Comparative functional analysis of lymphocytes and monocytes from plateletapheresis

Abstract

Large numbers (2.9 .+-. 1.2 .times. 109) of mononuclear cells can be obtained from incidental samples collected during routine plateletpheresis. Studies comparing characteristics and functions of mononuclear cells derived from venous blood samples and from routine plateletpheresis in the same normal donors were conducted. Cell viability was similar in both samples (96 .+-. 1% plateletpheresis vs. 97 .+-. 2% venous blood). Higher concentration of monocytes were observed in the plateletpheresis samples (32.3 .+-. 6%) than in the venous blood (14.3 .+-. 4%). The procedure of plateletpheresis does not seem to alter lymphocyte or monocyte function. Thus, the functional integrity of these cell populations was demonstrated in terms of natural killer cell activity, blastogenic response to mitogens, local graft vs. host reactions, monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against human red cells, monocyte-mediated tumor cell cytotoxicity, latex phagocytosis and monocyte-dependent lymphocyte blastogenesis. Monocytes and lymphocytes obtained during routine plateletpheresis apparently are functionally intact.