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WBC reduction in cryopreserved RBC units
Françoise G Arnaud1, Harold T Meryman
1Naval Medical Research Center, Combat Casualty Care, Resuscitative Medicine Department, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500, USA. arnaudf@nmrc.navy.mil
Transfusion
|March 29, 2003
Summary
Freezing red blood cells (RBCs) alone does not sufficiently reduce white blood cells (WBCs). Initial buffy coat (BC) removal offers an economical WBC reduction method for cryopreserved RBCs.
Area of Science:
- Blood banking and transfusion medicine
- Cellular immunology
- Cryopreservation technologies
Background:
- White blood cell (WBC) reduction in blood components is crucial for preventing alloimmunization.
- Freezing red blood cells (RBCs) reduces WBC load but often fails to meet current US regulatory limits (5 x 10^6 cells/unit).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of different methods for WBC reduction in RBCs prior to and after cryopreservation.
- To compare WBC reduction efficiency between buffy coat (BC) removal and filtration methods.
Main Methods:
- RBC units underwent WBC reduction via filtration or BC removal before freezing with high glycerol concentration.
- Residual WBC counts were quantified using flow cytometry post-deglycerolization.
- Filtration was also assessed after deglycerolization.
Main Results:
- Unfiltered frozen RBCs retained high WBC counts (11.5 ± 9.2 x 10^6/unit), including cellular debris.
- BC removal (20-40 mL) reduced post-thaw WBCs to 1.9 ± 1.20 x 10^6/unit.
- Pre-freezing filtration eliminated detectable WBCs; post-thaw filtration reduced WBCs below 10^6/unit but left some debris.
Conclusions:
- RBC freezing alone is insufficient for achieving recommended WBC reduction levels.
- Initial BC removal presents a cost-effective strategy for WBC reduction in cryopreserved RBC units.
- Post-deglycerolization filtration is a viable option for units not pre-treated for WBC reduction.