The effect of CD34 count and clonogenic potential of hematopoietic stem cells on engraftment

In this study we have determined that the number of the CD34 (+) cells in the grafts that were infused to 48 patients who underwent autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and evaluated the number of colony forming units in vitro. Our aim was to determine whether there is a relation between these cell counts and post transplantation engraftment kinetics. A negative correlation was detected (p < 0.05) between the CD34 (+) cell count and all colony forming units. A correlation between the CD34 (+) cell count and the kinetics of engraftment could not be demonstrated. In the autologous group, only a weak negative correlation between the CFU–GEMM and neutrophil engraftment was detected. In the allogeneic group, colony forming units did not determine the engraftment.