Low incidence of acquired cytomegalovirus infection in neonates transfused with washed red blood cells
N. L. Luban, A. E. Williams, M. G. MacDonald, G. T. Mikesell, K. M. Williams and R. A. Sacher
To define the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in infants given
transfusions of washed blood cells from random donors, 100 infants who were
identified as being CMV seronegative at birth were resampled at hospital
discharge and again six weeks after hospitalization. All infants received
washed red blood cell products; 37 infants received nonleukodepleted
platelets and/or plasma. There were 7.4 donor exposures per infant. Donor
units were assayed for anti-CMV IgG and IgM at the time of donation.
Seventy-six infants received at least one transfusion from a seropositive
donor (mean transfusion volume, 89 mL; mean, 3.7 seropositive donor
exposures). Infection was defined by seroconversion to anti-CMV. None of
the recipients of exclusively seronegative blood seroconverted. A single
infant who received 34 mL of washed cells from a seropositive donor (IgG+,
IgM-) and 31 mL of washed cells from a seronegative donor showed IgM
anti-CMV 15 days after transfusion and IgG anti-CMV at a six-week follow-up
visit. No recipients of IgM+ blood were infected. Our data demonstrate a
1.3% incidence of anti-CMV seroconversion following receipt of washed red
cells from seropositive donors. This rate is within background levels for
hospitalized neonates and is significantly lower than results of similar
studies using unwashed blood.
