QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PLATELET MORPHOLOGY BY LIGHT-SCATTERING - A POTENTIAL METHOD FOR THE EVALUATION OF PLATELETS FOR TRANSFUSION

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 103  (4) , 620-631
Abstract
Normal fresh human platelets are discoid and platelets that have been stored become spherical. Discoid morphology correlates with normal viability and imparts to a platelet suspension a streaming appearance when agitated. A device that quantitates the percent of discoid cells in a suspension by means of laser light scattering at low angles was used. It performs this assay within 3 min on platelets contained in a plastic blood bag. The ability of the device to quantitate discoid platelets was demonstrated in the following ways: comparison of percentage discs calculated from light-scattering data with visually observed optical streaming; correlation of percentage discs from light scattering with the percentage determined by phase microscopy; and observation of changes during room temperature storage. Platelet suspensions containing extreme (dendritic and balloon) forms were examined, showing that these forms do not significantly affect the light-scattering assay. Optical measurements were also used to accurately approximate the total platelet counts of the suspensions. This device may have a role in the evaluation of platelets for transfusion.