Recipient ADAMTS13 Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Predicts Relapse after Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancy

Donor UNC-93 Homolog B1 genetic polymorphism predicts survival outcomes after unrelated bone marrow transplantation

UNC-93 homolog B1 (UNC93B1) is a key regulator of toll-like receptors (TLRs), pattern recognition receptors that sense invading pathogens and manage the innate immune response and deliver them from the endoplasmic reticulum to their respective endosomal signaling compartments. Several types of TLRs are known to contribute to the inflammatory process after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT), so UNC93B1 might play integral roles there. We investigated the influence of the UNC93B1 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs308328 (T>C) on transplant outcomes in a cohort of 237 patients undergoing unrelated HLA-matched bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for hematologic malignancies through the Japan Marrow Donor Program. The donor UNC93B1 C/C genotype was associated with a better 3-year overall survival than the donor UNC93B1 C/T or T/T genotype. An analysis of the UNC93B1 rs308328 genotype may therefore be useful for selecting the donor, estimating the prognosis, and creating therapeutic strategies after allogeneic SCT.

Donor Heme Oxygenase-1 Promoter Gene Polymorphism Predicts Survival after Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation for High-Risk Patients

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an intracellular enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of heme into biliverdin, free iron, and carbon monoxide, exerts anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects against endothelial cell injury. The HO-1 promoter gene has one important single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2071746 (-413A>T) that is functional, and the A allele has been reported to be associated with higher HO-1 expression levels than the T allele. We investigated the influence of the HO-1 rs2071746 SNP on the transplant outcomes in 593 patients with hematological malignancies undergoing unrelated, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched, T-cell-replete bone marrow transplantation (BMT) through the Japan Donor Marrow Program. In patients with high-risk diseases, the donor A/A or A/T genotype was associated with better 5 year overall survival (35% vs. 25%; p = 0.03) and 5 year disease-free survival (35% vs. 22%; p = 0.0072), compared to the donor T/T genotype. These effects were not observed in patients with low-risk diseases. The current findings therefore indicate that HO-1 rs2071746 genotyping could be useful for selecting donors and tailoring transplant strategies for patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies.