Large-volume leukapheresis using femoral venous access for harvesting peripheral blood stem cells with the fenwal CS 3000 plus from normal healthy donors: Predictors of CD34+ cell yield and collection efficiency

The current paper reports on the predicting factors associated with satisfactory peripheral blood stem cell collection and the efficacy of large-volume leukapheresis (LVL) using femoral vein catheterization to harvest PBSCs with Fenwal CS 3000 Plus from normal healthy donors for allogeneic transplantation. A total of 113 apheresis procedures in 57 patients were performed. The median number of MNCs, CD3+ cells, and CD34+ cells harvested per apheresis was 5.3x10(8)/kg (range, 0.3-11.0x10(8)/kg), 3.0x10(8)/kg (range, 0.2-6.6x10(8)/kg), and 7.9x10(6)/kg (range, 0.1-188.9x10(6)/kg), respectively. The median collection efficiency of MNCs and CD34+ cells was 49.8% and 49.7%, respectively. A highly significant correlation was found between the collected CD34+ cell counts and the pre-apheresis WBC counts in the donors (P=0.013), and between the collected CD34+ cell counts and the pre-apheresis peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ cell counts (P<0.001). Harvesting at least >4x10(6)/kg CD34+ cells from the 1st LVL was achieved in 44 (77.2%) out of 57 donors and in 19 (90.5%) out of 21 donors with a PB-CD34+ cell count of >40/mul. There was no significant difference in the harvested MNC and CD34+ cell counts between the 1st and 2nd apheresis. The catheter-related complications included catheter obstruction (n=2) and hematoma at the insertion site (n=3). Accordingly, LVL using femoral venous access for allogeneic PBSC collection from normal healthy donors would appear to be safe and effective.