COMPARISON OF THE LEVEL OF CYTOKINE MESSENGER-RNA IN BUFFY COAT-DERIVED PLATELET CONCENTRATES PREPARED WITH OR WITHOUT WHITE CELL-REDUCTIONBY FILTRATION

BACKGROUND: The generation of proinflammatory cytokines in platelet co ncentrates (PCs) by white cells is thought to be implicated in febrile nonhemolytic reactions. Furthermore, other cytokines could be generat ed in the PCs as signs of white cell activation when PCs are prepared from a pool of huffy coats (BCs). The number of white cells in the PCs is crucial to cytokine generation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Each of the PCs (n = 12) was prepared from a pool of BCs from four donors. Bef ore storage, half of the BC-derived PCs (BC-PCs) were white cell reduc ed by filtration.The BCs and the unfiltered and filtered BC-PCs were a ssayed for the presence of cytokine mRNA (i.e., interleukin [IL]-1 bet a, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF alpha], IL-8, IL-2, and inte rferon gamma [IFN-gamma]) by the use of competitive reverse transcript ion-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: No mRNA of cytokines with pyro genic activity, that is, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TNF alpha, was detected i n either the filtered or the unfiltered BC-PCs. Likewise, IL-2 mRNA wa s not found in any of the BC-PCs. IFN-gamma mRNA, however, was detecte d in the unfiltered BC-PCs but not in the filtered BC-PCs. IL-8 mRNA w as found in both the unfiltered and the filtered BC-PCs, but with a lo wer frequency in the filtered BC-PCs. CONCLUSION: The unfiltered BC-PC s produced in the top-and-bottom bag system contain traces or undetect able levels of the investigated cytokine mRNA. The results can be used in defining consensus recommendations for the use of filtered and unf iltered blood components.