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Neurotoxicity associated with dimethylsulfoxide-preserved hematopoietic progenitor cell infusion

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 41, pages 95–96 (2008)Cite this article

Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is used as a cryoprotectant for long-term storage of hematopoietic progenitor cells from the marrow or blood.1 Although DMSO is generally considered to be relatively innocuous, a variety of dose-dependent adverse effects have been associated with its infusion including nausea, vomiting, flushing, fever, chills, dyspnea, cardiac symptoms, transient hypertension or hypotension and anaphylaxis.2, 3, 4, 5 Isolated cases of encephalopathy and seizures have also been reported to be associated with the infusion of DMSO-cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cells.6, 7, 8, 9

A 50-year-old woman with nodular-sclerosing Hodgkin's disease presented for high-dose chemotherapy and autotransplantation. The original disease had been treated with six cycles of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD), and relapse 3 years later had been treated with three cycles of dexamethasone, cytarabine, cisplatin (DHAP). Stem cells were collected by apheresis after mobilization with cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg followed by 14 μg/kg/day G-CSF, which resulted in a harvest of 2.63 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. The cells were cryopreserved in 10% DMSO (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) using a controlled-rate freezer (Cryomed, Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) and stored at −150 °C (REVCO Ultima II, Thermo Scientific, Asheville, NC, USA). The final total volume cryopreserved was 540 ml in six bags, with approximately 9 g of DMSO per bag (0.15 g/kg DMSO per bag).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundação Pró-Sangue/Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    A M Júnior & C A Arrais

  2. Department of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    R Saboya, R D Velasques, P L Junqueira & F L Dulley

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  1. A M Júnior
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  2. C A Arrais
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  3. R Saboya
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  4. R D Velasques
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  5. P L Junqueira
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  6. F L Dulley
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Correspondence to F L Dulley.

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Júnior, A., Arrais, C., Saboya, R. et al. Neurotoxicity associated with dimethylsulfoxide-preserved hematopoietic progenitor cell infusion. Bone Marrow Transplant 41, 95–96 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705883

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