Predicted effect of selectively testing female donors for HLA antibodies to mitigate transfusion‐related acute lung injury risk from apheresis platelets

BACKGROUND: The use of male-donor-predominant plasma has reduced the risk of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), but the possible benefit of different mitigation strategies for other components is unknown. We evaluated the risk of TRALI from apheresis platelets (PLTs) to predict the effect of selectively testing female plateletpheresis donors who have been pregnant for HLA antibodies. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The American Red Cross hemovigilance program classified TRALI cases from apheresis PLTs or red blood cells (RBCs) in 2006 to 2013 or from predominantly male-donor (>95%) plasma in 2008 to 2013 and compared the component-specific TRALI rates. RESULTS: The overall rate of TRALI was significantly higher for apheresis PLTs (6.2 cases per 10(6) units; OR [95% CI], 3.3 [2.3-4.8]) or plasma (3.8 cases per 10(6) units; OR [95% CI], 2.0 [1.4-2.9]) compared to RBCs (1.9 per 10(6) units). Twenty-nine of the 41 apheresis PLT cases involved female donors; 28 had been pregnant, and one had not been pregnant and was not tested. Twenty-five (61%) of the apheresis PLT TRALI cases had female donors with HLA Class I or Class II antibodies. In five of six cases that implicated specific HNA antibodies, the female parous donors also had multiple HLA antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: TRALI was more likely after transfusion of apheresis PLTs than male-donor-predominant plasma or RBCs. A selective strategy to test all female plateletpheresis donors who have been pregnant for HLA antibodies might reduce the risk of TRALI by approximately 60% and prevent some cases from coexisting HNA antibodies.