Quality control of apheresis platelets: a multicentre study to evaluate factors that can influence pH measurement.
OBJECTIVE
Blood operators routinely monitor the pH of apheresis platelets as a marker of the so-called storage lesion, which can result from manufacturing problems. It is also suspected that some donor characteristics can increase the risk of poor platelet storage. To explore this hypothesis, we analysed a large, multinational data set of quality control (QC) pH test results on apheresis platelets.


METHODS
For the period between September 2011 and August 2014, seven blood operators in Canada, the USA, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Australia provided pH QC test results and donor characteristics on a total of 21,671 apheresis platelets.


RESULTS
Some variations in pH distribution between blood operators were in part explained by differences in collection, processing and testing methods. Younger age and female gender were significantly associated with a pH value below the 10th percentile. Among donors who had two or more pH measurements (n = 3672), there was a strong correlation between pH results (r = 0·726; P < 0·0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The strong intradonor correlation of pH measurements and the association between donor characteristics and pH results suggest that donor factors play a role in the quality of platelets.
Héma-Québec, Quebec, QC, Canada.
M
M
Germain
Héma-Québec, Quebec, QC, Canada.
Y
Y
Grégoire
Blood Systems, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, USA.
R R
RR
Vassallo
Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
J P
JP
Acker
National Health Service Blood and Transplant, Cambrige, UK.
R
R
Cardigan
Sanquin Blood Bank, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
D
D
de Korte
Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Sydney, Australia.
D O
DO
Irving
Établissement Français du sang, La-Plaine-Saint-Denis, France.
S
S
Bégué
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D046148:Donor Selection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D012737:Sex Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
donor characteristics; pH; platelet; quality control