Abstract: Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.Methods Nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were enrolled in this study.Patients were given cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF)as the mobilization regimen.Urine was alkalinized and hydrolyzed to protect the function of the heart,liver and kidney of the patients.A CS3000 Plus blood cell separator was used to collect peripheral blood stem cells,which were preserved in liquid nitrogen.Two to five days before the administration of the stem cells,the patients were pretreated with intravenous injection of cyclophosphamide (50 mg·kg^-1·day^-1) for 4 consecutive days and antithymocyte globulin (ATG,2.5 mg·kg^-1·day^-1) for 3 consecutive days.Granulocytes were recoverd by G-CSF stimulation.Then,the peripheral blood stem cells were reinfused.Therapeutic effect was evaluated by assessment of alteration of clinical manifestation (skin erythema),levels of proteinuria and antoantibodies,hematopoietic reconstitution and occurrence of transplantation related complications.Results After transplantation,all patients had been successfully engrafted.The time for peripheral leucocyte count to reach 1.0×10⁹/L was 7～15d;the time for platelets to reach 20×10⁹/L was 0～21 d.The skin erythema resolved in all patients;proteinuria decreased to normal level and the autoantibodies became negative in most of the patients.Serum sickness-like response occurred in all patients,renal and heart failure in 1 patient,hemorrhagic cystitis in 3 patients,psychiatric disorders in 1 patient,candidal infection in 1 patient.Conclusion One-year follow up suggests that autologous stem cell transplantation is markedly effective and relatively safe for systemic lupus erythematosus.However,the duration of remission remains to be investigated in a long-term follow up study.

Key words: Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, Transplantation,autologous, Lupus erythematosus,systemic