Iron Overload in Patients Undergoing Donor Stem Cell Transplant

Iron Overload in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

RATIONALE: Learning about the effect of excess iron in the liver of patients undergoing donor stem cell transplant may help doctors plan treatment.

PURPOSE: This study is investigating the effects of iron overload in patients undergoing donor stem cell transplant.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine the impact of pre-transplant iron overload (defined as liver iron concentration [LIC] above normal [> 1.8 mg/g] on an MRI of the liver measuring tissue proton transverse relaxation rates [R2 MRI]) on the probability of 1-year overall survival of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Secondary

• Determine the impact of pre-transplant iron overload on the composite endpoint of non-relapse mortality and complications (e.g., serious infections, hepatic veno-occlusive disease, or organ failure) within 1 year after allogeneic HSCT.
• Determine the impact of pre-transplant iron overload on the 1-year cumulative incidence of acute or chronic graft-vs-host disease in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes undergoing allogeneic HSCT.
• Determine the impact of pre-transplant iron overload on the 1-year probability of overall survival and non-relapse mortality in patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT.
• Determine the prevalence of pre-transplant iron overload in adult patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT.
• Determine the correlation between pre-transplant ferritin levels and LIC on R2 MRI.
• Compare the longitudinal measures of serum ferritin levels after allogeneic HSCT in patients with iron overload vs those without iron overload.
• Estimate the cumulative incidence of iron overload at 1 year after allogeneic HSCT.

OUTLINE: Patients undergo blood sample collection to measure serum ferritin levels at baseline (pre-transplant) and then at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after transplant. Patients with serum ferritin > 500 ng/mL also undergo an R2 MRI at baseline (pre-transplant) and at 12 months after transplant to determine liver iron concentration. Patients with serum ferritin > 500 ng/mL at 12 months after transplant also undergo an R2 MRI.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Planning to undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using either myeloablative or reduced-intensity conditioning

  • Any diagnosis allowed

• Not pregnant

• Weight ≤ 350 lbs

• Must be able to give written informed consent indicating the investigational nature of the study and its potential risks.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Claustrophobia
• Other contraindication for MRI (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, implanted cardiac defibrillator, aneurysm clips, carotid artery vascular clamp, neurostimulator, insulin or infusion pump, or implanted drug infusion device)