Allogeneic Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients With Life-Threatening Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation in individuals with life-threatening SLE. A non-bone marrow ablative regimen consisting of total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) will be used to condition the recipients for transplantation. Appropriately HLA-matched donors will undergo "mobilization" of their peripheral blood mononuclear cells using G-CSF and collection by apheresis. The preparative regimen will consist of targeted low dose radiation of lymphoid tissue administered over a 2-week period of time. During the first week of irradiation, the patients will also receive the ATG treatment. Patients will be admitted to the in-patient service for the first 5 days of the transplant preparative regimen while receiving the ATG infusion. Patients will be discharged for the second half of the preparative regimen and followed in the out-patient clinic thereafter. Patients will start immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil prior to the infusion of mobilized peripheral blood stem cells. The mycophenolate mofetil will be stopped at approximately 1 month post-transplantation and the cyclosporine will be tapered beginning at 2 months post-transplantation and discontinued by 6 months in the presence of stable blood chimerism and the absence of graft-versus-host disease. In the pre-transplant and post-transplant setting, patients will be evaluated by an integrated team of Rheumatology and BMT physicians. During the first 21-28 days post-transplantation, these evaluations will be performed on a daily or every other day basis. Patients will be clinically assessed and evaluated for engraftment of donor cells and disease response. Patients will then be followed as needed with maximum time between evaluations of 1 to 2 weeks in the first 100 days, and then monthly for 6 months and every 6 months to 12 months thereafter.