@article {1862, title = {Application of reticulated platelets to transfusion management during autologous stem cell transplantation.}, journal = {Onco Targets Ther}, volume = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {2012}, pages = {1-5}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The immature (or reticulated) platelet fraction (IPF) is rich in nucleic acids, especially RNA, and can be used as a predictive factor for platelet recovery in platelet immunomediated consumption or in postchemotherapy myelosuppression. Our aim was to determine if transfusions with IPF-rich solutions, during autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, reduce the occurrence of bleeding and hemorrhagic complications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Transfusions were administered to 40 children, affected with hematological pathologies, who underwent autologous peripheral hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation. There were two groups of 20 patients, one group treated with IPF-poor and the other with IPF-rich solutions. In the two groups, the conditioning regimen was the same for the same pathology (hematological pathologies: 14 acute lymphoblastic leukemia; twelve acute myelocytic leukemia; four non-Hodgkin{\textquoteright}s lymphoma; two Hodgkin{\textquoteright}s lymphoma; eight solid tumors). A new automated analyzer was used to quantify the IPF: the XE2100 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) blood cell counter with upgraded software.

RESULTS: The 20 patients who received solutions with a high percentage of IPF (3\%-9\% of total number of infused platelets) required fewer transfusions than the 20 patients who received transfusions with a low percentage of IPF (0\%-1\% of total number of infused platelets): 83 versus 129 (mean of number of transfusions 4.15 versus 6.45) and a significant difference was found between the two groups by using the Mann-Whitney test (P < 0.001). The prophylactic transfusions decreased from three to two per week. There was only one case of massive hemorrhage.

CONCLUSION: The use of IPF solutions reduces the number of transfusions and bleedings after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in pediatric patients.

}, issn = {1178-6930}, doi = {10.2147/OTT.S27883}, author = {Parco, Sergio and Vascotto, Fulvia} }