Quantification of residual dimethyl sulfoxide in supernatants of haematopoietic stem cells by capillary zone electrophoresis

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a chemical compound that is used to preserve h aematopoietic stem cells during freezing at -180 degrees C. As DMSO is larg ely removed by washing before reinjection of cells into a patient, accident s (notably cardiovascular) are infrequent. The lack of a method for evaluat ing the residual quantities of this product led us to develop a technique f or assaying DMSO by capillary zone electrophoresis without extraction. This simple, rapid and precise technique was applied to the supernatant of cell pellets of thirteen patients before and after washing. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.