Blood transfusion is a common procedure in hospital care, especially in trauma patients and operated patients which loss lots of blood. But the risk of getting a transfused blood might be bigger than we expected, especially in acute coronary syndrome patients. A study by Silvain J et al, proved that transfused blood might increase the platelet reactivity in ACS patients which responsible for the recurrent ischemic event and mortality in ACS patients.
Here's the writing:
Impact of Red Blood Cell Transfusion on Platelet Aggregation
and Inflammatory Response in Anemic Coronary and Non-Coronary Patients The
TRANSFUSION-2 study
Johanne Silvain, MD-PhD1; Jérémie Abtan, MD1; Mathieu
Kerneis, MD1; Réjane Martin, BCh1; Jonathan Finzi, PharmMD1; Jean-Baptiste
Vignalou, MD1; Olivier Barthélémy, MD1; Stephen A. O’Connor, MD1;
Charles-Edouard Luyt, MD-PhD2; Nicolas Brechot, MD-PhD2; Anne Mercadier,
MD-PhD3; Delphine Brugier, PhD1; Sophie Galier, BCh1; Jean-Philippe Collet,
MD-PhD1; Jean Chastre, MD-PhD2; Gilles Montalescot, MD-PhD1
Objectives To
determine whether RBC transfusion increases in-vivo platelet aggregation and
inflammation in coronary and non-coronary patients.
Background Red blood
cell (RBC) transfusion increases in-vitro platelet activation and aggregation
in healthy volunteers, providing a possible explanation for the increase in
recurrent ischemic events and mortality reported after RBC transfusion in ACS
patients.
Methods Platelet
reactivity was measured before and after RBC transfusion in 61 patients (33 ACS
patients and 28 non-ACS patients). Relative changes between baseline and
post-transfusion measurements of maximum (MPA) and residual platelet
aggregation (RPA) were considered with different agonists as well as changes in
Vasodilatator-Stimulated Phosphoprotein Platelet Reactivity Index (VASP-PRI)
and P-selectin expression. Inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers were also
measured before and after transfusion.
Results After RBC
transfusion, platelet reactivity was increased when measured with adenosine
diphosphate (ADP)-induced light transmission aggregometry (+11.6% relative
increase of MPA; p = 0.004 and +10.8% increase of RPA; p = 0.005) and VASP PRI
(relative increase of +20.7%; p=0.002) while there was a non-significant trend
towards an increase of P-selectin expression. Similar results were found with
the non-specific agonist thrombin receptor activated peptide (TRAP) (relative
increase of +11.7% for MPA p=0.04 and+12.7% for RPA; p=0.02) but not with
collagen or arachidonic acid agonists. There were no significant differences in
inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers before and after transfusion.
Conclusions After red
blood cell transfusion, there is an increase in platelet reactivity, especially
with tests measuring the ADP-P2Y12receptor pathway without significant
variation in inflammatory or thrombotic biomarkers. This in-vivo effect may
account for the excess in ischemic events observed in the context of ACS
treated by PCI and P2Y12inhibitors.