title: Treatment of autoimmune disease by intense immunosuppressive conditioning and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis are immune-mediated diseases that are responsive to suppression or modulation of the immune system. For patients with severe disease, immunosuppression may be intensified to the point of myelosuppression or hematopoietic ablation. Hematopoiesis and immunity may then be rapidly reconstituted by reinfusion of CD34(+) progenitor cells. In 10 patients with these autoimmune diseases, autologous hematopoietic stem cells were collected from bone marrow or mobilized from peripheral blood with either granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) or cyclophosphamide and G-CSF. Stem cells were enriched ex vivo using CD34(+) selection and reinfused after either myelosuppressive conditioning with cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg), methylprednisolone (4 g) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG; 90 mg/kg) or myeloablative conditioning with total body irradiation (1,200 cGy), methylprednisolone (4 g), and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg). Six patients with multiple sclerosis, 2 with systemic lupus erythematosus, and 2 with rheumatoid arthritis have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Mean time to engraftment of an absolute neutrophil count greater than 500/microL (0.5 x 10(9)/L) and a nontransfused platelet count greater than 20,000/microL (20 x 10(9)/L) occurred on day 10 and 14, respectively. Regimen-related nonhematopoietic toxicity was minimal. All patients improved and/or had stabilization of disease with a follow-up of 5 to 17 months (median, 11 months). We conclude that intense immunosuppressive conditioning and autologous T-cell-depleted hematopoietic transplantation was safely used to treat these 10 patients with severe autoimmune disease. Although durability of response is as yet unknown, all patients have demonstrated stabilization or improvement.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Neurology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Division of Hematology/Oncology & Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Medical School and Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Traynor
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pope
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Karlin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lobeck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goolsby
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rowlings
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stefoski
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keever-Taylor
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vesole
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brush
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mujias
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019650:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008775:Methylprednisolone