Optimization and Application of Electrophoretic Mobility Analysis of Human Red Blood Cells to Study Their in Vitro Stability, Interaction with Polycations and Proteolytic Enzymes

Electrophoretic light scattering method has been considered to determine both the mean and polydispersity of electrophoretic mobility of normal human red blood cells. The final goal of our study was to optimize an in vitro test allowing us to investigate the interaction of xenobiotics, in particular polyelectrolytes, with blood cells. The feasibility of our method has been evaluated based on the reproducibility of our technique to analyze the native electrophoretic mobility of human RBCs, as well as their evolution in the presence of polycationic compounds, i.e. a natural polyamine, spermine, and a synthetic polycation, a polyethylenimine (PEI). Additionally, the follow-up of the human RBCs electrophoretic mobility has been controlled after their incubation with neuraminidase

La formation en médecine transfusionnelle reste insuffisante dans les centres d'Afrique subsaharienne francophone: Résultats d'une étude préliminaire

Purpose of the study: To evaluate the needs in staff training in transfusion centres of Sub-Saharan Africa. Material and methods: This preliminary study analyzed the training level of each personnel of four blood banks of Sub-Saharan Africa, their training fields, duration and training structures. Results: The needs remain high in all the fields and are critical regarding the administration of blood transfusion services, equipment maintenance and clinical use of blood. © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS

Hemovigilance: Clinical Tolerance of Solvent-Detergent Treated Plasma

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess retrospectively the clinical tolerance of SD treated plasma and to compare it to other labile blood products (red blood cell and platelet concentrates). METHODS: Adverse events (AEs) related to the use of blood products at the Blood Transfusion Center (BTC) are routinely collected through a formalised system of hemovigilance. All AEs reported are entered into a safety data base which was used for the study. All AEs reported during a one-year period to the BTC were retrospectively re-assessed and descriptive statistics calculated. RESULTS: 5064 units of SD treated plasma were transfused to 894 recipients during the study period at the occasion of 1553 transfusions. No AE associated to SD treatment plasma was reported during that period. In contrast, during the same period, 485 AEs associated with the use of red blood cell concentrates (RBCC) were reported in 251 patients at the occasion of 262 transfusions. 2.1% (251/11,748) of the patients transfused with RBCC experienced one or more AEs. The incidence of AEs per unit transfused was 1.3% (485/37,332), and 2.4% (485/20,460) of RBCC transfusions were associated with one or more AEs. 142 AEs associated with the use of platelet concentrate (PC) were observed in 69 patients at the occasion of 73 transfusions. 4.2% (69/1645) of patients transfused with PC experienced one or more AEs. The incidence of AEs per unit transfused was 1.1% (142/12,772), and 2.8% (142/5034) of PC transfusions were associated with one or more AEs. All reported AEs were classified and non serious. The most frequently observed AEs were fever, chills and rashes which accounted for roughly 64% of all reported AEs. CONCLUSION: As for the overall clinical tolerance of red cell and platelet concentrates, the results of this study are in complete agreement with the published literature. The study also confirms the extremely good tolerability of SD treated plasma in comparison with other labile blood products

Recent increase in diagnoses of HIV infections based on surveillance system data in Belgium [letter]

Not the final published versio