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A randomized controlled trial to explore the safety and efficacy of irradiated buffy-coat granulocytes in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia
Ramachandran, M., Gupta, A. K., Meena, J. P., Upadhyay, A. D., Coshic, P., Lodha, R., Seth, R.
American journal of blood research. 2023;13(5):152-161
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Transfusion of granulocytes obtained by apheresis is beneficial in febrile neutropenia (FN) but expensive and time-consuming. Buffy-coat-derived granulocytes could be an alternative. We studied the efficacy and safety of the administration of irradiated buffy-coat-derived granulocytes along with the standard of care in pediatric high-risk (HR) FN. METHODS Sixty children ≤18 years with malignancy and chemotherapy-induced HR FN were randomized to either the granulocyte transfusion (GT) arm which received irradiated buffy-coat derived granulocyte transfusion along with the standard treatment or the standard treatment (ST) arm. RESULTS Baseline characteristics, day-to-defervescence, antibiotic duration, hospital stay, and mortality were comparable between the groups. A significant difference was seen in days to achieve absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >500/mm(3) in the 2 groups: 4.5 days (3-6.5) in the GT arm v/s 8 days (4-11) in the ST arm (P=0.01). CONCLUSION Buffy-coat-derived granulocyte transfusion was safe and led to early hematological recovery but was not associated with survival benefits. Future studies with earlier initiation in the intended dose could be undertaken to generate more evidence.
PICO Summary
Population
Children with malignancy and chemotherapy-induced high-risk febrile neutropenia (n= 60).
Intervention
Irradiated buffy-coat derived granulocyte transfusion along with the standard treatment (GT arm, n= 30).
Comparison
Standard treatment, including: antimicrobials, blood component support, and G-CSF as per the protocol (ST arm, n= 30).
Outcome
Baseline characteristics, day-to-defervescence, antibiotic duration, hospital stay, and mortality were comparable between the groups. A significant difference was seen in days to achieve absolute neutrophil count >500/mm(3) in the 2 groups: 4.5 days (3, 6.5) in the GT arm versus 8 days (4, 11) in the ST arm.
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Efficacy of transfusion with granulocytes from G-CSF/dexamethasone-treated donors in neutropenic patients with infection
Price TH, Boeckh M, Harrison RW, McCullough J, Ness PM, Strauss RG, Nichols WG, Hamza TH, Cushing MM, King KE, et al
Blood. 2015;126((18)):2153-61.
Abstract
High-dose granulocyte transfusion therapy has been available for 20 years, yet its clinical efficacy has never been conclusively demonstrated. We report here the results of RING (Resolving Infection in Neutropenia with Granulocytes), a multicenter randomized controlled trial designed to address this question. Eligible subjects were those with neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <500/muL) and proven/probable/presumed infection. Subjects were randomized to receive either (1) standard antimicrobial therapy or (2) standard antimicrobial therapy plus daily granulocyte transfusions from donors stimulated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and dexamethasone. The primary end point was a composite of survival plus microbial response, at 42 days after randomization. Microbial response was determined by a blinded adjudication panel. Fifty-six subjects were randomized to the granulocyte arm and 58 to the control arm. Transfused subjects received a median of 5 transfusions. Mean transfusion dose was 54.9 x 10(9) granulocytes. Overall success rates were 42% and 43% for the granulocyte and control groups, respectively (P > .99), and 49% and 41%, respectively, for subjects who received their assigned treatments (P = .64). Success rates for granulocyte and control arms did not differ within any infection type. In a post hoc analysis, subjects who received an average dose per transfusion of >0.6 x 10(9) granulocytes per kilogram tended to have better outcomes than those receiving a lower dose. In conclusion, there was no overall effect of granulocyte transfusion on the primary outcome, but because enrollment was half that planned, power to detect a true beneficial effect was low. RING was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00627393. Copyright © 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.
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A prospective, randomized, double-blind study, comparing unirradiated to irradiated white blood cell transfusions in acute leukemia patients
Freireich EJ, Lichtiger B, Mattiuzzi G, Martinez F, Reddy V, Kyle Wathen J
Leukemia. 2013;27((4):):861-5.
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Abstract
A prospective, randomized double-blind study comparing the effects of irradiated and unirradiated white blood cells was conducted in 108 acute leukemia patients with life-threatening infections, refractory to antibiotics. The study demonstrated no significant improvement in 30-day survival or overall survival. Transfusion of unirradiated white cells did not compromise the patient's opportunity to undergo allogeneic stem cell transplant, nor the success rate or overall survival after allogeneic transplant. The important positive finding in this study was that the unirradiated white cells produced a significantly higher increment in circulating granulocytes and in a higher proportion of patients granulocyte count exceeded 1000 per microliter, approaching normal concentrations. The increase in the number and the improved survival of the unirradiated granulocytes suggest that this procedure might potentially be a method to improve the utility of granulocyte transfusions and merits further investigation. The study demonstrated non-inferiority for unirradiated white cells. There were no harmful effects such as graft-versus-host disease, indicating that such studies would be safe to conduct in the future.
