Recommendations for in vitro evaluation of blood components collected, prepared and stored in non-DEHP medical devices.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: DEHP, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, is the most common member of the class of ortho-phthalates, which are used as plasticizers. The Medical Device Regulation has restricted the use of phthalates in medical devices. Also DEHP has been added to the Annex XIV of REACH, "Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals" due to its endocrine disrupting properties to the environment. As such, the sunset date for commercialisation of DEHP-containing blood bags is May 27th 2025. There are major concerns in meeting this deadline as these systems have not yet been fully validated and/or CE-marked. Also, since DEHP is known to affect red cell quality during storage, it is imperative to transit to non-DEHP without affecting blood product quality. Here, EBA members aim to establish common grounds on the evaluation and assessment of blood components collected, prepared and stored in non-DEHP devices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on data as well as the input of relevant stakeholders a rationale for the validation of each component was composed. RESULTS: The red cell components will require the most extensive validation as their quality is directly affected by the absence of DEHP, as opposed to platelet and plasma components. CONCLUSION: Studies in the scope of evaluating the quality of blood products obtained with non-DEHP devices, under the condition that they are carried out according to these recommendations, could be used by all members of the EBA to serve as scientific support in the authorization process specific to their jurisdiction or for their internal validation use.

Assessment of Time-Dependent Platelet Activation Using Extracellular Vesicles, CD62P Exposure, and Soluble Glycoprotein V Content of Platelet Concentrates with Two Different Platelet Additive Solutions.

Novel analytical measures are needed to accurately monitor the properties of platelet concentrates (PCs). Since activated platelets produce platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), analyzing EVs of PCs may provide additional information about the condition of platelets. The prospect of using EVs as an auxiliary measure of platelet activation state was investigated by examining the effect of platelet additive solutions (PASs) on EV formation and platelet activation during PC storage. The time-dependent activation of platelets in PCs with PAS-B or with the further developed PAS-E was compared by measuring the exposure of CD62P by flow cytometry and the content of soluble glycoprotein V (sGPV) of PCs by an immunoassay. Changes in the concentration and size distribution of EVs were determined using nanoparticle tracking analysis. A time-dependent increase in platelet activation in PCs was demonstrated by increased CD62P ex-posure, sGPV content, and EV concentration. Using these strongly correlating parameters, PAS-B platelets were shown to be more activated compared to PAS-E platelets. Since the EV concentration correlated well with the established platelet activation markers CD62P and sGPV, it could potentially be used as a complementary parameter for platelet activation for PCs. More detailed characterization of the resulting EVs could help to understand how the PC components contribute the functional effects of transfused PCs.