¹Hematopoietic Transplantation Unit, Pediatric Oncohematology Department, Hospital Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain

Correspondence: Dr MA Díaz, Hematopoietic Transplantation Unit, Pediatric Oncohematology Department, Hospital Niño Jesús, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo 65, Madrid 28009, Spain. E-mail: mdiaz.hnjs@salud.madrid.org

Received 1 June 2004; Accepted 23 July 2004; Published online 1 November 2004.

Abstract

This prospective and randomized study was conducted to evaluate clinical and economic consequences of using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) following autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation in children. Between January 1999 and December 2003, 117 patients underwent autologous PBPCT: 51 patients received G-CSF following PBPCT, while 66 patients did not receive G-CSF. Median time to absolute neutrophil count >0.5 10⁹/l was 10 days in the treatment group and 11 days in the control group (P<0.009). The median time to platelets >20 10⁹/l was 12 days in both groups (P=NS). The median time to platelets >50 10⁹/l was 15 days in the G-CSF group and 14 days in the control group (P<0.005). In patients who received <5 10⁶/kg CD34+ cells, the median time to platelets >20 10⁹/l and >50 10⁹/l was similar with or without G-CSF (12 and 15 days, respectively). Platelet transfusion requirements were lower in the control group (2 vs 3 U in G-CSF group). There was a trend towards higher total costs with G-CSF: 8146.82 euros and 7873.34 euros with and without G-CSF, respectively (P=0.1). Our data suggest that there is no indication of the standard application of G-CSF in children following PBPC transplantation. The only possible indication is the group of patients with a lower yield of CD34+ cells.