Peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation with a single apheresis in patients with lymphoma, myeloma and solid tumors

The aim of this study was to investigate if a single apheresis after peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization can be used to rescue patients receiving high dose chemotherapy (HD.CHE) as treatment for an underlying malignancy. Eighteen consecutive patients who were admitted to the transplant unit for treatment were leukapheresed following mobilization with one of the following protocols : group I : rHuG-CSF alone, group II : conventional chemotherapy (C.CHE)+rHuG-CSF or rHuGM-CSF and group III : high dose cytoxan (HD.CTX)+rHuG-CSE The optimal day for leukapheresis was determined by following white blood cell counts (WBC), mononuclear cell counts (MNC) and CD34 + cell counts daily. Granulocyte' macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFC) assay was performed at the leukapheresis product and prior to reinfusion. All patients proceeded directly to ablative therapy according to their underlying malignancy. PBPC from single apheresis were reinfused to all patients and cytokines started 24 h after infusion. Hematologic recovery after HD.CHE was the parameter used to ensure successful engraftment. We have been able to recover adequate number of PBPC for transplantation with a single apheresis in all patients. The number of infused cells were for groups I, II and III : (1) median number of MNC 4.7, 3.58 and 2.79 x10 8 /kg, respectively (2) ; median number of CD34 + cells 4.4, 2.8, 2.7 x 10 6 /kg, respectively. The median apheresis day was 6, 16 and 16, respectively. Recovery times to granulocyte count >0.5 x 10 9 /L was 9 d (range 9-12) and to platelets >20 x10 9 /L was 12 d (range 1-135) ; 17/18 patients have engrafted successfully independent of the mobilization method used. These data suggest that sufficient PBPC can be harvested at a single leukapheresis for hemopoietic rescue after myeloablative therapy. Rapid hematologic recovery occurs when cytokines alone after conventional or HD.CHE are used for mobilization. Results of collection products and hematopoietic recovery are independent of the mobilization technique used.