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Measuring Deformability and Red Cell Heterogeneity in Blood by Ektacytometry
Published on: January 12, 2018
Segments from red blood cell units should not be used for quality testing
Jayme D R Kurach1, Adele L Hansen, Tracey R Turner
1Research and Development, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Transfusion
|July 10, 2013
Summary
Testing tubing segments from red blood cell (RBC) production does not accurately reflect unit quality. These segments are unsuitable for assessing RBC quality during hypothermic storage.
Area of Science:
- Blood banking and transfusion medicine
- Biotechnology and biomedical engineering
- Quality control in biopharmaceutical manufacturing
Background:
- Nondestructive testing of blood components can improve in-process quality control and minimize product discards.
- Tubing segments from red blood cell (RBC) production were evaluated as potential sample sources for quality assessment.
- Assessing segment suitability aims to enhance the reliability of quality testing in blood component manufacturing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if tubing segments from RBC production are representative samples for quality testing.
- To compare the quality parameters of RBC units with those of their corresponding tubing segments.
- To evaluate the suitability of segments as surrogates for unit quality assessment during hypothermic storage.
Main Methods:
- Leukoreduced RBC components were prepared using whole blood filtration and buffy coat methods.
- Segments and corresponding RBC units were tested on storage days 5 and 42.
- Tests included spun hematocrit, hemoglobin, hemolysis, hematologic indices, and adenosine triphosphate concentration.
Main Results:
- Segment samples significantly overestimated hemolysis for both production methods on days 5 and 42.
- Hematocrit and hemoglobin levels in segments differed significantly from unit levels at both time points.
- Inconsistent differences between segment and unit samples were observed across different production methods for all tested variables.
Conclusions:
- Tubing segment quality does not accurately represent the quality of the corresponding RBC unit.
- Segments are not suitable surrogates for assessing RBC quality.
- Current methods of using segments for quality assessment may lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding RBC component integrity.
