Quality of plasma samples and BD Vacutainer Barricor tubes: Effects of centrifugation.

Backgrounds: The BD Vacutainer® Barricor™ Plasma collection tube (BD Barricor) uses an innovative non-gel separation method. This study compared the plasma residual cell count (PRCC) obtained from BD Barricor and from BD PST II plasma tubes.

Methods: Four BD Barricors and one BD PST II were collected from 40 donors. BD PST II was centrifuged at 1300g/10 min, while the BD Barricors were centrifuged at 1800g/10 min, 4000g/3 min, 4000g/7 min and 4000g/15 min. PRCC was evaluated measuring white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC) and Platelets (PLT) counts by Siemens ADVIA 2120. Cell-free hemoglobin was quantified by haemolysis index (HI) by Roche Cobas c501.

Results: BD PST II Median WBC, RBC and PLT counts were 0.38 (10/L), 0.0291 (10/L) and 113.5 (10/L), respectively. Considering the BD PST II as reference, PRCC differences were expressed as median bias percentage. WBC showed a significant reduction at all the conditions (p < 0.01), being the reductions: 63.9% (1800g/10 min), 69.9% (4000g/3 min), 75.0% (4000g/7 min) and 82.7% (4000g/15 min). RBC reductions 29.7% (1800g/10 min), 33.8% (4000g/3 min), 39.6% (4000g/7 min) and 66.4 (4000g/15 min) were all significant (p < 0.01). PLT reductions were 1.6% at 1800g/10 min (p = ns), 1.2% at 4000g/3 min (p = ns), 27.1% at 4000g/7 min (p = 0.046) and 46.6% at 4000g/15 min (p = 0.005). BD Barricor centrifuged for 7 and 15 min at 4000g showed an increased haemolysis.

Conclusions: BD Barricors plasma quality improved with increasing the centrifugation times but already at 4000g/3 min, the suggested centrifugation condition, a significant improvement was achieved.