Use of CD34+ autologous stem cell transplantation in the treatment of children with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe autoimmune diseases in children: A review of current literature, registry activity and future directions on behalf of the autoimmune diseases and paediatric diseases working parties of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Although modern clinical management strategies have improved the outcome of paediatric patients with severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases over recent decades, a proportion will experience ongoing or recurrent/relapsing disease activity despite multiple therapies often leading to irreversible organ damage, and compromised quality of life, growth/development and long-term survival. Autologous and allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have been used successfully to induce disease control and often apparent cure of severe treatment-refractory autoimmune diseases (ADs) in children. However, transplant-related outcomes are disease-dependent and long-term outcome data are limited in respect to efficacy and safety. Moreover, balancing risks of HSCT against AD prognosis with continually evolving non-transplant options is challenging. This review appraises published literature on HSCT strategies and outcomes in individual paediatric ADs. We also provide a summary of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Registry, where 343 HSCT procedures (176 autologous and 167 allogeneic) have been reported in 326 children (<18 years) for a range of AD indications. HSCT is a promising treatment modality, with potential long-term disease control or cure, but therapy-related morbidity and mortality need to be reduced. Further research is warranted to establish the position of HSCT in paediatric ADs via registries and prospective clinical studies to support evidence-based interspeciality guidelines and recommendations.

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in paediatric rheumatic disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

A small proportion of children affected by rheumatic diseases suffer from severe, progressive disease, resistant to conventional antirheumatic therapies and to biologic agents interfering with inflammatory cytokines, costimulatory molecules expressed on immune system cells and intracellular signalling pathways. Adding to the poor prognosis is a high risk from significant morbidity and mortality associated with long-term treatment with multiple, often combined anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. Carefully selected patients from this unfortunate group may benefit from treatment with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

RECENT FINDINGS

The majority of patients with severe paediatric rheumatic and autoinflammatory diseases treated with autologous and/or allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation achieved long-term remission. However, the incidence of disease relapse and transplant related morbidity and mortality is still significant.

SUMMARY

Careful patient and donor selection, timing of the transplant earlier in the course of disease rather than the 'last resort' and choosing the most suitable conditioning regimen for each individual patient are the major factors favouring successful outcome. Close co-operation between the patients, their family, and involved medical teams is essential.

Haemopoietic stem cell transplantation in Systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review

Despite advances in treating Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a proportion of patients continue to face significant morbidity and mortality. Haemopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) has been recognized as an option for such patients. We analysed the evidence on efficacy and safety of HSCT in patients with SLE. A database search was done for articles on HSCT in SLE up to July 2017 in PUBMED, Cochrane library, LILACS and clinical trial registration databases to select prospective or retrospective studies with 8 or more patients. Of the 732 search results from the PUBMED, Cochrane and LILACS database search, following duplicate removal, 15 studies were eligible for detailed assessment. Findings of an additional trial were obtained from the clinical trial registration database. Data were extracted on study design, patient characteristics, nature of intervention, outcomes, complications and study quality. Case reports and small case series were summarised without detailed qualitative analysis. Most of the studies showed remission in the majority of patients. Relapse of the original disease increased with longer follow-up. Common adverse effects included: infections and secondary autoimmune disorders. Short follow up period and lack of randomised controlled trials were the main limitations restricting the generalizability of study results. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity of studies. Although HSCT is a viable option in SLE, its exact clinical utility needs to be further evaluated in well-designed studies.

Could mesenchymal stromal cells have a role in childhood autoimmune diseases?

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) comprise a promising source for cellular therapy due to their ability to be readily isolated from various tissues and expand ex vivo. A unique property of these cells is the modulation of immune responses, making them attractive candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Recently, several clinical trials, mainly in adults, suggest the use of MSCs for therapy of refractory autoimmune diseases. There are a very limited number of reports in the literature addressing the cellular therapy options for pediatric patients with autoimmune diseases refractory to standard therapy. This review discusses the possible mechanisms underlying the immunosuppressive effects of MSCs on almost all cell types, and also the recent advances in cellular therapy of autoimmune diseases using MSCs as modulators of immune response, especially in children.

An update on stem cell transplantation in autoimmune rheumatologic disorders

Stem cell transplant (SCT) has long been the standard of care for several hematologic, immunodeficient, and oncologic disorders. Recently, SCT has become an increasingly utilized therapy for refractory autoimmune rheumatologic disorders (ARDs). The efficacy of SCT in ARDs has been attributed to resetting an aberrant immune system either through direct immune replacement with hematopoietic stem cells or through immunomodulation with mesenchymal stem cells. Among ARDs, refractory systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are the most common indications for SCT. SCT has also been used in refractory rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory myopathies, antiphospholipid syndrome, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and pediatric ARDs. Complete responses have been reported in approximately 30 % of patients in all disease categories. Transplant-related mortality, however, remains a concern. Future large multi-center prospective randomized clinical trials will help to better define the specific role of SCT in the treatment of patients with ARDs.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for curing children with severe autoimmune diseases: is this a valid option?

