Allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplantation using positively selected CD34⁺ cells from HLA-mismatched donors

Abstract

We examined five children who underwent allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplantation (PSCT) using positively selected CD34⁺ cells from three or two loci-mismatched donors. CD34⁺ cells mobilized from peripheral blood were separated by immunomagnetic beads. CD34⁺ cells at 2.2–6.2 × 10⁶/kg were transplanted into three patients with refractory leukemia, a patient with relapsed medulloblastoma and a patient with Fanconi’s anemia following a conditioning regimen which included irradiation, alkylating agents and antithymocyte globulin treatment. The number of infused CD3⁺ cells included in grafts was 2.3–22.7 × 10⁴/kg. Four patients achieved engraftment and hematopoietic reconstitution (>5 × 10⁸/l of neutrophils on day 10 or 11). Graft rejection was observed in the patient with Fanconi’s anemia, but a rapid engraftment was obtained after second PSCT. Although no prophylactic agents other than ATG (included in the conditioning regimen) were used, greater than grade I acute GVHD was not observed, but limited chronic GVHD was observed in two patients. The two patients with leukemia relapsed on days 103 and 210, respectively, and the patient with medulloblastoma died of disease on day 159. The patient with Fanconi’s anemia died of fungal infection. CMV and HHV-6 diseases developed in four and two patients, respectively. Thus, although SCT using positively selected peripheral CD34⁺ cells may be an alternative approach for overcoming graft rejection and GVHD from HLA- mismatched donors, persistent immune deficiency attributing to extremely low numbers of T cells in grafts can potentially lead to reactivation of herpes viruses.