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Updated: Jul 8, 2025
Preparation and Pathogen Inactivation of Double Dose Buffy Coat Platelet Products using the INTERCEPT Blood System
Published on: December 7, 2012
Cold-stored platelet hemostatic capacity is maintained for three weeks of storage and associated with taurine
Susan M Shea1, Julie A Reisz2, Emily P Mihalko3
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA; Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/SMSheaLab.
Background:
Platelet (PLT) product transfusion is a life-saving therapy for actively bleeding patients. There is an urgent need to maintain PLT function and extend shelf life to improve outcomes in these patients. Cold-stored PLT (CS-PLT) maintain hemostatic potential better than room temperature-stored PLT (RT-PLT). However, whether function in long-term CS-PLT is maintained under physiological flow regimes and/or determined by cold-induced metabolic changes is unknown.
Objectives:
This study aimed to (i) compare the function of RT-PLT and CS-PLT under physiological flow conditions, (ii) determine whether CS-PLT maintain function after 3 weeks of storage, and (iii) identify metabolic pathways associated with the CS-PLT lesion.
Methods:
We performed phenotypic and functional assessments of RT- and CS-PLT (22 °C and 4 °C storage, respectively; N = 10 unique donors) at storage days 0, 5, and/or 21 via metabolomics, flow cytometry, aggregation, thrombin generation, viscoelastic testing, and a microfluidic assay to measure primary hemostatic function.
Results:
Day 21 4 °C PLT formed an occlusive thrombus under arterial shear at a similar rate to day 5 22 °C PLT. Day 21 4 °C PLTs had enhanced thrombin generation capacity compared with day 0 PLT and maintained functionality comparable to day RT-PLT across all assays performed. Key metrics from microfluidic assessment, flow cytometry, thrombin generation, and aggregation were associated with 4 °C storage, and metabolites involved in taurine and purine metabolism significantly correlated with these metrics. Taurine supplementation of PLT during storage improved hemostatic function under flow.
Conclusion:
CS-PLT stored for 3 weeks maintain hemostatic activity, and storage-induced phenotype and function are associated with taurine and purine metabolism.
