High dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell support is a promising therapeutical approach in the treatment of severe refractory multisystem autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to perform the authors' first experiences in this field.
Between August 2006 and November 2007 autologous stem cell transplantation was performed for seven patients: two of them had systemic lupus erythematosus, four of them had rheumatoid arthritis and one of them had systemic sclerosis. Cyclophosphamide plus colony stimulating factor were administered to mobilize stem cells. The conditioning protocol included high dose cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) and anti-thymocyte globulin (9 mg/kg). The re-infused stem cells were successfully engrafted by all patients. One of the lupus patients died on the 46th day due to a lethal cytomegalovirus infection, but the rest of them had no severe complications. Complete remission of their diseases and significant improvement in their quality of life were observed during a mean follow-up period of 10 months.
Autologous stem cell therapy can be effectively administered in special cases of severe autoimmune disorders.