Granulocyte Transfusion Therapy: Institutional Experience of Benefit in Cancer Patients with Prolonged Neutropenic Sepsis—A Retrospective Study
CC BY 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2022; 43(06): 507-512
DOI: DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757730
Abstract
Introduction Patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy for hematological malignancy and stem cell transplantation are at increased risk of neutropenia.
Neutropenia is among the frequent side effects of intensive treatments, and when absolute neutrophil count (ANC) falls < 500/µL, the risk of microbial and fungal infection increases significantly.
As neutropenia is the main cause of these infections, transfusion of granulocyte immediately as a replacement is a life-saving therapeutic option to support these patients by restoring neutrophil counts and aiding in the resolution of infection.
Objective The present study is a retrospective single institutional analysis of granulocyte transfusion therapy in children and young adults with cancer who received treatment with GT during prolonged and profound life threatening neutropenia.
Materials and Methods This study was a retrospective analysis of 66 granulocyte transfusions in 36 patients of hematological and solid malignancy with severe and prolonged neutropenia in the department of Medical Oncology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences Indore, between September 2019 and March 2022.
Donors were either patients' relatives or voluntary donors without comorbidities.
All granulocyte concentrates were collected by centrifugation leukapheresis and irradiated with 2500 centigray and immediately transfused in full, to the patient over 60 ot 120 minutes with appropriate premedication.
Results A total of 36 patients (M:F, 19:17) with a median age of 16 years (2–43) received 66 granulocyte transfusions. The diagnosis of patients included acute myelogenous leukemia (n = 17), B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 10), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 3), Ewing's sarcoma (n = 2), neuroblastoma (n = 1), malignant melanoma (n = 1), aplastic anemia (n = 1), osteosarcoma (n = 1). All had severe neutropenia with absolute neutrophil count < 0.5 × 109/L. The median duration of severe neutropenia was 16 days. Patients received a median cell dose of granulocytes 2.9 × 1010/L. A favorable response was seen in 28 (78%) patients, whereas an unfavorable response was seen in 8 patients (23%).
Conclusion A granulocyte therapy was effective in many critically sick patients with prolonged and profound neutropenia. Granulocyte transfusions may be more beneficial in selected patients where it provides more time to overcome refractory infections with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Granulocyte transfusion are at best a “bridge” that gives time to marrow recovery. The challenges to using GT are clinical, finding patients who may get benefitted, and logistical, selection of donors and harvest technique. Randomized trials with large numbers of patients are required to prepare guidelines for granulocyte use.
Publication History
Article published online:
28 November 2022
© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India
Abstract
Introduction Patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy for hematological malignancy and stem cell transplantation are at increased risk of neutropenia.
Neutropenia is among the frequent side effects of intensive treatments, and when absolute neutrophil count (ANC) falls < 500/µL, the risk of microbial and fungal infection increases significantly.
As neutropenia is the main cause of these infections, transfusion of granulocyte immediately as a replacement is a life-saving therapeutic option to support these patients by restoring neutrophil counts and aiding in the resolution of infection.
Objective The present study is a retrospective single institutional analysis of granulocyte transfusion therapy in children and young adults with cancer who received treatment with GT during prolonged and profound life threatening neutropenia.
Materials and Methods This study was a retrospective analysis of 66 granulocyte transfusions in 36 patients of hematological and solid malignancy with severe and prolonged neutropenia in the department of Medical Oncology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences Indore, between September 2019 and March 2022.
Donors were either patients' relatives or voluntary donors without comorbidities.
All granulocyte concentrates were collected by centrifugation leukapheresis and irradiated with 2500 centigray and immediately transfused in full, to the patient over 60 ot 120 minutes with appropriate premedication.
