FILGRASTIM-MOBILIZED PERIPHERAL-BLOOD STEM-CELLS CAN BE STORED AT 4-DEGREES AND USED IN AUTOGRAFTS TO RESCUE HIGH-DOSE CHEMOTHERAPY

We studied 21 filgrastim (G-CSF)-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) apheresis products obtained from seven patients, and stored at 4 degrees C for periods of up to 96 hr prior to their reinfusion, to rescue high-dose chemotherapy. The apheresis products contained a median of 106 x 10(8)/L mononuclear cells (MNC), 14.6% of them displaying the CD34 antigen; the viability was over 90% in all samples studied at 24, 48, and 72 hr after harvesting. These PBSC were successfully used to rescue high-dose chemotherapy; patients received a median of 4.8 x 10(8)/Kg MNC; the median time to achieve >500 granulocytes was 14 days (range 11-26) and the median time to achieve >20,000 platelets was 20 days (range 11-40). Since autologous transplants with nonfrozen PBSC are feasible and less costly than those using frozen PBSC, restrictions to PBSC autotransplant programs may be overcome and costs may be diminished. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.