Cryopreserving and deglycerolizing sickle cell trait red blood cell components using an automated cell-processing...

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Hematology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Rare red blood cell (RBC) phenotypes are crucial for patients with sickle cell disease.
• Donors with sickle cell trait can be a source of these rare RBC components.
• Cryopreservation of these specialized RBCs requires modified deglycerolization methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of an automated cell-processing system for cryopreserving and deglycerolizing RBC components from sickle cell trait donors.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of standard automated deglycerolization procedures on these specific RBCs.

Main Methods:

• Red blood cell (RBC) components from three sickle cell trait donors were collected and processed using an automated cell-processing system (ACP 215).
• Components were cryopreserved within 6 days and stored at -65°C or below.
• Deglycerolization was performed using the system's standard procedure, with pre- and post-processing variables measured.

Main Results:

• Red blood cell (RBC) recovery after deglycerolization ranged from 43.0% to 76.5%, significantly lower than the >80% recovery in controls.
• A jelly-like mass was observed after deglycerolization of all sickle cell trait samples.
• Osmolality results indicated potential issues with shelf-life viability for most samples.

Conclusions:

• Automated cryopreservation and deglycerolization of sickle cell trait donor RBC components yield reduced RBC recovery.
• The standard automated procedure is not optimal for processing these specialized RBC components.
• Procedural modifications are necessary to improve RBC recovery and viability for clinical use.