Arterial blood oxygenation, maximum exercise capacity and oxygen transport in patients before and after autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation

Abstract

Several studies have reported a reduced pulmonary diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide after total body irradiation (TBI) and/or high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous peripheral blood progenitor transplantation (APBPC). The present study describes the oxygenation of arterial plasma (paO2), the maximum exercise capacity (Wmax) and maximum oxygen transport (VO2max) before and after such treatment. Pulmonary gas exchange and paO2 were measured in 15 patients at maximum dynamic bicycle exercise, performed before and at 8+/-0.9 (s.e.m.) months after TBI/HDCT (n = 12) and HDCT (n = 3) followed by APBPC. Wmax was 169+/-14 and 157+/-15 watts (P>0.05) before and after therapy, respectively. VO2max, 1.8+/-0.1 l/min before treatment, fell to 1.6+/-0.1 l/min (P<0.05) after therapy. The maximum exercise paO2 was 13.2+/-0.4 kPa before and 13.6+/-0.4 kPa (P>0.05) after the treatment period. The findings indicate no significant reduction of Wmax or pulmonary diffusion capacity for O2 after TBI/HDCT and APBPC while VO2max fell modestly by approximately 11%. The study was restricted to patients who remained in remission.