Blood plasma
Blood plasma is a light
Blood plasma is separated from the blood by blood fractionation containing an anticoagulant in a centrifuge until the blood cells fall to the bottom of the tube. The blood plasma is then poured or drawn off.[5] For point-of-care testing applications, plasma can be extracted from whole blood via filtration[6] or via agglutination[7] to allow for rapid testing of specific biomarkers. Blood plasma has a density of approximately 1,025 kg/m3 (1.025 g/ml).[8] Blood serum is blood plasma without clotting factors.[5] Plasmapheresis is a medical therapy that involves blood plasma extraction, treatment, and reintegration.
Fresh frozen plasma is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.[9] It is of critical importance in the treatment of many types of trauma which result in blood loss, and is therefore kept stocked universally in all medical facilities capable of treating trauma (e.g., trauma centers, hospitals, and ambulances) or that pose a risk of patient blood loss such as surgical suite facilities [10]
Volume
Blood plasma volume may be expanded by or drained to
Standing still for a prolonged period will cause an increase in
Plasma proteins
Albumins
Serum albumins are the most common plasma proteins, and they are responsible for maintaining the osmotic pressure of the blood. Without albumins, the consistency of blood would be closer to that of water. The increased viscosity of blood prevents fluid from entering the bloodstream from outside the capillaries. Albumins are produced in the liver, assuming the absence of a hepatocellular deficiency.[13]
Globulins
The second most common type of protein in the blood plasma are globulins. Important globulins include immunoglobins which are important for the immune system and transport hormones and other compounds around the body. There are three main types of globulins. Alpha-1 and Alpha-2 globulins are formed in the liver and play an important role in mineral transport and the inhibition of blood coagulation.[14] An example of beta globulin found in blood plasma includes low-density lipoproteins (LDL) which are responsible for transporting fat to the cells for steroid and membrane synthesis.[15] Gamma globulin, better known as immunoglobulins, are produced by plasma B cells, and provides the human body with a defense system against invading pathogens and other immune diseases.[16]
Fibrinogen
Fibrinogen proteins make up most of the remaining proteins in the blood. Fibrinogens are responsible for clotting blood to help prevent blood loss.[17]
Color
Plasma is normally yellow due to
Plasma vs. serum in medical diagnostics
Blood plasma and
Some of the benefits of plasma over serum | Some of the benefits of serum over plasma |
---|---|
Plasma preparation is quick, as it is not | Plasma preparation requires the addition of enzyme activity measurements. For example, EDTA binds zinc ions, which alkaline phosphatases need as cofactors. Thus, phosphatase activity cannot be measured if EDTA is used.[22]
|
Compared to serum, 15–20% larger volume of plasma can be obtained from a blood sample of certain size. Serum lacks some proteins that partake in coagulation and increase the sample volume.[22] | An unknown volume of anticoagulants can be added to a plasma sample by accident, which may ruin the sample as the analyte concentration is changed by an unknown amount.[25] |
Serum preparation can cause measurement errors by increasing or decreasing the concentration of the blood glucose and platelets increase the sample content of compounds like potassium, phosphates and aspartate transaminase by secreting them. Glucose or these other compounds may be the analytes.[22]
|
No anticoagulants are added to serum samples, which decreases the preparation cost of the samples relative to plasma samples.[25] |
Plasma samples can form tiny clots if the added anticoagulant is not properly mixed with the sample. Non-uniform samples can cause measurement errors.[25] |
History
Plasma was already well known when described by William Harvey in de Motu Cordis in 1628, but knowledge of it probably dates as far back as Vesalius (1514–1564). The discovery of fibrinogen by William Henson, c. 1770,[26] made it easier to study plasma, as ordinarily, upon coming in contact with a foreign surface – something other than the vascular endothelium – clotting factors become activated and clotting proceeds rapidly, trapping RBCs etc. in the plasma and preventing separation of plasma from the blood. Adding citrate and other anticoagulants is a relatively recent advance. Upon the formation of a clot, the remaining clear fluid (if any) is blood serum, which is essentially plasma without the clotting factors[27]
The use of blood plasma as a substitute for whole blood and for transfusion purposes was proposed in March 1918, in the correspondence columns of the British Medical Journal, by Gordon R. Ward. "Dried plasmas" in powder or strips of material format were developed and first used in World War II. Prior to the United States' involvement in the war, liquid plasma and whole blood were used. [28]
The origin of plasmapheresis
Dr. José Antonio Grifols Lucas, a scientist from Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain,[29] founded Laboratorios Grifols in 1940.[30] Dr. Grifols pioneered a first-of-its-kind technique called plasmapheresis,[30] where a donor's red blood cells would be returned to the donor's body almost immediately after the separation of the blood plasma. This technique is still in practice today, almost 80 years later. In 1945, Dr. Grifols opened the world's first plasma donation center.[29] Thirteen years after the center's opening, Dr. Grifols unexpectedly died at the young age of 41 due to leukemia.
Blood for Britain
The "Blood for Britain" program during the early 1940s was quite successful (and popular in the United States) based on
Nevertheless, the decision was made to develop a dried plasma package for the armed forces as it would reduce breakage and make the transportation, packaging, and storage much simpler.[32] The resulting dried plasma package came in two tin cans containing 400 cc bottles. One bottle contained enough distilled water to reconstitute the dried plasma contained within the other bottle. In about three minutes, the plasma would be ready to use and could stay fresh for around four hours. The Blood for Britain program operated successfully for five months, with total collections of almost 15,000 people donating blood, and with over 5,500 vials of blood plasma.[33]
Following the Supplying Blood Plasma to England project, Drew was named director of the
By the end of the war the American Red Cross had provided enough blood for over six million plasma packages. Most of the surplus plasma was returned to the United States for civilian use. Serum albumin replaced dried plasma for combat use during the Korean War.[32]
Plasma donation
Plasma as a
United Kingdom
Following fears of
At present (2024), blood donated in the United Kingdom is used by UK Blood Services for the manufacture of plasma blood components (Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) and cryoprecipitate). However, plasma from UK donors is still not used for the commercial manufacture of fractionated plasma medicines.[41]
Synthetic blood plasma
Simulated body fluid (SBF) is a solution having a similar ion concentration to that of human blood plasma. SBF is normally used for the surface modification of metallic implants, and more recently in gene delivery application.[42]
See also
- Blood plasma fractionation
- Chromatography in blood processing
- Diag Human
- Hypoxia preconditioned plasma
- Intravascular volume status
References
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