Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in SLE.

BACKGROUND

A 19-year-old girl was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, based on findings of arthritis, malar rash, positive antinuclear antibody test and high levels of antibodies to double-stranded DNA. Two months after diagnosis, the patient presented with a sudden drop in blood hemoglobin level. Several days later, she developed bloody sputum, rapidly progressive dyspnea and hypoxemia. High-resolution CT showed diffuse alveolar infiltrates in both lung fields.

INVESTIGATIONS

Physical examination, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, urinalysis, 24-h urine protein excretion, fecal occult blood test, d-dimer test, acid hemolysis test, activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time, direct and indirect Coombs tests, bone marrow smear, arterial blood gas, sputum smear and culture, and high-resolution CT scan of the chest.

DIAGNOSIS

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.

MANAGEMENT

The patient did not respond to pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone (two courses of 500 mg per day for 3 days) and intravenous immunoglobulin (20 g per day for 5 days). The patient was referred to a specialist treatment center for allogenic transplantation using umbilical-cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells. She underwent transplantation with an infusion of 8 x 10(7) mesenchymal stem cells. After showing dramatic improvements in her clinical condition, oxygenation level, radiographic and hematological status, the patient was discharged from hospital approximately 5 weeks after undergoing transplantation.