Saponin, an inhibitory agent of carbon dioxide production by white cells: its use in the microbiologic examination of blood components in an automated bacterial culture system

• Published in: Transfusion (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 1998-11, Vol.38 (11-12), p.1090-1096
• Main Authors: van Doorne, H., van der Tuuk Adriani, W.P.A., van de Ven, L.I., Bosch, E.H., de Natris, T., Sibinga, C.T. Smit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Bacteriological Techniques; Biological and medical sciences; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Colony Count, Microbial; Culture Media - chemistry; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - microbiology; Humans; Leukapheresis; Leukocytes - drug effects; Leukocytes - metabolism; Medical sciences; Saponins - analysis; Saponins - pharmacology; Time Factors; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy
• ISSN: 0041-1132; 1537-2995
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1998.38111299056321.x

BACKGROUND: Blood components with a white cell count > 100 × 10(9) per L may cause false‐positive results when the BacT/Alert system is used for the microbiologic examination. The effects of different concentrations of saponin on bacterial growth and on carbon dioxide production by blood fractions with a high white cell count, in particular peripheral blood progenitor cells and buffy coats, were investigated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The effect of saponin on carbon dioxide production was studied by adding different fractions of white cell‐rich material (buffy coat or leukapheresis material) to BacT/Alert culture bottles with or without saponin and incubating these bottles. Five bacterial strains were used to inoculate the culture bottles at four levels ranging from about 1 colony‐forming unit per mL to about 10(3) colony‐forming units per mL. Aerobic and anaerobic bottles with and without saponin were used. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that the addition of 0.5 percent saponin to BacT/Alert culture bottles effectively inhibited carbon dioxide production, without affecting bacterial growth. CONCLUSION: Saponin at a concentration of 0.5 percent is a valuable additive to BacT/Alert culture media because it prevents false‐positive results in the examination of white cell‐rich blood components.