Filgrastim-induced stem cell mobilization in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients during imatinib therapy: safety, feasibility and evidence for an efficient in vivo purging

Item Type:	Article
Title:	Filgrastim-induced stem cell mobilization in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients during imatinib therapy: safety, feasibility and evidence for an efficient in vivo purging
Creators Name:	Kreuzer, K.A. and Kluehs, C. and Baskaynak, G. and Movassaghi, K. and Doerken, B. and Le Coutre, P.
Abstract:	Therapy with imatinib mesylate is limited by cellular resistance in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Further, the limited availability of matching stem cell donors or an unfavourable risk profile for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) reduces the number of therapeutic options in a number of patients. To assess the possibility of stem cell mobilization (SCM) during imatinib therapy we performed granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (filgrastim)-induced SCM and subsequent aphaeresis in 15 chronic phase and three accelerated phase CML patients. Aphaeresis was successful in 13 patients (72%) (≥2·0 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg body weight) and five (28%) harvests could be obtained, which were negative for BCR/ABL mRNA as assessed by nested-reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All harvests, except one, were negative after first round RT-PCR, implicating a low level of CML cell contamination. There was no significant change in peripheral BCR/ABL transcript load after SCM as assessed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Fifteen patients remained stable in complete cytogenetic remission (CCR) during a median observation period of 9·3 months. One patient achieved a molecular remission shortly after SCM. Another patient who exhibited rising BCR/ABL mRNA levels before SCM achieved CCR after autologous SCT with the generated harvest. One patient with a Philadelphia chromosome-negative, BCR/ABL-positive CML showed a cytogenetic relapse 6 months after SCM. We conclude that filgrastim-induced CD34+ cell aphaeresis under simultaneous imatinib medication is safe and feasible in CML patients. Additionally, we found evidence that this procedure could generate stem cell harvests that exhibit non-detectable levels of BCR/ABL mRNA.
Keywords:	Leukaphaeresis, Imatinib, Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia, Stem Cells, BCR/ABL
Source:	British Journal of Haematology
ISSN:	0007-1048
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing
Volume:	124
Number:	2
Page Range:	195-199
Date:	1 January 2004
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2141.2003.04756.x
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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