Therapeutic effectiveness of frozen platelet concentrates for transfusion
HM Lazarus, EA Kaniecki-Green, SE Warm, M Aikawa and RH Herzig
Six patients received platelet concentrate transfusions from their HLA-
identical siblings. Platelet concentrates were administered either fresh,
or after being frozen in 10% dimethylsulfoxide, at a slow controlled rate
(1 degree C/min) or rapidly (approximately 8 degrees C/min) in the
vapor-phase of a liquid nitrogen refrigerator. The median freeze-thaw loss
was 13.5%. The mean 1-hr and 20-hr corrected increments in platelet count
were calculated for fresh platelet concentrates transfused before and after
transfusion with controlled- rate frozen and vapor-phase frozen platelet
concentrates. There was no significant difference among the first and
second transfusion of fresh platelet concentrates, nor was the difference
observed between fresh and controlled-rate frozen platelet concentrates
significant. The difference between fresh and vapor-phase frozen platelet
concentrates, and between controlled-rate frozen and vapor-phase frozen
platelet concentrates were highly significant (p < 0.01). In vitro tests
of aggregation using ristocetin and platelet ultrastructural studies
paralleled the transfusion experience. Our results indicate that HLA-
identical platelet concentrates can be successfully frozen and thawed for
transfusion if a slow, controlled rate of freezing is employed. The use of
HLA-identical frozen platelet concentrates may be important in emergency
situations for the refractory patient and potentially for the establishment
of a platelet concentrate bank.
Volume 57,
Issue 2,
pp. 243-249,
02/01/1981
Copyright © 1981 by The American Society of Hematology
