Characteristics of white cell-reduced red cells stored in tri-(2-ethylhexyl)trimellitate plastic.

Background: Standard blood storage containers contain extractable plasticizers that accumulate in blood during storage and are an unintended transfusion product. However, extractable plasticizers have a protective effect on the red cell membrane and improve red cell storage variables. Prestorage white cell reduction also improves selected red cell storage variables.

Study Design And Methods: The study evaluated whether the beneficial effect of prestorage white cell reduction would offset the negative effect of the absence of extractable plasticizer in red cells stored in AS-3 for 42 days at 4 degrees C. Filtered red cells stored in polyvinylchloride containers with the nonextracting plasticizer, tri-(2-ethylhexyl)trimellitate (TEHTM), were compared to unfiltered red cells stored in polyvinylchloride containers with the extractable plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP).

Results: Poststorage supernatant potassium and red cell osmotic fragility were significantly higher in white cell-reduced TEHTM units than in unfiltered DEHP units. The mean 24-hour recovery of the filtered TEHTM red cells was significantly lower than that of the unfiltered DEHP red cells (69.1 +/- 7.4% vs. 77.1 +/- 5.1%, p < 0.05, n = 8).

Conclusion: These data demonstrate that white cell reduction before 42-day storage in TEHTM containers with currently approved preservatives does not yield an acceptable red cell component.