[Modalities for preparation, cryopreservation, thawing of hematopoietic stem cells and precautions for infusion to patient: Guidelines from the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC)]. / Modalités de préparation, cryopréservation, décongélation des cellules souches hématopoïétiques et précautions pour infusion au patient : recommandations de la Société francophone de greffe de moelle et de thérapie cellulaire (SFGM-TC).

To date, despite an existing regulatory framework and standards, there are no true technical recommendations. A survey of 23 cell processing facilities (France, Belgium and Switzerland) has allowed to overview current practices according to cellular products specifications upon arrival at the facility, with modalities for their preparation prior to cryopreservation, storage, thawing and finally for infusion to patient. Data analysis shows great variability of collected volumes and cell concentrations in cellular products. Despite homogeneous practices for handling cells at the facility, methods vary between centers, especially for the choice of cryoprotective solutions and thawing methods. During the workshop, practices have been discussed and summarized to write of recommendations about the following topics: processing and cryopreservation, thawing, bedside precautions (for infusion). This work identifies some improvements in terms of collection, choice of wash solution of thawed cells and validation of the conditions of carriage.

[Cord blood collection for potential stem cell transplantation to a family member: the long-term experience of a level-III maternity unit]. / Recueil de sang placentaire en vue d'une greffe intrafamiliale de cellules souches: l'expérience continue d'une maternité de niveau III.

BACKGROUND: Cord blood transplantation is used to treat patients with malignant and nonmalignant hematopoietic diseases. This study assessed the feasibility of collecting cord blood for eventual transplantation to a sibling with such a disease. METHODS: We studied the records of 47 infants from whom cord blood was collected for siblings from 1993 through 1999. RESULTS: During the study, cord blood was collected for 47 potential recipients: 37 (80.4%) with malignant disease and 9 (19.6%) with nonmalignant disease. Delivery was induced before 39 weeks of gestation. The mean volume collected was 107+/-39 mL and the number of nucleated cells was 11.52 x 10(8). Problems making collection difficult included: impossibility of collecting cord blood because of spontaneous delivery (n=1), the cytomegalovirus-positive serologic status of donor (n=7), and an inadequate number of nucleated cells (n=16). Weekday collection was possible for 60% of the donors. To date, only 7 of these cord blood collections have been used for stem cell transplantations. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study demonstrates the practical difficulties in collecting cord blood for transplantation to siblings, difficulties that may decrease the likelihood of success.

Comparative analysis of naïve and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets in bone marrow and G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cell allografts: impact of donor characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Donor T cells expressing lymph node homing receptors are the foremost initiators of acute graft-vs-host disease (aGVHD), and a high proportion of CD4(+)CCR7(+) T cells in human leukocyte antigen-matched allografts has been shown to confer a high risk of aGVHD without interfering in other outcomes. METHODS: Naïve, central memory (T(CM)), effector memory (T(EM)), and terminally differentiated effector memory (T(TD)) subsets, further subdivided by CD28 expression, were compared in 52 bone marrow and 37 granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood harvests. RESULTS: CCR7(+) cells (naïve and T(CM)) predominated in the CD4(+) population, whereas CD8(+) memory cells were chiefly CCR7(neg) in the grafts. Donor age, antecedent of chronic infections, and graft type were independent factors influencing graft composition. CD8(+) naïve cells negatively correlated and CD8(+) T(EM) positively correlated with age. Cytomegalovirus seropositivity was associated with more CD8(+) T(TD) and diminished CD28 expression. Toxoplasmosis seropositivity was associated with more CD4(+) T(CM) (p = 0.021). Marrow grafts comprised more CD28(+) cells within CD8(+) T(TD), but the percentage of CD4(+)CCR7(+) cells did not differ significantly between the two graft sources. Each of the four CD4(+) subsets and the percentage of CD4(+)CCR7(+) cells (p < 0.001) were correlated between graft and venous blood analyzed in 42 donors before harvest procedures. CONCLUSION: This study provides reference values for CD4(+) and CD8(+) naïve and memory subsets within allografts applicable to the healthy donor population and indicates that beforehand analysis of a whole-blood sample can help evaluating the risk of aGVHD conferred by each donor and, when possible, choosing the one conferring the lowest risk.