Recovery, viability and clinical toxicity of thawed and washed haematopoietic progenitor cells: analysis of 952 autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantations.

Cryopreservation and thawing of haematopoietic stem cells are associated with cell loss and infusion-related toxicities. We analysed viability, total nucleated cell (TNC) and CD34+ cell recovery, and infusion-related toxicities of 952 thawed and washed products. Mean TNC and CD34+ viable cells recoveries were 55.9+/-18.6 and 98.0+/-36.5%, respectively. Mean cell viability was 68.25+/-18.9%. TNC recovery was correlated with viability but independent of the initial nucleated cell concentration. No difference in TNC recovery or viability was observed according to underlying diseases, except for myeloma, for which these variables were significantly lower (P<0.05). CD34+ cell recovery was not correlated with viability or CD34+ initial count and was similar for all diseases. Cryostorage duration was not associated with cell loss. Immediate adverse events occurred in 169 patients (19%) and were moderate (grade I or II) for the majority of patients. Clinical toxicity was associated with a higher infused cell number and the presence of clumps in infused bags. The washing procedure of cell products lead to a low rate of adverse events, but patients transplanted with high cell numbers or bags in which clumps were identified are predisposed to such complications.