[Effects of leukocyte depletion on the storage quality of whole blood]

According to the German Guidelines for Hemotherapy, preoperative autologous blood donations can be stored and transfused as whole blood. In contrast to the storage of blood components, however, storage of whole blood results in deterioration of the biological quality due to contamination with leukocytes and platelets. In this study we examined the influence of prestorage leukocyte depletion on the quality of filtered whole blood donations during storage.

Whole blood was donated by healthy volunteers (n = 14,500 ml, 70 ml CPDA-1) and was filtered using an integrated whole blood filter system (Leukotrap A1, Fa.Pall, Dreieich, Germany). The leukocyte-depleted whole blood units were then stored for up to 49 days. Several hematological and biochemical parameters indicative of the quality of blood donations were determined during storage.

Our data indicate a quality of leukocyte-depleted whole blood donations comparable to buffy-coat-free red blood cell units.

The Leukotrap A1 whole blood filter system is an interesting option for hospitals lacking the technical capacity to separate whole blood into components. The clinical suitability remains to be investigated by means of clinical studies.