title: Stability of cytomegalovirus antibodies in plasma during prolonged storage of blood components.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody testing is currently limited by manufacturers' guidelines to specimens stored for 7 days or less. We examined the stability of CMV antibodies in plasma from platelets and whole-blood units during storage using a rapid, automated, recombinant protein-based immunoassay which qualitatively detects total antibody to human CMV. Testing of single-donor apheresis platelets was performed on baseline serum and platelet-free plasma and on platelet-free plasma 8 days later. Indeterminate, positive, and negative CMV antibody results were maintained over time for 97% (75 of 77) of the platelet specimens. For whole-blood units, initial testing of donor serum and plasma obtained from erythrocyte segments took place within 7 days of phlebotomy. Indeterminate, positive, and negative CMV antibody results were maintained on subsequent analyses performed on erythrocyte segments at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks for 100% of whole-blood specimens. An important potential benefit of CMV antibody testing of stored platelets and blood is the elimination of a costly, dedicated, CMV-negative inventory. The study suggests that CMV antibody testing can be conveniently and reliably performed on blood components over the entire storage period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pappin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grissom
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yomtovian
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001331:Automation; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000191:economics*; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D001782:Blood Donors; D001792:Blood Platelets; D001793:Blood Preservation; D003363:Cost Control; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005470:Fluorometry; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D009820:Ohio; D010949:Plasma; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral