Is a boosting dose of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor necessary for healthy PBSC donors undergoing secondary apheresis? An institute's experience

Successful allogeneic PBSC transplantation depends upon the infusion of an adequate number of CD34+ cells to patients. Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) mobilized PBSC were harvested on 5th day after stimulation from donors. When the CD34+ cell target yield was not achieved; secondary apheresis was performed the following day. Before September 2006, 67 donors (Group A) received five doses of G-CSF. After September 2006, a sixth dose of G-CSF was administered to 35 donors (Group B) to improve CD34+ yield. The mean CD34+-cell concentration of the second PBSC harvest was significantly higher in Group B (1,087 × 106/l vs. 767 × 106/l; P = 0.031).