Treatment of Chronic Granulomatous Disease With Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Versus Standard of Care

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2004-06-01

Summary

This study will compare the health and well being of children treated with a modified stem cell transplantation procedure for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) with that of children receiving standard of care treatment. CGD is an inherited disorder of neutrophils-a type of infection-fighting white blood cell-that leaves patients vulnerable to life-threatening infections. Standard treatment with antibiotics, and sometimes surgery, is not always successful, and patients with persisting infections have a poor long-term prognosis.

Transplantation of donated stem cells (cells produced by the bone marrow that mature into white and red blood cells and platelets) can improve immune function in patients with CGD and possibly cure the disease. However, this procedure carries a significant risk of death, because it requires complete suppression of the immune system with high-dose chemotherapy. In addition, lymphocytes-another type of infection-fighting white blood cell-from the donor may cause what is called graft versus host disease (GvHD), in which the donor cells 'see' patient's cells as foreign and mount an immune response to reject them. To try to reduce these risks, patients in this study will be given low-dose chemotherapy that is easier for the body to tolerate and involves a shorter period of complete immune suppression. Also, the donor's lymphocytes will be removed from the rest of the stem cells to be transplanted, reducing the risk of GvHD.

Patients with CGD between 2 and 17 years of age who 1) are currently free of active infection, and 2) have a history of at least one life-threatening infection or a family member with CGD and a history of at least one life-threatening infection, and 3) a family member that is a suitable donor may be eligible for this study. Candidates will have a medical history, physical examination and blood tests, lung and heart function tests, x-rays or CT scans of the body, and dental and eye examinations. They will fill out questionnaires that measure emotional well being, quality of life, and intelligence (ability to learn and understand).

Stem cells will be collected from both the patient and donor. To do this, the hormone G-CSF will be injected under the skin for several days to move stem cells from the bone marrow to the bloodstream. Then, the stem cells will be collected by apheresis. In this procedure the blood is drawn through a needle placed in one arm and pumped into a machine where the required cells are separated out and removed. Then, the rest of the blood is returned through a needle in the other arm.

Several days before the transplant procedure, patients will start a 'conditioning regimen' of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, fludarabine and Campath 1H. When the conditioning therapy is completed, the donor's stem cells will be infused. To help prevent rejection of donor cells, cyclosporine will be given by mouth or by vein starting 1 month after the transplant procedure.

The average hospital stay for stem cell transplantation is 21 days. After discharge, patients will return to the NIH clinic for follow-up clinic visits weekly or twice weekly for 2 to 3 months. These visits will include a symptom check, physical examination and blood tests. Subsequent clinic visits will be scheduled 1 to 3 times a year for at least 5 years.

• Phase: Phase 3

Details

• Lead Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)