title: Umbilical cord blood processing using Prepacyte-CB increases haematopoietic progenitor cell availability over conventional Hetastarch separation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently the most frequently used method for umbilical cord blood separation in many hospitals across the UK and the rest of the world, where small-to-medium amounts of samples are processed, is Hetastarch, a mechanical, starch-based method, which causes red cell agglutination by rouleaux formation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, a novel method (Prepa-Cyte-CB), in comparison with Hetastarch as part of an FDA-approved clinical study, was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Validation of data included recovery of nucleated and CD34+ cells, red blood cell reduction, colony forming unit potential, flow cytometric analysis and sterility tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PrepaCyte-CB, in comparison with Hetastarch offers fast, reliable separation with improved recovery of nucleated cells, 72.03% (+/-8.48 SD) compared to 58.09% (+/-20.06 SD), and CD34+ haematopoietic progenitor cells, 76% (+/-19.54 SD) compared to 64.19% (+/-29.77 SD). PrepaCyte-CB was also 12-fold more efficient in removing red blood cells and haemoglobin (P < 0.001) than Hetastarch.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that PrepaCyte-CB offers superior separation of UCB when compared to Hetastarch.
authors.affiliation: Newcastle Centre for Cord Blood, Institute of Human Genetics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Basford
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Forraz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Habibollah
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanger
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: McGuckin
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives