Zeitschrift für Hämatologie und thromboembolische Erkrankungen
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Tracking Syngeneic Leukocytes after Transfusion of Non-leukoreduced Blood in a Murine Model

Fischer D, Büssow J, Meybohm P, Zacharowski K, Paulus P, et al.

Objective: Several Western European countries and Canada have introduced white blood cell reduction as a universal standard to prevent potential adverse effects of allogeneic blood transfusions. However, there is an ongoing controversy regarding its appropriateness in other countries such as North America. We were interested in the whereabouts of leukocytes following whole blood transfusion in mice to evaluate their potential sites of (adverse) action.

Materials and methods: Wildtype C57BL/6 were transfused with non-leukoreduced blood from enhanced green fluorescent protein transgenic C57BL/6-Tg(CAGEGFP) 1 Osb/J mice. Cells were tracked on day 3 and day 5 after transfusion by flow cytometry.

Results: Enhanced green fluorescent protein-labeled leukocytes were found in the blood circulation, the myocardium, bone marrow and lung tissue up until day 5, but not in the kidney, the liver or the spleen. Myeloperoxidase activity in the lungs was significantly higher on day 5 when compared to control animals (0.09 ± 0.01% vs. 0.26 ± 0.08%, p=0.047). There was no increase in cytokines.

Conclusion: Syngeneic white blood cells survive in the recipient of non-leukoreduced red blood cell units. They circulate in the blood stream and can be found in the bone marrow and the lungs up to five days after transfusion.