Peripheral blood progenitor cells for autologous transplant in children

Autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation has become an accepted procedure to support high dose chemotherapy in adults and children with cancer. The use of hematopoietic growth factors alone for mobilization of PBSC avoids the potential side effects of myelotoxic regimens and is as effective in reconstituting hematopoiesis as other mobilization methods. Many problems associated with apheresis procedures arise when PBPCs are harvested in small children. Large-volume-leukapheresis using a continuous flow blood cell separator allows us the collection of peripheral blood stem cells in children, even in the small ones. The speed of hematological recovery highly correlates with the number of CD34+ infused cells. We consider that a CD34+ cell dose of 5.0 x 10(6)/kg may be sufficient to ensure a rapid neutrophil and platelet recovery in pediatric patients mobilized by G-CSF.