Susceptibility to hyperosmotic stress-induced phosphatidylserine exposure increases during red blood cell storage.

Background: During storage of red blood cell (RBCs) before transfusion, RBCs undergo a series of structural and functional changes that include the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), a potent removal signal. It was postulated that, during blood bank storage, the susceptibility to stress-induced PS exposure increases, thereby rendering a considerable fraction of the RBCs susceptible to rapid removal after transfusion.

Study Design And Methods: RBCs were processed and stored following standard Dutch blood bank procedures.