PEDIATRIC PERIPHERAL-BLOOD PROGENITOR-CELL COLLECTION - HEMONETICS MCS 3P VERSUS COBE SPECTRA VERUS FRESENIUS AS104

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of apheresis machines are becoming av ailable for peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection in chil dren. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: At the Children's Hospital of Florence (Italy), three apheresis machines were evaluated: MCS 3P (Haemonetics ) (10 procedures in 4 patients, aged 10-12 years, weight 23.5-64 kg), Spectra, (CORE) (8 procedures in 3 patients, aged 4-17 years, weight 1 9-59 kg), and AS104 (Fresenius) (24 procedures in 9 patients, aged 2-1 6 years, weight 13.6-60 kg). For PBPC quantitative analysis, CD34 cyto fluorimetry was employed. Relevant variables analyzed included efficie ncy of CD34+ cell extraction and enrichment, mononuclear cell purity a nd red cell contamination of the apheresis components, and platelet co unt decreases after leukapheresis. RESULTS: No significant differences in CD34+ cell-extraction abilities were found. However, the AS104 pro vided consistently purer leukapheresis components in terms of mononucl ear cell and CD34+ cell enrichment (441 +/- 59%, vs. 240 +/- 35% and 2 90 +/- 42% for MCS 3P and Spectra, respectively). Postapheresis platel et counts dropped the least with the AS104. The smallest patient who u nderwent apheresis with MCS 3P (the only machine working on discontinu ous flow and hence with greater volume shifts) weighed 23.5 kg and tol erated the procedure well, with no signs of hemodynamic instability. N o significant complications were observed. CONCLUSION: All machines se em to have comparable PRPC extraction efficiency but the AS104 seems t o give the component with the greatest PBPC enrichment. This feature m ight be relevant for further ex vivo cell processing (CD34+ cell selec tion, expansion, and so on).