Correlation of discocyte frequency and ATP concentration in preserved blood: a morphological indicator of red cell viability

RESUMO

Red blood cells (RBC) are viable if kept in an adequate preservative solution, although gradual changes in morphology and metabolism may occur. There is a gradual decrease in adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) cocentration, pH, glucose consumption, and enzyme activity during preservation. The normal discocyte shapes are initially replaced by echimocytes and stomatocytes and, at final stages, by spherocytes, the last before eplenic sequestration. Post-transfusional survival has been correlated with the ATP concentration. RBC preserved in ADSOL, a solution containing adenine, dextrose, sodium chloride, and mannitol, are viable for transfusion for up to 6 weeks. Erythrocytes from 10 blood units taken from healthy adult donors were preserved for 12 weeks in ADSOL at 4 graus Celsius. We now report a significant correlation (r2 = 0.98) between the percentage of discocytes (89 to 7 percent) and ATP (100 to 10 percent) concentration in ADSOL-preserved RBC. The results suggest that the percent of discocyte shapes used as an indicator OF ATP concentration may be a useful indicator for quality control of RBC viability in centers which have limited assay facilites.