Effects on cancer patients of leukapheresis with the continuous-flow blood cell separator. I. Hematologic and immunologic parameters in vivo.

A study was undertaken to investigate the hematologic and in vivo immunologic effects of leukapheresis of from 2 X 10(9) to 1.6 X 10(10) peripheral blood lymphocytes from 9 cancer patients and 13 normal donors on the blood cell separator. The same parameters were measured in 10 individuals who did not undergo leukapheresis and 4 individuals who underwent sham leukapheresis. Studies were performed immediately prior to and following leukapheresis and at 4 hours, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days following leukapheresis. There was a transient decline in blood lymphocyte pool (BLP) of the normal donors which returned to preleukapheresis values within 72 hours. Six of 13 normal donors and 2 of 9 cancer patients had a fall in blood lymphocyte count which was below the lower limit of the range of change in control donors immediately following leukapheresis, but all returned to control range within 24 hours. Five cancer patients had increases in lymphocyte count. DNCB reactivity and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to common recall antigens were performed 2 weeks before, immediately before, and after leukapheresis, at 7 days and at 4 to 6 weeks following leukapheresis. There were no differences in skin test reactivity between groups. No clinical exacerbations of malignant disease occurred which might be construed to be due to leukapheresis.