The role of the international community in ensuring a safe and ...

Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010HaïtiThe role of the internationalcommunity in ensuring a safeand available blood supplyRecombinant bloodgroup proteinsBlood group genotypingBlood Group Terminology:history and purposeABO and malaria

Contents Whats on at ISBT244 15 Judith ChapmanEditorialcobas s 201 systemThe first multi-dye NAT screening systemfor donated bloodcobas s 201 systemRoche’s cobas s 201 system is a reliable, operator-friendlyplatform with fast and easy daily start-up and minimalmaintenance.Tests that are currently in development will take fulladvantage of the 4-channel, multi-dye detection technologyof the cobas s 201 system by offering real-time virusdiscrimination in a single test.ROCHE, COBAS, COBAS S, LIFE NEEDS ANSWERS,and TAQSCREEN, are trademarks of Roche.©2010 Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.http://molecular.roche.comcobas ® TaqScreen MPX TestThe current cobas ® TaqScreen MPX Test simultaneouslydetects all known genotypes and subtypes of HIV-1Groups M and O, HIV-2, HCV and HBV, making it themost comprehensive NAT test on the market.This multiplex, CE Mark certified and FDA-approved testis currently used by over 175 blood banks worldwide.4152431In focusBlood Group Terminology; ISBT Workshops; A new terminology forblood group alleles; Recombinant blood group proteins; Blood groupgenotyping; ABO and malariaAbout ISBTFrom the president; Sixth Congress of the ISBT; Into the ModernEra; From the Secretary-General; From ISBT Central OfficeRegional newsHaïti earthquake 2010; Blood Collection Campaigns; in Afghanistanduring Ashura; ISBT- ATMC7; Western Pacific ActivitiesUpcoming BerlinXXXI st International Congress of the ISBT; Upcoming eventsPresident Erhard Seifried Secretary General Paul Strengers Executive Director Judith ChapmanDesign Tomorrow Design Photography Transfusion Today Advertising Sophie Hamburger,centraloffice@isbt-web.orgStatements and opinions expressed in Transfusion Today are those of the individual contributors andnot that of ISBT. Reproduction in whole or part requires permission by the publisher. ISBT membersneed not obtain permission if proper credit is given.Send all correspondence to ISBT - J. van Goyenkade 11, 1075 HP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.T +31 20 5709 636, F +31 20 6737 306, transfusiontoday@isbt-web.org.Welcome to the first issue of TransfusionToday in 2010. We hope that you likethe new look and format of our ISBTquarterly bulletin. Please note that theformer Regional Supplement has beenincorporated into the main body ofTransfusion Today.The focus of this edition is Blood Groupswith the contributors being membersof the Working Party on Red Cell Immunogeneticsand Blood Group Terminology.Developments are occurring within bloodgroup terminology, in blood groupingpractice and in our knowledge of therelationship between blood groups anddiseases such as malaria. This is oneof the reasons why we thought a focuson blood groups was a good topic tostart our new look Transfusion Today.We thank Geoff Daniels, the WorkingParty chairperson for putting the sectiontogether, choosing the topics and writersand making sure all the articles werereceived on time.There is an important article ondevelopments that are currently takingplace within ISBT related to our image,read more under ‘Into the modern era.’You can also read more about theprogramme for our XXXl st InternationalCongress in Berlin and the first of aseries of four articles on congressesremembered by our historian.If you have any comments on TransfusionToday we would like to hear from you.We would also like feedback about thesubjects and articles that you would likeus to cover.Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 20103

In Focus ISBT Working Party on Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group TerminologyBlood GroupGeoff DanielsChair, ISBT Working Party on Cell Immunogeneticsand Blood Group TerminologyTerminology:history and purpose‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other namewould smell as sweet.’ Of course, Juliet was correct. A name isonly a label, but absolutely imperative for effective communication,and in blood transfusion effective communication is vital.Blood group science has been dogged byterminology problems since Landsteiner’sdiscovery at the beginning of the twentiethcentury. The original blood groups were numberedI, II, III, and IV by two groups in the early twentiethcentury, with II and III having different meanings inthe two classifications. To avoid confusion andpotential lethal errors, the Health Committee of theLeague of Nations (a precursor of the United Nations)recommended the A, B, AB and O terminology(although use of the letter O or of zero is stillcontentious). And the problems continued. The Rhantigen has been called rhesus, D, or Rho, dependingon the preferred genetical theory, and the original Kantigen, antithetical to K, is still often called Cellano.In 1980 the ISBT established a working party todevise and maintain a numerical terminology forblood groups, so that each blood group wouldhave a unique designation. The Working Partyon Terminology of Red Cell Surface Antigens wasinitiated by Dr BPL (Paddy) Moore on therecommendation of the ISBT Working Party onAutomation and Data Processing. The inauguralmeeting occurred in Montreal at the 16 th Congressof the ISBT and was chaired by Dr. F.H. (Hal) Allenof the New York Blood Center. Subsequent chairshave been Marion Lewis, John Moulds, andcurrently Geoff Daniels. The mandate was to establisha uniform nomenclature that is ‘both eye andmachine readable, and in keeping with the geneticbasis of blood groups’. As the ISBT terminology wasnot simply to be a list of numbers, but was to have agenetic framework, provided a genetic classificationof blood groups in addition to a set of unique names.Where sufficient evidence exists, every bloodgroup antigen is assigned to a blood groupsystem (there are currently 30 systems), each ofwhich is a discrete genetic entity. Now that thegenes are better defined than they were in the1980s, we know that every system representseither a single gene or a cluster of two or threeclosely-linked homologous genes. Each system hasa number (001 to 030), plus a symbol (e.g., ABO,RHAG), and each blood group antigen has athree-digit number within its system. ConsequentlyD, for example, the first antigen of the Rh system,has the number 004001 or symbol RH1 (asredundant sinistral zeros can be removed).The completely numerical terminology is seldomused and the alphabetical-numerical terminology(e.g., RH3, KEL14, JK2) is preferred.The Working Party recognised that many peopleworking in blood transfusion did not wish to use thenumerical terminology for every-day communication,or even in publications. This is especially pertinentto the ABO system: it would, for example, beinappropriate and dangerous to use ABO:1,−2,3 forgroup A. In order to reduce the number of commonnames used, the Working Party produced a list ofapproved traditional or popular names, such as D orRhD, but not rhesus or Rho, K not Kell or K1, and knot Cellano. The Working Party currently recognises308 blood group antigens, 270 of which belong toone of the 30 blood group systems. Several other‘new’ antigens have already been allotted provisionalnumbers, to be ratified a the next meeting of theWorking Party in Berlin in June.In 2004 Ellen van der Schoot, Martin Olsson, andI organised the first ISBT Workshop on MolecularBlood Group Genotyping. We have organised twomore full workshops since and another is plannedfor this Spring. Last year the ISBT InternationalScientific Advisory Committee agreed that responsibilityof these workshops should come under theblood group terminology working party, which wasrenamed the Red Cell Immunogenetics and BloodGroup Terminology Working Party. The WorkingParty currently consists of 23 ISBT members from12 countries representing five continents.Nominations of new working party members arewelcome, but one condition is that they must havean international reputation as an expert in someaspect of immunohaematology. The Working Partymeets biennially, at the ISBT international congress,and any interim business is done by e-mail.The Working Party has published two reviews inVox Sanguinis,1-3 describing the blood groupterminology, plus numerous biennial reports ofdecisions taken at Working Party meetings, thelatest being for the 2008 meeting in Macao.A list of all the antigens, their terminology, andthe genetic classification can also been found onthe internet at http://ibgrl.blood.co.uk or froma link on the ISBT website.References1. Lewis M and members of the ISBT Working Partyon Terminology for Red Cell Surface Antigens. Bloodgroup terminology 1990.Vox Sang 1990;58:152-169.2. Daniels GL and members of the ISBT Working Partyon Terminology for Red Cell Surface Antigens. Bloodgroup terminology 1995.Vox Sang 1995;69:265-279.3. Daniels GL and members of the ISBT Working Partyon Terminology for Red Cell Surface Antigens. Bloodgroup terminology 2004.Vox Sang 2004;87:304-316.4. Daniels GL and members of the ISBT Working Partyon Terminology for Red Cell Surface Antigens.Macao report. Vox Sang 2009;96:153-156.4 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 20105