Results A total of 36 patients (M:F, 19:17) with a median age of 16 years (2–43) received 66 granulocyte transfusions. The diagnosis of patients included acute myelogenous leukemia (n = 17), B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 10), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 3), Ewing's sarcoma (n = 2), neuroblastoma (n = 1), malignant melanoma (n = 1), aplastic anemia (n = 1), osteosarcoma (n = 1). All had severe neutropenia with absolute neutrophil count < 0.5 × 109/L. The median duration of severe neutropenia was 16 days. Patients received a median cell dose of granulocytes 2.9 × 1010/L. A favorable response was seen in 28 (78%) patients, whereas an unfavorable response was seen in 8 patients (23%).
Conclusion A granulocyte therapy was effective in many critically sick patients with prolonged and profound neutropenia. Granulocyte transfusions may be more beneficial in selected patients where it provides more time to overcome refractory infections with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Granulocyte transfusion are at best a “bridge” that gives time to marrow recovery. The challenges to using GT are clinical, finding patients who may get benefitted, and logistical, selection of donors and harvest technique. Randomized trials with large numbers of patients are required to prepare guidelines for granulocyte use.
Keywords
cancer - granulocyte transfusion - neutropeniaIntroduction
Patients received aggressive chemotherapy for hematological malignancy and stem cell transplantation are at higher risk of neutropenia.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi are the main complication-producing agents in most patients with profound and prolonged treatment related to neutropenia despite newer antimicrobials and antifungals.
Neutropenia is among the common side effects of intensive treatments, and when absolute neutrophil count (ANC) falls < 500/µL (Grade IV neutropenia), the risk of microbial and fungal infection increases significantly.
As of now, bacterial and fungal infections such as Aspergillus and Fusarium in patients with neutropenia have increased and eventually morbidity and mortality rates.[1]
Improvement in the overall general and intensified care in oncology units with the use of newer and effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal drugs resulted in significantly better survival.
Irrational prescription of higher antimicrobial and antifungal without checking the sensitivity has led to the development of resistance to these drugs across India and due to this, dreaded infections do not respond as needed.[2]
As neutropenia is the main cause of these infections, transfusion of granulocyte immediately as a replacement is a life-saving therapeutic option to support these patients by restoring neutrophil counts and aiding in the resolution of infection.
Granulocyte transfusion (GT) therapy was conceptualized in the 1960s, and many studies have shown that it is a useful supportive therapy in the case of neutropenia.[3] [4] [5] [6]
Granulocytes transfusion used for prophylactic therapy with antimicrobials in patients who received intensive chemotherapy and developed severe neutropenia.[5] [7] [8] [9]
The present study was a retrospective single institutional analysis of granulocyte transfusion therapy in children and young adults with cancer who received treatment with GT during prolonged and profound life-threatening neutropenia.
Materials and Methods
This study was a retrospective analysis of all patients who received granulocyte transfusions between September 2019 and March 2022 in the Department of Medical Oncology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences Indore, India.
Granulocyte transfusion (GT) therapy was prescribed in all patients with (1) absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 500 cells/µL, (2) evidence of bacterial or fungal infection (i.e., clinical presentation, positive cultures, biopsy, or radiological evidence), and (3) lack of response to the recently introduced antimicrobials for 48 hours.
After granulocyte transfusions, we monitored ANC until recovery to > 500/µL. No fever in more than 48 hours, symptomatic relief, and negative cultures with radiological absence of infection were considered as a response. A tandem GT was given to nonresponders.
Donors were either patients' relatives or voluntary donors without comorbidities and blood group incompatibility with the patient. After informed consent, screened donors received subcutaneous colony-stimulating growth factor (G-CSF) 10 µg/kg with injection dexamethasone 8 mg and were taken for granulocyte harvest after 10 to 12 hours via peripheral vascular access by centrifugation leukapheresis using the Fresenius COM TEC system. All harvest volume was irradiation with 2500 centigray and transfused to the patient over 60 to 120 minutes after appropriate premedication.
Statistical Analysis
The data were collected in an Excel sheet and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 23.0. Considering the nature of the study, no formal sample size was employed. Categorical variables are presented as numbers and percentages, whereas continuous variables are expressed as median and range.
