Apparent cure of Graves-Basedow disease after sibling allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
Evidence that allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) can cure or alter the course of intractable autoimmune diseases comes from both extensive experimental work in animal models and anecdotal case reports in humans. We describe a female patient diagnosed as having severe aplastic anaemia (SAA), hyperthyroidism and ophthalmopathy of Graves-Basedow disease who received a BMT from her histocompatible sister. Fifty-three months after BMT, complete remission of hyperthyroidism and ocular signs persists. The SAA is cured and she is free of any chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In the early post-BMT period, PCR analysis of bone marrow and peripheral blood cells confirmed a complete chimerism of donor origin. Thus, it is plausible to attribute the resolution of the patient's thyroid hyperfunction and opththalmopathy to the replacement of the host immune system.
Department of Endocrinology, Universidad Autonioma, Madrid, Spain.
S
S
Díez
H
H
Banias
J L
JL
Díez-Martin
M
M
Briz
J
J
Estrado
B
B
Barceló
D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D001323:Autoantibodies; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D013974:Thyroxine