Cord blood transplantation (CBT) has become a standard therapeutic option in recent years. Compared with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), CBT has some advantages; rapid availability and low risk of severe acute graft-versus host disease (GVHD). However, CBT in adults is limited by graft cell dose. Multiple cord blood transplant (MCBT) in which two or more umbilical cord blood units are given is reported to enhance the engraftment compared with single unit CBT. However, little is known about the mechanism of enhanced engraftment. To elucidate the early engraftment kinetics of two units CBT, we developed the flow cytometry -based method of chimerism analysis using anti-HLA monoclonals.
