Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilized whole blood containing over 0.3 x 106/kg CD34+ cells is a sufficient graft in autologous transplantation for relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

• Published in: British journal of haematology Vol. 118; no. 1; pp. 90 - 100
• Main Authors: JONKHOFF, Andries R, DE KREUK, Arne M, FRANSCHMAN, Gaby, VAN DER LELIE, Johannes, SCHUURHUIS, Gerrit J, DRÄGER, Angelika M, ZWEEGMAN, Sonja, HUIJGENS, Peter C, OSSENKOPPELE, Gert J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell 01.07.2002
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Antigens, CD34; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; Female; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor - therapeutic use; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - surgery; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Recurrence; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Transplantation Conditioning; Transplantation, Autologous; Human; Relapse; Stem cell; Cytokine; Hematopoietic cell; Malignant hemopathy; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Mobilization; Autograft; Granulocyte colony stimulating factor; Treatment; Polypeptide; Hematopoiesis; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Engraftment; Graft; Reconstitution
• ISSN: 0007-1048; 1365-2141

The feasibility of unprocessed, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized whole blood (WB) as an alternative stem cell source for autologous stem cell transplantation was studied. Forty-seven relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients entered the study. After two or three ifosfamide, methotrexate and etoposide (IMVP) courses, 1 l of G-CSF-mobilized WB was collected and stored refrigerated for 72 h. Meanwhile, BAM conditioning was given: BCNU (carmustine) 300 mg/m(2), high-dose cytarabine 6000 mg/m(2) and melphalan 140 mg/m(2). Toxicity, haematological recovery and survival were assessed and compared with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) reference groups. High-dose G-CSF (2 x 12 microg/kg/d) gave the best mobilization results. Haematological recovery was related to the WB CD34+ content. A CD34+ threshold of >or= 0.3 10(6)/kg, obtained in 90% of patients using high-dose G-CSF, correlated with adequate recovery: absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 0.5 x 10(9)/l: median 12 d (range 9-19). Platelet recovery > 20 and > 50 x 10(9)/l was 19 (11-59) and 30 d (14 not reached) respectively. Overall survival of patients < 60 years was 57% at 4 years and event-free survival was 32%. Survival was comparable with PBSCT and BMT after BEAM (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan). Remarkably, haematological recovery after BAM + WB was rapid and comparable (ANC) or slightly prolonged (platelets) in comparison with BEAM + PBSCT, despite a 10-20 times lower CD34+ cell dose in the WB graft. In conclusion, transplantation of WB containing >or= 0.3 x 10(6)/kg CD34+ cells after BAM conditioning is a safe procedure, and offers a fully equivalent and less costly alternative for PBSC.