MONONUCLEAR CELL-SURFACE ANTIGENS DURING STORAGE OF BANKED BLOOD

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Abstract
The surface antigens present on lymphocyte subpopulations and monocytes in [human] whole blood stored under standard blood bank conditions were analyzed with a series of monoclonal antibodies and a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. During the 1st wk of storage, the percentage of viable cells bearing T lymphocyte markers declined from 66% to 29% (P < 0.001). Within the T cell subset, there was a disproportionate decrease in the percentage of cells reacting with anti-Leu 3a (a helper T cell marker), resulting in a reduction in the measured ratio of helper-to-suppressor T cells (P < 0.01). The relative percentage of cells bearing B lymphocyte markers increased from 11% to 31% (P < 0.001). The proportion of HLA-DR-positive cells that were B cells increased during the 1st wk of storage from 38% to 65% (P < 0.01). The degree of residual antigen expression as measured by the remaining median intensity of fluorescence was significantly greater for B cell and HLA-DR antigens as compared with T cell antigens. The measured changes during storage in the relative proportions of mononuclear cells expressing cell-surface antigens probably result from a combination of differential residual antigen expression and differential survival of mononuclear subpopulations. The presence of adenine in the anticoagulant-preservative solution had no measurable effect. Storage at 4.degree. C, however, resulted in a 70% decrease in the proportion of antigen-bearing T cells, even as early as 24 h of storage. The findings may have bearing on the beneficial effect of blood transufion in renal transplant recipients, and on experimental models of the immune response to transfusion.