ABSTRACT
Objective To find a safe and effective way for the collection of stem cells from peripheral blood in low body weight children. Methods Peripheral blood stem cells were collected altogether 15 times in 5 children with body weight lower than 20 kg. One day before the collection, a double cavity tube specially made for children was inserted into femoral vein and remained there for future use. Peripheral blood stem cells were separated by the separation vessel specially designed for children and collected in the collecting tank for children. After initialization, alien blood irradiated by X ray was infused in and moved through the separation machine to keep the blood balanced and hematocrit stable in the body of children. During the separation, anticoagulant/whole blood was kept between 1∶11 and 1∶13. The volume of blood processed every time was 2-4 times of total volume of child blood(2 700-5 850 ml). Results Mononuclear cells and CD34 + cells were successfully collected each time in all 5 children, enough for the transplantation of peripheral blood stem cells. Conclusion The way we developed to collect peripheral blood stem cells in children with low body weight is safe and effective.