Marco Marziali
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Antonella Isgrò
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Pietro Sodani
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Javid Gaziev
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Daniela Fraboni
Department of Biopathology and Diagnostic Images, Polyclinic of Tor Vergata Foundation, Rome, Italy
Katia Paciaroni
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Cristiano Gallucci
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Cecilia Alfieri
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Andrea Roveda
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Gioia De Angelis
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Luisa Cardarelli
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Michela Ribersani
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Marco Andreani
Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Transplant Biology, Mediterranean Institute of
Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata
Guido Lucarelli
International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinic of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata, Italy
Keywords
Sickle Cell Disease, Split Chimeirsm, Bone Marrow
Abstract
Allogeneic cellular gene therapy through hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only radical cure for congenital hemoglobinopathies like thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Persistent mixed hematopoietic chimerism (PMC) has been described in thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Here, we describe the clinical course of a 6-year-old girl who had received bone marrow transplant for sickle cell anemia. After the transplant, the patient showed 36% donor hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, whereas in the peripheral blood there was evidence of 80% circulating donor red blood cells (RBC). The analysis of apoptosis at the Bone Marrow level suggests that Fas might contribute to the cell death of host erythroid precursors. The increase in NK cells and the regulatory T cell population observed in this patient suggests that these cells might contribute to the condition of mixed chimerism.