PF4 and P-selectin levels in platelet concentrates during storage in two different storage media of plasma and composol

The quality of platelet concentrates (PCs) is affected by the preparation method and the storage conditions. Removing plasma from the platelet storage medium could be an effective way to increase the safety of this product or increase its viability during storage time. In this study, the two media of composol and plasma were compared during the storage of PCs. In this experimental study, fifty-four units of PCs were prepared from Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Each unit of platelet concentrate in plasma was divided into two portions. Then in one of the portions, plasma was replaced with composol using a connecting device instrument. Sampling of the bags was carried out at days 2, 4 and 7 from the preparation time. The platelet activation markers of PF4 and P-selectin were studied on the samples. Finally the data were analyzed using Paired Samples T-Test. The levels of P-selectin increased during storage. It was revealed that the levels of P-selectin were lower in plasma and the differences were significant in the two storage media of plasma and composol (p <0.0001). Besides, the concentration of PF4 increased in the two storage media with time. PF4 levels were higher in plasma than that of composol and the difference was significant at the fourth day of storage (p <0.025). This study could imply the potential capacity of composol as a good candidate for plasma substitution in platelet concentrate. This will need further and more complete studies in vivo.