{"id":9874,"date":"2023-01-26T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.new.pbkm.pl\/pregnancy-zone-2\/%pregnancy_zone_category%\/the-story-of-antek-who-had-his-own-stem-cells-transplanted"},"modified":"2023-01-26T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T06:00:00","slug":"the-story-of-antek-who-had-his-own-stem-cells-transplanted","status":"publish","type":"pregnancy_zone","link":"https:\/\/www.pbkm.pl\/en\/pregnancy-zone-2\/good-to-know\/the-story-of-antek-who-had-his-own-stem-cells-transplanted","title":{"rendered":"The story of Antek, who had his own stem cells transplanted"},"content":{"rendered":"

In December 2017, a 3-year-old boy, Anto\u015b, was admitted to one of the hospitals. Anto\u015b had a very high fever, which could not be brought down with medication. The diagnosis: a severe form of aplastic anemia. The boy urgently needed a bone marrow transplant, as any infection could prove fatal for him. Fortunately, during Antek’s delivery, his Parents secured stem cells from umbilical cord blood, which could be transplanted into the boy. ,,<\/em>Of all the methods of treating Anto\u015b, this method turned out to be the most optimal for Antosia – a transplant of stem cells taken during Antosia’s birth.” – said Mr. Bartek, the boy’s dad. <\/i>Antek was treated with his own stem cells from cord blood, which saved his life. <\/p>\n

Aplastic anemia-what is the disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Aplastic anemia, or aplastic anemia, is a disease of the bone marrow.
\nIn its course, the production of blood cells is impaired, leading to so-called “pancytopenia.
\npancytopenia.
\nThe number of platelets, erythrocytes and white blood cells (leukocytes) is reduced.
\nAplastic anemia can be congenital or acquired.
\nIt can also be the result of various other diseases, such as viral diseases.
\nSymptoms of aplastic anemia include all symptoms that result from a deficiency of blood morphotic elements.
\nSymptoms of an insufficient number of erythrocytes include shortness of breath, impaired concentration, weakness, dizziness or pale skin.
\nReduced white blood cell count carries immune disorders, susceptibility to infections or fever.
\nThrombocytopenia, on the other hand, can manifest as skin and mucosal bleeding, petechiae or bleeding gums, for example.
\nTreatment of aplastic anemia depends on the course and severity of the disease.
\nIn the case of severe symptoms, it is necessary to implement specialized hematological treatment.
\nThe treatments used include.
\nimmunosuppressive treatment, as well as bone marrow transplantation.
\nOne method is to treat aplastic anemia using the patient’s own stem cells, with the goal of stimulating the bone marrow to produce blood cells.
\nWithout the implementation of appropriate treatment, aplastic anemia is a fatal disease.
\nPatients usually die from severe bacterial or fungal infections. <\/p>\n

What is the story of Antek?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Antek was born as a healthy boy.
\nUntil the age of 3.
\nyear of life he developed normally.
\nThe first symptoms of the boy’s illness that the Parents noticed were immune disorders, prolonged fevers and numerous infections.
\nEach, for others trivial infection, Antek passed with high temperature and severe symptoms.
\nIn addition, he also developed weakness and a complete lack of energy.
\nIn the course of one of the infections Anto\u015b ended up in the hospital.
\nIn the laboratory tests performed there, the blood showed leukopenia (too low a number of white blood cells), thrombocytopenia and anemia.
\nThus, specialists diagnosed Antos with acquired aplastic anemia.
\nDue to the severity of the boy’s disease, the search for the most optimal treatment began.
\nOne possibility was a bone marrow transplant from a related donor (allogeneic transplant), but Antek’s sister, a tissue match to the boy, was too small to be a bone marrow donor.
\nAnother option was to use severe immunosuppression, but the effectiveness of this therapy only applies to 1\/3 of children.
\nThe best option for the boy was to use his own stem cells, allowing for less aggressive immunosuppressive treatment, which would have brought complications for the child.
\nDoctors suggested to Anto\u015b’s parents to use his own stem cells from umbilical cord blood, which were collected at the boy’s birth, in the treatment.
\nAfter the initial phase of treatment, autologous stem cells were transplanted into the child using lighter immunosuppression.  <\/p>\n

Effects of Antek’s treatment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The boy was 3 years old at the time of diagnosis of aplastic anemia.
\nOn admission to the hospital, he had virtually no immunity.
\nHe easily caught all sorts of infections, harmless for other children, among others.
\near infections.
\nAfter doctors suggested a treatment method using their own stem cells, Antek’s parents did not hesitate, wanting to help their child return to full strength.
\nAlready on day 39.
\nday after the transplantation of his own stem cells, the number of leukocytes in his blood increased.  ”The very fact that the bone marrow started to work, that the stem cells, that this transplant helped Antos was an incredible joy for us,” said Mrs. Malgosia, Antos’ mother. Bone marrow biopsies taken after the transplant showed normal function of the boy’s bone marrow and production of blood cells. Twenty months after the transplant, no abnormalities were found in Anto\u015b’ blood count results. The boy is developing normally, he is an active child, full of energy and strength. Stem cells from the umbilical cord blood taken at his birth saved his life. Without the implementation of appropriate treatment, the boy was at risk of any even trivial infection, which could lead to death. <\/p>\n