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Prognostic significance of low pre-transplant skeletal muscle mass on survival outcomes in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

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Abstract

Little is known about the prognostic significance of muscle loss for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients who received allo-HCT from 2013 to 2015. All patients underwent computed tomography (CT) imaging and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) within 30 days before allo-HCT. Skeletal muscle area (cm2) at the third lumbar vertebra level on CT imaging and skeletal muscle mass (kg) measured by BIA were normalized by height in meters squared (m2) to calculate the skeletal muscle area index (SMI) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI). SMI and SMMI were significantly correlated (r = 0.744; P < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of 1-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) was significantly higher in patients with low SMI than high SMI (17% versus 0%, respectively; P = 0.023). Overall survival was shorter in patients with low SMI than high SMI (56% versus 93%, respectively; P < 0.001). In univariate analysis, low SMI was associated with increased risk of NRM (HR 7.46; 95% CI 1.05–52.98; P = 0.044), and in multivariate analysis it was associated with higher overall mortality (HR 5.35; 95% CI 1.71–16.72; P = 0.004). These results suggest that low muscle mass is an independent predictor of mortality after allo-HCT.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the nurses and staff of the transplantation ward at our institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Kazuki Sakatoku, Ayumu Ito, Kinuko Tajima, Kyosuke Yamaguchi, Masatomo Kuno, Takashi Tanaka, Saiko Kurosawa, Yoshihiro Inamoto, Sung-Won Kim & Takahiro Fukuda

  2. Department of Nutritional Management, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Noriko Aoki

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  1. Kazuki Sakatoku
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  2. Ayumu Ito
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Correspondence to Ayumu Ito.

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Sakatoku, K., Ito, A., Tajima, K. et al. Prognostic significance of low pre-transplant skeletal muscle mass on survival outcomes in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Int J Hematol 111, 267–277 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-019-02773-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-019-02773-0

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