It will be several weeks before Jonathan Pitre finds out if his second stem-cell transplant was successful. Tina Boileau / -

The perilous wait now begins for Jonathan Pitre.

Pitre, 16, was transfused with blood and marrow drawn from his mothers hip late Thursday afternoon. The stem-cell rich material holds the power to alter the course of Pitres aggressive skin disease, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), and change his life.

So far, so good, saidPitres mother, Tina Boileau.

It will be several weeks before Pitre finds out whether the transplant has worked its magic.

While waiting for that answer, theRussell teenager will have to travel the most difficult part of his medical journey: a time when his immune system is at its lowest ebb, and when he feels the full effects of high-dose chemotherapy and radiation.

His physician, Dr. Jakub Tolar, has warned that the period represents the highest risk for complications, the most common of which are infections and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). It is a potentially life-threatening situation in which the implanted stem cells produce T-cells that attack normal cells.

In about two weeks time, doctors will start to look for signs that Boileaus stem cells have successfully established themselves in Pitres bone marrow.The presence of white blood cells is one of the earliest signs of stem-cell growth; an improvement in the condition of Pitres skin could also signal that the stem cells have started to work.

Last year, after his first stem-cell transplant, Pitre and his mother were thrilled when doctors discovered new white cells in his bloodstream. But their hopes were crushed when tests showed Pitres own stem cells had recolonized his bone marrow, and were producing the cells.

This time, Boileau said, they will wait to see more lab results before getting their hopes too high.

I think we will have that uncertainly until we know for sure through skin and bone marrow biopsies that the engraftment worked, she said.

Boileau went into surgery early Thursday morning to have blood and bone marrow drawn from her hip. She was at her sons bedside later in the afternoon to watch as the stem cells dripped through an intravenous tube connected to the right atrium of her sons heart.

If the transplant works, Boileaus stem cells will establish themselves in her sons bone marrow, grow, divide and make new blood cells equipped with the power to provide Pitre with the key protein he needs to rebuild his damaged skin.

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His stem-cell transplant complete, the wait begins for Jonathan Pitre - Ottawa Citizen

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