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Allografting for Infants

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for infants with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the outcome of children 24 months of age or younger (infants) at the time of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute leukemia or myelodysplasia. We analyzed the survival rate, prognostic factors, incidences of late sequelae, and immune reconstitution in 22 infants who underwent allogeneic BMT. The 5-year event-free survival estimate was 45.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 24.4% to 63.3%). Six patients died of transplant-related complications and six died of disease relapse. Remission status at the time of BMT was the most important prognostic factor (P = 0.005): no patient who received a transplant while their disease was not in remission survived, whereas the 5-year survival estimate for infants who underwent BMT during remission was 56% (95% CI, 31% to 75%). Long-term outcomes in the 10 infant survivors were compared with those of 10 older controls matched for diagnosis, disease status at the time of BMT, calendar year at the time of BMT, and source of stem cells. Immune function 1 year after transplantation and the incidences and spectra of late sequelae were similar for both groups during a median of 3.5 years (range, 1.5 to 7.2 years) of follow-up. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 27, 717–722.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported in part by grant P30 CA21765 from the National Institutes of Health, by the Assisi Foundation of Memphis; by a Center of Excellence grant from the state of Tennessee; and by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC). We thank Margaret Aymond, Cynthia Walker and Patricia Johnson for data collection; Frances Curran and Carol Nash for data management; and Dr Julia Cay Jones for scientific editing.

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Leung, W., Pitts, N., Burnette, K. et al. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for infants with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. Bone Marrow Transplant 27, 717–722 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702998

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