Blood. 2013;121:219–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kanda J, Hishizawa M, Utsunomiya A, Taniguchi S, Eto T, Moriuchi Y, et al. Impact of graft-versus-host disease on outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for adult T-cell leukemia: a retrospective cohort study. Blood. 2012;119:2141–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Penack O, Marchetti M, Aljurf M, Arat M, Bonifazi F, Duarte R, et al. Prophylaxis and management of graft-versus-host disease after stem-cell transplantation for haematological malignancies: updated consensus recommendations of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Lancet Hematol. 2024;11:e147–e159.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Nava T, Ansari M, Dalle JH, Heredia C, Güngör T, Trigoso E, et al. Supportive care during pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: beyond infectious diseases. A report from workshops on supportive care of the Pediatric Diseases Working Party (PDWP) of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). Bone Marrow Transpl. 2020;55:1126–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Choi I, Tanosaki R, Uike N, Utsunomiya A, Tomonaga M, Harada M, et al. Long-term outcomes after hematopoietic SCT for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: results of prospective trials. Bone Marrow Transpl. 2011;46:116–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Itonaga H, Taguchi J, Fukushima T, Tsushima H, Sato S, Ando K, et al. Distinct clinical features of infectious complications in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a retrospective analysis in the Nagasaki transplant group. Biol Blood Marrow Transpl. 2013;19:607–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fuji S, Inoue Y, Utsunomiya A, Moriuchi Y, Uchimaru K, Choi I, et al. Pretransplantation Anti-CCR4 antibody mogamulizumab against adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma Is associated with significantly increased risks of severe and corticosteroid-refractory graft-versus-host disease, nonrelapse mortality, and overall mortality. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34:3426–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Takeda Science Foundation, Nagasakiken Medical Association, and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (22K08480 [Nagasaki; H.I.]). The authors would like to thank all the physicians and data managers at the various institutes who contributed valuable data on transplantation to the Japanese Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (JSTCT), all the members of the data management committees of JSTCT, and all the members of “Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma Working Group of the JSTCT”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Transfusion and Cell Therapy Unit, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan

    Hidehiro Itonaga

  2. Laboratory of Hematoimmunology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan

    Takuya Fukushima

  3. Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan

    Koji Kato

  4. Department of Hematology/Oncology and Transfusion and Hemapheresis Center, Kurashiki Central Hospital, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan

    Hiroyuki Muranushi

  5. Department of Hematology, Imamura General Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

    Masahito Tokunaga

  6. Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Takahiro Fukuda

  7. Department of Hematology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan

    Toshiro Kawakita

  8. Department of Hematology, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan

    Takeharu Kato

  9. Hematology, Oncology & Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan

    Yasuo Mori

  10. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Hematology, Rheumatology, Second Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus Hospital, Nishihara, Japan

    Sawako Nakachi

  11. Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan

    Youko Suehiro

  12. Department of Hematology, Hamanomachi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan

    Takuro Kuriyama

  13. Department of Hematology, Sasebo City General Hospital, Sasebo, Japan

    Machiko Fujioka

  14. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan

    Makoto Onizuka

  15. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Tatsuo Ichinohe

  16. Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Nagakute, Japan

    Marie Ohbiki & Yoshiko Atsuta

  17. Department of Registry Science for Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan

    Marie Ohbiki & Yoshiko Atsuta

  18. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Hospital Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

    Marie Ohbiki

  19. Department of Hematology, Osaka International Cancer Center Institute, Osaka, Japan

    Shigeo Fuji

  20. Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Kagoshima University Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

    Makoto Yoshimitsu

Authors
  1. Hidehiro Itonaga
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takuya Fukushima
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Koji Kato
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hiroyuki Muranushi
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Masahito Tokunaga
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Takahiro Fukuda
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Toshiro Kawakita
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Takeharu Kato
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Yasuo Mori
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Sawako Nakachi
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Youko Suehiro
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Takuro Kuriyama
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Machiko Fujioka
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Makoto Onizuka
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Tatsuo Ichinohe
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Marie Ohbiki
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  17. Yoshiko Atsuta
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  18. Shigeo Fuji
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  19. Makoto Yoshimitsu
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

H.I. and T. Fukushima designed the research, organized the project, wrote the manuscript, analyzed the data, and collected data from TRUMP. H.I., T. Fukushima, K.K., H.M., M.T., T. Fukuda, T. Kawakita, T. Kato, Y.M., S.N., Y.S., T. Kuriyama, M.F., M.O., T.I., M.O., Y.A., S.F., M.Y. interpreted data and reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hidehiro Itonaga.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval

The present study was approved by the TRUMP Committee (approval no. 13-27) and by the Ethics Committee of Nagasaki University Hospital (approval no. 23082112) at which this study was organized in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All methods were performed in accordance with the guidelines (Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Biological Research Involving Human Subjects, by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan) and regulations (Act on the Protection of Personal Information, https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4241).

Patient consent

Participants provided informed consent for the use of their data for the Japanese Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (JSTCT) upon registration.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Itonaga, H., Fukushima, T., Kato, K. et al. Bone marrow versus peripheral blood stem cells as the graft source for allogeneic transplantation from HLA-matched relative donors in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: A nationwide retrospective study by the ATL working group of the Japanese Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Bone Marrow Transplant 60, 906–909 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-025-02563-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-025-02563-9

Search

Advanced search

Quick links