Preventing TA-GVHD

Preventing TA-GVHD Without Irradiating Your Components

Platelet components processed using the INTERCEPT™ Blood System are indicated for the transfusion support of patients requiring platelet transfusions according to clinical practice guidelines. Any type of thrombocytopenia resulting from disease, therapy or injury can be supported with INTERCEPT platelets. INTERCEPT treatment may be used as an alternative to gamma irradiation for prevention of transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD). INTERCEPT platelets are not clinically different from untreated platelets and are infused according to standard platelet infusion methods.

The INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets has been shown to inactivate contaminating donor leukocytes including T-cells in platelet products. Various in vitro studies have demonstrated inhibition of leukocyte replication as well as inhibition of cytokine synthesis by leukocytes following photochemical treatment.

As part of a haemovigilance study running over the course of seven years, 4,067 patients received 19,175 platelet transfusions. Adverse events were infrequent, and most were of Grade 1 severity. No case of transfusion-related acute lung injury, TA-GVHD, transfusion-transmitted infection or death was attributed to the transfusion of INTERCEPT-treated platelet concentrates.

Source: Knutson F, et al., A prospective, active haemovigilance study with combined cohort analysis of 19,175 transfusions of platelet components prepared with amotosalen-UVA photochemical treatment,Vox Sanguinis (2015) 109, 343-352