Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-28DOI: 10.1111/vox.70082
Aline Floch, Sunitha Vege, Christophe Tournamille, Julien Diharce, France Pirenne, Alexandre G de Brevern
{"title":"Comments on 'Use of computational biology to compare the theoretical tertiary structures of the most common forms of RhCE and RhD' and 'Prediction of the antigenic regions in eight RhD variants identified by computational biology'.","authors":"Aline Floch, Sunitha Vege, Christophe Tournamille, Julien Diharce, France Pirenne, Alexandre G de Brevern","doi":"10.1111/vox.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70082","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144733462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-28DOI: 10.1111/vox.70081
Rocio Trueba-Gómez, Higinio Estrada-Juarez
{"title":"Response to comments by Floch et al. on our papers on the use of computational biology to study RhCE and RhD structures.","authors":"Rocio Trueba-Gómez, Higinio Estrada-Juarez","doi":"10.1111/vox.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70081","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144733464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-27DOI: 10.1111/vox.70085
Adriaan Meyer, Heather Hendrickse, Glenda Mary Davison
{"title":"Neocyte-enriched blood does not provide a survival advantage for red cells when compared to conventional filtered blood.","authors":"Adriaan Meyer, Heather Hendrickse, Glenda Mary Davison","doi":"10.1111/vox.70085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Red blood cell (RBC) concentrates are stored at 1-6°C for up to 42 days, but storage lesions can lead to wastage. Pooled neocytes may extend RBC shelf-life, benefiting patients who require frequent transfusions. This study aimed to improve the longevity of stored RBCs by isolating neocytes and comparing the rate of haemolysis, biochemical changes and viability with filtered blood.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Thirty filtered units were processed. Neocytes were extracted and enriched with saline-adenine- glucose-mannitol. Both filtered and neocyte-enriched units were stored for 42 days. Samples were analysed every 14 days for RBC count, mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), haemoglobin, sodium and supernatant haemolysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no significant difference in red cell count between filtered and neocyte-enriched units (p = 0.27). Both types showed increased mean corpuscular volume and decreased MCHC over the 42 days, with no significant differences observed (p ≥ 0.05). Sodium levels in the supernatant decreased while percentage supernatant haemolysis increased steadily in both units, albeit without significant differences (p ≥ 0.05). The haemoglobin remained stable for both unit types.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, neocyte-enriched blood did not demonstrate any longevity advantage compared to pre-stored leucocyte-reduced RBCs using the conventional manual collection method. These findings align with previous studies using various neocyte collection methods. Feasibility was highlighted as the main challenge, as many of these methods have proven too expensive and laborious.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144733463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-20DOI: 10.1111/vox.70080
Amir Teimourpour, Sedigheh Amini-Kafiabad, Amir Masoud Nazemi, Sheila F O'Brien, Mahtab Maghsudlu
{"title":"Risk of transfusion-transmitted infections among returned high-risk deferred donors: A cohort study.","authors":"Amir Teimourpour, Sedigheh Amini-Kafiabad, Amir Masoud Nazemi, Sheila F O'Brien, Mahtab Maghsudlu","doi":"10.1111/vox.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Blood donor selection is crucial for ensuring safe blood supply. A well-designed donor selection system helps in maintaining donor engagement by minimizing unnecessary exclusion while safeguarding transfusion safety. We aimed to assess the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) among high-risk deferred donors to evaluate deferral criteria efficacy.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This study included data from volunteers who were temporarily deferred because of bloodletting, high-risk sexual contact, tattooing, endoscopy and needle sticks, as well as from eligible donors who donated blood over a 12-month period. These donors were followed up for 4 years. The results of infectious confirmatory tests, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), of returned donors who donated blood were extracted from the database. Risk ratio (RR) of TTI was calculated to compare the risk between eligible and deferred donors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The data from 601,177 returned, deferred and eligible blood donors were analysed. The risk of TTIs was significantly higher in the deferred group compared to eligible donor group (RR: 3.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.68-4.80; p <0.001). The risk of TTIs was significantly higher in those deferred for bloodletting (RR = 4.85; 95% CI: 3.41-6.91; p < 0.001), tattooing (RR = 3.53; 95% CI: 1.26-3.83; p = 0.029) and high-risk sexual contact (RR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.26-3.83; p = 0.011).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Individuals with a history of bloodletting, tattooing or high-risk sexual contact were at a higher risk of HBV and HCV infection, highlighting the effectiveness of donor selection procedures. Endoscopy and needle stick injuries were not associated with an increased TTI risk, emphasizing the need for further research to reassess these deferral criteria. Blood centres should monitor the efficacy of donor selection criteria while emphasizing proper donor selection and counselling.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144675928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-14DOI: 10.1111/vox.70071
