EVALUATION OF A NEW PROTOCOL FOR PERIPHERAL-BLOOD STEM-CELL COLLECTION WITH THE FRESENIUS-AS-104 CELL SEPARATOR

In this report we analyzed sixty leukapheresis procedures on 35 patien ts with a new protocol for the Fresenius AS 101. Yields and efficienci es for MNC. CD 34+ cells, and CFU-GM indicate that the new protocol is able to collect large quantities of hemopoietic progenitors. Procedur es were performed processing 8.69 +/- 2.8 liters of whole blood per ap heresis and modifying 3 parameters: spillover-volume 7 ml. buffy-coat volume 11.5 ml, centrifuge speed 1,500 rpm: blood flow rate was 50 ml/ min and the anticoagulant ratio was 1:12. No side effects were observe d during apheresis procedures except for transient paresthesia episode s promptly resolved with the administration of calcium gluconate. Yiel ds show a high capacity of the new program to collect on average MNC 1 7.28 +/- 10.85 x 10(9), CD 34+ 471 +/- 553.5 x 10(6) and CFU-GM 1278.7 +/- 1346.3 x 10(4) per procedure. Separator collection efficiency on average was 49.91 +/- 23.28% for MNC, 55.1 +/- 35.66% for CFU-CM, and 62.97 +/- 23.09% for CD 33+ cells. Particularly interesting are result s for MNC yields and CD 34+ efficiency; these results make the new pro gram advantageous or similar to the most progressive blood cell separa tors and capable to collect a sufficient number of progenitor cells fo r a graft with a mean of 1.80 +/- 0.98 procedures per patient. (C) 199 7 Wiley-Liss, Inc.