title: Autologous bone marrow transplantation using unfractionated cells cryopreserved in dimethylsulfoxide and hydroxyethyl starch without controlled-rate freezing.
abstract: To develop a simplified method of bone marrow (BM) cryopreservation, changes were made in the standard method in three areas: the cryoprotectant, the method of cell freezing, and the storage temperature. Unfractionated BM cells from 60 patients were cryopreserved in 300-mL aliquots in both dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a combination known to preserve granulocytes successfully. The cells were frozen without rate-controlled freezing by simple immersion into a -80 degrees C freezer where they remained until the time of reinfusion. The 60 patients underwent 72 autologous transplants after three high-dose chemotherapy regimens: 30 received high-dose carmustine in combination, five received high-dose busulfan and cyclophosphamide, and 37 received high-dose aziridinylbenzoquinone. The BM was infused for more than 30 minutes after rapid thawing at 37 degrees C. The mean post-thaw nucleated cell recovery was 96% +/- 11.6%, and Trypan blue dye exclusion was 82.2% +/- 9.2%. The mean postthaw CFU-GM and BFU-E recoveries were 81.9% +/- 39.0% and 90.5% +/- 41.2%. Complete count recovery occurred in 68 of 72 transplants. Median times to a WBC count greater than 1,000/microL, a granulocyte count greater than 1,000/microL and a platelet count greater than 20,000/microL were 15, 21, and 15 days, respectively. Risk factors for delayed recovery were not found. Unfractionated BM cells can be successfully cryopreserved in the DMSO/HES mixture rapidly and inexpensively, without rate-controlled freezing or storage at liquid nitrogen temperatures.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005615:Freezing; D006098:Granulocytes; D006801:Humans; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages; D008875:Middle Aged; D011309:Preservation, Biological; D013213:Starch / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives; D013213:Starch; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide