title: Allogeneic transplantation of peripheral blood progenitor cells in children: experience of two pediatric centers.
abstract: Between February 1995 and August 1997, 11 children (eight males, three females) aged 4-16 years (median 7 years) underwent allogeneic PBPC transplantation for treatment of hematological disorders. Seven patients with acute leukemia (n = 5 ALL, n = 1 AML) or lymphoma (n = 1) received primary allogeneic PBPC transplantation, four patients received a second allotransplantation for graft failure (n = 1 AML, n = 1 sickle cell anemia) or disease recurrence (n = 1 ALL, n = 1 MDS). Five donors were HLA-identical siblings, five were 0-1 antigen mismatched family members and one was a matched unrelated donor. Donors received G-CSF 10-12 microg/kg/day for 3-7 days, and underwent one or two leukaphereses. The median cell yield per donor expressed per kg of recipient body weight was as follows: mononucleated cells 10.8 x 10(8)/kg (range 4.7-21.2); CD34+ cells 8.6 x 10(6)/kg (range 3.2-22); CD3+ cells 3.7 x 10(8)/kg (range 2.7-7.5). All patients achieved an ANC >0.5 x 10(9)/l after a median of 12 days (11-18). An unsupported platelet count >50 x 10(9)/l was reached 15 days (13-21) after PBPC transplantation; four patients failed to reach this threshold. Acute GVHD (aGVHD) grades II to IV occurred in eight (73%) patients: seven of them experienced grade III-IV aGVHD. Seven patients evaluable for chronic GVHD (cGVHD) were scored as absent in five, limited in one and extensive in one patient. As of September 1997, six patients (55 %) were alive between 60 and 938 days post-transplant (median follow-up 274 days); four patients with malignancy were alive in CR after primary allotransplantation, two patients were alive after a second PBPC transplant. Five patients have died with the main causes of death being aGVHD (n = 3), ARDS (n = 1), relapse of the underlying disease (n = 1). In conclusion, despite the limited number of patients, these preliminary results indicate that PBPC may be considered as an alternative to bone marrow for allografting also in children.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Immuno-Infettivologia e Onco-Ematologia, Università di Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miniero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Busca
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giorgiani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zecca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Incarbone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Locatelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D015996:Survival Rate; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome