Preharvest CD34+ count correlates with total number of collected CD34+ cells/kg

07-11-2006

According to a study from Denmark, "Myeloablative chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may improve long-term Survival in children with disseminated neuroblastoma. In children it is important to be able to ascertain when to start the leukopheresis in order to keep the number of procedures to a minimum."

"Twenty-three children with high-risk neuroblastoma with a median weight of 13 kg (range 8-16 kg). Stem cell collection was planned to start at day 14 after the start of the preceding induction standard chemotherapy and after 4 clays of G-CSF treatment at 10 mcg/kg body weight once daily subcutaneously.

"Normal volume leukopheresis (median 2.2 times the blood volume of the child) was carried out using a CS-3000 Plus Blood Cell Separator. A precollection peripheral blood CD34+ count of >20/mcL was a prerequisite for initiating the stem cell collection," researchers said.

"Timely leukopheresis was carried out in 19/23 patients. In 17 (74%) of the patients the target number of CD34+ cells/kg body weight was obtained in one procedure; in the remaining the target number of stem cells was obtained after leukopheresis on the following day," reported H. Schroeder and colleagues at Aarhus University Hospital.

The researchers concluded, "A highly significant correlation was found between the preharvest CD34+ count from the peripheral blood and the total number of collected CD34+ cells/kg (r=0.79, p<0.001).

"When the preharvest CD34+ count was >40/mcL, a sufficient number of CD34+ stem cells was collected in a single procedure in 15 out of 16 cases."

Schroeder and colleagues published their study in Pediatric Blood & Cancer (Prediction of target CD34 positive cells following leukopheresis in children with neuroblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 2006;46(7):786-792).

For more information, contact H. Schroeder, Aarhus University Hospital, Dept. Pediatrics, Skejby Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, DK-8200 Aarhus, Denmark.

Publisher contact information for the journal Pediatric Blood & Cancer is: Wiley-Liss, Division John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.

Keywords: Aarhus, Denmark, CD34+ Cells, Leukopheresis, Mobilization, Neuroblastoma, Preharvest Cell Count.

This article was prepared by Clinical Oncology Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Clinical Oncology Week via NewsRx.com.