Long-term outcome following hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome: collaborative study of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies and European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Blood. 2008 Jan 1;111(1):439-45. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-03-076679. Epub 2007 Sep 27.

Abstract

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a rare X-linked immunodeficiency with microthrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections, autoimmune disorders, and malignancies that are life-threatening in the majority of patients. In this long-term, retrospective, multicenter study, we analyzed events that occurred in 96 WAS patients who received transplants between 1979 and 2001 who survived at least 2 years following hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Events included chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), autoimmunity, infections, and sequelae of before or after HSCT complications. Three patients (3%) died 2.1 to 21 years following HSCT. Overall 7-year event-free survival rate was 75%. It was lower in recipients of mismatched related donors, also in relation with an older age at HSCT and disease severity. The most striking finding was the observation of cGVHD-independent autoimmunity in 20% of patients strongly associated with a mixed/split chimerism status (P < .001), suggesting that residual-host lymphocytes can mediate autoimmune disease despite the coexistence of donor lymphocytes. Infectious complications (6%) related to splenectomy were also significant and may warrant a more restrictive approach to performing splenectomy in WAS patients. Overall, this study provides the basis for a prospective, standardized, and more in-depth detailed analysis of chimerism and events in long-term follow-up of WAS patients who receive transplants to design better-adapted therapeutic strategies.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Autoimmune Diseases / etiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Europe
  • Graft vs Host Disease / etiology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Immune System / immunology*
  • Infant
  • Recovery of Function / immunology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Splenectomy
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation Chimera
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome / immunology*
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome / surgery
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome / therapy*