Avril Swarts, Karin van den Berg, Marion Vermeulen, Ute Jentsch, Darryl Creel, Ronel Swanevelder, Jennifer J Hemingway-Foday, Edward L Murphy, Brian Custer
{"title":"Risk factors for incident human immunodeficiency virus infection in South African blood donors.","authors":"Avril Swarts, Karin van den Berg, Marion Vermeulen, Ute Jentsch, Darryl Creel, Ronel Swanevelder, Jennifer J Hemingway-Foday, Edward L Murphy, Brian Custer","doi":"10.1111/vox.70071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Recruiting blood donors among a population with a high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden requires detailed information on HIV risks. We studied demographic and behavioural risk factors for incident HIV infection among blood donors in South Africa.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We conducted a case-control study. Incident HIV was defined as HIV antibody negative and RNA positive, or concordant serology and RNA positive with a limiting antigen avidity assay optical density of <1.5. Cases were matched to infection-negative controls (ratio 1:3) on race, age and geography. Risk factors in the 6 months before donation were ascertained by audio computer-assisted self-interview. Data were fitted using separate multivariable logistic regression models for males and females.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From April 2014 to March 2017, we enrolled 323 people with incident HIV and 877 controls. Among women, incident HIV was associated with sex with a person living with HIV (PLWH) or unknown HIV status, multiple male sex partners, never or occasional condom use, anal preparation before sex, first-time donor status and referral to donation by a healthcare worker. Among men, incident HIV was associated with being aged 31-40 years, sex with a PLWH or unknown HIV status, multiple sex partners, more than four lifetime male sex partners, gay/bisexual identity, marriage or stable partnership, lower education, penetrative injury, occasional condom use and first-time or lapsed donor status. Some novel or indirect risks for incident HIV were also observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We confirmed the known sexual behaviours asked on the donor screening questionnaire. The findings highlight ongoing challenges in donor disclosure during selection and the importance of donor education.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-13DOI: 10.1111/vox.70070
Eileen McBride, Elaine Leung, Jason Ford
{"title":"Can medical students use artificial intelligence to learn transfusion? Evaluating ChatGPT responses to the American Society of Hematology medical student transfusion learning objectives.","authors":"Eileen McBride, Elaine Leung, Jason Ford","doi":"10.1111/vox.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Chat generative pretrained transformer (ChatGPT) is a large language model that is already in wide use among medical students as a means of learning. Many papers have evaluated ChatGPT as a presenter of medical knowledge for the general public and as a test-taking engine. For students who rely on ChatGPT to learn transfusion medicine, it is important to understand the limitations of the application.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Transfusion content from the American Society of Hematology 'medical student learning objectives' was edited into questions for the ChatGPT interface. The answers generated by ChatGPT were then marked by three experienced transfusion medicine physicians.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ChatGPT scored on average 2.27 ± 0.21 on a 4-point scale. Two-thirds of its answers scored A, B or C, representing excellent, good or satisfactory achievement, respectively. One-third of ChatGPT's answers were assigned a failing grade. Simple questions of basic transfusion science performed the best; more complex questions as well as questions where clinical practice has evolved substantially over the last several years performed the worst. Some answers were assessed to be unsafe in clinical practice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>As a resource for medical students learning transfusion medicine, ChatGPT has significant limitations. A considerable proportion of its answers to transfusion questions are unreliable, inaccurate and even unsafe. These incorrect answers are presented with the same authoritative tone as its correct answers, and an inexperienced learner would be challenged to differentiate between true and untrue responses. At the present time, it is not recommended for medical students to use ChatGPT to learn transfusion medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144627212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Production of viable and functional neutrophils in granulocyte concentrates with the Reveos automated system.","authors":"Sahra Fonseca, Marie-Claude Lampron, Isabelle Paré, Marie-Pierre Cayer, Mélissa Girard","doi":"10.1111/vox.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Granulocyte transfusions may benefit patients with neutropaenia and life-threatening infections unresponsive to antimicrobial therapies. Current aphaeresis-based granulocyte concentrate (GC) production requires donor stimulation and hydroxyethyl starch (HES), which raises safety and supply concerns. This study assessed the feasibility and quality of GCs derived from pooling 10 residual leukocyte units (RLUs) processed via the Reveos automated blood processing system.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Whole blood (WB) from 10 ABO-compatible donors was processed using the Reveos system to obtain 10 mL RLUs. A modified platelet pooling device enabled sterile pooling of RLUs with added plasma. The final product was irradiated and analysed on days 0, 1 and 2 post-irradiation. Parameters assessed included cell counts, sterility, biochemical properties, viability, surface markers (CD15, CD10, CD62L and CD11b) and neutrophil functions: chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst and H₂O₂ release.