title: Effects of storage conditions of human whole blood on the viability of lymphocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the optimal storage conditions of human whole blood to retain viability of lymphocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated and unstimulated human whole blood samples were stored for 48-96 h up to one week at 4 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C and were analysed for apoptosis. After 96 h and one week of storage unstimulated cultures were stimulated to proliferate. These cultures and samples stimulated immediately before storing were incubated at 37 degrees C for 56 h and analysed for mitotic index (MI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lymphocytes undergo apoptosis during storage and this loss of viability is accelerated by increasing both temperature and storage time. In the presence of PHA, incubation at both 4 degrees C and 20 degrees C for 48 h resulted in low percentages of apoptotic cells and after incubation at 4 degrees C for 96 h the cultures grown for 56 h at 37 degrees C revealed the highest percentage of MI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The storage conditions affect lymphocytes in terms of both cell viability and proliferation. Storage at 4 degrees C for 96 h in presence of PHA was found optimal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrobiology and Agrochemistry, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belloni
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meschini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palitti
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins