Investigating the Influence of Iron Parameters in Regulating Platelet Recovery in Apheresis Platelet Donors

As effects of plateletpheresis on donor haematopoiesis are contradictory, the present study investigated changes in haematological parameters during and after apheresis, and the impact of iron parameters in platelet recovery. Blood samples collected from 32 consenting donors were used to analyse haematological parameters in a pilot study. Serum samples were isolated for estimation of iron parameters in 10 donors, within 30 min after initiation, and after 48 h, 96 h, day 7 and day 10. The Paired t-test or repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare parameters between 2/more time points. Changes in platelet recovery and iron parameters were compared by the paired t-test, and associations between them were assessed by Pearson's/ Spearman's correlation analyses. Platelet recovery between donor groups classified by their iron content was compared by the student's t test. Transient changes in different haematological parameters during apheresis were not observed after 48 h. Platelet counts decreased (p < 0.001), mean platelet volume (MPV) increased (p < 0.001) after 48 h. Mean platelet recovery exceeded baseline counts on day 10 (p < 0.001). Serum iron (SI) declined from day 7 (p < 0.001), after initially increasing. Platelet recovery showed significant association with changes in sTfR (r = 0.31, p < 0.05). No differences in platelet recovery were observed between donor groups, classified by their iron content. Changes in haematological parameters during plateletpheresis are transient, and the time required for platelet recovery is dependent on pre-donation counts. The effect of iron profile in influencing platelet recovery was explored.