Adjuvant treatment with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC) reduces severe refractory hemorrhagic cystitis after RIC-PBSCT: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Severe hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is still a common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which affects the quality of life of patients, and may even cause kidney failure. This study reports the clinical effect of adjuvant treatment of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on severe refractory HC after of reduced intensity conditioning haplotype high-dose peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (RIC-PBSCT) in one case. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 53-year-old female patient with acute myeloid leukemia (FLT3-ITD) at high risk received RIC-PBSCT. The patient was relieved with complete donor chimerism of 99.01%, and normal hemogram. However, the patient developed frequent urination, urgency, and dysuria with gross hematuria with blood clots and difficult urinating, especially at night and early in the morning. There were obvious hyperemia and bleeding points in the mucosa of the posterior wall of the bladder. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed as delayed HC of degree IV. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: The patient was treated with antiviral drugs, urine alkalization, and diuretic drugs for more than 1 month, but no significant effect was obtained. Thus, the patient was then given ADSCs (1 × 10(6) kg per kg of body weight, infused once a week for a total of 3 infusions). Symptoms of frequent urination, urgency, and dysuria that happened during the first infusion were improved, and blood clots in the urine were also reduced. After the third infusion, HC symptoms disappeared, the red blood cells were normal, and there was no fever, chills, low infusion blood pressure, or rash. The patient's HC was cured. During follow-up, HC recurrence was not observed. CONCLUSION: ADSCs adjuvant treatment of relapsed and refractory severe HC is safe and reliable with good clinical efficacy. It shows certain clinical application value, which however requires more clinical cases to further verify this.