Background: Recently, long-standing elevations of soluble growth factors released from platelets (PLTs) after contact with artificial surfaces during dialysis were described. They could be jointly responsible for the high frequency of death from cardiovascular diseases in dialysis patients. There are no comparable data on the extent and the duration of a growth factor release by plateletpheresis procedures.
Study design and methods: A total of 37 plateletpheresis procedures were performed with two different devices. PLT-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoform AB, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, and beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) were measured in the donors' plasma samples, and PLT activation and function were measured by cytometry and aggregometry before and after plateletpheresis and 1 and 24 hours later.
Results: Before apheresis, the following mean plasma levels were found: beta-TG, 98.6 +/- 37.3 IU per mL; PDGF-AB, 71.5 +/- 38.5 pg per mL; and TGF-beta1, 2.24 +/- 0.80 ng per mL. At the end of the apheresis procedures, the mean PDGF-AB level had increased by a factor of 1.8 (p < 0.05). One hour later, the mean PDGF-AB level had normalized again. No significant change in the levels of beta-TG and TGF-beta1 was found by the apheresis procedures. There was no influence of the blood cell separator type on the results.
Conclusion: Only a slight and rapidly reversible increase in soluble PDGF-AB was found during plateletpheresis and no increase in soluble TGF-beta1 and beta-TG was found. This change should not be harmful to the donor.