In Focus ISBT Working Party on Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group TerminologyRecombinantblood group proteinsAxel Seltsam German Red Cross Blood ServicesNSTOB, Institute Springe, Springe, GermanySince red blood cells (RBCs) carry large numbers of antigens,antibody identification in RBC-based assays relies on the lackof reaction of an antibody with panel cells negative for thecorresponding antigen. This indirect method of antibodyidentification is always challenged when a person's serumcontains multiple antibodies, autoantibodies, or antibodiesdirected against high-prevalence antigens. The availabilityof recombinant blood group proteins (rBGPs) makes it possibleto develop new antibody detection assays based on the use ofa defined antigen for each reaction. Unlike current procedures,this ‘one well, one antigen’ approach directly indicates antibodyspecificities when the antibodies react with their antigens.This novel approach allows detection and identification of bloodgroup antibodies in a single step without the need for timeconsumingadditional examinations. 1,2 By using a panel ofsingle blood group antigens, multiple antibodies simultaneouslypresent in a serum could be identified as easily as a singleantibody. The antibody identification process would be greatlysimplified and accelerated, resulting in a faster and safer bloodsupply for immunised patients. Correct antigen presentationand protein availability are crucial parameters to considerwhen developing recombinant protein-based antibody detectionsystems. Both parameters are mainly determined by theexpression technique used and can vary for different targetprotein specificities. Eukaryotic protein expression systems(e.g. in cell lines) allow for posttranslational modifications,such as glycosylation and disulphide bonding, resulting inproperly folded proteins. Prokaryotic systems which use bacteriafor protein expression, on the other hand, do not. Consequently,prokaryotically expressed proteins may not exhibit their nativestructure. However, prokaryotic organisms produce higherprotein yields, making the prokaryotic expression strategyeconomically attractive. 3Soluble rBGPs may have wide applications in blood groupserology. 4 They can be used in soluble protein reagents orsolid-phase assays such as ELISA, colour-coded microsphereand protein microarray chip-based techniques. Since haemagglutinationis the standard method used for blood groupserology, immediate implementation of inhibition assays usingsoluble rBGPs may be possible, even in routine laboratories.It was demonstrated that recombinant Lutheran, JMH, andScianna proteins remain stable for months and can be usedto neutralize the reactivity of the corresponding antibodies. 5-7Additionally, soluble rBGPs can be attached to various surfacesfor use in other common antibody identification systems(e.g., solid phase assays). ELISA results suggest that recombinantprotein-based solid phase assays have the potential to increasethe sensitivity of RBC antibody detection. 3,5 This would decreasethe risk of delayed haemolytic transfusion reactions – one of themain causes of transfusion-related adverse events. We recentlydeveloped a novel recombinant protein-based antibody testusing red high-density polystyrene beads coated with rBGPsand ID-Micro Typing System equipment. 5,6 This methodproduced clear and stable results comparable to those obtainedusing conventional RBC-based gel agglutination techniques.As the rBGP-coupled beads also work well in flow cytometry,fluorescence bead-based techniques could enter the field ofantibody diagnostics in immunohaematology.To be suitable for routine diagnostic use, any new RBC antibodydetection and identification assay must detect all relevantantibodies with a sensitivity equal to or greater than that ofconventional RBC-based assays. However, recombinantexpression of all relevant blood group antigens remains a hugechallenge and has not been efficient for some blood groupproteins such as Rh. Nevertheless, rBGPs may already be ofgreat value for identification of alloantibodies against highprevalenceRBC antigens, which is still a major challenge forimmunohaematological laboratories. Since the majority ofantibodies directed against high-prevalence RBC antigens areclinically insignificant, a method for selective removal ofantibodies to distinct high-prevalence antigens would be ofgreat value. It could detect and identify admixed clinicallysignificant antibodies and provide serum suitable for crossmatching.We recently demonstrated the application of acocktail of soluble rBGPs to facilitate the inhibition of severalhigh-prevalence antibodies from different blood groups witha single serological reagent. 