Treatment of Bone Marrow to Prevent Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Patients With Acute or Chronic Leukemia Undergoing Bone Marrow Transplantation

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of one of the following:

  * Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in first early relapse, second remission, or subsequent remission
  * AML in first complete remission with one of the following adverse features:

    * Antecedent hematologic disorder such as myelodysplasia
    * AML resulting from prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy
    * More than 1 course of induction chemotherapy to achieve remission or adverse cytogenetics such as Philadelphia chromosome 9:22, +8, +11; abnormal 12p; or deletions of chromosomes 5, 7, or 20 (3:3)
  * ALL in first complete remission with poor risk cytogenetics such as

    * Philadelphia chromosome 9:22, 8:14, or 4:11 OR
    * WBC greater than 100,000/mm3 OR
    * Time to achieve complete remission more than 4 weeks
  * Chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic or accelerated phase
  * Myelodysplastic syndromes

    * Refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) OR
    * RAEB in transformation
* Unrelated bone marrow donor available

  * If matched at 6 of 6 HLA-A, -B, and -DR loci, patient must be 12 to 50 years
  * If matched at 5 of 6 loci, patient must be 12 to 35 years
* No matched sibling donor available
* No uncontrolled CNS leukemia

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* See Disease Characteristics
* 12 to 50

Performance status:

* Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT or SGPT less than 2.5 times ULN

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* LVEF greater than 50% without medication

Pulmonary:

* DLCO and FVC at least 50% predicted

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other serious medical illness
* No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
* No uncontrolled and/or active infection
* HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered
* At least 1 year since prior autologous transplantation
* No prior allogeneic transplantation

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (except hydroxyurea) and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy and recovered

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* No prior radiotherapy at doses that would preclude study

Surgery:

* Not specified