Umbilical cord blood: Current status & promise for the future.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been shown to be a suitable source of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for haematopoietic reconstitution. An increase in the number of UCB transplants indicates an expansion of utility in a broad spectrum of disease conditions. Along with the advantages, UCB also has limitations, and hence several investigators are working to further optimize UCB for this use. Beyond haematopoietic transplantation, additional potential applications of UCB include immunotherapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. UCB banking has improved with time largely due to involvement of professional organizations and their published standards. However, accreditation of these organizations remains voluntary, and in India three of ten banks are public with the remaining being private. Only one public and one private bank are American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) accredited in India. Government agencies need to provide regulatory and safety oversight, which is lacking in serveral countries. Public policy regarding UCB is in its infancy throughout most of the world. Ethical issues, including access to UCB banking and use as therapy for diseases other than haematological and metabolic disorders are in the early phase of trials and remain speculative.

Creación de la red de servicios de medicina transfusional y bancos de sangre del Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social, para su regionalización y categorización: acuerdo ministerial No. 529-2011 / Creation of the network of transfusion medicine services and blood banks of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, for its regionalization and categorization: ministerial agreement No. 529-2011

El objetivo de crear esta red, es la de integrar todos los servicios de la medicina transfusional y los bancos de sangre. En el documento se establecen las funciones de la mencionada red. Incluye las definiciones de los conceptos relacionados al tema principal, además de la infraestructura que deberá tener cada centro, incluidos el equipo y recurso humano y técnico. Enumera la ubicación de los distintos centros de medicina transfusional y los bancos de sangre, destacando como de "referencia" los de los hospitales San Juan de Dios y Roosevelt, los mismos cuentan con los dos bancos principales de sangre del país. Hace la diferencia entre un banco de sangre regional y un centro de trasfusión, detallando igualmente la infraestructura, características, servicios y personal de estos últimos.

Physical and operational infrastructure of transfusion services of the public blood bank network in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2007/2008

INTRODUCTION: Within the context of transfusion safety, the immunohematological study of donors and recipients of blood products is currently the most fragile link in the transfusion chain of the public blood bank network of Minas Gerais. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to provide a critical and situational overview of the physical and operational infrastructure of the transfusion services in the state. Method: This was an observational cross-sectional, evidence-based study covering 226 transfusion services; only 19 belong to the Hemominas Foundation and 207 are non-Hemominas transfusion services. The investigation involved the application of questionnaires and red cell panel tests. RESULTS: The results revealed considerable non-compliance with the national law and with the norms of Hemominas. These findings were obtained for the two groups studied; however the frequencies were higher among non-Hemominas transfusion services. CONCLUSION: The study provides information about the situation of the physical and operational infrastructure of transfusion services that may be used to help plan effective measures for improvement and serve as the basis for an evaluation of the impact of future interventions regarding the quality, reliability and safety of transfusions. As primordial factors, we propose compliance with the law, qualified personnel and investment in further qualifications, a review of training methods, and more rigorous inspection of transfusion services. As a suggestion, we propose the establishment of an External Quality Control Program in Immunohematology for the entire network of blood banks in the state and the adoption of the methods presented in this study as a tool to monitor transfusion service performance.

INTRODUÇÃO: No contexto da segurança transfusional, o estudo imuno-hematológico do doador e do receptor de hemocomponentes é hoje o elo mais frágil da cadeia transfusional na hemorrede pública de Minas Gerais. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi traçar panorama crítico e situacional da infraestrutura física e operacional das Agências Transfusionais (ATs) do estado. Método: Estudo observacional transversal, baseado em evidências, abrangeu 226 ATs, sendo 19 próprias da Fundação Hemominas (PH) e 207 não próprias da Hemominas (NPH), com aplicação de questionários e testes de painel de hemácias. RESULTADOS: Os achados do presente estudo mostraram percentuais expressivos de não conformidades com a legislação vigente no país e com as normas estabelecidas pela Hemominas. Estas foram encontradas nos dois grupos estudados, com algumas exceções, apresentando maiores frequências entre as ATs NPH. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo possibilitou o conhecimento da situação da infraestrutura física e operacional das ATs, podendo subsidiar o planejamento de ações efetivas de melhorias, bem como servir de base para avaliar o impacto de futuras intervenções, com vistas à qualidade, confiabilidade e segurança transfusional. Para isto, propôs como fatores primordiais, o cumprimento da legislação vigente, recursos humanos qualificados e investimentos na sua capacitação, revisão das metodologias de treinamento e maior rigor nas verificações e inspeções das ATs. Como sugestão, propõe ainda a criação, pela Hemominas, de Programa de Controle de Qualidade Externo em Imunohematologia para toda hemorrede do estado e adoção da metodologia deste estudo como instrumento de monitoramento da performance das ATs.