The cure of children with severe AD, especially patients with severe, progressive, and therapy-resistant autoimmunity, represents a challenge for current medical practice. The idea of HSCT as a promising therapeutic opportunity was borne accidentally from finding patients who, after undergoing HSCT for a hematological indication, were cured of a concomitant AD. Thus, over the last two decades, HSCT has been extensively investigated, and it has become an appealing therapy for rheumatological (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis) and hematological diseases (immune cytopenias). Recently, interesting results have been also described in type 1 diabetes mellitus and Crohn's disease. Although the use of HSCT has been steadily rising in the last few years, many questions are still open, especially after the discoveries of many new biological agents. Given the low incidence of ADs in children, most of the data about the use of the HSCT for these diseases are taken from a mixed cohort of adults and children. The aim of this review is to summarize the published studies and to try to answer the question as to whether this procedure can be considered a promising approach.

Angiomyeloproliferative lesions following autologous stem cell therapy

Some reports suggest that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation holds potential for treatment of renal diseases such as lupus nephritis, but the safety of delivering various stem cell types (hematopoietic, mesenchymal, and endothelial precursors) is not well established. Here, we report a case of lupus nephritis treated by direct renal injection of autologous stem cells recovered from peripheral blood. The patient developed masses at the sites of injection and hematuria. We suspected transitional cell carcinoma but nephrectomy revealed that the masses were angiomyeloproliferative lesions. We believe that this previously undescribed pathologic entity is stem cell-derived or -induced. The biologic potential, including the neoplastic potential, of this lesion is unknown. This case illustrates that the development of angiomyeloproliferative lesions is a possible complication of stem cell therapy.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for childhood autoimmune disease

Autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be used in the management of patients with autoimmune disorders. Experience gained in adults has helped to better define the conditioning regimens required and appropriate selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from autologous HSCT. The field has been shifting toward the use of safer and less intense nonmyeloablative regimens used earlier in the disease course before patients accumulate extensive irreversible organ damage. This article reviews the experience of using autologous HSCT in treating the most common childhood autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, primarily juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and diabetes mellitus.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for pediatric autoimmune disease: where we stand and where we need to go

In children, autoimmune diseases and their therapies cause significant morbidity, especially in those with severe or refractory disease. The constant development of new immunosuppressants and targeted biological therapies leads to a unique 'moving target' with regard to the gold standard of treatment for these patients. However, incidental findings of cure after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in patients with concomitant benign or malignant hematologic disorders and autoimmune disease raise the question of whether HSCT can be used as upfront therapy for patients with severe autoimmune diseases. Animal data have been helpful in investigating both the efficacy of this modality and the mechanisms underlying cure. The potential for a therapeutic 'graft vs autoimmunity' (GVA) effect with an allogeneic approach highlights the already acknowledged need for clinical trials of allogeneic vs autologous transplant in these diseases where an autologous transplant would be the 'intuitive' albeit potentially erroneous choice. We critically review the data generated in the field thus far, and emphasize the need for an organized, interdisciplinary approach to conduct prospective clinical trials to answer these and other questions and advance the field.

Isolated orbital pseudotumor as the presenting sign of systemic lupus erythematosus

A 9-year-old girl presented with an orbital pseudotumor a few years prior to developing clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus. Because the few similar cases previously reported were all adults, this patient is the first pediatric case described. The authors also review the relevant literature, especially in the pediatric age group.

The role of immune ablation and stem cell transplantation in severe SLE

High-dose immunosuppression followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell therapy (HSCT) has the promise of long-term response after a short, intense period of immunosuppressive therapy but it is associated with an increased risk of serious short-term complications. HSCT induces major clinical responses in about 65% of patients with SLE who failed standard therapies. In some of these patients such responses are durable for at least several years, but the curative potential of this procedure in severe SLE is still unknown. Procedure-related mortality varies among studies between 5 and 12% and seems to be lower in relatively larger single center studies. Until more reliable estimates of the actual risks and long-term outcomes become available, patients with potentially life-threatening or disabling major organ involvement who are in acceptable general medical condition should be considered for autologous HSCT if they have failed a reasonable course of standard immunosuppressive therapy. To accomplish the best therapeutic and scientific results, it is necessary to treat all patients in carefully planned protocols by specialized teams of lupus specialists and transplanters. All immunoablative protocols should incorporate carefully planned studies of immune reconstitution to understand the mechanisms of cure or failure.