ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Yersinia enterocolitica is known to cause severe infections in patients who receive transfusions. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The aim of the study was to define the best strategy for reducing the bacterial load in blood that was deliberately contaminated with Y. enterocolitica by combining prestorage temperature and WBC filtration with conditions of blood processing close to those applied in blood banks. RESULTS: The effects of three prestorage temperatures (4 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 37 degrees C) were evaluated at various times after infection. The best reduction of bacterial load was achieved after 3 hours at 20 degrees C. In further experiments, conducted according to the former specifications, filtration of whole blood from eight and six donors with an inoculum of 100 and 500 to 1000 CFUs per mL, respectively, resulted in a total inhibition of bacterial growth up to 42 days after infection. After fractionation of blood components, in contrast to plasma and RBCs, filtration was shown to reduce dramatically the bacterial growth in buffy coats, demonstrating that the antibacterial effect of filtration was supported by the removal of infected WBCs from blood samples. CONCLUSION: These results provide support for the systematic use of blood filtration in the preparation of blood components to prevent Y. enterocolitica infection of patients receiving transfusions.
