Sustained Cytopenia after Leukapheresis for Collection of Peripheral Blood Stem Cells in Small Children

Abstract
Marked and persistent cytopenia was observed in two 3-year-old children with cancer, after lymphopheresis to collect peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) for autotransplantation after high-dose chemotherapy. This finding suggest that PBSC are a major component of the hematopoietic cells in small children and hence, that special care is necessary in the construction of a protocol for collection of stem cells from young children.