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Pulmonary complications in patients receiving granulocyte transfusions and amphotericin B
Bow EJ, Schroeder ML, Louie TJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal. 1984;130((5):):593-7.
Abstract
To evaluate the possibility that in febrile granulocytopenic patients amphotericin B given along with granulocyte transfusions could increase the incidence of pulmonary complications, we studied 43 severely granulocytopenic patients during 46 episodes of fever. Granulocytes were administered as part of the clinical protocol to all 19 patients who had clinically or microbiologically documented infection; the other 24 patients were randomly allocated to treatment with granulocytes (13 patients) or without granulocytes (11 patients). In all, 32 patients received granulocyte transfusions during 35 episodes of fever. Pulmonary complications developed in six patients in each of the two randomized groups. The incidence of pulmonary complications was not influenced by the number of granulocyte transfusions or by the number of granulocytes per transfusion. Pulmonary complications were significantly more likely to occur in patients with fungal infections. Amphotericin B was given according to clinical indications; 21 patients in all received it. Survival was significantly poorer in patients with pulmonary complications, but the administration of amphotericin B was not related either to survival or to the incidence of pulmonary complications. We conclude that pulmonary complications and poor prognosis are related to underlying pulmonary fungal infection and not to any interaction between amphotericin B and granulocyte transfusions.
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Filtration versus gravity leukapheresis in febrile granulocytopenic patients: a randomized prospective trial
Ambinder EP, Button GR, Cheung T, Goldberg JD, Holland JF
Blood. 1981;57((5):):836-41.
Abstract
Forty-eight patients with fever greater than 38.3 degrees C for at least 24 hr despite broad spectrum antibiotics and an absolute granulocyte count less than 1000/microliter were randomly allocated to 4 days of granulocyte transfusions obtained by leukapheresis using filtration (n = 27) or gravity (n = 21) techniques, the latter permitting simultaneous nonmechanical collection of granulocytes and platelets utilizing hydroxyethyl starch as a sedimenting agent. Patient characteristics and dose of granulocytes obtained from both techniques were similar. Complete response to granulocyte transfusions was established by a reduction in temperature to less than 37.2 degrees C sustained for at least 48 hr after the fourth transfusion with sterilization of cultures where previously positive and diminution of measurable infection when present. This occurred in 6/21 (29%) for gravity leukapheresis and 9/27 (33%) for filtration leukapheresis. An additional group had diminution in temperature and clinical improvement during transfusions (6/21 gravity leukapheresis versus 10/27 filtration leukapheresis). Eighty-six percent of patients transfused with gravity leukapheresis cells were alive at day 20 compared with 81% for filtration leukapheresis cells. Transfusion reactions were comparable. Thus, gravity leukapheresis appears to be as efficacious as filtration leukapheresis for treating granulocytopenic febrile patients, with the added advantages of availability to any blood bank without new equipment, of having platelets as by-products, and of not requiring donor heparinization.
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Alloimmunization following prophylactic granulocyte transfusion
Schiffer CA, Aisner J, Daly PA, Schimpff SC, Wiernik PH
Blood. 1979;54((4):):766-74.
Abstract
Nineteen noninfected adults receiving initial induction chemotherapy for acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) were randomized to receive either prophylactic granulocyte transfusion or platelet transfusion alone on an alternate-day schedule. An average of 11 granulocyte transfusions (range 3--19) were administered/patient with a mean dose of 11.5 X 10(9) granulocytes/transfusion. The groups were identical with respect to age, sex, number of days on study, granulocytopenic days, percent of days receiving systemic antibiotics, febrile days, complete remission rate, and incidence of minor infection. Significant transfusion reactions were much increased in the granulocyte transfusion group (7/10 versus 1/9 in controls) and were associated with the development of lymphocytotoxic antibodies (7/10 versus 4/9 controls), refractoriness to platelet transfusion, repeated fevers, and a pulmonary infiltrate in one patient. Alloimmunization to granulocytes occurred as early as the second week in some patients complicating platelet support during induction and maintenance. No severe infections occurred in the granulocyte transfusion group while three fungal infections occurred in the controls. The high rate of alloimmunization suggests that histocompatibility considerations indicate that prophylactic granulocyte transfusion should not be routine therapy and should be studied only in investigational settings.