Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for active Epstein–Barr virus-related lymphoproliferative disease and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in an infant with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome

A 5-month-old male presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, leukocytosis with atypical lymphoblasts, anemia and thrombocytopenia. Severe combined imunodeficiency syndrome (T−, B+, NK+), B lymphoproliferative disease and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis triggered by Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) were diagnosed. As his clinical situation deteriorated rapidly, BMT was performed with unmanipulated marrow stem cells from his EBV-positive HLA-identical sister after conditioning with dexamethasone (1.75 mg/kg/day), cyclophosphamide (114 mg/kg) and etoposide (10 mg/kg), with no immunosuppression given post transplant. Engraftment occurred on day 6 with explosive proliferation of donor CD8(+) T cells. The patient died 3 days later from acute respiratory distress syndrome. Autopsy revealed full donor engraftment and no signs of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or B lymphoproliferative disease. Thus, transplanted T cells can expand very rapidly within days after BMT and clear EBV lymphoproliferative disease and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2002) 29, 519–521. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1703396