Ex Vivo Behavior of Hematopoietic Progenitors During Cold Storage of Whole Blood

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of hematopoietic progenitor cells in the peripheral blood during ex vivo storage in blood banking conditions. Keeping in view the cost involved in leukoreduction, majority of blood banks in developing countries and other under-resourced nations still prefer conventional, non-leukoreduced whole blood for transfusion. Non-leukofiltered whole blood samples collected from nine healthy donors were stored in blood banking conditions and evaluated for total viable RBC count at different storage durations. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from the whole blood aliquots were quantified for CD34 + cell viability, erythropoietic marker expression profile and cell cycle patterns during storage. The CD34 + hematopoietic progenitors in non-leukofiltered peripheral blood are mitotically competent only up to three weeks of storage at 4°C in blood banking condition. The viability studies and absolute counts of CD34 + cells have shown variability which may reduce the therapeutic efficacy of the unit, and also adds an excess iron burden to chronically transfused patients. Hence, it is imperative to pursue new quality control strategies for elimination of blood banking-induced damage to RBC in conventional, non-leukoreduced whole blood samples.