Comparison of a new WBC-reduction system and the standard plateletpheresisprotocol in the same donors

BACKGROUND: A cell separator (Spectra, Gambro BCT) with an integrated leuko reduction system (LRS) for producing WBC-reduced single-donor platelet conc entrates has been shown to result in a slightly reduced collection efficien cy as compared to the former Spectra system without LRS. A novel modified s ystem for improved collection efficiencies (LRS Turbo, Gambro BCT) was eval uated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Each of 37 donors underwent plateletpheresis usin g the LRS Turbo (LRS-T) and the standard LRS (LRS) of the Spectra cell sepa rator. The collection efficiency and WBC contamination of the different tec hniques were compared. Platelets were counted automatically and WBCs were c ounted by using one or two full grids of a Nageotte chamber. RESULTS: The preseparation and postseparation numbers of RBCs, WBCs, and pl atelets, as well as the number of collected platelets, did not differ for t he two techniques. In the LRS-T separations, the collection efficiency was 112 percent of that in the LRS procedures. Median residual WBCs in the plat elet components were 0.0256 x 10(6) per LRS-T procedure and 0.0253 x 10(6) per LRS procedure. The purity of the LRS-T components was not less than tha t of the standard LRS components, whereas the collection efficiency of the LRS-T was significantly greater, 44.9 percent versus 40.7 percent. CONCLUSIONS: The LRS-T procedures produced platelet concentrates with WBC-r eduction capacity that is comparable to that obtained with the standard LRS procedures, which have previously been described as satisfying the most st ringent criteria for WBC-reduced platelets. The new technique significantly improved the collection efficiency of the plateletpheresis procedure.