Prognostic role of serum cytokines and soluble HLA-G levels in children with leukemia who undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

This is the first study to have investigated the prognostic role of cytokines and soluble human leukocyte antigen-G (sHLA-G) levels in pediatric leukemia patients who have undergone allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Forty-one patients with acute leukemia (n = 28, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and n = 13, acute myeloblastic leukemia) were recruited. Patients were examined at diagnosis (n = 26), in the pre-transplantation period (PreTx) (n = 26), on the day of transplantation (Tx) (n = 41), and on post-transplantation Days 14 (PostTx) (n = 41) and 28 (PostTx) (n = 41). Serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1, IL-2, IL-6, Tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α), anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10), and sHLA-G were measured by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay. Median levels of all cytokines tested and sHLA-G were significantly higher at diagnosis and at the post-transplant time points than at PreTx (all p < 0.05). At the time of diagnosis (specifically ALL) and at PostTx, elevated IL-4, IL-10, and/or sHLA-G were associated with higher post-transplant relapse rates (all p < 0.05). Elevated IL-2 and TNF-α at Tx were associated with lower survival rates (both p < 0.05). Levels of serum cytokines and sHLA-G may be useful predictors of survival and relapse in pediatric leukemia patients who undergo allo-SCT.