Lymphocyte Donation

What are lymphocytes?

Lymphocytes are a fraction of white blood cells and therefore a normal part of human blood. They are used to identify pathogens and eliminate them by immunological defense mechanisms. Lymphocytes are required for the treatment of tumor diseases, in particular the hematopoietic system, and severe infectious diseases, in particular viruses. Lymphocytes can be obtained from human blood without preparatory measures within the framework of so-called cell separation.

Procedure of lymphocyte donation

In this procedure, which lasts up to 3 hours, your blood is fed into the cell separator with the addition of an anticoagulant (citrate). A centrifuge with a plastic centrifuge insert rotates in the cell separator. There the lymphocytes are enriched and then collected in a bag. The process ensures that a large proportion of the lymphocytes are collected and that all other blood components flow almost completely back into the donor's body. As a rule, lymphocyte apheresis is sufficient to obtain the required number of cells. In principle, only disposable articles are used. A transmission of diseases is therefore not possible.