title: In-vivo purging with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab along with standard allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for relapsed childhood pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
abstract: This case report describes the use of Rituximab for in vivo purging (by intravenous infusion) in a 12 years old boy with second remission of pre-B ALL. It was followed by conditioning therapy consisted of Busulphan and Cyclophosphamide. rh-G-CSF primed stem cells from an HLA identical sibling donor were infused. Standard graft versus host disease prophylaxis was given. He engrafted within two weeks. He did not develop acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD) but localized chronic GvHD developed. He had been on regular follow-up at CMH, Rawalpindi and is in complete remission 13 months post-PBSCT with no evidence of chronic GvHD at present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Bismillah Taqee Institute of Health Sciences and Blood Disease Centre, Karachi.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irfan
authors.lastname: Farzana
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Panjwani
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shamsi
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D016465:Bone Marrow Purging / Q000379:methods*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D012008:Recurrence; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069283:Rituximab