The dangers of donating hematopoietic stem cells

Many people know that patients with many diseases such as leukemia need hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, while bone marrow transplantation requires donations from healthy people. So will donating hematopoietic stem cells affect the health of those who donate it? Many people think that once they donate bone marrow, their physical condition will deteriorate. Is this really the case? This article will give a detailed introduction to this issue.

1. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Modern hematopoietic stem cell transplantation involves collecting hematopoietic stem cells from peripheral blood. Scientific methods are used to mobilize a large number of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow blood into the peripheral blood. Whole blood is collected from the donor's arm vein, and the hematopoietic stem cells are extracted through a blood cell separator. At the same time, other blood components are returned to the donor's body. Since the entire collection process is carried out in a closed environment that meets medical safety requirements, it is extremely safe. After the collection is completed, there will be some minor pain and discomfort which will disappear quickly.

So far, there have been no reports of harm to donors caused by the collection of peripheral blood stem cells. A total of approximately 10 grams of hematopoietic stem cells were collected. Contains some blood components, generally 50 to 100 ml. It is less than the amount of blood donated in one whole blood donation. Moreover, the human body has a strong regenerative ability for hematopoietic stem cells. Under normal circumstances, various cells in the human body are constantly metabolizing every day, undergoing a cycle of generation, aging, and death. After blood loss or donation of hematopoietic stem cells, the bone marrow can be stimulated to accelerate hematopoiesis, and within 1-2 weeks, various blood cells in the blood return to their original levels. Therefore, donating hematopoietic stem cells will not affect your health.

2. What is the difference between bone marrow transplantation and stem cell transplantation?

The terms "bone marrow" and "stem cell" are sometimes used interchangeably because bone marrow is the source of hematopoietic stem cells, the healthy stem cells that patients need. In a bone marrow transplant, doctors collect these stem cells from the bone marrow of a donor. Bone marrow is obtained directly from the hipbone through a large needle under general anesthesia.

In a peripheral blood stem cell transplant, or PBST, doctors obtain stem cells from a donor's blood. Donors take medication for five days in advance to increase stem cell production. This process of obtaining stem cells from the blood is similar to donating blood. Another type of stem cell transplant uses hematopoietic stem cells from umbilical cord blood, which requires the parents to agree to donate their child's umbilical cord blood to a public umbilical cord blood bank for use by matching patients in need. In all cases, patients receive stem cells implanted in their bodies.

3. Can bone marrow transplantation really cure leukemia?

It is no exaggeration to say that bone marrow transplantation has now become the last straw for most leukemia patients. Through bone marrow transplantation, the survival rate of patients with acute leukemia, for example, can be greatly improved. After following up some large numbers of leukemia patients, it was found that the disease can be alleviated directly through the first bone marrow transplant, and the patient's three-year survival rate can be increased by at least 50%. However, if the bone marrow transplant is not performed, the patient's three-year survival rate is only about 20%. Therefore, we have to talk about bone marrow transplantation as a good way to treat leukemia.

Bone marrow transplantation has a very powerful effect not only on acute leukemia, but also on chronic myeloid leukemia. Some studies have found that for chronic myeloid leukemia, bone marrow transplantation is almost the only treatment for the disease. After treatment, the five-year survival rate of patients can be increased to 90 percent! Therefore, it has to be said that bone marrow transplantation is powerful in the treatment of leukemia.

What are the dietary points for bone marrow transplant patients?

1. Pay attention to adding fresh vegetables and fruits in time

Fresh vegetables and fruits not only contain a lot of fiber and vitamins, but can also increase immunity and promote appetite. However, the amount each time should not be too much, and it is better to eat small meals frequently. After the gastrointestinal function has basically recovered, you can eat some light and refreshing raw cold dishes and fruits, which have a significant appetite-stimulating effect, especially during chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

2. A light diet is preferred

By stewing, boiling, steaming and other methods, food can be made more nutritious, healthier and easier for patients to absorb. Such as milk and eggs, lotus root powder and eggs, batter and eggs, broken noodles, etc. You can also add some nutritious stews, such as lean meat and red dates soup, cabbage and pork bone soup, etc. These are the aspects that need attention in diet after leukemia surgery.

3. Supplement calcium

Patients who take hormones for a long time are prone to peptic ulcers and osteoporosis, so calcium supplementation is necessary. You can add milk, lean meat, soy products, dried shrimps, fish, eggs and other high-calcium substances to your diet to improve the body's immunity.

4. The focus is on restoring hematopoietic function

After bone marrow transplantation, we should supplement hematopoietic raw materials through diet to promote the normal synthesis of blood cells. The diet should include foods rich in vitamins, especially B vitamins and vitamin C, which are very effective in preventing and treating anemia.

What are the nutritional metabolic characteristics of bone marrow transplant patients?

1. Energy metabolism

After bone marrow transplantation, the body's calorie demand increases, usually reaching 1.3 to 1.5 times BEE, which is 30 to 35 kcal/(kg.d). It is generally recommended that patients replenish 25 to 30 kcal/(kg.d) of energy after transplantation.

kcal/(kg.d) is enough.

2. Sugar metabolism

The body is prone to abnormal glucose tolerance, and bone marrow transplantation may also reduce the function of pancreatic cells and lead to hyperglycemia.

3. Protein metabolism

The phenomenon of negative nitrogen balance after transplantation is very common due to the combined reasons of enhanced protein catabolism, repeated diarrhea after transplantation, poor intestinal absorption function, the use of immunosuppressants, and concurrent infections. The recommended protein supplement for bone marrow transplant patients is 1.2 to 1.5

g/(kg.d).

4. Fat metabolism

It is generally not affected in the early period after transplantation, but when patients develop chronic GVHD and require long-term hormone treatment, plasma cholesterol and triglycerides will increase, and dietary adjustments should be made as appropriate. Studies have shown that long-chain or medium-chain fat emulsions can be safely used in bone marrow transplant patients, providing 30% to 40% of non-protein calories. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have anti-vasoconstriction and anti-platelet aggregation functions and can be selectively used in such patients.