Comparison of a new WBC-reduction system and the standard plateletpheresis protocol in the same donors.
BACKGROUND
A cell separator (Spectra, Gambro BCT) with an integrated leukoreduction system (LRS) for producing WBC-reduced single-donor platelet concentrates has been shown to result in a slightly reduced collection efficiency as compared to the former Spectra system without LRS. A novel modified system for improved collection efficiencies (LRS Turbo, Gambro BCT) was evaluated.


METHODS
Each of 37 donors underwent plateletpheresis using the LRS Turbo (LRS-T) and the standard LRS (LRS) of the Spectra cell separator. The collection efficiency and WBC contamination of the different techniques were compared. Platelets were counted automatically and WBCs were counted by using one or two full grids of a Nageotte chamber.


RESULTS
The preseparation and postseparation numbers of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets, as well as the number of collected platelets, did not differ for the two techniques. In the LRS-T separations, the collection efficiency was 112 percent of that in the LRS procedures. Median residual WBCs in the platelet components were 0.0256 x 10(6) per LRS-T procedure and 0.0253 x 10(6) per LRS procedure. The purity of the LRS-T components was not less than that of the standard LRS components, whereas the collection efficiency of the LRS-T was significantly greater, 44.9 percent versus 40.7 percent.


CONCLUSIONS
The LRS-T procedures produced platelet concentrates with WBC-reduction capacity that is comparable to that obtained with the standard LRS procedures, which have previously been described as satisfying the most stringent criteria for WBC-reduced platelets. The new technique significantly improved the collection efficiency of the plateletpheresis procedure.
Zingsem
J
J
Department of Transfusion Medicine and Haemostaseology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. juergen.zingsem@trans.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Zimmermann
R
R
Weisbach
V
V
Glaser
A
A
Bunkens
H
H
Eckstein
R
R
D001782:Blood Donors; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000592:standards*