This prospective and randomized study was conducted to evaluate clinical and economic consequences of using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) following autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation in children. Between January 1999 and December 2003, 117 patients underwent autologous PBPCT: 51 patients received G-CSF following PBPCT, while 66 patients did not receive G-CSF. Median time to absolute neutrophil count > 0.5 x 10(9)/l was 10 days in the treatment group and 11 days in the control group (P < 0.009). The median time to platelets >20 x 10(9)/l was 12 days in both groups (P = NS). The median time to platelets >50 x 10(9)/l was 15 days in the G-CSF group and 14 days in the control group (P<0.005). In patients who received <5 x 10(6)/kg CD34+ cells, the median time to platelets >20 x 10(9)/l and >50 x 10(9)/l was similar with or without G-CSF (12 and 15 days, respectively). Platelet transfusion requirements were lower in the control group (2 vs 3 U in G-CSF group). There was a trend towards higher total costs with G-CSF: 8146.82 Euros and 7873.34 Euros with and without G-CSF, respectively (P = 0.1). Our data suggest that there is no indication of the standard application of G-CSF in children following PBPC transplantation. The only possible indication is the group of patients with a lower yield of CD34+ cells.
Bone Marrow Transplantation (2004).