Separation of large quantities of mononuclear cells from human blood using a blood processor

A blood processor (IBM 2991) was used to separate lymphocytes from large volumes of blood. The procedure included the centrifugation of 200 ml whole blood on a density gradient. The results of this procedure were compared with those obtained with a manual procedure. Mononuclear cell (MNC) viability was preserved well in the two methods. But with the processor, recovery of MNC was better (63.5 +/- 2.5%) than with manual separation (26.5 +/- 4.1%). Monoclonal antibodies were used to identify the various cell subsets in the MNC fractions. No particular cell selection was observed when MNC fractions were obtained by the separator. In conclusion, the use of a cell separator provided an efficient technique for rapid isolation of large quantities of lymphocytes.