title: Evidence of meaningful levels of Trypanosoma cruzi in platelet concentrates from seropositive blood donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  According to the reported cases of transfusion-acquired Trypanosoma cruzi infection, the risk of T. cruzi transfusion transmission appears to be higher with platelet (PLT) products than with other blood components. The aim of this study was to investigate by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) the parasitic load detected in leukoreduced plasma and PLT concentrates collected by apheresis from seropositive T. cruzi blood donors and compare them with peripheral whole blood (WB).
  
  
  METHODS
  During 2011 to 2013, a prospective study was carried out in a group of blood donors originating from Chagas-endemic areas but who are now living on the island of Majorca, Spain. Leukoreduced plasma and PLT concentrates were collected by apheresis from seropositive blood donors with detectable parasitemias in peripheral WB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seropositivity was found in 23 of 1201 donors studied (1.9%), and T. cruzi DNA with less than 1 parasite equivalent/mL was detected in peripheral WB in 60.86% (14 of 23) of these. The study in blood components obtained by apheresis from these donors showed that T. cruzi DNA with a mean ± SD parasitic load of 5.33 ± 6.12 parasite equivalents/mL was detected in 100% of the PLT concentrate samples. Parasite DNA was undetectable in the extract taken from plasma collected from donors with a positive qPCR in peripheral WB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher parasitic load found in PLT concentrates compared to plasma and peripheral WB would explain the higher transfusion transmission risk of Chagas disease associated with PLT transfusions described in the reported cases of transfusion-acquired T. cruzi infection.
authors: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona.
authors: Beatriz
authors: B
authors: Cancino-Faure
authors: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona.
authors: Roser
authors: R
authors: Fisa
authors: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Riera
authors: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona.
authors: Ibeth
authors: I
authors: Bula
authors: Fundació Banc de Sang i Teixits de les Illes Balears, Mallorca, Balearic Islands.|Institut Universitari d' Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Girona-Llobera
authors: Fundació Banc de Sang i Teixits de les Illes Balears, Mallorca, Balearic Islands.|Institut Universitari d' Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Jimenez-Marco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000469:parasitology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D047589:Leukocyte Reduction Procedures; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology*; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000295:instrumentation; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013020:South America / Q000208:ethnology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan