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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
Preparation and Pathogen Inactivation of Double Dose Buffy Coat Platelet Products using the INTERCEPT Blood System
Published on: December 7, 2012
Feasibility of preparing whole blood-derived pooled buffy coat granulocyte concentrates for pediatric patients
Kriti Batni1, Satyam Arora1, Seema Dua1
1Department of Transfusion Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Child Health (PGICH), Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Background:
Granulocyte transfusions remain a therapeutic option in managing severe neutropenic sepsis and selected hematological conditions. However, their availability is limited due to challenges in mobilization, collection, and short shelf life. In resource-constrained settings, buffy coat-derived granulocyte pools may serve as a feasible alternative.
Aims:
To assess the feasibility of pooling buffy coat (BC) derived granulocytes, validate the pooling process, and compare granulocyte yield between two different pooling strategies (pool of 4 vs. pool of 6 BC) MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted using buffy coats from routine 450 mL whole blood donations (N = 150). BCs were pooled (N = 60 for pool of 4 vs N = 90 for pool of 6 BC-GCs). Donor, individual buffy coat, pooled buffy coat samples were analyzed for volume, complete blood counts, platelet and granulocyte yield. European (EDQM) and UK standards were used as quality benchmarks.
Results:
Granulocyte yield, volume, and red cell content were significantly higher in 6-BC pools compared to 4-BC pools (p < 0.001). All 6-BC pools met the EDQM granulocyte dose threshold (>5 × 10⁹/unit), whereas only 33 % of 4-BC pools did. Sterility was maintained throughout. To reduce red cell content for pediatric suitability, 6 RBC-reduced pools underwent high-speed centrifugation. Compared to the unmanipulated pools, RBC-reduced pools demonstrated significantly lower volume and RBC volume and significantly higher granulocyte concentration (42.8 ± 16.1 vs. 24.0 ± 3.1 ×10 ³/µL, p = 0.035) with preserved total granulocyte yield (p = 0.40). However, a key limitation of our study is the lack of functional assays to assess post-processing granulocyte viability and phagocytic activity.
Conclusion:
This approach offers a cost-effective, logistically simpler method for generating granulocyte-rich components where apheresis is not feasible. Pooled buffy coat granulocytes can be a viable alternative in settings with limited access to granulocytapheresis, meeting acceptable quality standards for clinical use.
