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International audience; We determined the frequencies of clinically relevant blood group alleles in 300 blood donors from Mali. Multiplex test based on xMAP technology was used to investigate six blood group systems (RH, KEL, MNS, FY, JK, DO, HPA) and complementary analysis were conducted for MNS and RH systems. Polymorphisms that affect the specificity of molecular tests leading to discrepant genotype results are discussed. Antigen expressions were predicted showing that 50% of donors expressed at least one traditional low prevalence antigen, and 11.6% lacked the ability to express at least one high prevalence antigen compatible with Dob-, HPA1a-, S-s-U-, Jsb-, RH:-31 and/or RH:-34 phenotypes.

Twenty percent of children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) develop a chronic course where treatment strategy is less established. Cyclosporin A (CSA) has been shown to be effective in small series of children with chronic ITP and might reduce the need for chronic steroid therapy and/or splenectomy. We reviewed consecutive patients below 18 years old with persistent or chronic ITP treated with CSA in our unit between January 1998 and June 2015. Thirty patients (14 boys and 16 girls) were included. The median age at initial diagnosis of ITP was 5 years (range 0.5-16.2 years). CSA was started at a median of 13.9 months (range 3.4-124 months) after initial diagnosis and given for a median duration of 9.3 months (range 0.2-63.9 months). The median platelet count before commencement was 12 × 10(9)/L (range 4-199 × 10(9)/L). The median dose of CSA was 6 mg/kg/day (range 2.4-7.5 mg/kg/day). Complete response (CR) or response (R) was achieved in 17 patients (57 %), and 7 (23 %) had sustained response. Side effects (most commonly hirsutism) were tolerable and reversible. CSA appeared effective in about half of persistent or chronic ITP patients and safe as a second-line agent in managing these children.

SUMMARYBackground Significant efforts have been made towards bacterial risk minimization by limiting the chance of bacteria entering into collected blood, detecting its presence and eliminating them by pathogen reduction technology. Improved skin disinfection and the use of diversion pouch are effective upstream measures to reduce the risk of bacterial sepsis. Here we report on our experience with the use of blood bags with diversion pouch. Materials and methods An observational study was performed to compare the bacterial contamination rate for two periods of time, i.e. before and after introduction of diversion pouch into blood bags. The incidence of bacterial contamination was monitored by the existing bacterial surveillance programme using pooled samples from 5 units of random donor platelets underwent aerobic culture in the BacT/ALERT 3D system. Results Between 1 June 2004 and 31 May 2006 (blood bag without diversion pouch), 50 (0·0213%) out of 234 252 units of random donor platelets were found to have bacteria on culture whereas 15 (0·0057%) isolates out of 262 156 units were found from 1 June 2007 to 31 May 2009 (after diversion pouch was introduced). Overall, there was an 85% reduction in bacterial contaminated risk due to skin flora (P

BACKGROUND: Predonation hemoglobin (PDH) is used to safeguard donors’ welfare, and low hemoglobin (Hb) is known to be the most frequent reason for donor deferral. A study was initiated to assess the PDH and iron status of blood donors in Hong Kong. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This observational study was designed with four groups of whole blood donors invited (Group 1—eligible first time donors, Group 2—eligible repeat donors with zero or one donation in preceding 12 months, Group 3—eligible repeat donors with at least two donations in preceding 12 months, Group 4—repeat donors being deferred for low PDH). Predonation blood samples were obtained for blood counts and iron status. Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and chi-square test for trend were applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 836 donors were recruited, of which 35 were excluded because of hemoglobinopathy. An inverse relationship between serum ferritin level and number of donations in the preceding 12 months was observed in both sexes. Iron deficiency was significantly seen in 35.1% of male and 65.3% of female deferred donors. More importantly, up to 7.2, 5.8, and 29.5% of the female donors in Groups 1, 2, and 3 were found to be iron deficient despite having a high enough PDH. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to assess PDH and iron status in Chinese blood donors. Iron depletion is noted with increasing number of blood donations in the preceding 12 months. Advice on iron repletion is a necessary step for donor welfare and strategies should be developed to ensure that donors have adequate PDH.

International survey on NAT testing of blood donations : expanding implementation and yield from 1999 to 2009.

The number of nucleated cells infused into the recipient of a cord blood (CB) transplant has emerged as the most important factor affecting the probability and speed of engraftment. At present, there is no international consensus on the procedure of CB collection in the maternity ward. In order to maximise the yield of viable cells in a CB unit, we aimed to investigate the efficiency of CB collection, with respect to the time of delivery of the placenta. We analysed stem and progenitor cells in terms of CD34+ cell content and colony-forming activities, lymphocyte subpopulations and the presence of macroscopic clots in 93 paired CB samples, collected before and after the delivery of the placenta. Our results demonstrated that the median concentrations of nucleated cells and total colony-forming unit (CFU) were significantly lower in CB collected after placenta delivery by 9.5% (P < 0.001) and 11.6% (P = 0.015), respectively, when compared to their counterparts collected before placental delivery. A reduction of granulocytes (P < 0.001), monocytes (P < 0.001) and CD19+ B lymphocytes (P = 0.031) was observed, with no significant change in the proportion of T cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+ cells) or activated T cells (CD25+, CD45RO+ cells) in samples collected after placenta delivery. The incidence of macroscopic clots was also higher in these samples (31% vs 1%, P < 0.001). The reduction of stem and progenitor cells correlated significantly with that of major cell populations, indicating a general cell loss, possibly due to clotting activities developed with time. Our study has documented strong evidence for recommending the collection of CB before the delivery of the placenta.

(1998). Hb Brockton [βl38(H16)Ala→Pro] Observed in a Chinese Boy. Hemoglobin: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 397-400.

H. W. Reesink, S. Panzer, C. A. Gonzalez, N. Lena, P. Muntaabski, S. Gimbatti, E. Wood, M. Lambermont, V. Deneys, D. Sondag, T. Alport, D. Towns, D. Devine, P. Turek, M.-K. Auvinen, T. Koski, C. K. Lin, C. K. Lee, W. C. Tsoi, E. Lawlor, G. Grazzini, V. Piccinini, L. Catalano, S. Pupella, H. Kato, S. Takamoto, H. Okazaki, I. Hamaguchi, J. C. Wiersum-Osselton, A. J. W. van Tilborgh, P. Y. Zijlker-Jansen, K. M. Mangundap, M. R. Schipperus, D. Dinesh, P. Flanagan, O. Flesland, C. T. Steinsvag, A. Espinosa, M. Letowska, A. Rosiek, J. Antoniewicz-Papis, E. Lachert, M. B. C. Koh, R. Alcantara, M. Corral Alonso & E. Muniz-Diaz

summary. Safety in blood transfusion has all along been focused on blood borne viruses like HIV, hepatitis B and C. However, infective agents that are not usually transmitted through blood may also pose risk to transfusion if the donor gives blood in the early-viraemic phase. A case report of potential transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E (HEV) is described. It shows the virus can be transmissible via blood because of the presence of HEV RNA in the blood donated. Pre-donation health screening was unable to exclude this asymptomatic donor. But donor-initiated call back system which acts as an additional safety net prevented the release of the potential infective blood products.