Umbilical cord blood transplant from HLA-mismatched unrelated donor in high-risk leukemia

Twelve consecutive children with high-risk leukemia have been submitted to UCB transplant from unrelated 1 or 2 loci HLA-mismatched donor. All patients received an identical regimen for conditioning and GVHD prophylaxis. The median dose of viable nucleated cells infused was 2.8 x 10(7)/kg bw (range 1.4-7.9). Of 11 patients evaluable for engraftment, the hematopoiesis was of full donor origin in seven patients and autologous in four. The probability of disease-free survival at 1 and 2 years from UCB transplant is 60 and 42%, respectively.