[Thrombocyte concentrates prepared from the buffy coat. A modified method].

Abstract

Since 1992 in the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion thrombocyte concentrates are prepared from buffy coat by the method of Pietersz. The advantages of the above procedure include in particular improvement of the quality of thrombocyte concentrates with regard to their low contamination with leucocytes and erythrocytes. Contemporary resuspended erythrocyte concentrates are devoid of the buffy coat and have a very low leucocyte content. Administration of preparations of this type probably reduces the risk of alloimmunization and leads to a reduced incidence of post-transfusion febrile reactions in recipients. The objective of the submitted work was the implementation and evaluation or several centrifugation procedures for preparation of thrombocyte concentrates from buffy coat with the aim to increase the yield of thrombocytes and to obtain thrombocyte concentrates with a higher number of thrombocytes. From the four mentioned centrifuging procedures for the thrombocyte preparation it is apparent that centrifuging whole blood at 3500 g for 11 minutes with slow acceleration and subsequent spinning of the buffy coat at 555 g for 3 minutes leads to the highest thrombocyte content per transfusion unit of the preparation. Also leucocyte and erythrocyte values present in the preparation were favourable, close to recommendations of the European Council as regards the quality of thrombocyte concentrates.