Measurement of Transmitted Light as an Indicator of Cryopreserved Platelet Viability

Abstract

This study was designed to establish an alternative technique to the morphology scoring method described by Kunicki et al. [Transfusion 1975;15:414-421] using light transmission. A reference scale for platelet quality (expressed as a percentage of fresh cells) was established with a mixture of fresh platelets and damaged platelets frozen without cryoprotectant. The transmittance, read against autologous plasma, was compared to morphology, hypotonic stress response (HSR) and ADP-induced aggregation. The results showed that transmittance, morphology and HSR were related linearly to the percentage of fresh platelets. There was a significant correlation between relative transmittance (RT) and morphology (r = 0.932), and RT and HSR (r = 0.91), but a very poor correlation was found between transmittance and aggregation. Measurements of transmittance provided an estimation of the global aspect of a population of cryopreserved platelets in terms of shape, size and composition, and the relative transmittance of a sample to that of the fresh population could predict morphology and HSR. It is concluded that these measurements offer a valid alternative method to the subjective morphology scoring obtained with cryopreserved platelets.

The impact of refrigerated storage of UVC pathogen inactivated platelet concentrates on in vitro platelet quality parameters

“…In the individual treatment arms, the MPV remained constant after the initial insult (UVC treatment or cold storage) on day 2, whereas the MPV continued to increase in the cold‐UVC platelets, suggesting it may be due to more than just a morphological change. Cell morphology, as well as the combined response of a complex series of ionic channels, membrane receptors and intracellular activities regulates the recovery from hypotonic shock , which is reflected in this study by the associations between the MPV, HSR and TMRE staining. It remains to be seen whether the loss of HSR in the cold‐UVC platelets may negatively impact platelet survival following transfusion .…”