Factors affecting the efficacy of peripheral blood progenitor cells collections by large-volume leukaphereses with standardized processing volumes

BACKGROUND: Peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collections should be safe and efficient. Therefore, the influence and risk factors in large‐volume leukaphereses (LVL) with standardized blood volumes was investigated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In a total of 724 autologous LVL performed at our center, either 4× or 6× the patient's blood volume (PBV) was processed. The group with processing 4× the PBV showed a median of 31 circulating CD34+ cells per µL, and the group with processing 6× the PBV had a median of 13 CD34+ cells per µL before LVL. Individual clinical factors, laboratory factors, and apheresis run variables influencing the yields of PBPCs were retrospectively analyzed. Furthermore, the changes of laboratory variables and adverse effects during LVL were investigated. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified “age,”“circulating CD34+ cells,” and “percentage of mononuclear cells” as only factors influencing the yields of PBPCs. Altogether, processing 6× versus 4× the PBV did not result in significantly higher yields of CD34+ cells for the total group, but requested PBPC yields were achieved more often after processing 6× the PBV in patients below 20 CD34+ cells per µL blood. Processing 6× versus 4× the PBV showed a significant difference for the decrease of platelets, but not for any other laboratory variable. Adverse effects were recorded in 4.97 percent of LVL without accumulation in one group. CONCLUSION: In particular, patients with low amounts of circulating CD34+ cells profited from enlarged LVL demonstrating higher PBPC yields but comparable rates of adverse effects.