CLINICAL CHALLENGE

 
 


Falling Chimerism after Reduced Intensity Conditioning Transplantation

A 54-year-old man with AML in second complete remission received a reduced-intensity conditioning stem cell transplant using fludarabine and intravenous busulfan.  The donor was an 8/8 HLA-A, B, C and DRB1 matched unrelated male.  GVHD prophylaxis was anti-thymocyte globulin, tacrolimus and methotrexate 5 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, 6 and 11 with a plan to taper tacrolimus by 30% at day 60, 30% on day 120 and discontinue at 6 months after transplantation.  His tacrolimus was tapered at day 60 as planned. 

Evaluation at four months after transplantation demonstrated a slightly hypocellular marrow with no evidence of recurrent disease by either morphology or cytogenetics.  His counts are normal, and he has no evidence of acute or chronic GVHD.  Tacrolimus level at this time is 2.1 ng/ml.  Serial chimerism studies show:  

% Donor in Peripheral Blood

 

 

 

Time Point

Unfractionated

CD3+

2 months

90%

60%

4 months

60%

40%


What would you recommend?


(A report on the votes will be presented next month, along with one expert’s commentary.)