The first Thalassemia bone marrow transplant in Vietnam took bone marrow from the mother

On the evening of September 8, information from Hue Central Hospital said that the unit had just successfully performed an allogeneic bone marrow transplant to treat Thalassemia (congenital hemolytic disease) for a child with bone marrow from a biological mother with incompatible blood types.

The patient's health is now stable and he was discharged from the hospital the same day.

Patient VQC (6 years old, residing in Bac Ninh province) was diagnosed with Beta-Thalassemia (genetic blood disorder) at 6 months old and had to be hospitalized for monthly blood transfusions.

The child was treated with iron chelation drugs since the age of 3. MRI of the child's liver showed moderate iron overload in the liver.

After being admitted to Hue Central Hospital, the child was tested for HLA (human leukocyte antigen in blood) and the results were consistent with HLA 11/12 with the biological mother.

The hospital's Board of Directors held a consultation meeting with departments, centers in the hospital and experts from Italy to plan the transplant for the child on August 11.

This is a special transplant because the patient and his biological mother (the bone marrow donor) have incompatible blood types. Previously, in Vietnam, cases with incompatible blood types would undergo red blood cell separation after collecting bone marrow stem cells or peripheral blood, and some hospitals would use the drug Rituximab.

For patient VQC, doctors at Hue Central Hospital applied a new technique of immune tolerance by transfusing the donor's blood type into the recipient's body in gradually increasing volumes.

Along with blood transfusion, the patient also received multiple intravenous fluids and anti-allergy medications.

According to Professor, Doctor Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of Hue Central Hospital, after 4 days of blood transfusion, the patient's antibody titer was tested to decide the next step.

If the antibody titer is less than 1/32, the donor stem cells will be infused into the recipient without red cell apheresis on the day of collection. Only if the antibody titer is greater than or equal to 1/32, will red cells be apheresis from the stem cell bag.

This method is less expensive and has the advantage of preserving the patient's stem cells.

This is the third Thalassemia allogeneic bone marrow transplant with incompatible blood types performed at the hospital. This is also the first Thalassemia bone marrow transplant in Vietnam performed from bone marrow taken from the mother.

During the transplant, patient C. experienced complications of infection, bladder hemorrhage, and mild graft-versus-host disease in the skin. Thanks to the close monitoring of each clinical development, the interdisciplinary coordination of doctors, and the modern equipment system at Hue Central Hospital, the patient's health gradually improved, and platelet and granulocyte lines recovered on the 20th and 24th days. After 28 days of transplant, C. was discharged from the hospital.

Thalassemia is a common genetic hematological disease, with approximately 2,000-2,500 children in Vietnam diagnosed with the severe form each year. Children with the disease must undergo lifelong treatment with blood transfusions and iron chelation, leaving many complications on the heart, liver, kidneys, endocrine system, bones, and physical and mental development.

Children's lives are tied to hospitals, becoming a burden for families and society.

According to statistics, 20% of siblings in a family have HLA compatibility. However, only 5% of children will have HLA compatibility with their father or mother.

For thalassemia marrow transplants with parental donors, a different conditioning regimen is used compared to sibling marrow.

Since 2019, Hue Central Hospital has deployed stem cell transplantation techniques in children, starting with transplantation on solid tumors such as high-risk neuroblastoma, metastatic retinoblastoma, relapsed lymphoma, then to allogeneic stem cell transplantation on Thalassemia.

From September 2024, the hospital will officially implement stem cell transplantation to treat Thalassemia. This is the first unit in the Central Highlands region, and the second in the country to perform this advanced technique.

To date, the hospital has performed 61 stem cell transplants in children, including 11 allogeneic transplants for children with thalassemia. The hospital is also the first unit in the country to perform 11 allogeneic transplants for children with thalassemia in just one year. Currently, all children are healthy and no longer dependent on blood transfusions.

With the increasing demand for bone marrow transplants, in August 2025, the hospital inaugurated two new transplant rooms, currently capable of performing transplants for four children at the same time.

In the near future, the hospital will conduct hemi-matched transplants for children with Thalassemia who are not completely HLA compatible with their siblings and parents, expanding the opportunity for a healthy life for more Thalassemia children, especially in cases where there were previously no radical treatment options, bringing great hope to families and the community./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ca-ghep-tuy-thalassemia-dau-tien-o-viet-nam-duoc-lay-tuy-tu-me-post1060650.vnp