7 Mixtures of two or more rBGPscould be customized to inhibit several clinically insignificantantibodies against high-prevalence antigens simultaneously.Such reagents would permit the development of new antibodyscreening strategies to improve the blood supply for patientswith rare RBC antibody specificities.References1. Reid ME. Applications of DNA-based assays in blood groupantigen and antibody identification.Transfusion 2003;43:1748-1757.2. Yazdanbakhsh K. Applications of blood group antigenexpression systems for antibody detection and identification.Transfusion 2007;47:85S-88S.3. Seltsam A, Grüger D, Blasczyk R. Prokaryotic versuseukaryotic recombinant Lutheran blood group protein forantibody identification. Transfusion. 2007;47:1630-1636.4. Ridgwell K, Dixey J, Scott ML. Production of soluble recombinantproteins with Kell, Duffy and Lutheran blood groupantigen activity, and their use in screening human sera forKell, Duffy and Lutheran antibodies.Transfus Med 2007;17:384-394.5. Seltsam A, Agaylan A, Grueger D, Meyer O, Blasczyk R,Salama A. Rapid detection of JMH antibodies withrecombinant Sema7A (CD108) protein and the particle gelimmunoassay. Transfusion 2008;48:1151-1155.6. Seltsam A, Agaylan A, Grueger D, Meyer O, Blasczyk R,Salama A. Rapid detection of anti-Lub with recombinant Lubprotein and the particle gel immunoassay.Transfusion 2008;48:731-734.7. Seltsam A, Grueger D, Blasczyk R, Flegel WA. Easy identificationof antibodies to high-prevalence Scianna antigens anddetection of admixed alloantibodies using soluble recombinantScianna protein. Transfusion 2009;49:2090-2096.8 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010

In Focus ISBT Working Party on Red CellImmunogenetics and Blood Group TerminologyChristine Cserti-GazdewichUniversity Health Network, Toronto GeneralHospital (Blood Transfusion Laboratory),Toronto, Ontario, CanadaABO and malariaThe ABO blood group system is so primordial and so withoutessential function as to seem ‘vestigial,’ and yet it is the mostcommanding presence in our daily transfusion practice. Despitea century of study, the basis for the observed distribution ofABO phenotypes over earthly space and human time has beenlargely enigmatic. Evolutionary genetics may reveal that theO allele is a mutation from the wild-type A glycosyltransferasegene, but the same science cannot readily explain theascendency of this recessive mutant, despite the codominantexpression of A or B genes. We appreciate that while mostdensely present on red cells, the ABO sugars also exist as‘histocompatibility’ antigens on other cellular or solublestructures. Finally, there is enough conservation in thesecarbohydrates across the animal kingdom that our own internalmicrobiome reliably evokes the reciprocal immunity of plasmaantibodies directed against the ‘reverse type’. Clearly there aremany faces to ABO, and thus as many ways by which to imaginepivotal confrontations with forces of evolutionary pressure.Plasmodium falciparum malaria has provoked more changesto the human genome than virtually any other pathogen, withmutations converging upon the hijacked erythrocyte. For allthe ways to adapt to this most lethal kind of malaria, the leastimportant appears to be bypassing invasion. The group O redcell, devoid of A or B, has not proven itself to be resistantto invasion. Furthermore, although P. falciparum bears someresemblance to the A antigen, the variable titres of anti-Ain group O or B individuals cannot subdue the parasite.Infectivities are indeed similar across the ABO types.If ABO is relevant in malaria, but not at the level of invasion,then the matter of disease severity or mortality should bemore telling. Although not yet directly observed, the associationbetween ABO and malaria mortality is supported by twoimportant areas of observation. Firstly, ABO distributionsare most different (and consistently so) according to malariaendemicity, suggesting a differential survival advantage forthe preponderant O phenotype. Secondly, within endemicpopulations, group O individuals disproportionately representthose with uncomplicated malaria across large, albeitretrospective, clinical trials. These clues prompted the firstprospective study powered to detect the impact of ABO onmalaria mortality (see Cytoadherence in Paediatric Malaria[CPM] Study,* NCT 00707200 on www.clinicaltrials.gov).This two year study closed in October 2009 after enrolling over2000 children with uncomplicated versus severe malaria, andthe effect size for ABO is being analyzed now according to theoutcome of death and the deadliest manifestations of theinfection, including cerebral malaria. What might explainthe severity-mitigating advantage of group O, or the intrinsicdisadvantage of group A? Unique to