Factors Associated with Increased Risk of Contamination in Bone Marrow Transplants

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Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) remains the definitive therapeutic modality for numerous malignant and non-malignant hematologic disorders. Conventional bone marrow remains a viable donor source for HCT. However, microbial contamination of bone marrow harvests may present a risk to immunocompromised recipients. This analysis sought to identify clinical factors associated with bone marrow contamination. We analyzed a single institution experience comprising 667 unique bone marrow harvests collected between 1999 and 2021. We trended the yearly microbial contamination rate over this time span. Harvest type (autologous versus allogenic), donor age, donor sex, physician experience, total nucleated cell (TNC) count, volume collected, and TNC concentration were included in a univariate (UV) and multivariate (MV) logistic model to assess which factors were associated with contamination. Males comprised 55.8% of the donor population and the median age of the cohort was 35 [IQR: 27 to 45]. There were 19 autologous, 151 related allogenic, and 497 unrelated allogenic transplants in this cohort. 87 of the 667 (13.0%) harvests were contaminated and essentially all contaminants were common skin flora. The yearly contamination rates displayed substantial variability, ranging from 0% to 42.9%, with no discernible trend. Harvest type did not exhibit a significant association with contamination risk. However, male donor sex was found to be significantly associated with a higher contamination rate (18%) compared to female sex (6.8%, P < .001). In both UV and MV logistic models, male sex emerged as the sole factor linked to contamination risk (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.65 to 5.35). This analysis represents the largest single-center investigation of bone marrow harvest microbial contamination rates. Notably, it is the first to establish an association between contamination and male donor sex. We propose that this association may be attributed to differences in skin flora composition or innate immune function between sexes, general hygiene practices or possibly the result of the frequent clipping of body hair in males prior to the harvest procedure. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of this novel finding.