SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION USING CRYOPRESERVATION BY IMMERSION IN A METHANOL BATH

A simplified method to remove and cryopreserve peripheral blood stem c ells (PBSC) was utilised to restore the bone marrow in 31 patients wit h haematological or solid neoplasms after ablative chemotherapy, Mobil ization was performed with subcutaneous G-CSF, starting 4 days before the first PBSC harvest and continuing to the last day of harvest, Cryo preservation was carried out by freezing cells to -80 degrees C after addition of autologous fresh plasma with DMSO, in a methanol bath and non-programmed freezer, The PBSC were reinfused in all cases, The mean quantity of CD34 cell (x 10(6)/kg) infused was 6.5 +/- 6.7, The mean number of procedures needed to harvest an appropriate number of PBSC w as 3.6 +/- 1.3, The mean times necessary to recover more than 0.5 x 10 (9)/l granulocytes were 11 +/- 4 (8-30) days and 23 +/- 13 (8-55) days to obtain more than 20 x 10(9)/l platelets, These results confirm our method as very effective in achieving a high-quality harvest, and it was used in paediatric and adult patients without problems, This proce dure, using a non-programmed freezer, simplifies and reduces enormousl y the cost of the technical measures currently used, enabling their ad option in almost any clinical oncological institution.