Reconstitution in Severe Combined Immunodeficiency by Transplantation of Marrow from an Unrelated Donor

A patient with severe combined immunodeficiency received seven transplants of bone marrow from an HLA-B-compatible and HLA-D-compatible unrelated donor in an attempt to provide immunologic reconstitution. The first four transplants achieved restricted engraftment with evidence of rudimentary immunologic function. A fifth transplant, given after low-dose cyclophosphamide, produced reconstituion of cell-mediated immunity. Marrow aplasia developed after recontamination with a nonpathogenic microflora. Transplantation of marrow previously stored in liquid nitrogen was ineffective. A subsequent transplant, administered after high-dose cyclophosphamide, achieved durable engraftment, with complete hematopoietic and immunologic reconstitution. Seventeen months after transplantation, full functional engraftment persists. Graft-versus-host disease has been chronic and moderately severe, but limited to the skin and oral mucosa. Transplantation of marrow from unrelated histocompatible donors may provide a useful treatment for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency or aplastic anemia who lack a matched sibling or related donor.