Recurrent graft failure following syngeneic bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anaemia

Bone Marrow Transplant. 1989 Sep;4(5):581-5.

Abstract

We present the case of a 60-year-old woman with drug-induced aplastic anaemia with a healthy monozygotic twin. Proof of monozygosity was confirmed by studies using the hypervariable minisatellite probe to obtain identical DNA fingerprints in donor and recipient. In vitro co-culture studies performed showed no evidence of a recipient-derived cellular or humoral inhibitor of donor haemopoiesis. Despite this, there was no engraftment following simple marrow infusion without preconditioning. A second syngeneic transplant following high dose cyclophosphamide therapy produced trilineage engraftment but severe thrombocytopenia developed at 3 months, followed later by pancytopenia with generalized marrow failure. Following a third syngeneic transplant with cyclophosphamide and total lymphoid irradiation there was good initial engraftment but graft failure occurred at 14 weeks. A fourth transplant using Campath 1G as preconditioning resulted in no engraftment and the patient died of septicaemia 8 weeks following her fourth transplant. We suggest that the cause of the recurrent aplastic anaemia in this case was a defect of marrow stroma as neither an inhibitor of donor haemopoiesis nor an intrinsic defect of donor stem cell growth could be demonstrated in vitro.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Aplastic / etiology
  • Anemia, Aplastic / genetics
  • Anemia, Aplastic / surgery*
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation* / immunology
  • Diseases in Twins
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Reoperation
  • Transplantation, Isogeneic
  • Twins, Monozygotic