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Unrelated donor search and unrelated donor transplantation in the adult aplastic anaemia patient aged 18–40 years without an HLA-identical sibling and failing immunosuppression

Abstract

Currently at least 75% of patients with severe aplastic anaemia can be successfully transplanted using a matched unrelated donor (UD) haematopoietic SCT (HSCT). For children, outcomes are similar to matched sibling donor (MSD) HSCT. This improvement in outcome over time is likely due to improved HLA tissue typing to identify better matched donors, improvements in the conditioning regimen, particularly fludarabine-based regimens, and improved supportive care. Graft rejection occurs in 15% of adults, but is less frequent in children. Chronic GVHD remains a concern but may be reduced by using Alemtuzumab instead of ATG. UD HSCT should be considered early after failure to respond to one course of immunosuppressive therapy, but for children who lack a MSD up front matched UD HSCT may be considered.

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Correspondence to J C W Marsh.

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Competing interests

JM had a consultancy with Genzyme 2008/09 and research funding from Genzyme 2010. AB had been on the speakers’ bureau of Genzyme from 2000 to 2011 and has received research funding from Pfizer.

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Bacigalupo, A., Marsh, J. Unrelated donor search and unrelated donor transplantation in the adult aplastic anaemia patient aged 18–40 years without an HLA-identical sibling and failing immunosuppression. Bone Marrow Transplant 48, 198–200 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2012.233

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