Potential Early Risk Biomarkers for Reduced Forced Expiratory Volume in Children Post‐Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

We sought to identify potential early risk biomarkers for lung disease in children post-allogeneic HCT. Patients with pulmonary function tests 3 months post-transplant and plasma samples between days 7 and 14 post-HCT were included. Six of 27 subjects enrolled had reduced forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1) z scores. Biomarker medians were higher in those with a reduced FEV1 z score ([WFDC1: 48,098 vs. 27,086 pg/mL, p = 0.062, AUC = 0.75], [TNFR1: 5,771 vs. 3,034 pg/ml, p = 0.078, AUC = 0.71], [MMP-2: 380 vs. 290 ng/mL, p = 0.065, AUC = 0.75] and [SPD: 19.0 vs. 10.3 ng/mL, p = 0.049, AUC = 0.77]). This hypothesis-generating study yields promising results for early risk biomarkers for lung disease post-HCT.