Cytokines are cellular growth factors which also provide communication between cells and their milieu. This clearly is an exciting area in modern medicine that will have significant impact on various facets of transfusion. Erythropoietin therapy stimulates red cell production while thrombopoietin seems to positively affect megakaryopoiesis and can be an added armamentarium for the thrombocytopenic patient.
Using haematnopoietic growth factors, stem cells could be mobilized early to the peripheral blood for collection and subsequent transplantation into haemato-oncology patients instead...

It is an honour and a pleasure to welcome you all at this 20th annual International Symposium on Blood Transfusion in the Netherlands. This year you celebrate its 20th anniversary and I congratulate the Staff of the Blood Bank Noord Nederland and especially Dr. Smit Sibinga for this great achievement. As most of you know, the name of the person of Dr. Smit Sibinga is unbreakably con nected with the annual symposium in Groningen which he has organized each year from the very start, 20 years ago. The reputation of any symposium depends heavily on the quality of the lectures. I think it is not...

The theme of this 14th International Symposium on Blood Transfusion is closely related to the work and scientific contributions of the Dutch cryobiology pioneer Dr. Herman W. Krijnen of the Dutch Red Cross Central Laboratory. Dr. Krijnen was known and respected in the national and interna tional blood transfusion community as an extremely competent scientist and a beloved and admired colleague. Dr. Krijnen was intentionally honoured with the invitation to open this symposium on cryopreservation and low temperature biology in blood transfusion and be the guest of honour at this event....

As appropriately outlined in the first chapter in cells was pioneered in Holland by Van Loghem and part II in this book, the history of contemporary Van Rood, and it led eventually to the discovery of blood transfusion is only three-quarters of a cen the HLA system and its subsequent explosive de tury old. On the surface, there is not much left in velopment. In biochemistry, the work on the ABO common between an arm to arm blood transfer and MN blood group substances has provided carried out as an heroic measure in the twenties, pointers to general features of the biosynthesis and when...

In summary, the technical, scientific and medical aspects of transfusion me dicine continue to be critical. We all must find ways to provide a safer unit of blood and blood components. However, there must be a realization by all in volved in the profession that the management and administration aspects of transfusion medicine deserve equal attention, respect and support. Why? It is very simple Without all aspectsoftransfusion medicine working togetherfor the common good - care ofthe patient - we will all fail. References 1. Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services, American...

This symposium is devoted to Biotechnology in Blood Transfusion; there are 22 experts discussing the state of the art in the application of monoclonal anti bodies, recombinant DNA technologies and heterologous expression systems to the improvement and sometimes replacement of blood products, charac terization of blood constituents, and the effect of these developments on blood transfusion procedures. Ten and maybe five years ago the title of a symposium such as this would have been Biosciences in blood transfusion, informing what basic developments in molecular biology, biochemistry and human...

As a clinical discipline blood transfusion encompasses enormous vista, vary- ing from biotechnology to molecular biology, from plasma products, cell biology and growth factors to interleukines. Growth of knowledge in this field has been rapid, and expertise is now required to be mastered and renewed in translating these ideas for patient care. Various types of cells could be harvested - progenitor stem cells derived from bone marrow or from circulating blood as a source for transplants; in the hemostatic armoury platelets could be used prophylactically; granulocytes and mononuclear cells are...

Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Symposium on Blood Transfusion, Groningen 1985, organized by the Red Cross Blood Bank Groningen-Drenthe

Plasma fractionation and blood transfusion are inherently linked. Blood bankers need to have a sincere interest in fractionation and purification techniques in order to understand the need for carefully controlled source material collection and initial processing. Developments point to a shift in technology, implementation and application of plasma fractions to be produced, such that early anticipation from both bloodbankers and fractionators in a joint interest and effort are needed. As usual there is good news and bad news. We are referring in that respect to the exciting presentation about...

THE PHILOSOPHY OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE BLOOD BANK H. F. Taswell One year before this symposium, Cees Smit Sibinga and I began to discuss an approach to quality assurance in the blood bank which we felt would be both important and practical and could serve as the basis for the choice of subjects to be presented in the symposium. As an introduction to this book, I would like to outline our approach, the subjects chosen and the rationale behind our choice. What is the fundamental purpose of a blood bank and trans fusion service? Simply stated, the purpose of a blood bank and transfusion...