SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE AND FACTORS RELATED TO BLOOD DONOR RETENTION: THE CASE OF THE OMAR BONGO ONDIMBA REGIONAL HOSPITAL OF MAKOKOU (CHROBOM), IN THE NORTH-EAST, GABON

Objective: In order to implement a targeted strategy during communication campaigns, this study defines the socio-demographic profile of blood donors and the factors that can promote their loyalty to blood donation in the northeast region of Gabon. Material And Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2021 and enrolled 252 blood donors with a mean age of 29.6 ± 7 years, ranging from 19 to 51 years. After an interview based on a pre-established pre-donation questionnaire, each donor deemed suitable underwent a sampling that was then analyzed through an infectious workup and a blood count (CBC). Data collected from the questionnaire were entered into a spreadsheet in Excel 2016 and processed with R software in its R Commander interface and results were considered significant if p < 0.05. Results: Using Pearsons Chi-square test of independence, this study indicated an association between blood donation and many sociodemographic parameters. Thus, being a former donor was statistically associated with firstly male gender, secondly being a parent, thirdly having a job, and finally being 30 years or older. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was able to establish that: Being a parent, Having a job and Being male, increased the probability of being a faithful blood donor. Conclusion:. The profile of the blood donor at the Omar Bongo Ondimba Regional Hospital of Makokou corresponds to A man of about 30 years old, single, unemployed, with at least one child coming for a family type donation and the factors of loyalty to blood donation are the male sex, the status of worker and that of being a family member.

Profile of Blood Donor Deferrals in a Tertiary Care Centre-Our Institutional Experience

Background: It is the prime duty of transfusion services to provide safe, adequate and timely need of blood and the blood products. Understanding the reasons for donor deferral can help in planning more efficient recruitment strategies and educate and motivate temporarily deferred donors in order to maintain a safe and adequate supply of blood products. Aims of the Study: To evaluate and analyze the blood donor deferral pattern in a tertiary care hospital blood bank and to review its influence on blood safety. Methodology: This retrospective study was conducted in the blood bank, CHRI from the year January 2015 to December 2018. Data like demographic data, clinical history, physical examination, haematological examination, stored in the blood bank was retrived. The donors will be deferred based on standard WHO guidelines. The collected deferral data was analyzed using SPSS software 2011version 20. Results: During the study period there were 7010 registered blood donors. The deferral rate was 5.19%. Among the donor deferrals, females were more commonly deferred ie 31.66%. The deferral rate among voluntary and replacement donors are 4.71% and 11.62% respectively. The rate of permanent deferral (17.86%) was less compared to temporary deferral (82.14%). Among temporary deferral anaemia is the most common cause (27.75%). Seropositive for Hepatitis B is the most common cause for permenant deferral (52.30%). Conclusion: In our study temporary deferral is higher this necessities the need of education, motivation of these donors for future donation to maintain a healthy and safe donor pool.

Immune response to allogeneic equine mesenchymal stromal cells

Background Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are believed to be hypoimmunogeneic with potential use for allogeneic administration. Methods Bone marrow was harvested from Connemara (n = 1), Standardbred (n = 6), and Thoroughbred (n = 3) horses. MSCs were grouped by their level of expression of major histocompatibility factor II (MHC II). MSCs were then sub-grouped by those MSCs derived from universal blood donor horses. MSCs were isolated and cultured using media containing fetal bovine serum until adequate numbers were acquired. The MSCs were cultured in xenogen-free media for 48 h prior to use and during all assays. Autologous and allogeneic MSCs were then directly co-cultured with responder leukocytes from the Connemara horse in varying concentrations of MSCs to leukocytes (1:1, 1:10, and 1:100). MSCs were also cultured with complement present and heat-inactivated complement to determine whether complement alone would decrease MSC viability. MSCs underwent haplotyping of their equine leukocyte antigen (ELA) to determine whether the MHC factors were matched or mismatched between the donor MSCs and the responder leukocytes. Results All allogeneic MSCs were found to be ELA mismatched with the responder leukocytes. MHC II-low and universal blood donor MSCs caused no peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation, no increase in B cells, and no activation of CD8 lymphocytes. Universal blood donor MSCs stimulated a significant increase in the number of T regulatory cells. Neutrophil interaction with MSCs showed that universal blood donor and MHC II-high allogeneic MSCs at the 6 h time point in co-culture caused greater neutrophil activation than the other co-culture groups. Complement-mediated cytotoxicity did not consistently cause MSC death in cultures with active complement as compared to those with inactivated complement. Gene expression assays revealed that the universal blood donor group and the MHC II-low MSCs were more metabolically active both in the anabolic and catabolic gene categories when cultured with allogeneic lymphocytes as compared to the other co-cultures. These upregulated genes included CD59, FGF-2, HGF, IDO, IL-10, IL-RA, IL-2, SOX2, TGF-β1, ADAMSTS-4, ADAMSTS-5, CCL2, CXCLB/IL-8, IFNγ, IL-1β, and TNFα. Conclusions MHC II-low MSCs are the most appropriate type of allogeneic MSC to prevent activation of the innate and cell-mediated component of the adaptive immune systems and have increased gene expression as compared to other allogeneic MSCs.