Does body mass index affect stem cell yield in healthy donors?

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Transplant Immunology
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is vital for treating hematologic diseases.
• Donor factors influencing hematopoietic progenitor cell yield require further investigation.
• Existing research on donor Body Mass Index (BMI) and its impact on stem cell mobilization is limited and conflicting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between donor BMI and hematopoietic progenitor cell yield.
• To analyze how BMI affects the efficacy of stem cell mobilization in healthy donors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 665 healthy donors, categorized by BMI (<25 kg/m² and ≥25 kg/m²).
• Evaluation of demographic data, smoking habits, blood groups, mobilization agents, apheresis parameters, and biochemical markers.
• Statistical comparison of stem cell yields (CD34+ cells) between BMI groups.

Main Results:

• Donors with BMI ≥25 kg/m² exhibited a statistically significant higher median CD34+ stem cell count (7.1 × 10⁶/kg on day 1 and 7.58 × 10⁶/kg total).
• Fewer apheresis days were required for donors in the higher BMI group.
• No significant differences were observed in smoking habits, blood groups, mobilization agents, processed blood volume, or most biochemical parameters (except LDH).

Conclusions:

• Donor BMI is a significant factor correlating with CD34+ stem cell yield in healthy individuals.
• Higher BMI in donors may be associated with enhanced stem cell mobilization efficiency.
• These findings can inform donor selection and apheresis protocols to optimize stem cell collection for HSCT.