Y-body study in bone marrow precursors, peripheral blood cells and alveolar macrophages for demonstration of haemopoietic engraftment in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

The value of Y-body study for assessment of haemopoietic engraftment was analyzed in 50 consecutive patients submitted to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (sex-matched in 28 cases, sex-mismatched in 22). The study was performed weekly on bone marrow and peripheral blood smears in all cases, and alveolar macrophages were also studied in 15 patients in whom bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out because of concurrent respiratory disturbances. The analysis was performed blindly by 2 independent observers. In both sex-matched and sex-mismatched cases there was an absolute concordance between recipient and donor Y-body results, as well as with the simultaneous cytogenetic study. The engraftment of erythroid and granulopoietic lines was documented at day +14 in all cases of sex-mismatched BMT, whereas megakaryocyte and lymphocyte take was demonstrated at d +21. On the other hand, the results from alveolar macrophages were in accordance with those obtained in the simultaneous study of bone marrow precursors after BMT. The above results indicate that Y-body analysis is a simple and useful tool for the demonstration of bone marrow take in sex-mismatched BMT.