Searching for markers to detect autologous blood transfusion. An investigation on platelets activation by flow cytofluorimetry

Blood transfusion (BT) are banned by the WADA and are abused by cheating athletes to improve tissues oxygenation. At present, only a method to detect homologous blood transfusion (HBT) by flow cytofluorimetry, based on the detection of different populations of minor red blood cells surface antigens, is available. [1] For autologous blood transfusion (ABT), several attempts have been made in the research of reliable markers to be applied for the abuse detection. These markers are of multiple origin and include gene expression of erythropoiesis, hematological indexes, total hemoglobin mass, markers of storage of red blood cells and phthalates residues from blood bags. A recent paper by Silvain et al. 2010 [2] claimed that red blood cell transfusion increases platelet activation in healthy volunteers, so opening the possibility to use platelet activation as indirect marker for the detection of blood transfusion abuse