ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although many studies have demonstrated the well tolerance of intensive and long-term plasmapheresis in healthy donors, the effects on Korean donors have not been carefully investigated. Thirty donors were studied to investigate the effects of long-term plasmapheresis on Korean volunteer donors. METHODS: Thirty donors who had donated plasma regularly over a period of 3 years were selected. They were divided into group 1, 2 and 3 by the frequency of plasmapheresis per year and group A, B and C by the number of whole blood donations. Three of them had follow-up data at 7 days after. Whole blood was taken from the donors both before and after plasmapheresis by Fenwal Autopheresis-C system. Each sample was assayed for CBC, plasma total protein, albumin, IgG, IgA, IgM, ferritin and plasma hemoglobin. RESLUTS: For total protein, albumin, IgG, IgA and IgM, all the donors showed values in the normal range even with significant decreases after plasmapheresis. And there were no differences between groups. For ferritin, the mean values before and after plasmapheresis were 19.2 +/- 15.1 ng/mL and 17.8 +/- 15.2 ng/mL, respectively. In group 3 with highest frequency of plasmapheresis, the mean ferritin value was significantly lower than that of other groups as 7.3 +/- 5.0 (p<0.00.) Furthermore, the value was lower than 10 ng/mL which is the indicative value of iron depleted status. CONCLUSION: Long-term plasmapheresis donors had no significant changes in total protein, albumin, IgG, IgA and IgM. But they had mean ferritin values lower than the indicative value of iron depleted status. This implies that intensive and long-term plasmapheresis, might result iron depletion in donors. Consequently, a monitoring system to take care of regular plasmapheresis donation should be established.