Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with genetic defects

Seventeen children (mean age: 7.2 years) with genetic defects involving hematopoietic cell production or function, underwent 19 allogeneic stem cell transplantations from HLA identical siblings. Twelve children were suffering from thalassemia major; 2 from Diamond Blackfan anemia; 2 from Fanconi anemia and 1 from congenital dyserythropoietic anemia. The disease free survival was 77% with a mean follow up of 36 months. The major complications were graft versus host disease, veno-occlusive disease, CMV infection and hemorrhage. One case each of thalassaemia major and Fanconi anemia rejected the graft after 1 year and 11 months, respectively. Both patients were successfully transplanted second time from the same donor with some modification in the conditioning regimen and stem cell source.