Donor-reported stress type affects inflammatory blood markers prior to donation

Abstract

Background and objectives: Psychosocial stressors may contribute to inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess soluble inflammatory markers in blood donors' while they donated, focusing on perceived stress from family, work or from the act of donating.

Materials and methods: Donors answered yes/no questions about stress (family, work, or donation-related) and rated puncture pain (0-9). Blood samples were centrifuged and analyzed by ELISA for inflammatory markers, including cortisol, RANTES, sCD40L, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and serotonin, focusing on platelet-derived inflammatory factors.

Results: Cortisol levels were higher in donors who experienced blood donation related stress as compared to donors who did not experience any type of stress. The molecule RANTES was only significantly higher in donors who experienced family stress. A significant increase in the concentration of sCD40L in the plasma of the whole sample and female donors is observed only in the group who only experienced stress related to blood donation, but not family or work-related stress.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that stress experienced before blood donation may influence the inflammatory profile of blood components. Further research is needed to explore the impact of donors' experiences of psychosocial stressors on transfusion outcomes and on blood components characteristics.

Keywords: Immunologic factors; Inflammation; Stress; Transfusion.