Ethics
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles that are consistent with the Declaration of Helsinki, the International Conference on Harmonization of Good Clinical Practices, and the applicable legislation on non-interventional studies. The study protocol was approved by the institutional ethics committee (IEC no. SAIMS/IEC/2022/11). Informed consent was waivered due to the retrospective nature of the study.
Results
A total of 36 patients (M:F, 19:17) with a median age of 16 years (2–43) received 66 granulocyte transfusions. The disease-wise distribution were acute myelogenous leukemia (n = 17), B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 10), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 3), Ewing's sarcoma (n = 2), neuroblastoma (n = 1), malignant melanoma (n = 1), aplastic anemia (n = 1), osteosarcoma (n = 1). All had severe neutropenia with absolute neutrophil count < 0.5 × 109/L. The median duration of severe neutropenia was 16 days (7–24 days). Granulocyte transfusion therapy was prescribed in patients because of persistent neutropenic fever with pneumonia (n = 18), soft tissue infections (n = 8), neutropenic enterocolitis (n = 7), and deterioration in condition despite granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy and antifungal therapy. GT was given until ANC > 0.5 × 109/L. Patients received a median cell dose of granulocytes 2.9 × 1010/L (range 2.0 × 1010/L–4.8 × 1010/L). A favorable response was seen in 28 (78%) patients in terms of early recovery from neutropenia and resolution of infections. The median time to neutrophil count recovery was 9 days (3–19 days), whereas 8 patients (23%) showed poor response, who succumbed to infections. GT were tolerated by all patients except for transfusion-associated acute lung injury (TRALI) in one patient who succumbed despite all intensive care in the hospital. The clinical characteristics of patients who received granulocyte transfusion therapy are shown in [Table 1].
Characteristics of patients |
|
---|---|
Number of patients |
36 |
Age (y), median. ange |
16 (2–43) |
Sex |
|
Male |
19 (53%) |
Female |
17 (47%) |
Underlying disease, n |
|
Acute myelogenous leukemia |
17 |
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia |
10 |
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma |
3 |
Ewing's sarcoma |
2 |
Neuroblastoma |
1 |
Aplastic anemia |
1 |
Malignant melanoma |
1 |
Osteosarcoma |
1 |
Severe neutropenia (ANC < 0.5 × 109/µL), n |
36/36 |
Duration of neutropenia, days, median (range) |
16 (7–24) |
G-CSF treatment used before granulocyte therapy |
36/36 |
Systemic treatment with antimicrobial before granulocyte, n |
36/36 |
Systemic treatment with antifungal before granulocyte, n |
36/36 |
Granulocyte cell dose received, median (range), n |
2.9 × 1010/L (2.0 × 1010/L–4.8 × 1010/L) |
Days to neutrophil recovery, median (range) n |
9 (3–19) |
Adverse effect |
1/66 |
Infection agent |
Number of positive cultures |
---|---|
Acinetobacter |
1 |
Klebsiella |
17 |
Pseudomonas |
7 |
Escherichia coli |
1 |
MRSA |
3 |
Candida, mucormycosis |
9 |
Total |
38 |
Donor characteristic |
Number |
Median |
---|---|---|
Number of donors |
66 |
|
Donor pre leukapheresis WBC counts, median (range) |
3.17 × 1010/L (2.19 × 1010/L–4.49 × 1010/L) |
|
Adverse effects in donor |
0/66 |
References
- Marr KA, Carter RA, Crippa F, Wald A, Corey L. Epidemiology and outcome of mould infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34 (07) 909-917
- Uppuluri R, Ramachandrakurup S, Vaidhyanathan L, Kandath S, Subburaj D, Raj R. Changing trends in the use of granulocyte transfusions in neutropenic children with sepsis in India. Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus 2017; 33 (02) 207-210 DOI: 10.1007/s12288-016-0727-2.
- Freireich EJ, Levin RH, Whang J, Carbone PP, Bronson W, Morse EE. The function and fate of transfused leukocytes from donors with chronic myelocytic leukemia in leukopenic recipients. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1964; 113: 1081-1089
- Herzig RH, Herzig GP, Graw Jr RG, Bull MI, Ray KK. Successful granulocyte transfusion therapy for gram-negative septicemia. A prospectively randomized controlled study. N Engl J Med 1977; 296 (13) 701-705 DOI: 10.1056/NEJM197703312961301.
