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Hemophagocytosis during fludarabine-based SCT for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 38, pages 249–251 (2006)Cite this article

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been described since 1997 as a treatment for children with polyarticular or systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) resistant to conventional treatment and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agents.1, 2

In 1999, we observed three patients with systemic JIA who died shortly after ASCT owing to macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) induced by infections. In 2003, after initial evaluation of clinical outcomes, we amended the transplantation protocol by replacing low-dose total body irradiation with fludarabine to decrease long-term side effects.2 Subsequently, three of the first four patients developed MAS during or shortly after the conditioning. Here, we describe these three patients.

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Acknowledgements

Rosa A Ferreira has been supported by the European Union (contract no. AML/b7-311/97/0666/II-0246-FI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    R A Ferreira, S J Vastert, W Kuis & N M Wulffraat

  2. Department of Paediatric, University of São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto) and Barão de Mauá University, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    R A Ferreira

  3. Department of paediatric Immunology, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle, UK

    M Abinun & H E Foster

  4. Department of Rheumatology and Haematology, Hospital Infantile Valdihedron, Barcelona, Spain

    C Modesto & T Olivé

Authors
  1. R A Ferreira
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  2. S J Vastert
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  3. M Abinun
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  4. H E Foster
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  5. C Modesto
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  6. T Olivé
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  7. W Kuis
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  8. N M Wulffraat
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Correspondence to N M Wulffraat.

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Ferreira, R., Vastert, S., Abinun, M. et al. Hemophagocytosis during fludarabine-based SCT for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Bone Marrow Transplant 38, 249–251 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705415

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705415

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