HIGHLY FLUORESCENT RETICULOCYTES AFTER CD34(-BLOOD PROGENITOR-CELL TRANSPLANTATION() PERIPHERAL)

Highly fluorescent reticulocyte (HFR) counts were evaluated in 13 cons ecutive patients affected by hematological malignancies and submitted to autologous selected CD34(+) peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation. Results were compared with a historical group of pat ients comparable for age, disease and conditioning regimen submitted t o unfractionated PBPC transplantation. HFR counts of the CD34(+) group declined to an undetectable level from day +4 to day +10 when they be came detectable and reached 5% of total reticulocyte count by day +12, In the historical group, the nadir was identical but the recovery was faster (day +9), Total reticulocyte count >1% was achieved at days +1 7 and +11, respectively, The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) recovery was identical in both groups, achieving a value >0.5 x 10(9)/l at day +13 after reinfusion. Hence, in the historical group, HFR count gave a dvance notice of complete and stable hemopoietic engraftment while in the CD34(+) group HFR and ANC count showed almost simultaneous recover y.