- Sachs UJ, Reiter A, Walter T, Bein G, Woessmann W. Safety and efficacy of therapeutic early onset granulocyte transfusions in pediatric patients with neutropenia and severe infections. Transfusion 2006; 46 (11) 1909-1914 DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2006.00996.x.
- Kikuta A, Ohto H, Nemoto K. et al. Therapeutic transfusions of granulocytes collected by simple bag method for children with cancer and neutropenic infections: results of a single-centre pilot study. Vox Sang 2006; 91 (01) 70-76 DOI: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2006.00776.x.
- Grigull L, Pulver N, GoudevaL. et al. G-CSF mobilised granulocyte transfusions in 32 paediatric patients with neutropenic sepsis. Support Care Cancer 2006; 14 (09) 910-916
- Oza A, Hallemeier C, Goodnough L. et al. Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-mobilized prophylactic granulocyte transfusions given after allogeneic peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation result in a modest reduction of febrile days and intravenous antibiotic usage. Transfusion 2006; 46 (01) 14-23
- Cesaro S, Chinello P, De Silvestro G. et al. Granulocyte transfusions from G-CSF-stimulated donors for the treatment of severe infections in neutropenic pediatric patients with onco-hematological diseases. Support Care Cancer 2003; 11 (02) 101-106
- Price TH, Chatta GS, Dale DC. Effect of recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on neutrophil kinetics in normal young and elderly humans. Blood 1996; 88 (01) 335-340
- Liles WC, Huang JE, Llewellyn C, SenGupta D, Price TH, Dale DC. A comparative trial of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor and dexamethasone, separately and in combination, for the mobilization of neutrophils in the peripheral blood of normal volunteers. Transfusion 1997; 37 (02) 182-187
- Stroncek DF, Yau YY, Oblitas J, Leitman SF. Administration of G–CSF plus dexamethasone produces greater granulocyte concentrate yields while causing no more donor toxicity than G–CSF alone. Transfusion 2001; 41 (08) 1037-1044
- Dale DC, Liles WC, Llewellyn C, Rodger E, Price TH. Neutrophil transfusions: kinetics and functions of neutrophils mobilized with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor and dexamethasone. Transfusion 1998; 38 (08) 713-721
- Price TH, Bowden RA, Boeckh M. et al. Phase I/II trial of neutrophil transfusions from donors stimulated with G-CSF and dexamethasone for treatment of patients with infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 2000; 95 (11) 3302-3309
- Bishton M, Chopra R. The role of granulocyte transfusions in neutropenic patients. Br J Haematol 2004; 127 (05) 501-508 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2004.05221.x.
- Lee JJ, Chung IJ, Park MR. et al. Clinical efficacy of granulocyte transfusion therapy in patients with neutropenia-related infections. Leukemia 2001; 15 (02) 203-207 DOI: 10.1038/sj.leu.2402007.
- Drewniak A, Tool AT, Geissler J, van Bruggen R, van den Berg TK, Kuijpers TW. Toll-like receptor-induced reactivity and strongly potentiated IL-8 production in granulocytes mobilized for transfusion purposes. Blood 2010; 115 (22) 4588-4596 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2009-11-253245.
- Strauss RG. Therapeutic granulocyte transfusions in 1993. Blood 1993; 81 (07) 1675-1678
- Klein HG, Strauss RG, Schiffer CA. Granulocyte transfusion therapy. Semin Hematol 1996; 33 (04) 359-368
- Price TH, Boeckh M, Harrison RW. et al. Efficacy of transfusion with granulocytes from G-CSF/dexamethasone-treated donors in neutropenic patients with infection. Blood 2015; 126 (18) 2153-2161 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2015-05-645986.
