Tandem Orthotopic Living Donor Liver Transplantation Followed by Same Donor Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for DOCK8 Deficiency: Tandem Liver and Bone Marrow Transplant in DOCK8 Deficiency.

BACKGROUND An 11-year old girl with DOCK8 deficiency was proposed for potentially curative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the donor being her haploidentical mother. However, end-stage liver disease, caused by chronic Cryptosporidium infection required liver transplantation before HSCT. METHODS Consequently, a staged approach of a sequential liver transplant followed by a HSCT was planned, with her mother as the donor for both liver and HSCT. RESULTS The patient successfully underwent a left lobe orthotopic liver transplant, however, she developed a biliary leak delaying the HSCT. Notably, the recipient demonstrated 3 percent donor lymphocyte chimerism in her peripheral blood immediately prior to HSCT. Haploidentical related donor HSCT performed two months after liver transplantation was complicated by the development of acyclovir-resistant HSV viremia, primary graft failure, and sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS). The patient died from SOS associated multiorgan failure with Candida sepsis on day +40 following HSCT. CONCLUSIONS We discuss the many considerations inherent to planning for HSCT preceded by liver transplant in patients with primary immunodeficiencies, including the role of prolonged immunosuppression and the risk of infection prior to immune reconstitution. We also discuss the implications of potential recipient sensitization against donor stem cells precipitated by exposure of the recipient to the donor lymphocytes from the transplanted organ.