Engraftment Syndrome in Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract

We have experienced two cases of engraftment syndrome (ES) among 17 patients who underwent transplantation with autologous peripheral blood stem cells from 1994 to 2000. Four patients, including the two cases with ES, received transfusions of over 10.0×10⁶/kg of CD34 positive cells or over 10×10⁶/kg of colony forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM). The other two patients without ES experienced complications of infection in the early period of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Prednisolone was effective to improve the symptoms of ES. To avoid ES, it is suggested that transfusion of peripheral stem cells be restricted to less than 10.0×10⁶/kg CD34 positive cells or 1.0×10⁶/kg CFU-GM.