Begue_1998_Transfus.Clin.Biol_5_411

Leukodepletion is a significant factor of improvement of the quality and safety of blood cell components. By reducing residual leukocytes in the products to a rate below 1 million per unit, the risks of transmitting intralymphocyte viruses, provoking shivers and hypothermia reactions, and inducing anti-HLA alloimmunization are diminished, as well as bacterial contamination risks. The constant improvement of the performance and the use of leukodepletion filters allows this technique to be generalized to all red blood cell and platelet concentrates. Leukocytes retention devices on these filters are numerous and sensitive to the conditions for material use. Implementation of Leukodepletion at production stage must be carried out in a mastered framework of quality assurance.