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Red Blood Cell Preservation in Protein‐Poor Media: I. Leukocyte Enzymes as a Cause of Hemolysis
Author(s) -
Högman C. F.,
Hedlund K.,
Akerblom O.,
Venge P.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1978.18278160591.x
Subject(s) - hemolysis , red blood cell , red cell , hematocrit , haemolysis , enzyme , whole blood , buffy coat , chemistry , andrology , biochemistry , immunology , medicine
Red blood cells were prepared from CPD whole blood concentrated to 90 per cent hematocrit, diluted with saline‐adenine‐glucose (SAG) media and then stored for 35 days. The dilution was undertaken to improve the flow properties of the blood and to provide the cells with glucose and adenine allowing prolonged storage. Several different compositions were tested. ATP could be maintained at about 70 per cent of the initial level and the 24 hour red blood cell posttransfusion survival was 82 per cent. The leakage of potassium was less than in CPD‐adenine whole blood if the dilution volume was half or less of the red blood cell volume. The only problem was that the hemolysis was greater in SAG‐stored blood than in CPD whole blood or undiluted CPD red blood cell concentrate. Hemolysis could be reduced by removal of huffy coat cells or by storage of blood in the presence of synthetic enzyme inhibitors. A chymotrypsin‐like enzyme isolated from human leukocytes had a potent hemolytic effect. The hypothesis is presented that red blood cells stored in an electrolyte medium in the presence of leukocytes undergo increased hemolysis because they lack the protecting effect of plasma enzyme inhibitors which normally inhibit any hemolytic enzymes leaking from damaged leukocytes. The study has practical implications for the prolonged storage of buffy‐poor red blood cell preparations to be used in transfusion therapy.