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. 2020 Apr;115(3):146-151.
doi: 10.1111/vox.12888. Epub 2020 Jan 12.

Inactivation of three emerging viruses - severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and Nipah virus - in platelet concentrates by ultraviolet C light and in plasma by methylene blue plus visible light

Markus Eickmann  1 , Ute Gravemann  2 , Wiebke Handke  2 , Frank Tolksdorf  3 , Stefan Reichenberg  3 , Thomas H Müller  2 , Axel Seltsam  2
Affiliations

Inactivation of three emerging viruses - severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and Nipah virus - in platelet concentrates by ultraviolet C light and in plasma by methylene blue plus visible light

Markus Eickmann et al. Vox Sang. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Emerging viruses like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and Nipah virus (NiV) have been identified to pose a potential threat to transfusion safety. In this study, the ability of the THERAFLEX UV-Platelets and THERAFLEX MB-Plasma pathogen inactivation systems to inactivate these viruses in platelet concentrates and plasma, respectively, was investigated.

Materials and methods: Blood products were spiked with SARS-CoV, CCHFV or NiV, and then treated with increasing doses of UVC light (THERAFLEX UV-Platelets) or with methylene blue (MB) plus increasing doses of visible light (MB/light; THERAFLEX MB-Plasma). Samples were taken before and after treatment with each illumination dose and tested for residual infectivity.

Results: Treatment with half to three-fourths of the full UVC dose (0·2 J/cm2 ) reduced the infectivity of SARS-CoV (≥3·4 log), CCHFV (≥2·2 log) and NiV (≥4·3 log) to the limit of detection (LOD) in platelet concentrates, and treatment with MB and a fourth of the full light dose (120 J/cm2 ) decreased that of SARS-CoV (≥3·1 log), CCHFV (≥3·2 log) and NiV (≥2·7 log) to the LOD in plasma.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that both THERAFLEX UV-Platelets (UVC) and THERAFLEX MB-Plasma (MB/light) effectively reduce the infectivity of SARS-CoV, CCHFV and NiV in platelet concentrates and plasma, respectively.

Keywords: methylene blue; pathogen inactivation; plasma; platelet concentrates; ultraviolet light.

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Conflict of interest statement

FT and SR are employees of Macopharma, manufacturer and distributor of the THERAFLEX pathogen inactivation (PI) system. UG, WH, THM and AS received project grants from the German Red Cross Blood Services and Macopharma for the development of the UVC‐based PI technology for platelets. ME has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

References

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