Bancos de sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário para uso familiar, de caráter privado, no Brasil: subsídios técnicos, legais e éticos para uma análise de implementação / Private umbilical cord blood banks for family use, in Brazil: technical, legal and ethical issues for an implementation analysis

Os bancos de sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário foram criados a partir da comprovação de que o sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário (SCUP) é uma fonte rica em células progenitoras hematopoéticas (CPH) e alternativa às células provenientes da medula óssea para transplante, fato que gerou o interesse pelo armazenamento das células nele contidas. A legislação brasileira distingue bancos para uso alogênico não aparentado (públicos) e para uso exclusivamente autólogo (privados). Por sua vez, o armazenamento de SCUP para uso familiar (doação dirigida) pode ser realizado em bancos de sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário públicos, serviços de hemoterapia ou centros de transplante, quando há um membro da família do nascituro com doença diagnosticada e que necessite de transplante de CPH como tratamento. Apesar de a legislação ser clara, a Anvisa tem identificado o interesse sobre a possibilidade da liberação de unidades de SCUP, armazenadas em bancos autólogos, para a utilização de outrem, familiar, além do recém-nascido beneficiário. O objetivo do trabalho visa promover a reflexão sobre uma possível modificação dos parâmetros legais nacionais que regem os bancos de SCUP autólogo, tornando-os bancos com vistas ao uso familiar, por meio da exposição dos principais elementos relacionados ao tema. O estudo analisou os critérios técnico-sanitários legais para regulamentação dos bancos; descreveu as características das CPH de diversas fontes e tipos de doação para transplante; contextualizou a relação com os princípios da Bioética; avanços sobre terapia e pesquisas relativas às CPH; e discutiu possíveis riscos envolvidos no processo.

Umbilical cord blood banks have been created worldwide after the discovery that umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) and an alternative to HSC from bone marrow for allogeneic transplantation. According to Brazilian legislation, banks for allogeneic use (government services) and exclusively autologous use (private services) can be created in the country. The storage of UCB units for direct donation (family use) can occur in public cord blood banks, hemotherapy services and transplant centers when there is a specific need to treat a known patient that is a member of the newborn's family. Even with the legislation being quite clear about the creation of cord blood banks and distribution of UCB units, ANVISA has identified an interest, demonstrated by the population and regulated sector, in the possibility of releasing UCB units, stored in autologous cord blood banks, with the purpose of clinical applicability to another family member other than the newborn owner of the cells. The objective of this study is to promote a discussion on a possible alteration in the legal parameters that support the implementation of autologous cord blood banks, towards the constitution of private banks for family use, pointing out the main issues. The study analyzed the technical and legal criteria related to cord blood banks, described the characteristics of HSC from different sources and types of transplant donations and procedures; discussed concerns related to Bioethical principles, current and potential clinical HSC applications, and possibly risks and benefits.

Southern Cone Initiative for the elimination of domestic populations of Triatoma infestans and the interruption of transfusion Chagas disease: historical aspects, present situation, and perspectives

Created in 1991 by the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the Southern Cone Initiative (SCI) has been extremely important for Chagas disease control in this region. Its basic objective was to reach the interruption of this disease, chiefly by means of the elimination of the principal vector Triatoma infestans and by the selection of safe donors in the regional blood banks. After a summarized historic of SCI, the text shows the advance of technical and operative activities, emphasizing some factors for the initiative success, as well as some difficulties and constraints. The future of SCI will depend of the continuity of the actions and of political priority. Scientific community has been highly responsible for this initiative and its maintenance. At the side of this, national and international efforts must be involved and reinforced to assure the accomplishment of the final targets of SCI. Very specially, the Pan American Health Organization has cooperated with the Initiative in all its moments and activities,being the most important catalytic and technical factor for SCI success.

