title: Influence of the freezing-thawing-washing procedure on the cytomegalovirus DNA content of cellular blood products.
abstract: There is a proven relation between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in seronegative immunocompromised patients and transfusion of random CMV unscreened cellular blood products (BP), where the leukocytes are thought to be the vector of transmission. We examined whether freezing, thawing, and washing, in attempt to reduce the quantity of leukocytes, also reduces the CMV-DNA-carrying cells of BP of CMV-seropositive donors and their infectivity for fibroblasts, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The leukocyte contamination of the thawed-washed erythrocyte concentrates was < 1 x 10(8)/l and of the thawed-washed platelet concentrates, approximately 2.5 x 10(8)/l. All plasma samples and most samples of BPs of the CMV-seronegative controls were PCR-CMV-DNA-negative. The differences of the PCR results with the samples of CMV-seropositive donors before and after freezing were not significant. Thus we concluded that freezing-thawing-washing of cellular BP could not eliminate all CMV-DNA-bearing leukocytes. Plasma carries low risk for CMV infection, if at all.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Hämatologie und Onkologie, Immunhämatologie-Transfusionsmedizin Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, FRG.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arseniev
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Battmer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Poliwoda
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stangel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Link
mesh_terms: D001781:Blood Component Removal; D001793:Blood Preservation; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral