USE OF CRYOPRESERVED BONE-MARROW IN UNRELATED ALLOGENEIC TRANSPLANTATION

Cryopreservation of donor bone marrow can facilitate scheduling alloge neic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) by affording independence of a preset time for donation, Previously, we and others have shown the fea sibility of using cryopreserved related allogeneic bone marrow, Here, we report the results of the first 10 patients receiving cryopreserved unrelated bone marrow between 1992 and 1995, All evaluable patients ( n = 9) engrafted, Time to reach an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 0 .2 x 10(9)/l and ANC > 0.5 x 10(9)/l was 21.4 +/- 9.1 days and 22.6 +/ - 9.2 days, respectively, The incidence of acute GVHD greater than or equal to grade II and chronic GVHD was 75 and 20%, respectively, Five of nine evaluable patients were alive 100 days post-transplantation. W e conclude that cryopreserved unrelated donor bone marrow may be used for allogeneic transplantation.