ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Benchmarking in CD34+ cell apheresis is crucial for optimizing resources, ensuring consistent collection performance, and ultimately, decision-making algorithms to improve donor safety. Key performance indicators such as the "performance ratio" (PR) are applied routinely in some apheresis centers, whereas this report identifies the "cell throughput" (CT) as another quality indicator in apheresis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This single-center study includes retrospective data from 117 aphereses. CT and PR were calculated based on the mononuclear cell collection (MNC) or continuous mononuclear cell collection (cMNC) protocols of the Spectra Optia® apheresis system, types of venous access, transplant settings, and mobilization regimens. RESULTS: CTs (× 106 CD34+ cells/min) were found to be greater in cMNC compared to MNC protocols (1.4 vs. 1.0, p = 0.0037), in allogeneic versus autologous (1.3 vs. 1.1, p = 0.0274), and in the mobilization regimen of G-CSF alone versus the G-CSF combined (1.3 vs. 1.0, p = 0.0249). In contrast, PR (%) was only statistically significant in favor of the cMNC protocol (213.0 vs. 186.8 for MNC). CONCLUSIONS: CT and PR are feasible quality indicators on CD34+ cell apheresis, are easy to calculate and implement, and have clinical and administrative implications. Analyzing CT and PR may strengthen the institutional criteria for selecting cMNC or MNC protocols; they may also be used to evaluate the performance of new personnel or cell separator devices or, eventually, trigger investigations for those aphereses under-collected by specific thresholds.