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Updated: Apr 30, 2026
Preparation and Pathogen Inactivation of Double Dose Buffy Coat Platelet Products using the INTERCEPT Blood System
Published on: December 7, 2012
Pathogen inactivation efficacy of Mirasol PRT System and Intercept Blood System for non-leucoreduced platelet-rich
Background And Objectives:
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of pathogen inactivation (PI) in non-leucoreduced platelet-rich plasma-derived platelets suspended in plasma using the Mirasol PRT System and the Intercept Blood System.
Methods:
Platelets were pooled using the Acrodose PL system and separated into two aliquots for Mirasol and Intercept treatment. Four replicates of each viral strain were used for the evaluation. For bacteria, both low-titre (45-152 CFU/unit) inoculation and high-titre (7·34-10·18 log CFU/unit) inoculation with two replicates for each bacterial strain were used. Platelets with non-detectable bacterial growth and platelets inoculated with a low titre were stored for 5 days, and culture was performed with the BacT/ALERT system.
Results:
The inactivation efficacy expressed as log reduction for Mirasol and Intercept systems for viruses was as follows: human immunodeficiency virus 1, ≥4·19 vs. ≥4·23; bovine viral diarrhoea virus, 1·83 vs. ≥6·03; pseudorabies virus, 2·73 vs. ≥5·20; hepatitis A virus, 0·62 vs. 0·76; and porcine parvovirus, 0·28 vs. 0·38. The inactivation efficacy for bacteria was as follows: Escherichia coli, 5·45 vs. ≥9·22; Staphylococcus aureus, 4·26 vs. ≥10·11; and Bacillus subtilis, 5·09 vs. ≥7·74. Postinactivation bacterial growth in platelets inoculated with a low titre of S. aureus or B. subtilis was detected only with Mirasol.
Conclusion:
Pathogen inactivation efficacy of Intercept for enveloped viruses was found to be satisfactory. Mirasol showed satisfactory inactivation efficacy for HIV-1 only. The two selected non-enveloped viruses were not inactivated by both systems. Inactivation efficacy of Intercept was more robust for all bacteria tested at high or low titres.
Insights
Pathogen inactivation systems were compared for efficacy in platelet concentrates. The Intercept system demonstrated superior inactivation of enveloped viruses and bacteria compared to the Mirasol system.
Area of Science:
- Blood banking and transfusion medicine
- Microbiology
- Virology
Background:
- Platelet transfusions are critical for managing thrombocytopenia.
- Pathogen inactivation (PI) is essential for blood product safety.
- Evaluating PI systems ensures effective pathogen clearance in platelet concentrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the pathogen inactivation efficacy of the Mirasol PRT System and the Intercept Blood System.
- To assess the performance of these systems in non-leucoreduced platelet-rich plasma-derived platelets suspended in plasma.
Main Methods:
- Platelets were treated with either the Mirasol or Intercept system.
- Viral inactivation was tested using human immunodeficiency virus 1, bovine viral diarrhoea virus, pseudorabies virus, hepatitis A virus, and porcine parvovirus.
- Bacterial inactivation was evaluated using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis at low and high titres.
Main Results:
- Intercept showed satisfactory inactivation for enveloped viruses (HIV-1, BVDV, PRV) and robust inactivation for all tested bacteria.
- Mirasol demonstrated satisfactory inactivation only for HIV-1 and showed detectable bacterial growth post-treatment in some cases.
- Neither system effectively inactivated the tested non-enveloped viruses (HAV, PPV).
Conclusions:
- The Intercept Blood System offers more robust pathogen inactivation for platelets than the Mirasol PRT System.
- Intercept is effective against enveloped viruses and a broad range of bacteria.
- Further research is needed for non-enveloped virus inactivation and optimization of PI systems.
