Transportation of peripheral blood progenitor cell products: effect of ambient temperature.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) products are often transported at high cell concentrations (>200 × 109/L) over long distances, requiring >36 h transport time. METHODS: Fresh PBPC samples from eight healthy donors were studied with two viability assays for effects of temperature outside the transport container (ambient temperature). The Coleman 5272 container, routinely used by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) with two -20°C gel packs, was compared with the Coleman 6216 container, which can hold four -20°C gel packs. RESULTS: The temperature inside the smaller transport container (5272) proved to be sensitive to ambient temperature, whereas the larger container (6216) was less sensitive. The viability of CD34(+) cells, and the survival of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (GM-CFU), was more dependent on the ambient temperature for the smaller than for the larger container. CONCLUSIONS: PBPC products are most often transported at approximately 2-8°C. The inside temperature of the container currently used by the NMDP appears to be more sensitive to increases in temperature when exposed to higher ambient temperature for prolonged periods of time. Increasing the number of gel packs from two to four improves the stability of the temperature inside the container but would require a different container.

Transportation of peripheral blood progenitor cell products: effects of time, temperature and cell concentration.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) products are often transported at high cell concentrations (>200x10(9)/L) over long distances, requiring >36 h transport time. METHODS: Fresh PBPC samples from 12 healthy donors were studied with various viability assays regarding the effects of temperature, cell concentration and duration of storage. RESULTS: Trypan blue exclusion was far less sensitive to cell damage than two-color fluorescence for CD34 and 7-AAD, and colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) assays; the latter assay proved the most sensitive. All products stored at 4 degrees C maintained their viability for up to 4 days. Thus, at 96 h, recovery of viable CD34(+) cells was still 82%, and of CFU-GM 57%, even at concentrations of 200x10(9)/L. Higher storage temperatures rapidly decreased the viability, with extensive variation between donors. At room temperature 80% of viable CD34(+) cells and >90% of CFU-GM were lost after 48 h of storage at 200x10(9)/L. Lower cell concentrations allowed storage at higher temperatures: at 17 degrees C a concentration of 50x10(9)/L resulted in only 5% loss of viable CD34(+) cells after 48 h, while the loss was >30% at 200x10(9)/L. CONCLUSIONS: PBPC products should be transported at 4 degrees C. Dilution of the product may partly compensate for slightly higher temperatures. Trypan blue exclusion should be abandoned as a method for assessing viability after prolonged transportation. Proliferative assays should be used to validate transportation conditions.