[Preparation of leukocyte-poor erythrocyte concentrates by glycerin treatment and washing].

The discontinuous washing procedure of red cell concentrates with saline was modified in order to improve the removal of leucocytes and platelets. It was achieved by glycerolization and deglycerolization without freezing and thawing. The elimination rate of leucocytes amounted to 99.9% and of platelets to 97.4% related to whole blood. A unit of red cell concentrate prepared from 400 ml of donated blood contained a total of (0.001 +/- 0.003) X 10(9) leucocytes and (2.35 +/- 1.33) X 10(9) platelets. The relatively high elimination rates are comparable with those obtained by filtration and cryopreservation, respectively. The whole procedure performed in glass bottles required one hour more than washing three times without glycerolization. A further improvement of the procedure should be directed towards saving time in processing and towards lowering the loss of red cells that is still 20%.