Bone marrow transplantation for acute leukaemia and severe marrow aplasia: an analysis of five patients.

Five patients, three with severe aplasia and two with acute leukaemia have been treated by bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Four are alive and well with excellent graft function. One showed engraftment but died of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVH); this patient and his donor were hepatitis B antigen positive. Three show evidence of mild chronic GVH, two patients requiring control by immunosuppressive therapy. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has now become an established method of treatment in severe aplasia and in acute leukaemia and our results serve to emphasise this. The clinical and organisational problems associated with BMT are discussed.