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All GCs (n = 10) met sterility criteria and contained a mean granulocyte dose of 0.95 ± 0.17 × 10<sup>10</sup>. Neutrophils were mature (CD15<sup>+</sup>CD10<sup>+</sup>) and remained viable on day 2. Functional assays demonstrated sustained phagocytic and respiratory activity up to 48 h post-processing, although chemotactic response and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production declined significantly from 24 h after processing (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Pooling of Reveos-derived RLUs is a feasible, HES-free strategy to produce viable and functional GCs over 24 h from processing and irradiation. This approach provides a readily available alternative to aphaeresis products that could potentially enhance transfusion coordination.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-04-22DOI: 10.1111/vox.70033
Marco Heestermans, Charles-Antoine Arthaud, Amelie Prier, Marie-Ange Eyraud, Hind Hamzeh-Cognasse, Fabrice Cognasse, Anne-Claire Duchez
{"title":"Association of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) levels with donor's age, sex and ABO blood group in single-donor apheresis platelet concentrates.","authors":"Marco Heestermans, Charles-Antoine Arthaud, Amelie Prier, Marie-Ange Eyraud, Hind Hamzeh-Cognasse, Fabrice Cognasse, Anne-Claire Duchez","doi":"10.1111/vox.70033","DOIUrl":"10.1111/vox.70033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein expressed by various cell types and recognized as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP). DAMPs play a pivotal role in driving inflammatory responses. Platelet-derived HMGB1 has been associated with severe adverse reactions following platelet concentrate transfusions, underscoring its clinical relevance. This study investigated whether HMGB1 levels in single-donor apheresis platelet concentrates (SDA-PCs) are influenced by routinely documented donor characteristics, such as age, sex and ABO blood group.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We analysed HMGB1 levels in 190 unpaired SDA-PC units. Donor characteristics, that is, age, sex and ABO blood group were obtained from routine records and examined for associations with HMGB1 levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HMGB1 levels showed no significant correlation with donor age or ABO blood group. However, levels were modestly lower in SDA-PC units derived from female donors compared to male donors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings reveal donor-specific variability in HMGB1 levels, particularly regarding donor sex, and underscore the need to systematically document donor demographic and biological characteristics during blood donation. Such data could enhance our understanding of donor-related factors influencing transfusion outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":"659-663"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143985997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vox SanguinisPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-04-14DOI: 10.1111/vox.70024
Caroline Gesu Ngunyi, Michel Noubom, Jude Eteneneng Enoh, Patrick Njukeng, Claude T Tagny, Nkenganyi Gesu, Ebaiayuknso Etambe, Nsah Bongdze-Em Lilian, Apouamoun Mouppe Amadou, Leonard Fonkeng Sama, Emmanuel Asongalem
{"title":"Evaluation of bleed duration and adverse donor reactions during the blood donation process.","authors":"Caroline Gesu Ngunyi, Michel Noubom, Jude Eteneneng Enoh, Patrick Njukeng, Claude T Tagny, Nkenganyi Gesu, Ebaiayuknso Etambe, Nsah Bongdze-Em Lilian, Apouamoun Mouppe Amadou, Leonard Fonkeng Sama, Emmanuel Asongalem","doi":"10.1111/vox.70024","DOIUrl":"10.1111/vox.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>There are great gaps regarding the demand and supply of blood and its derivatives in the blood transfusion field, which remains a major health issue. Adverse reactions experienced in the blood donation process have been reported to be one of the demotivating factors for donors returning. This study assessed bleed duration and the occurrence of adverse donor reactions (ADRs) in a blood bank setting in Cameroon.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A blood bank-based experimental study was conducted over 24 months at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital, Cameroon. Signs and symptoms of ADRs were recorded from whole blood donors who bled within and above 10 min, as well as from counselled and uncounselled donors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 35 of 252 (13.9%) cases presented undesirable effects from blood donation, with re-puncture-associated haematomas-occurring in 17 of 35 (5.95%)-recorded as the most common reaction. On evaluating bleed duration as a predisposing factor, 28.9% of whole blood donors with bleed duration exceeding 10 min experienced ADRs, while 10.6% of donors bled within 10 min (p = 0.0013). Whether a donor was counselled or not, it had no effect on the occurrence of ADR.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study identified prolonged bleeding duration as a novel predisposing factor for ADRs. Re-puncture-associated haematoma, which is an erroneous phlebotomist act, is the possible cause. The acquisition of digital vein detector devices in blood banks to curb adverse donor events, will consequently scale up blood donation and reduce the gap in the blood supply.</p>","PeriodicalId":23631,"journal":{"name":"Vox Sanguinis","volume":" ","pages":"653-658"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144047537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}