BACKGROUND: Selection of CD34+ cells by specific immunoselection leads to a significant loss of those cells. The factors influencing the yield and purity are not well identified. The results of CD34+ selection from peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) with high and low platelet contamination that are harvested with two different cell separators are reported.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A progenitor cell concentrator (Ceprate SC, CellPro) was used to select CD34+ cells from 41 PBPC concentrates from 23 consecutive patients with relapsed non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 3), breast cancer (n = 17), and multiple myeloma (n = 3). PBPC collection was performed by using two cell separators (CS3000 Plus, Fenwal: Group A, n = 11; and Spectra, COBE: Group B, n = 9). To reduce platelet contamination in the Spectra PBPC concentrates, an additional low‐speed centrifugation was performed before CD34+ cell selection (Group C, n = 3). Leukapheresis components were stored overnight at 4°C and combined with the next day's collection before the CD34+ selection procedure in 19 patients.
RESULTS: A median of 1.5 leukapheresis procedures per patient were performed. Pooled PBPC concentrates showed no statistical difference in median numbers of white cells and CD34+ cells in Groups A and B: 3.2 (0.8‐9.2) versus 4.4 (1.6‐8.3) × 1010 white cells per kg and 15.0 (4.7‐24.0) versus 12.0 (5.6‐34.0) × 106 CD34+ cells per kg. Platelet contamination was significantly higher in Group B: 0.67 (0.15‐2.4) versus 2.3 (0.5‐7.1) × 1011 (p = 0.0273). After the selection process, there was a significantly greater loss of CD34+ cells in Group B than in Group A: 39.1 versus 63.2 percent (p = 0.0070), with a median purity of 78.0 percent versus 81.0 percent. An additional low‐speed centrifugation before CD34+ cell selection seemed to reduce CD34+ cell loss in Group C with 16.9, 31.9, and 37.5 percent, respectively.
CONCLUSION: CD34+ cell selection from PBPC concentrates resulted in an increased loss of CD34+ cells in concentrates with a higher platelet content. To improve CD34+ yield, PBPC concentrates with an initially low platelet contamination should be used, or additional low‐speed centrifugation should be performed.
