A simple plasma anticoagulant-exchange method to increase the recovery of factor VIII in therapeutic concentrates.
Donor blood, primarily anticoagulated by acid citrate dextrose formula A (ACD-A), was separated by means of the HemaScience Autopheresis C plasmapheresis device. The citrated plasma was collected directly into a solution of heparin and calcium chloride to achieve a final plasma-ionised calcium concentration of approximately 2 mM, and a heparin concentration of 1.0 IU/ml. Heparin at this concentration provided adequate anticoagulation, and did not result in insoluble cryoprecipitates. Three pairs of donor-matched 4-kg plasma pools (anticoagulant-exchanged variant and ACD-A-anticoagulated control) were constructed and subsequently fractionated to an intermediate stage. The mean recovery of factor VIII from 3 anticoagulant-exchanged pools (394 IU/kg) was 23% greater than the mean recovery from the matched control pools (319 IU/kg). This increased recovery was not achieved at the expense of specific activity.