Function of granulocytes collected for transfusion.

Literature describing the in vitro properties of granulocytes or neutrophils prepared for transfusion by various techniques will be reviewed. Neutrophils collected by continuous-flow and intermitten-flow centrifugation leukapheresis and by gravity leukapheresis possess normal structure, biochemistry and microbicidal activities. Although cell movement seems satisfactory, it is likely that impairment exists in circulatory kinetics and in migration in vivo. Neutrophils collected by filtration leukapheresis clearly perform inferiorly to centrifugation cells in in vivo functional assays, and the mechanisms responsible are slowly being unraveled. At the present time, however, granulocyte units prepared by centrifugation leukapheresis are preferred for transfusion.