Related Experiment Videos
Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for primary myelofibrosis
S Singhal1, R Powles, J Treleaven
1Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton, Surrey, UK.
Bone Marrow Transplantation
|December 1, 1995
Summary
Allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) can correct primary myelofibrosis (PMF). While recovery is slow, BMT offers a potential cure for PMF patients.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Transplantation Immunology
Background:
- Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a rare bone marrow disorder with limited treatment options.
- Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a potential curative therapy for PMF, but its application is sparsely documented.
Observation:
- Three PMF patients (24-49 years) underwent allogeneic BMT from HLA-identical siblings.
- Conditioning involved melphalan and total-body irradiation (TBI); T-cell replete grafts were used.
- Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis included cyclosporine and methotrexate; no splenectomy was performed.
Findings:
- One patient died early from multi-organ failure.
- Two patients experienced slow hematopoietic recovery with gradual resolution of marrow fibrosis.
- One of these two patients died from pneumococcal sepsis 31 months post-transplant.
- The remaining patient is alive and well at 20 months post-transplant with complete marrow fibrosis resolution and a Karnofsky score of 100%.
Implications:
- Allogeneic BMT is a viable treatment option for primary myelofibrosis.
- Hematopoietic recovery can be slow but may normalize over time.
- Splenectomy is not necessary for successful BMT outcomes in PMF.