Follow-up of healthy donors receiving granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for peripheral blood progenitor cell mobilization and collection. Results of the Spanish Donor Registry

BACKGROUND: Information about the long-term follow-up and safety of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration to healthy donors is limited. The aims of this study were to analyze the side effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration in donors included in a Spanish Registry of hematopoietic stem cell donors and to determine the long-term outcome of these donors. DESIGN AND METHODS: The Spanish National Donor Registry was developed to record the short- and long-term results of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration to mobilize peripheral blood progenitor cells in normal donors. To date, 1436 donors (771 males, 665 females) with a median age of 37 years (range, 1 to 74 years) have been registered. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was the only cytokine administered. A baseline investigation was performed in every donor before granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration and follow-up investigations (controls) were planned at 4 weeks and annually thereafter for up to 5 years after the mobilization. RESULTS: At least one of the scheduled controls was performed in 736 donors, while 320 donors have been followed for 2 years or more. The peripheral white blood cell count decreased significantly from 6.8 x 10(9)/L at baseline to 5.9 x 10(9)/L at 4 weeks after leukapheresis (p