Freezing of Apheresis Platelet Concentrates in 6% Dimethyl Sulfoxide: The First Preliminary Study in Turkey

• Published in: Turkish journal of haematology 2016-03, Vol.33 (1), p.28-33
• Main Authors: Yılmaz, Soner, Çetinkaya, Rıza Aytaç, Eker, İbrahim, Ünlü, Aytekin, Uyanık, Metin, Tapan, Serkan, Pekoğlu, Ahmet, Pekel, Aysel, Erkmen, Birgül, Muşabak, Uğur, Yılmaz, Sebahattin, Avcı, İsmail Yaşar, Avcu, Ferit, Kürekçi, Emin, Eyigün, Can Polat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Platelets - drug effects; Blood Platelets - physiology; Blood Preservation - methods; Cryopreservation - methods; Cryoprotective Agents - pharmacology; Dimethyl Sulfoxide - pharmacology; Flow Cytometry; flow-cytometric analysis; frozen platelets; Humans; in vivo thrombin generation test; Leukocyte Count; Osmolar Concentration; Pilot Projects; Platelet Aggregation; Platelet Count; Platelet Transfusion; Plateletpheresis; Thrombin - biosynthesis; Turkey
• ISSN: 1300-7777; 1308-5263
• DOI: 10.4274/tjh.2014.0181

Transfusion of platelet suspensions is an essential part of patient care for certain clinical indications. In this pioneering study in Turkey, we aimed to assess the in vitro hemostatic functions of platelets after cryopreservation. Seven units of platelet concentrates were obtained by apheresis. Each apheresis platelet concentrate (APC) was divided into 2 equal volumes and frozen with 6% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The 14 frozen units of APCs were kept at -80 °C for 1 day. APCs were thawed at 37 °C and diluted either with autologous plasma or 0.9% NaCl. The volume and residual numbers of leukocytes and platelets were tested in both before-freezing and post-thawing periods. Aggregation and thrombin generation tests were used to analyze the in vitro hemostatic functions of platelets. Flow-cytometric analysis was used to assess the presence of frozen treated platelets and their viability. The residual number of leukocytes in both dilution groups was