COMPARISON OF 2 BLOOD-CELL SEPARATORS IN COLLECTING PERIPHERAL-BLOOD STEM-CELL COMPONENTS

TO ensure that a sufficient number of CD34+ cells are collected for an allogeneic blood progenitor cell transplant, the most effective blood cell separator should be used to collect peripheral blood stem cell ( PBSC) components. We compared the effectiveness of two blood cell sepa rators. We gave 29 healthy people 7.5 or 10 mu gkg(-1) of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) daily for 5 days and collected one P BSC component with either a Fenwal CS3000 (n = 15) or a Cobe Spectra ( n = 14) blood cell separator. The volume of blood processed was the sa me for each machine (8.4 +/- 1.0L; range = 4.9 - 9.4L for the CS3000 a nd 8.9 +/- 1.0L; range 6.7 - 10.9L; P = 0.71). The components collecte d with the CS3000 contained more mononuclear cells (39.6 +/- 21.9 x 10 (9) compared with 26.9 +/- 5.6 x 10(9), P = 0.02) and fewer neutrophil s (1.38 +/- 1.88 x 10(9) compared with 5.53 is 8.71 x 10(9), P = 0.001 ). The total number of CD34+ cells collected with the two instruments was the same (470 +/- 353 x 10(6) for the CS3000 and 419 +/- 351 x 10( 6) for the Spectra; P = 0.64) as was the number of CD34+ cells collect ed per Litre of whole blood processed (55.9 +/- 42.0 x 10(6)L(-1) comp ared with 45.9 +/- 37.9 x 10(6)L(-1); P = 0.59). The mononuclear cell collection efficiency was greater for the CS3000 (82.4 +/- 54.9% compa red with 53.3 +/- 14.1; P = 0.04) but the CD34+ cell collection effici encies were the same (87.4 +/- 61.1% for the CS3000 compared with 56.3 + 23.5% for the Spectra; P = 0.07). In conclusion, both blood cell se parators collected components which contained large numbers of CD34+ c ells, but those collected with the CS3000 contained fewer neutrophils and the CS3000 was more efficient at collecting mononuclear cells.