Background: Prestorage pooling of whole-blood-derived PCs (WBD-PCs) would be advantageous to transfusion services in that it would make the product available in a more timely manner, reduce wastage of untransfused pools, and simplify bacterial screening by allowing testing of the pool rather than each single PLT concentrate (PC).
Study design and methods: Four to six individual leukoreduced PCs were pooled into a 1.5-L CLX-HP PLT storage bag using a sterile connecting device. Controls were individual prestorage leukoreduced PCs that were stored as single products. Products were sampled on Days 5 and 7 for measures of PLT quality; coagulation, fibrinolytic and complement activation; and for evidence of a mixed lymphocyte reaction.
Results: The pH level was well maintained to Day 7 with no prestorage pool having a pH below 6.7. Day 7 studies showed no evidence of coagulation or difference in complement activation. F1.2 levels did not differ between Days 5 and 7, but a 10- to 15-percent increase in C3a des-Arg was observed between these days in all product types. Day 7 activated lymphocyte surface markers (CD69, CD71, HLA-DR) were all at lower limits of detection in the prestorage pooled products, and levels of supernatant cytokines were either not different between product types on either study day or, if different, were lower in the prestorage pooled products.
Conclusion: There is no evidence of a deterioration in quality, activation of coagulation or complement, or a mixed lymphocyte reaction attributable to the prestorage pooling process with up to 7 days of storage.