ANALYSIS OF APHERESIS CONTENT OF PROGENITOR-CELL COLLECTIONS FROM NORMAL DONORS TO WHOM GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR IS ADMINISTERED

Background: Allogeneic blood cell transplantation is a new alternative to bone marrow transplantation. Preliminary data suggest that granulo cyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized peripheral blood prog enitor cells from normal donors can provide rapid hematopoietic engraf tment without significant increases in transplant-related morbidity. P otential advantages to donors include the elimination of an operation under general anesthesia. Study Design and Methods: Twenty-one normal donors underwent high-dose (16 mu g/kg/day for 5 days) G-CSF mobilizat ion, Apheresis was performed on the fifth and sixth days of G-CSF admi nistration, and apheresis components were analyzed by flow cytometry. Donor characteristics in relationship to apheresis yields were also an alyzed. Results: Apheresis components were analyzed according to donor weight. The median total numbers of white cells per kg, CD34+ cells p er kg, and CD3+ cells per kg were 10.8 x 10(8), 7.2 x 10(6), and 295 x 10(6), respectively. Day 5 collections had significantly higher nucle ated cell content and median CD34+ percentages than did Day 6 collecti ons (0.71% on Day 5 vs. 0.58% on Day 6, p<0.01). CD34+ content and tot al white cells were not related to age or sex. No donors experienced t oxic effects that required their removal from the study. Conclusion: D ay 5 is the optimal day for the harvest of normal-donor peripheral blo od progenitor cells after mobilization with high-dose G-CSF. Older ind ividuals are acceptable donors of allogeneic progenitor cells.