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Reticulocyte count in red-blood-cell units stored in AS-1
1School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basic Science Department, Physiology Unit, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, DC, Colombia. adriana.urbina@urosario.edu.co
Background And Objectives:
Previous data that showed maintenance of reticulocyte percentage in whole blood stored in CPDA-1 have led to the assumption that reticulocyte maturation becomes arrested during refrigerated storage. However, reticulocyte behaviour in red-blood-cell units stored in additive solutions has not yet been studied. This study was thus aimed at determining reticulocyte count and reticulocyte subtypes in red-blood-cells units stored in AS-1.
Materials And Methods:
Reticulocyte percentage and subtypes were determined by flow cytometry with thiazole orange in six red-blood-cells units stored in AS-1.
Results:
Reticulocyte count was 26.8 ± 4.6 × 10(9) /l at week 0.5 and 8.2 ± 2.9 × 10(9) /l at week 6. Total haemolysis during storage was 0.19 ± 0.08%. High-fluorescence reticulocytes were 2.0 ± 3.2 × 10(9) /l at week 0.5 and decreased by weeks 2, 4 and 6. Low-fluorescence reticulocytes were 22.1 ± 3.1 × 10(9) /l at week 0.5 and decreased by weeks 4 and 6.
Conclusion:
A significant decrease in reticulocytes occurred during red-blood-cells units' storage in AS-1. Even if it were assumed that all of haemolysed cells during storage were reticulocytes, there are a number of them whose disappearance cannot be explained by this mechanism. Changes observed in reticulocyte subtypes suggest that they mature during storage.
