We studied rates of granulocyte and platelets recovery in 359 consecutive subjects receiving blood cell infusions in the context of autotransplants for plasma cell myeloma (N = 216) and lymphomas (N = 143). Blood cells were mobilised with filgrastim given for 4-5 days and collected after a median of 2 (range, 1-2) apheresis. Apheresis products were stored at 4° C for a median of 3 days (range, 2-6 days). Most subjects received carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (BEAM), cyclophosphamide, carmustine and etoposide (CBV) or high-dose melphalan. Filgrastim was given post transplant to 319 subjects. Median numbers of mononuclear cells collected was 31 × 10E + 6/kg (interquartile range (IQR) 37 × 10E + 6 cells/kg). Median numbers of CD34-positive cells collected was 3.6 × 10E + 6/kg (IQR 3.8 × 10E + 6/Kg). Median viability after collection was 90% (IQR 7%) after storage, 88% (IQR 12%). A total of 255 of 256 evaluable subjects recovered bone marrow function and there was no late bone marrow failure. Median interval to neutrophils >0.5 × E + 9/L was 13 days (range, 9-39 days) and to platelets >20 × 10E + 9/L, 16 days (range, 7-83 days). These rates and ranges seem comparable to those reported after autotransplants of frozen blood cells. There was no correlation between numbers of storage days at 4 °C and viability afte storage (r = -0.018, p = 0.14)) nor rates of recovery of neutrophils (r = -0.054, p = 0.52) or platelets (r = 0.116, p = 0.14). Blood cells collected for autotransplant can be stored at 4 °C for 6 d. This method is simple, inexpensive and widely applicable.

Despite its small size, the study shows much less prevalence of JAK2 mutation in PV, ET and MF, which does not match international data.

Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a patient who has been grafted with hematopoietic stem cells is a serious event, but the role of the ICU in this setting remains controversial. Data were analyzed from patients who underwent autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation at the Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna de Puebla, México, between May 1993 and October 2014. In total, 339 patients were grafted: 150 autografts and 189 allografts; 68 of the grafted patients (20%) were admitted to the ICU after transplantation: 27% of the allografted and 11% of the autografted patients (p = 0.2). Two of 17 autografted patients (12%) and 5 of 51 allografted patients (10%) survived. All patients who required insertion of an endotracheal tube died, whereas 7 of 11 patients without invasive mechanical ventilation survived (p = 0.001). Only 10% of the grafted patients survived their stay in the ICU; this figure is lower than those reported from other centers and may reflect several facts, varying from the quality of the ICU support to ICU admission criteria to the initial management of all the grafts in an outpatient setting, which could somehow delay the arrival of patients to the hospital.

No abstract