Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

There will be no randomization in this study. All subjects who are determined to be eligible for the study treatment will receive high dose cyclophosphamide, fludarabine and CAMPATH-1H followed by infusion of allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells. The procedures the subject will undergo are as follows:

1. Physician visit to determine potential eligibility for the study. Subjects will be evaluated by a transplant physician. They will have a complete physical examination and will provide a full medical history at these visits. In addition, subjects will be asked to complete a quality of life Questionnaire . Finally, the study will be described in detail by the transplant physician and nurse and the consent form will be provided to be taken home to read.
2. HLA Testing. In order to proceed on this study, subjects will need to have a HLA identical matched sibling donor. The subject and his or her siblings will need to undergo HLA typing in order to determine whether there is a match or Cord blood stem cells will be obtained from the New York Blood Center Cord Blood Registry which is an internationally recognized registry or, if a match is not available, from Stemcyte, a commercial registry that specializes in minority donors. One unit of HLA matched cord blood unit will be infused on day zero.
3. Insurance verification. Subjects who remain interested in pursuing the study treatment and who have severe scleroderma that is following a progressive course will proceed to the insurance verification phase. Third party payment or self-pay must be verified before subjects can proceed.
4. Consent form. Prior to proceeding, the appropriate signatures will be obtained on the consent form. Subjects will be given an opportunity to ask further questions of the attending physician and transplant nurse prior to signing the consent form.
5. Pre-transplant testing. To determine final eligibility for the study, subjects will undergo a series of tests/procedures. These include: CXR, electrocardiogram, endoscopy , ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder,transvenous liver biopsy, lymphopheresis, pulmonary function test, urinalysis, and blood testing to include CBC; chemistries; liver and kidney function tests; PT; PTT; AMA; viral studies and, for females, a pregnancy test. Subjects will also be evaluated by a dentist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to rule out any potential sources of infection. All pre-transplant testing is routine medical testing done to verify diagnosis and to insure adequate organ function and absence of viral illnesses which would preclude a safe transplant course. Allogeneic donors will also need to undergo testing in order to determine eligibility to proceed. Testing for donors will include history and physical, electrocardiogram, CXR, urinalysis, CBC, chemistries, PT, PTT, viral studies and, for females, a pregnancy test.
6. Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell collection. Allogeneic donors will undergo a routine procedure for the mobilization and collection of peripheral blood stem cells. This includes the subcutaneous administration of G-CSF, to be self-administered as an outpatient, beginning three days prior to the start of peripheral blood stem cell harvesting. The peripheral blood stem cells will be collected as an outpatient in the Blood Center on the fourth day of G-CSF administration. A central line may be placed for this purpose on the first day of leukopheresis. Leukopheresis will be continued on a daily basis (up to four consecutive days) until an adequate number of peripheral blood stem cells have been collected. G-CSF will continue to be administered until leukopheresis is completed. The pheresis catheter will be discontinued when stem cell harvesting is completed. Processed cells will be frozen and stored until they are reinfused after the conditioning regimen.
7. Study treatment. Prior to the administration of the study treatment, subjects will have a double lumen PICC line placed for the administration of chemotherapy, IV fluids, blood products and the withdrawal of blood samples. The placement of a central catheter is a routine medical procedure. Subjects will then undergo conditioning which will include 4 days of intravenous fludarabine and 4 days of cyclophosphamide and 2 days of CAMPATH-1H. All drugs are FDA approved drugs. The previously collected allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells will be reinfused following the completion of the conditioning regimen.
8. Post-transplant follow-up. Subjects will have a history and physical by the transplant physician at 6 months, 12 months, and yearly for 5 years. In addition, routine urinalysis and blood testing will be performed at these same intervals to include CBC; chemistries; kidney and liver function tests; AMA; ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder, transvenous liver biopsy, lymphopheresis, and patients will also be asked to complete a SF-36 Questionnaire, NDDK-QA Questionnaire.