Blood Donation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Blood Donation, including details on blood types, blood group, leukemia, red cross.

Collection and preservation of cord blood for personal use.

Ballen KK, Barker JN, Stewart SK, Greene MF, Lane TA,

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. kballen@partners.org

Unrelated-donor umbilical cord blood (CB) is a useful alternative hematopoietic stem cell source for patients without suitably matched and readily available related or unrelated stem cell donors. Expectant parents today may have the option of either donating the CB to a public CB bank or keeping and storing the CB in a private bank for potential use in the future. The alternatives are often referred to as public banking and private banking. On behalf of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT), we have reviewed the currently available data and opinions and offer the following recommendations: The committee acknowledges the expanding potential of indications for CB in the future, and suggests review of these recommendations at regular intervals.

Published 15 February 2008 in Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 14(3): 356-63.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Blood Donation published 4 February 2008:

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis A in voluntary blood donors from Pune, western India (2002 and 2004-2005).   Epidemiol Infect, 136(3): 406-9.

Recently, a changing pattern of hepatitis A epidemiology has been reported in the Indian population indicating a rise in the rate of hepatitis A infection among adults. The study's objective was to assess anti-HAV prevalence in voluntary blood donors from middle and high socioeconomic strata. Serum samples collected from voluntary blood donors from Pune city and its suburbs in the years 2002 and 2004-2005 were tested for anti-HAV IgG antibodies. Serum samples collected during 2004-2005 were ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Blood Donation published 24 January 2008:

West Nile virus and blood product safety in Germany.   J Med Virol, 80(3): 557-63.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus, widely distributed throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. WNV may cause epidemics of human meningoencephalitis. The unexpected emergence of WNV (New York, 1999) and its rapid spread throughout North America during the following years caused a number of blood transfusion- and organ transplant-associated transmissions of WNV. In order to estimate the potential WNV threat for Central Europe, we analyzed the anti-WNV prevalence and ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Blood Donation published 18 October 2007:

Use of replacement blood donors to study the epidemiology of major blood-borne viruses in the general population of Maputo, Mozambique.   J Med Virol, 79(12): 1832-40.

The seroprevalence rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Mozambique are poorly documented. The epidemiology of these infections was studied in the Maputo region. All donors attending the blood bank during the study period were interviewed and underwent serological and molecular tests for markers of virus exposure. Thus, 1,578 consecutive replacement blood donors ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Blood Donation published 16 October 2007:

Detection of a premature stop codon in the surface gene of hepatitis B virus from an HBsAg and antiHBc negative blood donor.   J Clin Virol, 40(3): 255-8.

BACKGROUND: In blood donors, HBV infection is detected by the presence of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). However, some mutations in the surface gene region may result in altered or truncated HBsAg that can escape from immunoassay-based diagnosis. Such diagnostic escape mutants pose a potential risk for blood transfusion services. RESULTS: In the present study, we report a blood donor seronegative for HBsAg and antiHBc, but positive for antiHBs who was HBV DNA positive by PCR. ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Blood Donation published 20 September 2007:

Lymphodepletion followed by donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) causes significantly more acute graft-versus-host disease than DLI alone.   Blood, 110(7): 2761-3.

Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) can produce lasting remissions in patients with relapsed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but are less effective in non-CML diseases. We hypothesized that lymphodepletion, achieved with cyclophosphamide (Cy) and fludarabine (Flu), would promote in vivo expansion of the infused lymphocytes enhancing their immunologic effects. Fifteen patients with relapsed non-CML disease who received Cy/Flu/DLI were compared with 63 controls who received DLI without ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Blood Donation published 27 July 2007:

Evaluating the impact of public health notification of suspected transfusion-transmissible hepatitis C virus infection and effectiveness of lookback and traceback investigations by Canadian Blood Services in British Columbia, Canada, August 2002 through February 2005.   Transfusion, 47(8): 1534-9.

BACKGROUND: Suspected transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) have been reported to public health (PH) in British Columbia (BC) since August 2002. The impact of PH notification of suspected transfusion-transmissible hepatitis C virus (TT-HCV) infection over the first 2.5 years and the effectiveness of HCV lookback (LB) and traceback (TB) investigations conducted by Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in BC were evaluated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Suspected TT-HCV cases reported to CBS in BC ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The effect of a 473-mL (16-oz) water drink on vasovagal donor reaction rates in high-school students.   Transfusion, 47(8): 1524-33.

BACKGROUND: Recent clinical studies found that a water drink prevented orthostatic hypotension in healthy subjects subjected to a tilt-table test. A water drink was tested as a method to decrease vasovagal donor reactions in high-school students. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 8894 high-school donations in Fall 2004 and 2005 were assigned to groups receiving or not receiving a 473-mL water drink after acceptance for whole-blood donation. In addition, 4340 donations in 2004 were reduced to ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The consequences of temporary deferral on future whole blood donation.   Transfusion, 47(8): 1514-23.

BACKGROUND: The consequences of temporary deferral are not well understood. This study sought to investigate blood donor return after deferral expiration. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of allogeneic whole-blood donation was conducted. All deferred donors and a random sample of eligible donors were identified from the year 2000, with subsequent blood center visits through December 2005 captured. Stratified results are reported as the percentage returning, rates of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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