Cell Processing in Kaunas

Abstract

Background and Objectives Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) are widely used for blood stem cell transplantation around the world. Viable post thaw CD34+ cell count is the important parameter for quality assurance of the cryopreserved cells. The cell processing results from the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos are presented in this study. Material and Method The study included 128 patients undergoing blood stem cell transplantation from the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos from 2015 to 2020 June. It included 288 apheresis, 405 cryopreserved PBSC products and 141 autologous and 1 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Before autologous transplantation cells were cryopreserved using patient's plasma and DMSO (final concentration of 10%). All PBSC products were initially cryopreserved in a controlled freezer, stored in vapor phase nitrogen. Viability was assessed from a vial no less than 24 hours after cryopreservation, thawed immediately before testing with BD FACS Canto flow cytometer and BD Stem Cell Enumeration Kit. PBSC for transplantation were thawed before use in a water bath at 37°C. Allogeneic cells had a minor incompatibility and were processed by removing donor's plasma. Cells were kept at +2 - +8°C and transplanted in less than 24 hours. Results In total 128 patients (69 females, 59 males) with a median age of 59 (range 18-73) years were harvested after G-CSF (10μg/kg) or Cyclo+G-CSF or additional mobilizing agents such as plerixafor (0.24mg/kg, n=4) for auto-SCT. Most patients received one auto-SCT. The first allogeneic stem cell transplantation was performed for a Hodgkin lymphoma patient. Indications for autologous transplantations were multiple myeloma (n=120), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n=14), germ-cell testicular tumor (n=3), CNS lymphoma (n=1), Ewing's sarcoma (n=1), multiple sclerosis (n=1) and autoim...[...].