The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on umbilical cord blood transplantation in Japan: insights from an interrupted time series analysis
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, particularly affecting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) activities. Understanding the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on transplant practices, especially in Japan, where cord blood transplantation (CBT) is prevalent, is crucial. A total of 40,444 allogeneic HSCT cases in Japan between 2011 and 2021 were examined using an interrupted time series analysis to assess the impact of COVID-19 on CBT utilization. Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, CBT cases demonstrated a significant increase (11.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.87 to 20.25] cases per month), whereas bone marrow transplantation cases decreased, by 10.74 cases per month (95% CI, -19.84 to -1.63 cases per month). Total HSCT cases remained stable with a level change of 5.47 cases per month (95% CI, -10.07 to 21.01 cases per month) and a trend change of -1.11 cases per month (95% CI, -2.22 to 0.004 cases per month). The interrupted time series analysis showed significantly increased CBT cases in Japan, highlighting its crucial role as an alternative transplant source during the pandemic. CBT offset the impact of the decrease in bone marrow transplantation and contributed to the maintenance of HSCT activity in Japan during the unprecedented crisis.
Authors
- Nobuhiro Kanemura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8449-9918)
- Masatsugu Tanaka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8814-230X)
- Naoyuki Uchida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5952-5926)
- Nobuhiko Nakamura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1682-7777)
- Yuta Katayama (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5054-9104)
- Yuta Hasegawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9925-2093)
- Ken‐ichi Matsuoka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7955-8266)
- Ken Tabuchi
- Noriko Doki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8661-3179)
- Takanori Teshima (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0941-271X)
- Tetsuji Morishita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7225-2819)
- Yoshiko Atsuta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4404-2870)
- Fumihiko Ishimaru (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7668-6083)
- Hideki Nakasone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5812-9315)
- Hiromi Hayashi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4599-5465)
- Motohito Okabe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5933-3868)
- Tetsuya Eto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2630-493X)
- Makoto Onizuka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3864-0823)
- Satoshi Yoshihara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8537-2422)
- Masashi Sawa
- Koji Kato
- Takahiro Fukuda
- Tetsuya Nishida
Institutions
- Tokyo Medical and Dental University (JP)
- Tokai University (JP)
- Jichi Medical University (JP)
- Aichi Medical University (JP)
- Kyoto University (JP)
- Japanese Red Cross Society, Japan (JP)
- Kanagawa Prefectural Hospital Organization (JP)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital (JP)
- Hamanomachi Hospital (JP)
- Okayama University Hospital (JP)
- Matsunami General Hospital (JP)
- Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital (JP)
- Gifu University Hospital (JP)
- Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daiichi Hospital (JP)
- Kyoto Katsura Hospital (JP)
- Hokkaido University Hospital (JP)
- Anjo Kosei Hospital (JP)
- The Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (JP)
- Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center (JP)
- Toranomon Hospital (JP)
- Kanagawa Cancer Center
- Hyogo University (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Bone Marrow Transplantation
- Published
- 2025-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-025-02588-0
- Primary Topic
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00