Impact of Shelf-Life Extension on Platelet Availability: Results from an Inventory Management Modeling Study.

Introduction: In Germany, demand for platelet transfusion is maintained or even increasing, despite a decrease in whole blood donations observed in the last decade. The shelf-life of platelet concentrates (PCs) in Germany is 4 days, which can be extended to 5 days if appropriate safety measures are used. This short shelf-life leads to decreased PC availability.

Efficacy of UVC-treated, pathogen-reduced platelets versus untreated platelets: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.

Pathogen reduction (PR) technologies for blood components have been established to reduce the residual risk of known and emerging infectious agents. THERAFLEX UVPlatelets, a novel UVC light-based PR technology for platelet concentrates, works without photoactive substances. This randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter, noninferiority trial was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of UVC-treated platelets to that of untreated platelets in thrombocytopenic patients with hematologic-oncologic diseases.

Prevalence of natural and acquired antibodies to amustaline/glutathione pathogen reduced red blood cells.

Background: The INTERCEPT™ Blood System for Red Blood Cells (RBCs) utilizes amustaline (S-303) and glutathione (GSH) to inactivate pathogens and leukocytes in transfused RBCs. Treatment-emergent low titer non-hemolytic antibodies to amustaline/GSH RBC were detected in clinical trials using a prior version of the process. The amustaline/GSH process was re-formulated to decrease S-303 RBC adduct formation.

Mitochondrial DNA multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction inhibition assay for quality control of pathogen inactivation by ultraviolet C light in platelet concentrates.

Background: Several ultraviolet (UV) light-based pathogen inactivation (PI) technologies for platelet (PLT) products have been developed or are under development. Upon implementation of PI technologies, quality control measures are required to ensure consistent efficiency of the treatment process. Previous reports showed that amotosalen/UVA and riboflavin/UV-based PI technologies induce modifications of the PLT-derived mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that can be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibition assays.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells undergo apoptosis and fragmentation after intravenous application in immune-competent mice.

Background Aims: The biodistribution of human MSCs after systemic delivery is incompletely understood. We investigated the changes in cell size and cell surface markers of human MSCs after intravenous (IV) injection in immune competent mice.

Methods: Male human MSCs were labeled with fluorescent vital dye PKH67 and tracked after IV administration in C57/BL6 mice.

The novel allele HLA-DQB1*0636 of Caucasian origin has a unique amino acid exchange at position 186 of the beta 2 region.

The novel HLA-DQB1*0636 allele differs from HLA-DQB1*060401 in one nucleotide substitution at codon 186 in exon 3.

Confirmation of allele HLA-A*3116 found in a family of a leukaemia patient with Caucasian and Caribbean origin.

We confirm allele HLA-A*3116 that we found in the family of a leukaemia patient of mixed Caucasian and Caribbean origin by sequence based typing. This allele is closest related to HLA-A*310102 with one nucleotide replacement at position 221 (C>T) leading to an amino acid substitution at position 50 of the mature protein from proline to leucine. As the amino acid at position 50 in the alpha 1 domain is part of the peptide-binding region, this change could be relevant for the functionality in peptide presentation.

A haplotype HLA-A*3201 - B*0702 - Cw*07 with a new HLA-C allelic variant closely related to HLA-Cw*0702 found in a Caucasian patient suffering from leukaemia.

The novel allele human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-Cw*0746 differs from HLA-Cw*070101 by three nucleotide exchanges at codons 45 and 66 in exon 2 and at codon 99 in exon 3.

Experience of German Red Cross blood donor services with nucleic acid testing: results of screening more than 30 million blood donations for human immunodeficiency virus-1, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus.

Background: The risk of transfusion-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections is predominantly attributable to donations given during the early stage of infection when diagnostic tests may fail. In 1997, nucleic acid amplification technique (NAT)-testing was introduced at the German Red Cross (GRC) blood donor services to reduce this diagnostic window period (WP).

Study Design And Methods: A total of 31,524,571 blood donations collected from 1997 through 2005 were screened by minipool NAT, predominantly with pool sizes of 96 donations.

A new HLA-B*08 allele, HLA-B*0828, found in two voluntary stem cell donors.

The novel allele HLA-B*0828 differs from HLA-B*080101 by three nucleotide exchanges at codon 113, 114, and 116 in exon 3.

Epstein-barr virus-associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder of donor origin after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation limited to pancreas allograft: A case report.

A 45-year-old man was admitted with fever and elevated pancreas enzymes 6 months after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT). Function of the allografts was normal. Bacterial and fungal infections were excluded, while Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive.

Intergenic recombination with HLA-C leads to a novel HLA-A*19 allele, HLA-A*2910, that is characterized by a functionally inactive amino acid exchange in the loop connecting the alpha and alpha domains.

This report describes the HLA-A*29 allele (A*2910) that has been identified by sequence-based typing in an 8-year-old Turkish female with leukaemia during search for a family-related stem cell donor. The allele is characterized by a nucleotide substitution (Guanine to Adenine) in exon 3 at position 258, leading to an amino acid exchange from glutamic acid to lysine at position 177. From family analysis and sequence comparison, the HLA-A*2910 allele has arisen from intergenic recombination with HLA-C.

HLA-DRB1*0826 and HLA-DQB1*0627, two novel class II alleles identified in blood stem cell donors of Caucasian origin.

This report describes two novel HLA class II alleles, HLA-DRB1*0826 and HLA-DQB1*0627, that have been identified in two unrelated voluntary blood stem cell donors of Caucasian origin. HLA-DRB1*0826 is characterized by a nucleotide substitution (G to T) in exon 2 at position 163, leading to an amino acid exchange from argenine to leucine. The donor phenotype is HLA-A*0301,*2902; B*3501,*4403; Cw*0401,*1601; DRB1*0101,*0826; DQB1*0402, *0501.

NAT screening of blood donors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus can potentially prevent transfusion associated transmissions.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was first described in February 2003. Close contact with symptomatic patients appears to be the main route of transmission, whereas blood transfusion transmission could not be ruled out.

Study Design And Methods: A SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) detection kit developed by C.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus DNA in anti-HBc-positive/HBsAg-negative sera correlates with HCV but not HIV serostatus.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA often remains detectable in serum despite clinical recovery and loss of HBsAg.

Objective: To study whether coinfection with HIV and HCV influence the chance of detecting HBV DNA in sera with markers of past hepatitis B.

Study Design And Results: The test panel included 160 anti-HBc-positive/HBsAg-negative sera collected in the diagnostic setting.

Performance characteristics of an automated PCR assay for the quantification of cytomegalovirus DNA in plasma.

The COBAS Amplicor CMV Monitor test (Roche Diagnostics), an automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the quantification of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in plasma samples, was evaluated in a routine diagnostic laboratory. Using cell culture-derived CMV and CMV-negative human plasma, the linear detection range of the assay as well as its intra-and inter-assay variabilities were assessed. The study design allowed distinguishing variations in results related to amplification and detection from those caused by differences in the efficiency of DNA extraction.