Basic components of a national blood system

En este artículo se resumen la misión y las funciones de los servicios de sangre de un país y se examinan los componentes necesarios para el funcionamiento adecuado y eficiente de un sistema nacional de servicios de sangre. La sangre para transfusión es un recurso nacional y, por tanto, las autoridades sanitarias deben garantizar su disponibilidad, seguridad, calidad y uso eficiente. Para alcanzar estas metas, cada país debe tener un marco jurídico reglamentario para los centros donde se extrae, procesa y transfunde la sangre. Las leyes y los reglamentos sirven de base para la organización del sistema de servicios nacional, identifican las tareas de los interesados directos y garantizan la disponibilidad de los recursos que necesita el sistema. Esas leyes y reglamentos deben basarse en sólidos criterios médicos y técnicos. Dentro de este marco, es importante tener presentes las diversas funciones de los distintos departamentos del ministerio de salud, así como de otras instituciones, organizaciones no gubernamentales y grupos académicos y de los profesionales vinculados con el sistema nacional de servicios de salud

Evaluation of the concomitant use of two different EIA tests for HIV screening in blood banks

OBJECTIVE: In 1998, the Brazilian Ministry of Health made it mandatory for all blood banks in the country to screen donated blood for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) concomitantly using two different enzyme immunoassay (EIA) tests. Concerned with the best use of available resources, our objective with this study was to evaluate the usefulness of conducting two EIA screening tests instead of just one. METHODS: We analyzed data from 1999 through 2001 obtained by testing 698 191 units of donated blood using two EIA HIV screening tests concomitantly at the Pro-Blood Foundation/Blood Center of Säo Paulo (Fundaçäo Pró-Sangue/Hemocentro de Säo Paulo), which is a major blood center in the city of Säo Paulo, Brazil. All samples reactive in at least one of the two EIA tests were submitted for confirmation by a Western blot (WB) test, and the persons who had donated those samples were also asked to return and provide a follow-up sample. RESULTS: Out of the 698 191 blood units that were donated, 2 718 of them (0.4 percent) had to be discarded because they were reactive to at least one of the EIA tests. There were two WB-positive donation samples that were reactive in only one HIV EIA screening test. On their follow-up samples, both donors tested WB-negative. These cases were considered false positive results at screening. Of the 2 718 donors who were asked to return and provide a follow-up sample, 1 576 of them (58 percent) did so. From these 1 576 persons, we found that there were two individuals who had been reactive to only one of the two EIA screening tests and who had also been negative on the WB at screening but who were fully seroconverted on the follow-up sample. We thus estimated that, in comparison to the use of a single EIA screening test, the use of two EIA screening tests would detect only one extra sample out of 410 700 units of blood. CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not support the use of two different, concomitant EIA screening tests for HIV. The great majority of HIV-positive donors have already seroconverted and will be detected using only a single EIA screening test. Only persons who are going through the process of seroconversion may be missed by using a single EIA test and detected using two EIAs for screening. To screen out these individuals and decrease the residual risk of HIV transmission from the blood donated in our center, the use of other techniques, such as nucleic acid testing (NAT) or a p24 antigen assay, would be more effective

El banco de sangre: prespectiva desde un Hospital Militar Regional / Blood banking: an outline since one Military Regional Hospital

Por medio del banco de sangre se lleva a cabo la medicina transfusional, éste asegura un suministro adecuado de componentes sanguíneos al hospital, se revisan en forma general aspectos sobre su registro y función así como las actividades principales de su personal. Los métodos de la terapia sanguínea así como la transfución alogénica y autotransfusión son modalidades y actividades que deben promoverse. Consideraciones sobre la selección del donador y estudios de laboratorio son comentados