title: Bacterial survival and distribution during buffy coat platelet production.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  At Canadian Blood Services, buffy coat (BC) platelet concentrates (BC-PCs) show a generally lower bacterial contamination rate than apheresis PCs. This study investigated whether the PC production method contributes to this observation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole blood (WB) inoculated with eight bacterial strains was processed using the BC method. Bacteria were enumerated throughout BC-PC production and subsequent PC storage. Endotoxin production and bacterial adhesion to PC bags were evaluated during PC storage. PC quality was monitored by CD62P expression (flow cytometry) and changes in dynamic light scattering (ThromboLUX®).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During overnight WB hold, Staphylococcus epidermidis titres remained unchanged, commercial Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were eliminated and the remaining organisms proliferated to high concentrations. Through BC-PC production, bacteria segregated preferentially towards the cellular fractions compared to plasma (P < 0·05). During PC storage, most bacteria adhered to the PC bags and Gram negatives produced clinically significant endotoxin levels. Changes in CD62P expression or ThromboLUX scoring did not consistently reflect bacterial contamination in BC-PCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WB hold during BC-PC production does not have a broad-spectrum bactericidal effect, and therefore, other factors contribute to low rates of contamination in BC-PCs.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalab
authors.affiliation: Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Q-L
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: LightIntegra, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.affiliation: Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Arcos
mesh_terms: D058621:Blood Buffy Coat / Q000382:microbiology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D058731:Blood Safety; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000502:physiology; D050296:Microbial Viability; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma / Q000382:microbiology*; D010983:Plateletpheresis; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000502:physiology; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019007:P-Selectin; C546937:SELP protein, human
keywords: bacterial contamination in platelets; buffy coat platelets; platelet production