The virucidal effect of platelet concentrates: preliminary study and first conclusions

Despite the increased safety of blood components, achieved through improved donor selection and testing, transfusion recipients remain at risk of transfusion-associated diseases. Transfusion of cellular blood components has been implicated in transmission of viral, bacterial and protozoan diseases. Investigators have studied a myriad of processes for pathogen depletion and/or inactivation. No successful treatments, apart the leukodepletion, have already been identified for red cells and platelets. And more, several evidences indicate that platelets play a key role in host defence against infection. High levels of pathogens were added to single-donor platelet concentrates (PC) containing 3 to 5 10(11) platelets in 300 ml. The infectivity of each pathogen was measured with established biologic assays. The following levels of pathogen inactivation were achieved : >10(2.63) plaque-forming units (PFU) per ml of adenovirus 5 (ADV5), >10(5.6) PFU per ml of Poliovirus 1 (P1) and >10(4.1) PFU per ml of vaccinia virus (VaV). In conclusion, the PC show a potential virucidal effect. This inactivation process has been found with bacteria and still remains unknown for viruses.