Background and objectives: Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) is a serious complication of blood component transfusion therapy, caused by donor T lymphocytes. γ-Irradiation or pathogen inactivation methods, capable of inactivating proliferating T cells in blood components, should be selected to prevent TA-GVHD. This review summarizes the published evidence to support the use of pathogen-reduced platelets with amotosalen (150 μm) and ultraviolet A light (UVA, 320-400 nm, 3 J/cm2 ) for preventing TA-GVHD.
Materials and methods: Available literature on the use of pathogen-reduced platelets to prevent TA-GVHD was reviewed.
Results: Observational studies, animal models, in vitro studies and mechanistic studies of pathogen-reduced platelets with amotosalen and UVA light showed that inactivation of T cells are equal or even superior to γ-irradiation.
Conclusion: Pathogen-reduced platelets with amotosalen and UVA light can be used as a measure to prevent TA-GVHD.
Keywords: TA-GVHD; pathogen-reduced platelets; platelet transfusion.
© 2017 The Authors. Vox Sanguinis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Blood Transfusion.