Objective: To investigate the ratio and amount of CD34+ cells and their subsets in mobilized peripheral blood (MPB) and leukapheresis products in patients receiving autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) and in allo-PBSCT donors, and clarify the role of CD34+ cells in post-transplantation hematopoietic reconstitution.
Method: Sixteen patients receiving auto-PBSCT and 24 allo-PBSCT donors were studied for CD34+ and CD34+CD38- cell ratios in the 115 MPB and their leukapheresis product samples by way of flow cytometry, and the time of hematopoietic recovery was observed in the two groups.
Results: The CD34+ cell ratio in the MPB samples and leukapheresis products was significantly lower in the donors than in auto-PBSCT patients (P<0.05), but CD34+CD38- cell ratio showed no obvious difference between the two groups. The amount of mononuclear cells (MNCs) received by allo-PBSCT patients was much more than that received by auto-PBSCT patients (P<0.01). Similar average times for post-transplant neutrophils recovery to over 0.5x10(9)/L and platelets to over 2 x 10(10)/L (P>0.05) were observed between the groups, and in both of them, the recovery was related to the amount of MNCs, CD34+ and CD34+/CD38- cell infusion.
Conclusion: Irrespective of auto-PBSCT or allo-PBSCT, the number of CD34+ and CD34+CD38-cells infused after the transplantation is the key factor to influence the course of hemopoietic reconstitution.