[Collection and transfusion of peripheral blood stem cells]

Harvesting of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) by cytapheresis was performed in 57 patients, who underwent chemotherapy. The best yields were obtained when the leukocyte count was above 1 x 10(9)/l and the platelet count was raised above 80 x 10(9)/l. Using a Haemonetics V-50 or a Baxter CS-3000, 374 PBSC-aphereses were performed with a median of six aphereses per patient. The median number of PBSC (CFU-GM) retransfused in 22 patients who received PBSC for hematological reconstitution only was 3.26 x 10(4)/kg. For 22 patients who received autologous bone marrow plus BPSC, the median number of retransfused PBSC was 2.14 x 10(4)/kg. Myeloid engraftment was achieved in all patients, but megakaryopoiesis was delayed when the number of PBSC was less than 5.0 x 10(4)/kg. The results demonstrate that harvesting of a sufficient number of PBSC after chemotherapy is feasible but further measures like the use of rh GM-CSF will be necessary to reduce apheresis procedures and to obtain high yields to ensure rapid and complete engraftment.