Serum immunoglobulin levels in relation to levels of specific antibodies in allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of total levels of immunoglobulins to levels of specific antibodies after allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Autologous transplant patients had normal levels of IgA and IgG antibodies already at 6 months after transplantation. In allogeneic transplanted patients without chronic graft versus host disease the immunological recovery was slower. The IgA and IgG levels were at the limit for deficiency at 6 months after transplantation. In allogeneic transplant patients with chronic chronic graft versus host disease the immunological recovery was delayed further. The total IgG levels were low at 12 months after transplantation and the IgG subclass pattern did not normalize until 24 months after transplantation. IgA levels remained low at 24 months after transplantation in all allogeneic transplanted patients with chronic chronic graft versus host disease. Protective levels of specific antibodies against tetanus and pneumococci decreased during the first year after transplantation regardless of the total immunoglobulin levels, regardless of the donors immunity. Pneumococcal antibodies decreased only in allogeneic transplanted patients, although autologous transplant patients retained pretransplant immunity against pneumococci. There was no difference in levels of specific antibodies between patients with and without chronic chronic graft versus host disease at 12 months after transplantation. There was no correlation between total immunoglobulin levels to levels of specific antibodies against tetanus and pneumococci after transplantation in our study. Taken together, normalized immunoglobulin levels do not predict normalization of levels of specific antibodies against tetanus and pneumococci after transplantation.