Plasma-depleted platelet concentrates prepared with a new washing solution.

In certain clinical situations, complete removal of the plasma proteins from the platelet concentrates (PCs) is necessary by washing prior to transfusion. A simple electrolyte solution with a pH of 6.5 was developed for washing PCs. The platelet-rich plasma collected with acid-citrate-dextrose solution by apheresis in a 0.6-liter polyolefin bag was centrifuged. After removal of the supernatant plasma from pelleted platelet buttons, 200 ml of a washing solution consisting of 90 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 3 mM MgCl2, 17 mM NaH2PO4, 8 mM Na2HPO4, 23 mM Na acetate, 17 mM Na3 citrate, 23.5 mM glucose, 2 mM adenine, 0.1% dextran, and 28.8 mM maltose (pH 6.5) was added to the pelleted platelet button. Steam sterilization of the solution was carried out under nitrogen to avoid caramelization of glucose. After resuspension of the pelleted platelet button with a washing solution and a second centrifugation, Seto additive solution (Seto sol, pH 7.4) was introduced into the bag to resuspend the platelet buttons for storage for 3 days at 22 degrees C. All of these procedures were completed within 3 h using a sterile docking device. In washed PCs, 99.1% of the plasma was removed and platelet recovery was 96%. The washed PCs were compared for 3 days with plasma-poor PCs consisting of 11% plasma and 89% Seto solution. There were no significant differences in percent hypotonic shock response, aggregation, energy metabolism, and morphology of platelets between the two groups during 3 days, except for significant swelling of 3-day-old platelets in washed PCs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)