Cellular immune response to autologous blood transfusion in hip arthroplasty: whole blood versus buffy coat-poor packed red cells and fresh-frozen plasma.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transfusion-induced immunomodulation by autologous blood is probably related to the buffy coat. Hence, in the present study, phagocytotic and oxidation activities of peripheral blood cells were investigated in hip arthroplasty patients exposed to autologous blood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood from 60 autologous donors was allocated at random to storage as whole blood (WB) or as buffy coat-poor packed red cells and fresh-frozen plasma (RCP). Phagocytotic and oxidation activities of neutrophils and monocytes, incidence of infections and length of hospital stay were compared among the groups of transfused (WB and RCP) and non-transfused (NT) patients. RESULTS: Phagocytotic activities of neutrophils and monocytes were not significantly different among the WB, RCP and NT groups. CONCLUSION: In the perioperative setting, a specific cellular immune response to autologous transfusion is not detectable.