Cytomegalovirus infectivity in whole blood following leukocyte reduction by filtration

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be transmitted by transfusion of whole blood and cellular components processed according to standard processing procedures. A need exists to develop new procedures to remove CMV and other leukocyte-b orne vincsesfrom donor blood. Ten patients (AIDS/bone marrow transplants) w ho were CMV antigenemic (virus subsequently confirmed by isolation), donate d 50 mt of venous blood M,within 24 to 72 hours of the initial antigen dete ction. Twenty-five-milliliter aliquots of each specimen were passed through Purecell Neo Neonatal Leukocyte Reduction Filters (Pall, East Hills, NY). The remaining 25-rnL nonfiltered aliquots, as well as the blood filtrates, were subjected to infectivity endpoint determinations. The Purecell Neo fil ter effected a 3 to 4 log(10) leukocyte reduction. CMV input titers ranged from less than 10 to 7.3 x 10(1) median tissue culture infectious close (TC ID50) per milliliter: CMV was not isolated from any postfiltration effluent (ie, leukocytes, erythrocytes, or plasma). CMV DNA was not detected by nes ted polymerase chain reaction in 8 of 10 postfiltrate blood specimens. The Purecell Neo filter was efficacious in eliminating or significantly reducin g viral (CMV) load in venous blood.