Effect of citrate anticoagulants on factor VIII levels in plasma

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Abstract
The citrate anticoagulants used during blood collection have been developed for their benefits to red cells. The concentrations in which they are used are strictly regulated in the United States: citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine (CPDA) is used in a 1:8 ratio for the collection of whole blood, whereas 4 percent sodium citrate (NaCit) is used in a 1:10 ratio for manual plasmapheresis. Acid-citrate-dextrose formula A (ACD-A) or formula B (ACD-B) and NaCit are commonly used in a 1:12 or 1:15 ratio during automated plasmapheresis. These anticoagulants have different initial and final pH values and citrate concentrations and different effects on the recovery of factor VIII (FVIII) in the plasma. NaCit has a higher initial pH (6.64) than ACD-A (4.98), ACD-B (5.60), or CPDA (5.12). The effects of these different anticoagulants on plasma constituents obtained from six healthy subjects were studied. In standard citrate concentrations, the FVIII level was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the NaCit used for manual plasmapheresis than in either of the ACD solutions used in automated plasmapheresis (104 U/dl vs. 153 and 160 U/dl). When various ratios of NaCit to blood were used, the pH increased from 7.62 at a 1:10 dilution to 7.65 at a 1:50 dilution. As expected, a progressive decrease in anticoagulant level was associated with an increase in ionized calcium and also in the level of FVIII, with the latter values rising from 104 U per dl at 1:10 to 137 at 1:20 and 148 U per dl at 1:30. Clot formation was detected only at a ratio of 1:35. The results indicate that maximal FVIII recovery occurred at anticoagulant concentrations far below those used in current practice in North America. Reduction of anticoagulant-to-blood ratios to half of the currently accepted values for ACD-A, CPDA, and NaCit would increase the amount of FVIII available for fractionation.

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