title: The effect of prion reduction in solvent/detergent-treated plasma on haemostatic variables.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Octapharma PPGmbH has recently modified its manufacturing process for solvent/detergent-treated plasma to incorporate a prion reduction step, in which a 3 log reduction has been demonstrated. The current study was undertaken to assess the impact of this procedure on haemostatic variables in the new product OctaplasLG in comparison with standard Octaplas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Production batches of standard Octaplas (n=4) and OctaplasLG (n=16) were assessed for levels of coagulation factors, physiological protease inhibitors, markers of activation and procoagulant microparticles. Global haemostasis was assessed by a thrombin generation test (TGT) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean levels of factors: II, V, VII, IX, X, XI, XII and XIII, VWF:Ag, antithrombin, protein C and free protein S were all >75 u/dl. ADAMTS-13 activity levels were normal. Factor VIII and VWF:RCo were >55 u/dl. TGT and ROTEM were similar in both preparations, and microparticles were present at negligible levels. Two units of OctaplasLG had slightly elevated levels of Prothrombin Fragments 1+2, but D-Dimer and thrombin-antithrombin complexes were normal in all batches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies indicate that the affinity chromatography procedure used in OctaplasLG does not appear to adversely affect the proven haemostatic quality of Octaplas, while offering a selective reduction in the concentration of pathological prion proteins.
authors.affiliation: Haemostasis Research Unit, Department of Haematology, University College London, London, UK. andrew.lawrie@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lawrie
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Canciani
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Mackie
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peyvandi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Machin
mesh_terms: D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry*; D011328:Prions
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D006490:Hemostatics; D011328:Prions