Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Published:

Pre-emptive granulocyte transfusions enable allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatric patients with chronic infections

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 37, pages 331–333 (2006)Cite this article

Granulocyte transfusions (GTX) have been previously reported to be a therapeutic modality for patients with severe infections in prolonged aplasia.1, 2, 3 A persistent, poorly controlled bacterial or fungal infection prior to allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) is a severe risk factor for morbidity and mortality. It was our hypothesis that pre-emptive GTX can enable patients to undergo a lifesaving allo-HSCT. Therefore, we developed a protocol for patients with persistent, poorly controlled infections to undergo a HCT under the coverage of GTX. Here we report our experience with three children who underwent such a procedure.

Patients with poorly controlled fungal or bacterial infections prior to all-HSCT (for any indication and for whom a delay of the HCT was unacceptable) were selected for pre-emptive GTX in addition to antimicrobial treatment. Donors were family volunteers and were selected on the following criteria: age 16–70 years, viral status (including CMV and HIV), ABO compatibility and the physical condition (examined by a trained physician). When selected, they were all asked to sign an informed consent. Preferably, ABO-compatible and CMV-negative donors were used when the patient was also CMV negative. In case of ABO incompatibility, preferably an anti-A/B titre of ⩽1:64 was accepted (for donors and recipient).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Bishton M, Chopra R . The role of granulocyte transfusions in neutropenic patients. Br J Haematol 2004; 127: 501–508.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Briones MA, Josephson CD, Hillyer CD . Granulocyte transfusion: revisited. Curr Hematol Rep 2003; 2: 522–527.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Liang DC . The role of colony-stimulating factors and granulocyte transfusion in treatment option for neutropenia in children with cancer. Paediatr Drugs 2003; 5: 673–684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Price TH, Bowden RA, Boeckh M, Bux J, Nelson K, Liles WC et al. Phase I/II trial of neutrophil transfusions from donors stimulated with G-CSF and dexamethasone for treatment of patients with infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 2000; 95: 3302–3309.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Dinser R, Grgic A, Kim YJ, Pfreundschuh M, Schubert J . Successful treatment of disseminated aspergillosis with the combination of voriconazole, caspofungin, granulocyte transfusions, and surgery followed by allogenic blood SCT in a patient with primary failure of an autologous stem cell graft. Eur J Haematol 2005; 74: 438–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ozsahin H, von Planta M, Muller I, Steinert HC, Nadal D, Lauener R et al. Successful treatment of invasive aspergillosis in chronic granulomatous disease by bone marrow transplantation, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilised granulocytes, and liposomal amphotericin-B. Blood 1998; 92: 2719–2724.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. de Talance DL, Benomar D, Boulat C, Beaumont JL . Current data on granulocyte donations. Transfus Clin Biol 2004; 11: 106–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cesaro S, Chinello P, de Silvestro G, Marson P, Picco G, Varotto S et al. Granulocyte transfusions from G-CSF stimulated donors for the treatment of severe infections in neutropenic pediatric patients with onco-hematological diseases. Support Care Cancer 2003; 11: 101–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Illerhaus G, Wirth K, Dwenger A, Waller CF, Garbe A, Brass V et al. Treatment and prophylaxis of severe infections in neutropenic patients by granylocyte transfusions. Ann Hematol 2002; 81: 273–281.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Grigull L, Schrauder A, Schmitt-Thomssen A, Sykora K, Welte K . Efficacy and safety of G-CSF mobilized granulocyte transfusions in four neutropenic children with sepsis and invasive fungal infection. Infection 2002; 30: 267–271.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Hematology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    R F Sharon, M Bierings & B Versluys

  2. Sanquin Blood Bank Northwest Region, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    H Vrielink

  3. Department of Pediatric Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    J J Boelens

Authors
  1. R F Sharon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M Bierings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B Versluys
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J J Boelens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sharon, R., Bierings, M., Vrielink, H. et al. Pre-emptive granulocyte transfusions enable allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatric patients with chronic infections. Bone Marrow Transplant 37, 331–333 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705233

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705233

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links