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Extracellular Vesicles from Red Blood Cell Products Induce a Strong Pro-Inflammatory Host Response, Dependent on Both
Marleen Straat1, Anita N Böing2, Anita Tuip-De Boer3
1Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Background:
Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is associated with adverse outcome, but the causative factor is unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have pro-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that EVs released from both fresh and stored RBC products can induce a host inflammatory response in a dose-dependent manner.
Methods:
Whole blood was incubated with supernatant from RBC units stored for different time periods, either containing (different numbers of) EVs or depleted from EVs.
Results:
Incubation with both fresh and stored supernatant containing EVs induced a strong host response with production of TNF, IL-6 and IL-8. In supernatant depleted from EVs, this host response was completely abrogated. IL-10 levels were not affected. EV-induced host response was both dependent on the number of EVs as well as on storage time.
Conclusions:
EVs from both fresh and stored RBC units illicit a strong inflammatory host response in recipients and may therefore contribute to adverse outcome of RBC transfusion.
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