DONOR-SPECIFIC BONE-MARROW INFUSION AFTER ORTHOTOPIC LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION

Donor-specific bone marrow infusion after organ grafting can induce to lerance in animals. In this randomised controlled study we show it has no benefit in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Of 25 patien ts, 9 received bone marrow 5 days after a 10 day course of antithymocy te globulin. Immunosuppression was maintained with cyclosporin only. A n average of 30 rejection episodes per patient was seen in the bone ma rrow group compared to 31 in the controls. Chimerism was not found in peripheral blood or bone marrow of recipients using erythrocyte antige n markers, PCR for donor class II DNA or Y-probe in-situ hybridisation in one female recipient of male liver and bone marrow.