Improved red cell quality after erythroplasmapheresis with MCS-3P.

The cell separator MCS-3P is an apheresis system offering the flexibility to collect standardized red blood cells, plasma, and/or platelets from one donor. Two different programs were used for the red cell apheresis--RBCP (collection of one unit of red cells and two units of plasma) and RBCPS (one unit of red cells and one unit of plasma). The quality of the red cell concentrates (RCC resuspended in SAG-Mannitol) during the storage time of 42 days was measured by biochemical (ATP, 2,3-DPG, pH, free Hb, free potassium, glucose, lactose, p50, hemoglobin derivatives) and rheological (morphological index, filtration/rigidity index) parameters. The donation time with 53 donors was 20 min for 355 ml RCC-SAGM and 440 ml plasma and 7 min for 335 ml RCC-SAGM and 239 ml plasma. The donor tolerance was analogous to plateletpheresis or plasmapheresis. Twenty units of the RCC-SAGM were in-line filtered within 6 or 24 hours after donation. The results obtained for red blood cell storage are at least as good as with standard collection (free hemoglobin, free potassium, glucose, lactose, hemolysis) or better (ATP, 2,3-DPG, p50, hemoglobin derivatives, filtration/rigidity index) owing to prevention of collection lesion. All blood preparations were sterile after storage (red cells 42 days, plasma after freezing). The erythroplasmapheresis with MCS-3P can be especially recommended for application in an autologous blood program because the application of autologous blood donation in hospitals is often limited by the preconditions of component separation. The erythroplasmapheresis data with MCS-3P are encouraging for the development of a new blood collection methodology.