Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation. The Influence of Prolonged Cytotoxic Chemotherapy

In 1977 our group performed an autologous bone marrow transplantation in a patient suffering from acute myeloid leukemia [12, 13]. The bone marrow to be grafted had been harvested and cryopreserved during remission after one year of maintenance therapy. Although an adequate number of vital in vitro colony forming cells (CFU-C) was injected, the hemopoietic capacity of the transplant appeared to be deficient. In spite of an early take of the graft and a rapid repopulation of the marrow space the hemopoiesis was not able to counteract efficiently recurrent infections.