A Two-Year Flow-Cytometric Immune Surveillance of Plateletpheresis Donors

Abstract

Background: Long-term plateletpheresis has been suspected to cause depression in cell-mediated immunity. To prove this hypothesis, we analyzed blood samples by flow-cytometric immunophenotyping in plateletpheresis donors over a period of 26 months. Methods: Donors were included beginning with their first donation (n = 20). A non-donor control group was matched for age and sex (n = 20). Samples were taken before each apheresis and at 3-month intervals (control group: ± 2 days), and analyzed by flow cytometry. A minimum of 6 procedures per year (range 6–14) was the precondition for each donor to be included in the study. Results: No significant differences were seen within the two groups regarding the absolute white blood cell count, total lymphocyte count, relative and absolute counts of CD3+ (p = 0.82), CD4+ (p = 0.91), CD8+ (p = 0.74), CD4:CD8 ratio (p = 0.65), CD16+56+ (p = 0.54), CD25+ (p = 0.82) and CD3+/HLA-DR+ cells (p = 0.66). Conclusions: Long-term plateletpheresis does not seem to alter the absolute white blood cell count, total lymphocyte count or lymphocyte subsets in donors. Regarding the cells and subsets analyzed, plateletpheresis is a safe procedure and does not seem to have a detrimental effect on the cellular immune competence.

Is There a Problem of Immunodeficiency in Long-Term Plateletpheresis Donors?

“…Over the last three decades, the question of immune deficiency arising from frequent blood donations has been raised repeatedly. The paper of Carrero et al [4] published in this issue also deals with the theme of analyzing the cellular immune status amongst thrombocytapheresis donors. These results and many other published contributions provide clear and definitive evidence that a slight loss of leukocytes, especially lymphocytes, does not impair the donor's immune system in its struggle against bacteria, parasites, viruses, and cancer [5,6].…”