Contamination profile in allografts retrieved from multitissue donors: longitudinal analysis

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Transplantation Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Microbiological contamination poses a significant risk to allograft safety, especially in multi-tissue donations.
• Contamination during retrieval and handling is a frequent challenge in tissue banking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the longitudinal microbiological contamination profile of retrieved tissues.
• To determine the incidence and patterns of microbial species changes over time in banked tissues.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 11,129 retrieved tissues (10,035 musculoskeletal, 1094 cardiovascular) from 763 multi-tissue donors.
• Longitudinal tracking of microbial contamination at retrieval (Time ¹) and after decontamination steps (Time ³).
• Identification of microbial species and assessment of contamination changes over time.

Main Results:

• Of 1955 initially contaminated tissues, 72% retained the original species, while 28% showed new species after the first decontamination.
• After a second decontamination, 68% of positive tissues harbored different species than initially detected.
• A 28% incidence of new species was observed in tissues positive after retrieval, and 3.5% became positive post-admission to the tissue bank.
• Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was responsible for over 70% of new contaminations.

Conclusions:

• Microbial contamination in retrieved tissues is dynamic, with a high rate of species change over time.
• The findings highlight the need for robust decontamination protocols and ongoing monitoring in tissue banking.
• Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus represents a key challenge in preventing and managing tissue contamination.