Academic literature on the topic 'Step sibilings'

Abstract Over last five years 154 patients received HLA matched sibiling transplants at Armed Forces Bone Marrow Transplant Centre, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Indications for transplant included Aplastic anemia, B-Thalassaemia major, Chronic Myeloid leukemia, Acute leukemias, and miscellaneous disorders which included Myelodysplastic syndrome, Fanconi’s anemia, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Gaucher’s disease. All patients received standard conditioning regimens and GvHD prophylaxis. Pre-transplant infection surveillance was carried out in all patients and strict prophylaxis against infection was observed as per our transplant policy. During post transplant follow up we encountered certain infective and non infective complications. These included: acute GvHD (grade II–IV) 28.5%, chronic GvHD 15.5%, haemorrhagic cystitis 9.7%, VOD liver 5.1%, acute renal failure 3.2%, bacterial infections 51.2%, fungal infections 15.0%, CMV infection 4%, herpes zoster 4%, tuberculosis 2.6%, pneumocytitis jiroveci infection 0.6%, malaria 0.6% patient, graft rejection 5.2% patients and relapse in 4%patients. We encountered certain rare unexpected post transplant complications which have been rarely reported in literature before. These included Hickman catheter embolization, Guillain Barre syndrome, co-infection with pneumocystis jirovicii and a rare fungus trichosporon beigilii, cyclosporine induced uncontrolled seizures, idiopathic polycythemia, haemorrhagic pericardial effusion with cardiac temponade, deep vein thrombosis, dengue fever and measles. These complications were effectively managed in our centre. There was only one death associated with these complications. Mortality was observed in 27.2% patients. Mortality related to non-infective complications was 14.2%. Major non-infective causes of mortality were GvHD, VOD, disease relapse, intracranial haemorrhage and acute renal failure. Mortality related to infections was 13%. Fatal infections included CMV disease, disseminated aspergillosis, pseudomonas septicaemia and tuberculosis.

Abstract Abstract 4541 Introduction: Limited data demonstrate to what extent preventing fungal exposures is effective in preventing infection and disease. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal duration of fluconazole prophylaxis in allogeneic recipients to prevent invasive disease with fluconazole-susceptible Candida species during neutropenia. Oral, nonabsorbable antifungal drugs might reduce superficial colonization and control local mucosal candidiasis, but have not been demonstrated to reduce invasive candidiasis. Anti-fungal prophylaxis is recommended in a subpopulation of autologous recipients with underlying hematologic malignancies with prolonged neutropenia and mucosal damage. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 1007 SCT performed in our center between 1992 and 2009 in 809 consecutive patients, irrespective of diagnosis. HEPA filter and environmental monitoring (air, water, surfaces) are attributes of our transplant center. Results: The main characteristics of the patients are reported in Table 1. Systemic prophylaxis was used according to the guidelines (Table 2): fluconazole in the nineties, then itraconazole and from 2004 was either abolished or substituted with non-adsorbable prophylaxis in transplants with standard risk. Secondary prophylaxis was prescribed for high risk patients (with infectious fungal history, suggestive iconography, positive fungal biomarker). In 17 years our Center has never been colonized by mould. Only 3 probable aspergillosis infections and 4 proven fungal infections (fusarium, mucor and 2 aspergillosis) were diagnosed, all in allogeneic patients (2 haplotipical, 1 singenic, 1 sibiling, 1 MUD and 2 mismatched), resulting in death in all cases. No infection was documented in autologous setting, while the infection rate in allogenic setting was 3.6% with an incidence rate of 1.1 infection per 10000 transplants/year. These results are significantly lower than published reports. Conclusion: Systemic antifungal prophylaxis should not be performed in autologous SCT patients. The abuse of systemic prophylaxis targeting yeasts has influenced the change of epidemiology in the transplant setting with prevalence of mould infections. The identification of high risk patients is useful to select patients for systemic antifungal or secondary prophylaxis to reducing overtreatment, incidence of resistant strains and costs. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract The relapse post ABMT is a terminal stage complication in HD. The allogenic transplant contributes to a different therapeutic approach through the immune anti tumor effect of the Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) The NST variant of the procedure diminishes the risks of transplant related mortality (TRM) and is associated with induction of mixed hematopoietic chimerism when either HLA-identical sibling or unrelated donor are used, and that powerful GVT effects can be achieved against advanced chemotherapy/resistant hematology disease. The feasibility, risk and effectiveness of the NST, is analyzed in 13 patients with relapsed HD after ABMT. Seven women and six men with a median age of 26 years old. They had received ≥ of 3 therapeutic lines that included the high doses and the ABMT. The period betwen the diagnosis to NST, had a median time of 36 months. The patients were conditioned with Fludarabine based schemes plus: Melphalan 8, Cyclofosfamide 3, TBI 1, Busulfan 1. The sources of stem cells were, with a HLA-identical sibiling donors in 12 patients, and in 1 with non related donor. 4 patients died due to complications associated with the BMT (TRM 28 %): shock 2, sepsis 1, thrombotic microangiophaty 1. Half of the patients developed some form of GVHD, or it was induced by donor lymphocytes infusion. With an average follow up of 15 months (range: 1–56), 7 patients are alive, 5 of them developed GVHD and are in CR, the other 2 have a short follow up (28 and 75 days). Of 4 patients who progressed only 1 present GVHD. The NST is a feasible procedure in HD relapsed post ABMT. The TRM is 28 %. In this group there is a clear relationship between the control of HD and the appearance of GVHD.

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers complete remission in CML patients. However, transplant related mortality and long term consequences especially associated with cGvHD make patients reluctant to accept this treatment modality especially in the era of Imatinib. Therefore, in 1999 we started a transplant program for CML patients characterized with a reduced dose of Busulfan to 8 mg/kg of. b.w., Fludarabine (120 mg/m2 in sibiling and 150 mg/m2 in MUD setting) and ATG to facilitate engraftement. At the beginning ATG cumulative dose was 40 mg/kg of b.w. (5 patients), or 20 mg/kg of b.w (13 patients). In this high dose ATG group 6 patients had CMV or EBV reactivation what prompted us to decrease ATG dose to 2.5 mg/kg of b.w. given in three consecutive days and then on day 4 the dose was increased to 5 mg/kg of b.w. if patients lymphocyte count did not reach the target values (≤300/ul of WBC and < 0.1% of CD3+ cells in nucleated blood cells population). With the use of the above program 52 adults and two children (F/M: 22/32, age from 11 to 55 yrs (median: 34) were transplanted from sibling (20 patients) and alternative (33 MUD and 1 related haploidentical) donors. Thirty nine and 15 patients received PBPC and marrow, respectively. Seven patients died by + 100 days post transplant (6 infectious complications including 1 case with viral encephalitis and 1 blast crisis). One patient had marrow failure, 15 patients developed ≥ IIo aGvHD, 23 patients had cGvHD and 14 of them extensive form. Thirty four patients (63%) are alive with an observation time from 1 to 81 months post transplant (median 22 months). Survival was better in sibling than in MUD transplanted patients (77% vs 50%, p=0.03, Cox analysis). In alive patients group STR technique proved complete chimerism in 26 out of 31 examined patients. Five cases lacking full chimerism include: 1 patient with hematological relapse, and 4 with molecular relapse. All other cases were bcr/abl negative. In conclusion: low dose ATG was sufficient to secure the take and the employed reduced intensity conditioning was associated with: low rate of transplant related mortality, aGvHD was infrequent and mild, cGvHD was the main cause of late complications, full chimerism and bcr/abl free status were observed in a vast majority (84%) of long term survivors.