Pretreatment of filtration leukapheresis donors with colchicine

Although filtration leukapheresis (FL) is a relatively simple and efficient means of harvesting neutrophils (PMN) for transfusion, the PMN obtained by this procedure have both functional and morphologic abnormalities induced when the cells adhere to nylon wool filters used in FL. Adherence to nylon wool causes a partial degranulation of PMN together with the production of superoxide at cell surfaces, and it has been suggested that this and other toxic oxygen metabolites are responsible in part for the abnormalities of FL cells. Because colchicine inhibits PMN degranulation and oxidative metabolism, we evaluated the pretreatment of donors with this drug as a means of preventing adherence-induced changes in FL PMN. The bactericidal capacity and chemotactic responsiveness of FL PMN were compared with and without pretreatment of donors with 2.4 mg colchicine (0.6 mg by mouth 12, 11, 10, and 2 hr before FL). Both the bactericidal and chemotactic functions of FL PMN were significantly impaired when donors received no pretreatment, as shown previously, but these cell functions in vitro were normal when donors received colchicine pretreatment. The improved function of FL cells with donor pretreatment was a consistent and significant finding ( p < 0.01). Surface charge changes in PMN induced by FL were also diminished by donor pretreatmont, as was Iysozyme release during FL. No side effects from colchicine were observed in the donors, and FL yields were not appreciably changed by this drug. These studies indicate that colchicine pretreatment of FL donors significantly reduces adherence-induced changes in FL PMN and improves the functional quality of these cells.