Granulocyte colony stimulating factor does not induce long-term DNA instability in healthy peripheral blood stem cell donors.

To establish the safety of using G-CSF in healthy PBSC donors, we prospectively determined the degree of DNA destabilization in peripheral blood WBC. Donors were treated with SC G-CSF for 5 days. A baseline sample of peripheral blood was collected before G-CSF treatment and consecutive samples were collected on day 5, 1 month, and 2 months after treatment. The extent of double-stranded DNA relaxation and de novo synthesis of DNA was determined in each sample. We found that both parameters of DNA destabilization were significantly increased after 5 days of G-CSF and returned to baseline level at 1 and 2 months. We assume that these findings suggest that rhG-CSF administration to healthy PBSCT donors for 5 days may be a safe procedure. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.