Background: Recommendations on eligibility criteria for donation of haematopoietic stem cells, management of collection of the cells and follow-up mainly concern unrelated donors. The aim of this study was to analyse the screening of related donors and collection practices at different Italian apheresis centres.
Materials and methods: A questionnaire regarding eligibility criteria for related haematopoietic stem cell donors, their peripheral blood collections and early follow-up was sent to several apheresis units. Data from the full charts of 500 candidates, screened between May 2005 and December 2009, were retrospectively evaluated.
Results: The donors' records, eligibility criteria, collections and follow-up are managed differently in each centre. Of the 500 evaluable candidates (51.2% male, 49.8% female; median age 47 years, range 13-77), 26.4% underwent thorough screening according to Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry standards, while local protocols were applied to 73.6%; 91 candidates (18.2%) proved ineligible for donation. In the end, 352 donors (53.4% male, 46.6% female; median age 45 years, range 16-76) underwent 508 leukaphereses. Central venous catheters were used in 8.0% of donors, mainly in one centre. Unsuitable pre-apheresis peripheral blood parameters were reported in 38.7% of the aphereses. Leukapheresis-related adverse events were recorded in 23.0% of the procedures, with a drop-out rate of 0.2% for severe events. No donation-related fatalities occurred. The CD34+ cell yield was <2×10(6)/kg of recipient's body weight from 1.1% of donors ≥70 years old.
Discussion: More uniformity in donor screening procedures, management of peripheral blood collection and follow-up should be planned at a national level to maximise the safety of related donors.