- Nikolajeva O, Mijovic A, Hess D. et al. Single-donor granulocyte transfusions for improving the outcome of high-risk pediatric patients with known bacterial and fungal infections undergoing stem cell transplantation: a 10-year single-center experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 2015; 50 (06) 846-849 DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2015.53.
- Garg A, Gupta A, Mishra A, Singh M, Yadav S, Nityanand S. Role of granulocyte transfusions in combating life-threatening infections in patients with severe neutropenia: Experience from a tertiary care centre in North India. PLoS One 2018; 13 (12) e0209832
- Seidel MG, Minkov M, Witt V. et al. Granulocyte transfusions in children and young adults: does the dose matter?. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2009; 31 (03) 166-172 DOI: 10.1097/MPH.0b013e318196a6f9.
- Atay D, Ozturk G, Akcay A, Yanasik M, Anak S, Devecioglu O. Effect and safety of granulocyte transfusions in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia or defective granulocyte functions. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2011; 33 (06) e220-e225 DOI: 10.1097/MPH.0b013e31821ffdf1.
- Zhou B, Song T, Feng Y. et al. Clinical outcome of granulocyte transfusion therapy for the treatment of refractory infection in neutropenic patients with hematological diseases. Ann Hematol 2018; 97 (11) 2061-2070 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-018-3432-4.
- Adkins D, Spitzer G, Johnston M, Velasquez W, Dunphy F, Petruska P. Transfusions of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-mobilized granulocyte components to allogeneic transplant recipients: analysis of kinetics and factors determining posttransfusion neutrophil and platelet counts. Transfusion 1997; 37 (07) 737-748
Address for correspondence
Shiv Prasad ShrivastavaDepartment of Medical Oncology, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical SciencesIndore, Madhya Pradesh 45355IndiaEmail: drsp2001@yahoo.comPublication History
Article published online:
28 November 2022© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India
References
- Marr KA, Carter RA, Crippa F, Wald A, Corey L. Epidemiology and outcome of mould infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34 (07) 909-917
- Uppuluri R, Ramachandrakurup S, Vaidhyanathan L, Kandath S, Subburaj D, Raj R. Changing trends in the use of granulocyte transfusions in neutropenic children with sepsis in India. Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus 2017; 33 (02) 207-210 DOI: 10.1007/s12288-016-0727-2.
- Freireich EJ, Levin RH, Whang J, Carbone PP, Bronson W, Morse EE. The function and fate of transfused leukocytes from donors with chronic myelocytic leukemia in leukopenic recipients. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1964; 113: 1081-1089
- Herzig RH, Herzig GP, Graw Jr RG, Bull MI, Ray KK. Successful granulocyte transfusion therapy for gram-negative septicemia. A prospectively randomized controlled study. N Engl J Med 1977; 296 (13) 701-705 DOI: 10.1056/NEJM197703312961301.
- Sachs UJ, Reiter A, Walter T, Bein G, Woessmann W. Safety and efficacy of therapeutic early onset granulocyte transfusions in pediatric patients with neutropenia and severe infections. Transfusion 2006; 46 (11) 1909-1914 DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2006.00996.x.
- Kikuta A, Ohto H, Nemoto K. et al. Therapeutic transfusions of granulocytes collected by simple bag method for children with cancer and neutropenic infections: results of a single-centre pilot study. Vox Sang 2006; 91 (01) 70-76 DOI: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2006.00776.x.
