title: Leucodepletion leads to component-like storage stability of whole blood--suggesting its homologous use?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leucodepleted whole blood (LWB) is already widely used for autologous donations and could also be appropriate for certain instances of allogeneic transfusion provided that storage quality can be preserved at component-like levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen units of whole blood (WB), donated by healthy volunteers into CPDA-1 according to German guidelines, were leucofiltered prestorage and stored for up to 49 days. Unfiltered WB in CPDA-1 (UFWB, n=16) and filtered red blood cells in SAGM (RCC, n=14) served as controls. Several haematological, biochemical and coagulatory quality parameters were determined at designated time-points during storage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apart from significant differences (P<0.05) in haematocrit (56.2+/-3.6 vs. 37.9+/-3.9%), and in the plasma concentrations of free haemoglobin (93.1+/-37.8 vs. 57.8+/-24.3 g/dl), K+ (38.9+/-5.3 vs. 31.5+/-4.3 mm) and ATP (2.7+/-0.2 vs. 1.6+/-0.4 micromol/g haemoglobin), with higher levels detected in RCC, no remarkable differences (P>0.05) were observed regarding haemolysis (0.23+/-0.07% vs. 0.31+/-0.13) and pH value (6.63+/-0.03 vs. 6.62+/-0.02) between RCC and LWB at the end of storage. Lack of leucodepletion manifested in significantly (P<0.05) higher rates of haemolysis (0.44+/-0.21%), free haemoglobin (89.6+/-43.5 g/dl) and lower pH values (6.56+/-0.04). During 42 days of LWB storage, sufficient amounts (% of the initial mean value) were observed with stable (factor XI, 97.5+/-15.0) and labile (factor V, 92.9+/-18.0; factor VIII, 69.2+/-17.1) clotting factors and inhibitors (antithrombin III 88.9+/-9.5), without any signs of activated coagulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that the quality of LWB is comparable to that of components during 42 days of storage. Thus, LWB could be an interesting option for using to facilitate and economize the blood supply, especially for surgical or trauma patients.
authors.affiliation: Transfusion Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. susanne.picker@medizin.uni-koeln.de
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Picker
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Stürner
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oustianskaja
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Gathof
mesh_terms: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D047589:Leukocyte Reduction Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010976:Platelet Count; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors