Studies on contact phase and platelet activation during thrombopheresis in donors. Preliminary results of a comparison between continuous and intermittent flow systems

Two different groups of healthy donors underwent thrombopheresis either with continuous (CS-3000) or intermittent (Haemonetics-30) flow centrifugation systems. Determinations of β-thromboglobulin, Factor XII, Factor XI, Prekallikrein, Kallikrein Inhibitor and High Molecular Weight Kininogen, were carried out at 0, 60 and 120 min after the onset of the procedure. All the contact phase factors remained unchanged during the whole procedure in both groups of donors. β-Thromboglobulin plasma levels increased significantly in the two systems; the overall percentage increases were significantly higher in the CS-3000 donors when compared with those in the H-30 donors.