Successful fetal liver transplantation in a child with severe combined immunodeficiency

Following transplantation with allogeneic fetal liver, a boy with a severe combined immunodeficiency and adenosine-deaminase (A.D.A.) deficiency developed immunocompetent T and B cells in an orderly manner. Engraftment was indicated by appearance of A.D.A. activity and donor-lymphocyte and red-cell antigens. The child remained free of major infections until one year later when he developed an ultimately fatal nephrotic syndrome associated with immune-complex glomerulonephritis.