Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Oct-Dec;43(4):494-498.
doi: 10.1016/j.htct.2020.10.963. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

Leukocyte reduction filters as an alternative source of peripheral blood leukocytes for research

Shirin Ferdowsi  1 , Zahra Abbasi-Malati  1 , Ali Akbar Pourfathollah  2
Affiliations
Review

Leukocyte reduction filters as an alternative source of peripheral blood leukocytes for research

Shirin Ferdowsi et al. Hematol Transfus Cell Ther. 2021 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Peripheral blood leukocytes are a suitable cell model for science research. However, blood samples from healthy volunteers are limited in volume and difficult to obtain due to the complexity of volunteer recruitment.

Objective: Therefore, it is urgent to find an alternative source of peripheral blood leukocytes.

Method: One of the possibilities is the use of leukocyte reduction filters (LRFs) in blood banks that is used for preparation of leukoreduced blood products. More than 90% of the leukocytes are trapped in the leukofilters allowing the desired blood product to pass through.

Results: It has been reported that the biological function of leukocytes collected from the filters are no different from those isolated from buffy coats, leukapheresis products and whole blood (WB) cells. Moreover, LRFs are waste products that are discarded after leukoreduction.

Conclusion: Thus, leukofilters represent an economic source of human cell populations that can be used for a variety of investigative purposes, with no cost. In the present study, we reviewed the different usage of LRFs in the research, clinical and commercial applications.

Keywords: Leukocyte reduction filters; Peripheral blood leukocytes; Usage.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Figure 1
Overview of the new application of Leukocyte Reduction Filters (LRFs). Discarded LRFs are an economic source of viable functional cells and bioactive molecules that can play a role in basic research, animal models, cell therapy and tissue engineering. B/T Ly: lymphocytes B and T, LRF: leuko-reduction filter, Mono: monocytes, RBCs: red blood cells, WBCs: white blood cells, BDNF; Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, FGFs; Fibroblast Growth Factor, HGF; Hepatocyte Growth Factor, IGFs; Insulin-Like Growth Factor, VEGFs ;Vascular Endothelial Derived Growth Factor, TGFβ; Transforming Growth Factor Beta, IL-6; Interleukin 6, IL-10; Interleukin 10, IL-27; Interleukin 27, IL-17E; Interleukin 17, IL-13; Interleukin 13, IL-9; Interleukin 9, IL-1; Interleukin-1, Ang; Angiopoietin, GM-CSF; Granulocyte Macrophage CSF, SCF; Stem Cell Factor, SDF-1; Stromal Cell-Derived Factor 1, TSG-6; (TNF)-Stimulated Gene-6.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Roback J., Combs M., Grossman B., Hillyer C. Vol. 376. American Association of Blood Banks; Bethesda, MD: 2008. p. 471. (American association of blood banks technical manual).
    1. Sharma R., Marwaha N. Leukoreduced blood components: advantages and strategies for its implementation in developing countries. Asian J Transfus Sci. 2010;4(1):3–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fergusson D., Khanna M.P., Tinmouth A., Hébert P.C. Transfusion of leukoreduced red blood cells may decrease postoperative infections: two meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Can J Anaesth. 2004;51(5):417–424. - PubMed
    1. Blumberg N., Zhao H., Wang H., Messing S., Heal J.M., Lyman G.H. The intention‐to‐treat principle in clinical trials and meta‐analyses of leukoreduced blood transfusions in surgical patients. Transfusion. 2007;47(4):573–581. - PubMed
    1. Pennington J., Taylor G.P., Sutherland J., Davis R.E., Seghatchian J., Allain J.-P. Persistence of HTLV-I in blood components after leukocyte depletion. Blood. 2002;100(2):677–681. - PubMed