Use of polyester leukocyte elimination filters in blood filterability research

We tested a new routine to eliminate leukocytes for blood rheology measurements using commercial leukocyte absorbing filters (here PALL RC400). These filters were punched out and fitted in smaller chambers through which blood was filtered under controlled suction pressure (< 30 mm Hg). This technique resulted in a very effective leukocyte elimination to 0.0022% but also a platelet reduction to 0.2%. The process causes a small but significant hemolysis with free hemoglobin, of the order of 0.06% of the filtered erythrocytes. A small fraction of the erythrocytes were retained in the filter, versus plasma, to reduce the hematocrit on the order of 1.4%. The leukocyte filtration did not cause any detectable functional trauma to the erythrocytes, measured as micro-pore filterability of normal and glutaraldehyde (GA) hardened erythrocytes. However, when 10% of the erythrocytes were hardened with GA, which caused an increase in pore clogging slope (p < 0.05), the additional passage through the leukocyte elimination filter removed this measured change in clogging. This observation suggests that the leukocyte elimination filter may selectively remove, not only leukocytes and platelets, but also hardened erythrocytes. Reticulocyte counting did not reveal any selective removal of young erythrocytes. In general, we find the presented method reproducible, efficient and easy for eliminating leukocytes for blood rheology research although the risk of removing undeformable erythrocytes must be considered.