Three patients with Ph1 (+), BCR/ABL+ chronic myelogenous leukemia were allografted, two with unrelated compatible placental blood cells and one from an HLA compatible sibling. The three patients engrafted successfully, achieved mixed chimerism and all cleared the BCR/ABL fusion transcript. Despíte the fact that the three patients lost the partial chimerism, they have remained in complete molecular remissions 7 months, fourteen months and five years after the allografts. It is possible that the iatrogenic induction of a transient chimerism and in turn of a transient graft versus leukemia effect, might have a role in the induction of the sustained molecular remission of these three individuals with CML despite the fact that the three patients lost the graft; however other possible explanations can be offered. A longer follow up of the patients is mandatory to further clarify these observations.

Topics:
chimerism, disease remission, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, leukemia, myelocytic, chronic, tissue transplants, allografting, bcr-abl tyrosine kinase, follow-up, human leukocyte antigens, leukemia

Disclosure: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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2006, The American Society of Hematology
2006
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