title: The use of the mechanical fragility test in evaluating sublethal RBC injury during storage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mechanical fragility index (MFI) is an in vitro measurement of the extent of RBC sublethal injury. Sublethal injury might constitute a component of the RBC storage lesion, thus the MFI was determined serially during routine RBC storage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Leucoreduced AS-5- and SAGM-preserved RBCs were stored under routine blood bank conditions. The mechanical fragility (MF) of each unit was serially measured during storage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both AS-5 and SAGM units, male and female RBCs demonstrated statistically significant increases in the MFI during storage. The MFI was significantly lower in AS-5 units compared to SAGM units throughout storage. Female RBCs had significantly lower MFI vs. male RBCs in both AS-5 and SAGM units at all times. No significant differences in MFI were observed between ABO groups for both genders for AS-5 RBCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MF of RBCs increases during storage. Both gender and preservation solution influenced the MFI; however, the male:female MFI ratios were similar at all time-points and remained stable, suggesting that gender-based biological differences exist independent of storage solution. The MF could be a useful test for evaluating the effect of novel interventions intended to mitigate the susceptibility of RBCs to sublethal injury during storage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Raval
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seltsam
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Scharberg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Kameneva
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yazer
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000328:Adult; D001771:Blood Banks; D002470:Cell Survival; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011309:Preservation, Biological / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System