title: Bone marrow transplantation in thalassemia.
abstract: Since 1983, 350 patients aged 1 to 19 years with beta-homozygous thalassemia were given infusions of HLA-identical marrow after high doses of busulphan and cyclophosphamide. Survival and event-free survival leveled off about 1 year after bone marrow transplantation at 82% and 75%, respectively. In 172 consecutive patients who were treated with our current regimen since June 1985, a multivariate analysis demonstrated that portal fibrosis, hepatomegaly, and a history of inadequate chelation therapy were significantly associated with reduced probabilities of survival and event-free survival. The patients were divided into three classes on the basis of the presence of hepatomegaly, portal fibrosis, and inadequate chelation therapy. Class 1 had none of the factors and class 3 had all three factors; class 2 had different associations of two out of the three factors. For class 1 patients, the 3-year probabilities of survival and event-free survival were 97% and 94%, respectively. For class 2 patients, the probabilities were 86% and 83%, and for class 3 patients, 58% and 52%. Bone marrow transplantation from HLA-identical donors is followed by a high probability of event-free survival in thalassemic patients, particularly if they belong to class 1.
authors.affiliation: Divisione Ematologia e Centro Trapianto Midollo Osseo di Muraglia, Ospedale di Pesaro, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucarelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angelucci
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baronciani
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Durazzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giardini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Albertini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002066:Busulfan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005355:Fibrosis; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology; D006529:Hepatomegaly; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002066:Busulfan