Analysis of quality parameters in platelet concentrates stored for 10 days

Abstract

The recommended guideline for storing platelet concentrates (PCs) is 5 days at 22oC with constant agitation; this is short and problematic because the demand for the therapeutic use of PCs is on the rise, and Blood Establishments may occasionally struggle to meet such demands. Furthermore, PCs are susceptible to bacterial contamination and storage lesions due to their storage conditions and these two factors are the key issues that need to be addressed when increasing the storage time of PCs. However, changes in cytokine concentrations should also be considered as cytokines may cause transfusion-transmitted reactions, ranging from mild to severe, causing harm to the patient, so it is essential to monitor their concentration to prevent such an undesirable outcome. In this study, 20 expired PCs were analysed by sampling on Day 5 and Day 10 of storage and assessed respectively for platelet count and indices, quality parameters and cytokine concentrations. The results obtained showed some significant differences in the platelet count and indices. The quality parameters recommended by the EDQM included the platelet content per final unit, volume per 60 x 109 of platelets and pH; these were statistically different between all the days. However, the average values remained above the values recommended by the EDQM. The difference in cytokine concentration of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF—α) and Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) were not found to be statistically different between Day 5 and Day 10. Furthermore, the PCs were subjected to sterility testing on Day 10 to look at the possibility of bacterial contamination and, one sample out of the 20 paired culture bottles was found to be positive. These results showed that the difference between Day 5 and Day 10 is not substantial, and the risk of transfusion -transmitted reactions is similar. This supports prolonging the storage life by up to 10 days but further studies need to be conducted with a larger sample to confirm therapeutic efficiency.