Collection of peripheral blood stem cells by apheresis with continuous flow blood cell separator Dideco Vivacell.

ABSTRACT

In S. Camillo Hospital, Rome, the Apheresis Center (CNTS-CRI) and the Haematological Division, Authors treated 17 patients affected by haematologic malignances and solid tumours with leukoapheresis procedures for PBSC collection. Nine patients were treated with continuous-flow cell separator Dideco Vivacell, performing a total of 50 collection procedures. Mean values of total collected NC and MNC were 6.5 x 10(9) and 5.5 x 10(9), with a mean recovery 24% and 52%. Authors took patient's blood samples during the procedure, in order to analyze the MNC collection and to optimize the separation efficiency. Haemopoietic reconstitution values of the eight patients submitted to APBSCT showed the effectiveness of our method of cell collection.