Use of donor lymphocytes in extramedullary relapse of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia following bone marrow transplantation

Abstract

Relapse is the commonest cause of treatment failure following bone marrow transplantation for malignant haematological disease. Treatment options are limited and often unsuccessful, with remissions, if achieved, being short-lived. Donor lymphocyte infusions have been used in the treatment of relapsing CML for several years, with good results being obtained. Use of this form of adoptive immunotherapy however, has been much less successful in patients with acute leukaemias, with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia appearing to be particularly resistant. We report the successful use of a donor lymphocyte infusion in a patient with isolated extramedullary relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia post bone marrow transplantation.