AUTOLOGOUS PLATELET TRANSFUSION IN ALLOIMMUNIZED PATIENTS WITH ACUTE-LEUKEMIA

Seventy-eight transfusions of autologous platelets were given to eight alloimmunized patients receiving curative chemotherapy for acute leuk emia. Platelets were collected at regeneration of hematopoiesis after a chemotherapy cycle, cryopreserved with 5% dimethylsulfoxide in liqui d nitrogen, and retransfused during bone marrow aplasia following the next treatment cycle. The in vitro platelet recovery after freezing, t hawing, and washing was 85+/-4%. The in vivo corrected count increment 1 h after autologous platelet transfusions was 11+/-5 x 10(9)/l. With the exception of moderate urticaria and slight nausea each after one transfusion, no immediate or chronic side effects occurred. The bleedi ng time was shortened and hemorrhage during bone marrow aplasia was pr evented in all alloimmunized patients by autologous platelet transfusi ons.