Unexpected effects of donor gender on the storage of liquid plasma.
BACKGROUND
Swedish regulations in effect since 2006 allow the storage of plasma for transfusion up to 14 days at 2-6 degrees C and for 3 years at < or = -30 degrees C. In this study, the quality of currently used plasma components was investigated.


METHODS
Plasma components, prepared from whole blood or by apheresis, either leucocyte depleted or not leucocyte depleted, were stored at 2-6 degrees C as liquid plasma or as thawed fresh-frozen plasma; 31% were from female donors. Concentration, function and activation markers of the plasma coagulation systems were investigated during storage for up to 42 days.


RESULTS
Cold-induced contact activation was the dominant storage lesion, occurring earlier and at higher frequency in plasma from females. Increased kallikrein-like activity led to changes in activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, protein C and C1 inhibitor (C1INH). C1INH function dropped to 53% on Day 14 in cold-activated plasma components.


CONCLUSIONS
Contact activation may be triggered before Day 14, especially in plasma from females, and may progress as a result of the consumption of C1INH. The data suggest that lack of cold-induced contact activation may be an important quality criterion. To achieve this, plasma from male donors could be selected for transfusion and the storage time limited to 7 days.
Norda
R
R
Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, SE 75185 Uppsala, Sweden. rut.norda@akademiska.se
Knutson
F
F
Berseus
O
O
Akerblom
O
O
Nilsson-Ekdahl
K
K
Stegmayr
B
B
Nilsson
B
B
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D001782:Blood Donors; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003174:Complement C1 Inactivator Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D050718:Complement C1 Inhibitor Protein; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry*; D015843:Serpins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012737:Sex Factors
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D003174:Complement C1 Inactivator Proteins; D050718:Complement C1 Inhibitor Protein; C469952:SERPING1 protein, human; D015843:Serpins; D007610:Kallikreins