Platelet transfusion therapy has played an important role in the management of patients [4]. Today, a variety of methods for the preparation of platelets for transfusion are available ,which may be due to different processing systems such as apheresis ,buffy coat and platelet rich plasma platelet concentres methods [5,6]. Processing and storage may affect both platelet quality and function and ...

The buffy coat in a haematocrit tube consists of white cells, which, in spite of their larger size, fall with less velocity than the smaller red cells. This consideration suggested that the bigger, nucleated red cells might be found in increased numbers in or immediately beneath the white cell layer, and this has proved to be the case. Incidentally, both macrocytes and microcytes are found conc...

Activated protein C-resistance (APC-resistance) (6) is the most common inherited genetic disorder responsible for venous thrombosis (13). Over 90% of APC-resistances are caused by a single-base mutation, G/A 1691 in the factor V gene, also known as factor V Leiden. This mutation, changing Arg 506 to Gln, impedes the cleavage of factor Va by APC (3,7,14). APC-resistance is routinely determined b...

Falsely increased plasma troponin (Tn) I and T results have been reported for several Tn methods, including the Beckman Coulter UniCel DxI AccuTnI assay (Beckman Coulter, Chaska, MN) (1–3). We and others have also observed falsely increased human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) using the Beckman Coulter Access Total hCG on the UniCel DxI (1). These false increases were identified by the finding of...

Three separate attempts to establish long-term leukocyte cultures from the peripheral blood of a healthy adult who had no evidence of previous infection with Epstein-Barr virus were consistently unsuccessful. On the other hand, in vitro infection of buffy-coat cells of this donor with Epstein-Barr virus resulted in blastoid transformation of the lymphocytes and long-term growth potential. The t...

Microscopical examination of the " buffy coat" is an accepted butnotwidely adopted haematological procedure. It is particularly valuable in the diagnosis of pernicious anaemia, aleukaemic leukaemia, malaria, and disseminated lupus erythematosus. In the diagnosis of anaemia in pregnancy and the puerperium this simple technique has received only scant attention; thus a mere mention of its use is ...

Four cases of serious cardiac attacks by autochthonous Trypanosoma cruzi infection from the Brazilian Amazon are reported; three of them occurred in micro-epidemic episodes. The manifestations included sudden fever, myalgia, dyspnea and signs of heart failure. Diagnosis was confirmed by specific exams, especially QBC (Quantitative Buffy Coat) and natural xenodiagnosis. Despite treatment with be...