High-dose cyclophosphamide without stem cell transplantation in systemic lupus erythematosus.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is increasingly being studied as a treatment for severe autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). High-dose cyclophosphamide, the foundation of virtually all conditioning regimens for stem cell transplantation, is not myeloablative; therefore, when high-dose cyclophosphamide is used alone, autografting, with its potential for reinfusing autoreactive effector cells, is not required. We undertook this study to investigate the safety and efficacy of high-dose cyclophosphamide without stem cell transplantation in refractory SLE.