High-dose therapy and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation: effects of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on the autograft

Between June 1989 and June 1992, 144 patients participated in sequential clinical trials using peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBC) as their sole source of hematopoietic rescue following high-dose chemotherapy. All patients had received prior extensive combination chemotherapy and had marrow defects that precluded autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). PBC were collected according to a single apheresis protocol. The initial 86 patients (group 1) had PBC collected without mobilization. Beginning in April 1991, PBC were mobilized solely with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rHuGM-CSF). Thirty-four patients (group 2) received rHuGM-CSF at a dose of 125 micrograms/m2/d by continuous intravenous infusion, and 24 patients (group 3) received rHuGM-CSF at a dose of 250 micrograms/m2/d by continuous intravenous infusion. Patients underwent at least six aphereses and had a minimum of 6.5 x 10(8) mononuclear cells (MNC)/kg collected. Cytokines were not routinely administered immediately after transplantation. A median of nine aphereses were required to collect PBC in group 1 and seven aphereses for groups 2 and 3 (P = .03). The time required to recover 0.5 x 10(9)/L granulocytes after transplant was significantly shorter (P = .0004) for the mobilized groups; the median time to recovery was 26 days for group 1, 23 days for group 2, and 18 days for group 3. Transplantation of PBC mobilized with rHuGM-CSF resulted in a shorter time to platelet (P = .04) and red blood cell (P = .01) transfusion independence. Mobilization with rHuGM-CSF alone resulted in efficient collection of PBC, that provided rapid and sustained restoration of hematopoietic function following high-dose chemotherapy. Mobilization of PBC with rHuGM-CSF alone is an effective method for patients who have received prior chemotherapy and have bone marrow abnormalities.