Autografting with blood progenitor cells : predictive value of preapheresis blood cell counts on progenitor cell harvest and correlation of the reinfused cell dose with hematopoietic reconstitution

• Published in: Annals of hematology 1995-11, Vol.71 (5), p.227-234
• Main Authors: SCHWELLA, N, SIEGERT, W, BEYER, J, RICK, O, ZINGSEM, J, ECKSTEIN, R, SERKE, S, HUHN, D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Antigens, CD34 - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; Female; Graft Survival; Granulocytes; Hematopoiesis; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Leukapheresis; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes - immunology; Macrophages; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - therapy; Platelet Count; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Transplantation, Autologous
• ISSN: 0939-5555; 1432-0584
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01744372

One hundred and nine patients suffering from various malignancies underwent 285 apheresis procedures for PBPC collection. A median of two leukaphereses (range: 2-5) resulted in median numbers of 4.6 x 10(8) MNC/kg, 14.1 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg, and 6.0 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg. Preleukapheresis peripheral blood CD34+ cells correlated significantly with collected CD34+ cells/kg (r = 0.94; p < 0.0001) and with CFU-GM/kg (r = 0.52; p < 0.0001). A value > 4 x 10(4) CD34+ cells/ml was highly predictive for a collection yield > 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg harvested by a single leukapheresis. Sixty patients were evaluated for hematologic reconstitution and engrafted in a median time of 10 days for WBC > 1.0 x 10(9)/l (range: 7-21 days), 10 days for ANC > 0.5 x 10(9)/l (7-20) and 11 days for PLT > 20 x 10(9)/l (7-62). Reinfused CD34+ cells/kg correlated significantly with hematologic engraftment (r = 0.44-0.52 and p < 0.006-0.001) as well as CFU-GM/kg (r = 0.36-0.44 and p < 0.007-0.001). A progenitor cell dose > 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg or > 8.0 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg led to a significantly faster recovery for WBC, ANC, and PLT when compared with patients receiving < 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg or < 8.0 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg. We conclude that rapid hematopoietic engraftment after high-dose therapy and PBPC reinfusion correlates well with a progenitor cell dose > 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg or > 8.0 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg, and that above a preleukapheresis threshold of 4 x 10(4) CD34+ cells/ml a PBPC autograft containing > 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg can be collected by a single leukapheresis. We suggest that patients recovering from myelosuppression should be monitored for CD34+ cells in serial blood samples to determine the course of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells. This issue will help to define the optimal time point to start apheresis and to predict a PBPC autograft harvested by a single leukapheresis, which will lead to rapid and stable hematopoietic reconstitution following transplantation.