title: Selection and immunomagnetic purging of peripheral blood CD34+ cells for autologous transplantation in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clonogenic tumor cells in the hematopoietic progenitor cell harvest may contribute to relapse after high dose therapy for B-cell malignancies. Purging of the HPC harvest requires large amounts of anti-B-cell antibodies, whereas CD34-selection enriches self renewing HPC's but malignant cells are still detectable in many CD34+ fractions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the feasibility and safety of a CD34-selection followed by purging with anti B-cell antibodies in 11 patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas undergoing high-dose therapy with cyclophosphamide, BCNU and etoposide with retransfusion of autologous HPC's.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mean number of 340 x 10(8) mononuclear cells was used for CD34-selection and immunomagnetic purging. CD34+ cells were enriched from a mean of 1.7% (range 0.2%-4.5%) to a mean of 68% (range 49%-87%) with a mean recovery of 27% (range 15%-43%). The mean number of retransfused CD34+ cells was 1.2 x 10(6)/kg (range 0.6-2.2 x 10(6)/kg) body weight with a median of 11 days (range 10-13 days) to neutrophil recovery of 0.5 x 10(9)/l and 17 days (range 13-25 days) to platelet recovery of 50 x 10(9)/l. Mean number of intravenous antibodies and inpatient days were 8 (range 0-14) and 22 (range 19-26) respectively. Major toxicity consisted in four septicemias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CD34-selected and purged HPC's are safe and mediate rapid hematological recovery after high dose therapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland. onkpib@usz.unizh.ch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pichert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmitter
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Widmer
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jost
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Kurrer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stahel
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002469:Cell Separation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents