title: Donor exposure to the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate during plateletpheresis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer that is contained in most PVC devices, including apheresis disposables. Because DEHP can be extracted from apheresis disposables as the blood passes through the apheresis device, DEHP exposure was determined in healthy donors undergoing plateletpheresis performed with commercially available apheresis systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 36 healthy PLT donors undergoing plateletpheresis with either continuous or discontinuous apheresis devices. Serum concentrations of DEHP were determined from peripheral blood obtained before and after plateletpheresis, with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plateletpheresis performed with standard collection disposables resulted in a median increase of 232 percent of serum DEHP compared to levels before apheresis, corresponding to a total amount of DEHP exposed during a single apheresis of a median of 6.46 (range, 1.8-20.3) microg per kg of body weight. Endogenous levels of triglycerides showed a positive correlation with the amount of DEHP released. Increase in serum DEHP was short-term as serum DEHP rapidly returned to levels obtained before apheresis within 3 hours after completion of the apheresis course. Donor exposure to DEHP led to no variation in liver cell function within 48 hours after plateletpheresis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Commercial plateletpheresis disposables release considerable amounts of DEHP during the apheresis procedure, but the total dose of DEHP retained by the donor is within the normal range of DEHP exposure of the general population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine and the Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Vienna General Hospital, University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buchta
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bittner
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Höcker
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macher
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seger
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dettke
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000097:blood*; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000378:metabolism*; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000295:instrumentation
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010968:Plasticizers; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate