RED-CELL DEPLETION OF UMBILICAL-CORD BLOOD (UCB) - COMPARISON BETWEENUNMANIPULATED AND RED CELL-DEPLETED UCB BY FICOLL-PAQUE DENSITY GRADIENT SEPARATION

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood (UCB) represent an alternative so urce of cells for clinical transplantation. Many issues remain unsolve d with regard to their collection, manipulation, and storage. In this study, we attempted to compare the effect of red cell depletion by Fic oll-Paque density gradient separation versus unmanipulated cord blood stem cells postthawing. We found no statistical difference between the two technologies when comparing viability, 98.6 +/- 0.3% versus 99.1 a 0.42% (p = < 0.16); CD34+/CD38+, 1.6 +/- 0.13% versus 1.2 +/- 0.17% (p = < 0.13); HLA DR+/CD34+, 1.8 +/- 0.15% versus 1.9 +/- 0.21% (p = < 0.6); blast colonies, 8.0 +/- 1.5 versus 12.2 +/- 2.1 (p < 0.15); CFU -GEMM colonies, 143.7 +/- 27.9 versus 80.7 (p = < 0.10); CFU-GM coloni es, 101.2 +/- 23 versus 173 +/- 23.2 (p = < 0.07). There was a statist ical difference in the content of CD34+/CD38+, 1.6 +/- 0.14% versus 1. 2 +/- 0.14% (p = < 0.05), and the BFU-E colonies, 96 +/- 29.8 versus 1 65 +/- 23.9 (p = < 0.03). We conclude that red cell depletion using Fi coll-Paque gradient separation preserves viability of progenitor cells , as evidenced by immunophenotyping and colony assays.