- Grigull L, Pulver N, GoudevaL. et al. G-CSF mobilised granulocyte transfusions in 32 paediatric patients with neutropenic sepsis. Support Care Cancer 2006; 14 (09) 910-916
- Oza A, Hallemeier C, Goodnough L. et al. Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-mobilized prophylactic granulocyte transfusions given after allogeneic peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation result in a modest reduction of febrile days and intravenous antibiotic usage. Transfusion 2006; 46 (01) 14-23
- Cesaro S, Chinello P, De Silvestro G. et al. Granulocyte transfusions from G-CSF-stimulated donors for the treatment of severe infections in neutropenic pediatric patients with onco-hematological diseases. Support Care Cancer 2003; 11 (02) 101-106
- Price TH, Chatta GS, Dale DC. Effect of recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on neutrophil kinetics in normal young and elderly humans. Blood 1996; 88 (01) 335-340
- Liles WC, Huang JE, Llewellyn C, SenGupta D, Price TH, Dale DC. A comparative trial of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor and dexamethasone, separately and in combination, for the mobilization of neutrophils in the peripheral blood of normal volunteers. Transfusion 1997; 37 (02) 182-187
- Stroncek DF, Yau YY, Oblitas J, Leitman SF. Administration of G–CSF plus dexamethasone produces greater granulocyte concentrate yields while causing no more donor toxicity than G–CSF alone. Transfusion 2001; 41 (08) 1037-1044
- Dale DC, Liles WC, Llewellyn C, Rodger E, Price TH. Neutrophil transfusions: kinetics and functions of neutrophils mobilized with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor and dexamethasone. Transfusion 1998; 38 (08) 713-721
- Price TH, Bowden RA, Boeckh M. et al. Phase I/II trial of neutrophil transfusions from donors stimulated with G-CSF and dexamethasone for treatment of patients with infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 2000; 95 (11) 3302-3309
- Bishton M, Chopra R. The role of granulocyte transfusions in neutropenic patients. Br J Haematol 2004; 127 (05) 501-508 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2004.05221.x.
- Lee JJ, Chung IJ, Park MR. et al. Clinical efficacy of granulocyte transfusion therapy in patients with neutropenia-related infections. Leukemia 2001; 15 (02) 203-207 DOI: 10.1038/sj.leu.2402007.
- Drewniak A, Tool AT, Geissler J, van Bruggen R, van den Berg TK, Kuijpers TW. Toll-like receptor-induced reactivity and strongly potentiated IL-8 production in granulocytes mobilized for transfusion purposes. Blood 2010; 115 (22) 4588-4596 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2009-11-253245.
- Strauss RG. Therapeutic granulocyte transfusions in 1993. Blood 1993; 81 (07) 1675-1678
- Klein HG, Strauss RG, Schiffer CA. Granulocyte transfusion therapy. Semin Hematol 1996; 33 (04) 359-368
- Price TH, Boeckh M, Harrison RW. et al. Efficacy of transfusion with granulocytes from G-CSF/dexamethasone-treated donors in neutropenic patients with infection. Blood 2015; 126 (18) 2153-2161 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2015-05-645986.
- Nikolajeva O, Mijovic A, Hess D. et al. Single-donor granulocyte transfusions for improving the outcome of high-risk pediatric patients with known bacterial and fungal infections undergoing stem cell transplantation: a 10-year single-center experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 2015; 50 (06) 846-849 DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2015.53.
- Garg A, Gupta A, Mishra A, Singh M, Yadav S, Nityanand S. Role of granulocyte transfusions in combating life-threatening infections in patients with severe neutropenia: Experience from a tertiary care centre in North India. PLoS One 2018; 13 (12) e0209832
- Seidel MG, Minkov M, Witt V. et al. Granulocyte transfusions in children and young adults: does the dose matter?. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2009; 31 (03) 166-172 DOI: 10.1097/MPH.0b013e318196a6f9.
- Atay D, Ozturk G, Akcay A, Yanasik M, Anak S, Devecioglu O. Effect and safety of granulocyte transfusions in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia or defective granulocyte functions. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2011; 33 (06) e220-e225 DOI: 10.1097/MPH.0b013e31821ffdf1.
- Zhou B, Song T, Feng Y. et al. Clinical outcome of granulocyte transfusion therapy for the treatment of refractory infection in neutropenic patients with hematological diseases. Ann Hematol 2018; 97 (11) 2061-2070 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-018-3432-4.
- Adkins D, Spitzer G, Johnston M, Velasquez W, Dunphy F, Petruska P. Transfusions of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-mobilized granulocyte components to allogeneic transplant recipients: analysis of kinetics and factors determining posttransfusion neutrophil and platelet counts. Transfusion 1997; 37 (07) 737-748