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Cytokine generation in stored platelet concentrate: Comparison of two methods of preparation
Reprint requests: Dr Rajendra Chaudhary, Additional Professor & Head, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, India e-mail: rkcchaud@sgpgi.ac.in
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Received: ,
Abstract
Background & objectives:
Contaminating white blood cells (WBCs) in stored platelet concentrates (PC) are the main source of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin- 8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) that are implicated in transfusion reactions. We compared the levels of these cytokines in stored platelet preparations prepared by two methods. Effect of pre-storage leucofiltration on these cytokine levels was also studied.
Methods:
Twelve units of pooled PCs were prepared by platelet rich plasma (PRP) method and buffy-coat (BC) method each and stored for 5 days. IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were measured in platelet supernatants on day 0, 1, 3 and 5 of the storage using commercially available immunoassays. Pre-storage leucofiltration was done in 4-pooled units of PRP-PC and cytokine levels compared with unfiltered PCs.
Results:
Median IL-6 levels increased from day 0 to day 5 in both PRP-PC and BC-PC. In PRP-PC, IL-8 increased from <3 pg/ml on day 0 to 817 pg/ml on day 5, while in BC-PC the corresponding levels were 10 and 346.5 pg/ml, respectively. No significant increase in levels of TNF-α was observed in BC-PC during storage period, while levels increased significantly in PRP-PC on day 1 only. There was no significant change in the levels of all three cytokines in leucofiltered PCs over 5 days of storage.
Interpretation & conclusion:
Findings of our study showed that method of preparation and WBC content are the critical factors in determining the cytokine levels in stored PCs.
