High platelet contamination in progenitor cell concentrates results in significantly lower CD34+yield after immunoselection

BACKGROUND: Selection of CD34+ cells by specific immunoselection leads to a significant loss of those cells. The factors influencing the yield and pur ity are not well identified. The results of CD34+ selection from peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) with high and low platelet contamination th at are harvested with two different cell separators are reported. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A progenitor cell concentrator (Ceprate SC, CellP ro) was used to select CD34+ cells from 41 PBPC concentrates from 23 consec utive patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 3), breast cancer (n = 17), and multiple myeloma (n = 3). PBPC collection was performed by us ing two cell separators (CS3000 Plus, Fenwal: Group A, n = 11; and Spectra, COBE: Group B, n = 9). To reduce platelet contamination in the Spectra PBP C concentrates, an additional low-speed centrifugation was performed before CD34+ cell selection (Group C, n = 3). Leukapheresis components were store d overnight at 4 degrees C and combined with the next day's collection befo re the CD34+ selection procedure in 19 patients. RESULTS: A median of 1.5 leukapheresis procedures per patient were performe d. Pooled PBPC concentrates showed no statistical difference in median numb ers of white cells and CD34+ cells in Groups A and B: 3.2 (0.8-9.2) versus 4.4 (1.6-8.3) x 10(10) white cells per kg and 15.0 (4.7-24.0) versus 12.0 ( 5.6-34.0) x 10(6) CD34+ cells per kg. Platelet contamination was significan tly higher in Group B: 0.67 (0.15-2.4) versus 2.3 (0.5-7.1) x 10(11) (p = 0 .0273). After the selection process, there was a significantly greater loss of CD34+ cells in Group B than in Group A: 39.1 versus 63.2 percent (p = 0 .0070), with a median purity of 78.0 percent versus 81.0 percent. An additi onal low-speed centrifugation before CD34+ cell selection seemed to reduce CD34+ cell loss in Group C with 16.9, 31.9, and 37.5 percent, respectively. CONCLUSION: CD34+ cell selection from PBPC concentrates resulted in an incr eased loss of CD34+ cells in concentrates with a higher platelet content. T o improve CD34+ yield, PBPC concentrates with an initially low platelet con tamination should be used, or additional low-speed centrifugation should be performed.