In vitro study of immunologic changes in long-term cytapheresis donors

✍ Scribed by Clive R. B. Prior; Patrick J. Coghlan; Jane M. Hall; Professor Peter Jacobs

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 727 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0733-2459
• DOI: 10.1002/jca.2920060202

✦ Synopsis

Several in vitro measurements of immune function were examined retrospectively in a population of active long-term cytdpheresis donors (group 1; n = 50) and the results were compared to age-and sex-matched controls (group 11; n = 50) who had donated only whole blood. In group I, significantly different mean absolute lymphocyte counts ( P = .0025), total T-cells ( P = .0026) and T-helper cells (P < .0001), and helper-to-suppressor ratios ( P = ,0279) were present. No differences were noted between the two groups for peripheral blood mean B-cell count, T-suppressor numbers. lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogens or alloantigen, and serum immunoglobulin level. The reduced mean absolute lymphocyte count in group I was due to thc reduction in T-helper cell numbers and accounted for the imbalance in the helper-to-suppressor ratio. These disturbances are currently unexplained and, while no clinical consequences have so far become evident, there is a need to continuously monitor the immunologic status of cytapheresis donors. It is also important to determine whether reversal of the defects occurs and, if so, over what time interval.