PREVENTION OF CYTOKINE ACCUMULATION IN PLATELETS OBTAINED WITH THE COBE SPECTRA APHERESIS SYSTEM

Background and Objectives: Febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions frequently accompany platelet transfusions and may be due to accumulat ion of cytokines mediating inflammation during storage of platelet con centrates (PCs). We wished to determine whether PCs collected using th e COBE(R) Spectra(TM) Apheresis System (Version 4) were sufficiently l eukocyte reduced (LR) to limit cytokine accumulation during storage. M aterials and Methods: Cytokine accumulation - interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)and release of pla telet alpha-granule - P-selectin, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (T GF-beta 1), platelet-derived growth factor AB (PDGF-AB), von Willebran d factor (vWf)- or dense granule (serotonin) markers were investigated during a 7-day storage period comparing apheresis-collected, LR PCs ( LR PCs) and random donor platelets prepared from whole blood (WB). Res ults: Leukocyte counts were reduced 99.95% comparing LR PCs (5.7 x 10( 5)/l) and WE PCs (1.09 x 10(9)/l). Little or no accumulation of leukoc yte-derived cytokines was observed in LR PCs during storage in contras t to WE PCs, A reduction in the release of platelet alpha-granule prot eins, such as P-selectin, TGF-beta 1 and PDGF-AB, was observed on day 0 for LR PCs compared to WE PCs with little or no difference observed from day 3 to 7. Plasma vWf levels were higher in LR PCs compared to W E PCs on days 0-7, Conclusion: Leukocyte levels in PCs collected with the COBE Spectra Apheresis System are sufficiently low to limit cytoki ne production during 7 days of storage.