title: Donor tolerance and results of stimulation with G-CSF alone or in combination with dexamethasone for the collection of granulocytes.
abstract: Stimulation of healthy granulocyte donors allows the collection of therapeutic doses of granulocytes. The stimulation with G-CSF alone was compared with G-CSF plus dexamethasone. Blood samples were drawn at baseline, at leukapheresis, and at follow-up visit. Donors answered a questionnaire to evaluate side effects of the stimulation regimen. The combination of G-CSF and dexamethasone resulted in higher WBC count than G-CSF alone (39.4 +/- 7.8 vs. 34.8 +/- 8.3/nl). Glucose (136 +/- 45 mg/dl) and lactate dehydrogenase (195 +/- 38) increased significantly after stimulation with G-CSF plus dexamethasone but returned to baseline levels at the follow-up visit. Generally, stimulation was well tolerated by the donors. A higher rate of mild bone pain and headache was experienced in donors stimulated with G-CSF plus dexamethasone than in donors receiving G-CSF alone. Fatigue and myalgia were reported at similar rates in both groups. A high proportion of the donors stated that they would accept a further stimulation and granulocyte donation. At the follow-up visit, blood counts and chemistry had returned to normal values.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Clinics Essen, Germany. rainer.moog@uni-essen.de
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moog
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D003907:Dexamethasone