Leukoreduction of sickle cell trait blood: an unresolved issue

With the increasing demand for leukoreduction of blood components and the i mplementation of universal leukoreduction in several countries, the problem s associated with leukocyte filtration of sickle cell trait blood have been revisited. Currently, there is no unified standard practice for sickle cel l trait donors. Different blood centers adopt different policies. While som e defer these donors from red cell component donation, some do not. Some sc reen all ethnic African donors for hemoglobin S (Hb S), others do not. Furt hermore, there are differences in views of whether sickle cell trait red ce lls should be considered as equivalent to non-sickle cell trait red cells. Some blood centers do not give red cells from a sickle cell trait donor to the newborn or patients undergoing general anesthesia as a preventative mea sure. In this presentation, we discuss the epidemiology of the sickle gene, the sickling process, problems associated with leukoreduction of sickle ce ll trait whole blood and red cells, and some unresolved issues concerning d onor referral and the usage of sickle cell trait blood. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience Ltd. All rights reserved.