The interest in leukocyte-depleted whole blood and blood component
transfusion has increased in the recent years in order to
minimize the risk of leukocyte-mediated immune reactions. There
are several studies about the RBC changes during the storage period
of whole blood and non-leukocyte-depleted RBCs for transfusion.
Currently, little is known how the leukocyte depletion interferes
with RBC membrane integrity and morphology