Lysophosphatidylcholines: bioactive lipids generated during storage of blood components.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is suggested to be a "two hit" event, resulting from priming and activation of pulmonary neutrophils. It is known that neutrophil activation may result from infusion of lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs) accumulated during storage of blood components. The aim of our study was to verify whether the LysoPCs are released into the storage medium of blood components. We measured the LysoPCs concentration in the supernatants from stored apheresis platelet concentrates (PLTs), packed non-leukoreduced red blood cell concentrates (RBCs), leukoreduced red blood cell concentrates (L-RBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and donor plasma (control). Lipids were separated on high-performance thin-layer chromatography, detected by primulin spray and quantified by photodensitometric scanning. The LysoPCs concentration in donor plasma was similar to that in FFP. During storage the LysoPCs content in PLTs increased almost two-fold as compared to the fresh isolated platelets. In RBCs and L-RBCs the LysoPC level was very low or below detection limit and did not increase throughout the storage period. According to our observations bioactive LysoPCs may be considered a neutrophil-activating factor only following PLT transfusions but not RBCs transfusions.

[Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury a serious, underdiagnosed transfusion-related event]. / Potransfuzyjna ostra niewydolnosc oddechowa--grozne, zbyt rzadko rozpoznawane powiklanie poprzetoczeniowe.

UNLABELLED: Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) has been diagnosed very rare until recent years. However, the growing interest in TRALI allows to asses, that it is the second commonest cause of transfusion association death. In Poland only single cases of TRALI have been published. AIM: We analyzed 34 cases with dyspnea reported as a post-transfusion event and examined leukocyte antibodies, which are supposed to be an important pathogenic factor in TRALI. RESULTS: 34 patients were classified into: the group A--patients with a pulmonary oedema after exclusion of other reasons (TRALI, n= 11); the group B-- patients with pulmonary oedema, but with difficulties to exclude other reasons (possible TRALI, n=15); the group C--post transfusion dyspnea without pulmonary oedema (patients where not classified as the TRALI, n=8). In all the groups other clinical symptoms were also analyzed. The leukocyte antibodies were most often detected in the group A (91%), less often in the group B (53%) and C (37.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Transfusion-related dyspnea should be individually analyzed before the final diagnosis of TRALI. If in the donor of transfused blood the leukocyte antibodies are detected, the "trace back" procedure should be started to see whether in other patients a transfusion-related dyspnea was diagnosed. This procedure is important for potential exclusion of a given donor from blood donation.