title: Graft-versus-host disease in children receiving HLA-identical allogeneic bone marrow transplants with a low adjusted T lymphocyte dose.
abstract: Fourteen children with high risk leukaemia received allogeneic bone marrow transplants from HLA-identical MLC-compatible sibling donors. All bone marrows were T cell depleted and a T cell addback was prepared from the donor's peripheral blood so that the mean total number of CD3+ cells given was 2.6 (1.0-4.1) x 10(5)/kg recipient body weight. This was administered as a short infusion prior to the bone marrow. The children were conditioned with 1440 cGy fractionated total body irradiation and cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg and were not given cyclosporin A or methotrexate. All patients engrafted and none showed late graft rejection. Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) developed in nine of 14 children and required treatment with steroids. Two children with grade IV GVHD and one with grade I acute GVHD who subsequently developed severe chronic GVHD died. There have been two relapses (both fatal) and one death from cytomegalovirus pneumonitis. Survival is currently 57% (8/14) with a mean follow-up of 548 days (range 384-810). A high incidence of GVHD which was fatal in three patients can occur despite infusion of low T cell numbers in the absence of post-graft immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children, St Michael's Hill, UK.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pamphilon
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cornish
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oakhill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000601:surgery*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens