RBC Storage Effect on Coagulation, Microparticles and Microchimerism in Critically Ill Patients

Abstract : The study aims include investigating specific mechanisms of adverse effects related to RBC storage age in critically ill patients. IRB approvals for the clinical sites participating in this study have been approved, and patient enrollment began in March 2011. Thus far, we have enrolled 37 patients, from whom samples have been collected, processed, shipped from Canada to San Francisco. We have begun HLA typing and this has been completed for 10 patients Day 0 samples so far. As there were delays in initiation of collecting patient samples, we have not begun coagulation and microparticle testing on the patient samples yet. Optimization work for the microparticle studies have built on related NIH-funded studies of in vitro properties of microparticles, refining the list of activation markers to be tested. The tests of patient samples will be performed in batches once enough samples have been obtained to minimize batch-to-batch variability in the testing results.