A pilot study of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation using related donors stimulated with G-CSF

Growth factor administration to donors prior to bone marrow (BM) harvesting results in an enrichment of the graft for myeloid precursors, In animals, growth factor-primed BM has a higher repopulating ability than untreated BM, Ten patients received an HLA-identical sibling, allogeneic transplant using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-stimulated BM. Stimulation consisted of G-CSF at 10 mu g/kg/day for 2 days prior to harvest, Patients were transplanted for various benign and malignant hematological conditions, The GVHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine, methotrexate and/or prednisone, Compared to untreated historical control BM, stimulated BM infusions contained similar number of nucleated cells (mean +/- s.d.: 3.5 +/- 1.5 vs 4.0 +/- 0.9 x 10(8)/kg), CD34(+) cells (mean +/- s.d.: 7.5 +/- 3.0 vs 9.4 +/- 6.7 x 10(6)/kg), and CD3(+) cells (mean +/- s.d.: 129 +/- 30 vs 190 +/- 59 x 10(6)/kg) but higher numbers of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (mean +/- s.d.: 20 +/- 12 vs 96 +/- 34 x 10(4)/kg). Patients receiving stimulated BM had prompt and stable engraftment of white cells and platelets, On average they attained an ANC of greater than or equal to 1 x 10(9)/l 9 days earlier and a platelet count of greater than or equal to 20 x 10(9)/l 6 days earlier than historical controls receiving unstimulated HLA-identical sibling BM, Hospitalization was shortened by a mean of 10 days and transfusion requirements were modest, None of the patients developed severe GVHD or disease relapse, Two patients died of severe VOD post-BMT and thus were unevaluable for platelet engraftment, A third patient died of TTP on day 76 post-BMT, Seven patients are alive and well 49-585 days post-BMT, Stimulated BM may provide a valuable alternative to allogeneic BM and PBSC transplants, Ideal stimulation regimens need to be investigated.