Cancer Support

we are still waiting on the chimerism and immune function results. I would expect the chimerism test would show he is all donor though, in this case his sister's cells.

Just googled chimerism, I know the preferred outcome of basic test results are 100% donor, which they had been after the first transplant. When my husband relapsed the mix had fallen from 100% donor to 60% donor and 40% his own cells, not something you want to happen, the initially undetected leukemia cells fought their way back.

But so far so good

How is your relative doing, is there a date for the transplant? If you can relieve some stress by managing some of the financial issues that is a great thing! Please let us know how things are going


http://www.seattlecca.org/Chimerism-Testing.cfm


Chimerism-Testing

Chimerism Testing/Engraftment Analysis


"A Chimera was a creature in Greek mythology usually represented as a composite of a lion, goat, and serpent. Contemporary use of the term “chimerism” in hematopoietic cell transplant derives from this idea of a “mixed” entity, referring to someone who has received a transplant of genetically different tissue. A test for chimerism after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant involves identifying the genetic profiles of the recipient and of the donor and then evaluating the extent of mixture in the recipient’s blood, bone marrow, or other tissue.

Chimerism testing (engraftment analysis) by DNA employs methodology commonly used in human identity testing and is accomplished by the analysis of genomic polymorphisms called short tandem repeat (STR) loci. These loci consist of a core DNA sequence that is repeated a variable number of times within a discrete genetic locus. The term STR, also referred to as microsatellites, relates to the number of base pairs of a tandemly repeated core DNA sequence which ranges from 2-8 base pairs in length. These loci exhibit alleles that may differ in length between individuals and are inherited as codominant Mendelian traits. STR loci have been identified throughout the human genome and some loci have more than 25 alleles..."