P. falciparum is its limitlessred cell infectivity, and its capacity to render the malaria-infectedred blood cell (iRBC) adhesive enough to arrest in the circulation.This latter cytoadhesivity is conferred by sticky knobs (known as‘Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1’(PfEMP-1), which are docked in the red cell exterior from theparasite within. PfEMP-1 latches onto the endothelial cells ofthe post-capillary venules (‘sequestration’), as well as ontoother uninfected red blood cells and platelets (‘rosetting’).In so evading flow towards the spleen, the iRBC doubly harmsthe host with a resistance to clearance at the price of perfusioninsufficiency. The youngest or most malaria-naïve hosts sufferthe highest case fatality rates, revealing just how criticalthis innate splenic control of parasitaemia is, prior to thedevelopment of adaptive immunity.Most intriguingly, PfEMP-1 attaches to a number of targetsand possesses a lectin-like domain which achieves the largestand tightest rosettes with group A red cells.Clarifying the effect of ABO phenotype on malaria severity throughprospective clinical studies may have direct implications forthe care of millions of afflicted individuals worldwide, as theclinical advantage fortuitously coincides with the universalcompatibility of group O blood. It is possible that preferentialtransfusion (or exchange) with group O rather than type-specificblood may improve outcomes for those patients at highest-riskfor cyto-adhesive complications. To date there is no drug thatworks beyond poisoning the parasite itself, thus leaving thealready-acquired red cell cytoadhesivity untouched. In the futureperhaps competitive free A,B antigens or designer PfEMP-1inhibitors may be administered to alternatively distract iRBCfrom their cellular targets of binding. An ancient diseasemay now explain ABO evolution, and its time-tested mutantmay be coming to the rescue of victims of this scourge ofmalaria faster through transfusion medicine.* The CPM Study has been supported by grants from theInternational Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Foundationand the National Blood Foundation (NBF).References of background interest:• Roubinet F, Despiau S, Calafell F, et al. Evolution of theO alleles of the human ABO blood group gene.Transfusion 2004;44:707–15.• Cserti CM, Dzik WH. The ABO blood group system andPlasmodium falciparum malaria. Blood 2007;110:2250-8.• Carlson J, Wahlgren M. Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyterosetting is mediated by promiscuous lectin-like interactions.J Exp Med 1992;176:1311–7.• Rowe JA, Handel IG, Thera MA, et al. Blood group Oprotects against severe Plasmodium falciparum malariathrough the mechanism of reduced rosetting. Proc NatlAcad Sci USA 2007;104:17471–6.• Fry AE, Griffiths MH, Auburn S, et al. Common variation inthe ABO glycosyltransferase is associated with susceptibilityto severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Hum Mol Genet2008;17:567–76.12 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 201013

From the PresidentErhard SeifriedISBT PresidentFor Better Blood and Better LivesCaridianBCT serves patients through its commitment, For Better Blood and Better Lives bydeveloping and commercializing products that serve global customers in the blood banking,therapeutic apheresis and transfusion medicine industries.A leading global provider of innovative technologies and services, CaridianBCT specializesin automated blood collections, therapeutic apheresis and cell therapy systems, whole bloodprocesses and pathogen reduction technologies.Automated BloodCollectionsTrima Accel ®Collection SystemVista ® Information SystemTherapeutic Apheresisand Cell TherapySpectra Optia ®Apheresis SystemLearn how CaridianBCT improves lives through innovation,visit www.caridianbct.comWhole BloodProcessesAtreus ® Whole BloodProcessing SystemPathogen ReductionTechnologiesMirasol ® PathogenReduction TechnologySystem**The Mirasol PRT System is available for sale in the European Union (EU) and other countries that accept the CE mark. It is not cleared for sale in the United States at this time.© 2010 CaridianBCT, Inc.Dear colleagues,Welcome to a new issue of Transfusion Today!I hope, you all had a very good start into 2010!As you know, ISBT celebrates its 75 th anniversarythis year. It is vital to attract young scientist andphysicians from all over the world to join ourinteresting field! In this respect, the presentationof our society is a cornerstone. ISBT is currentlyupdating its brand identity. Our ISBT CEO JudithChapman will give you up to date informationon this topic in her article in this issue and thefollowing one.Here, we are busy organising the XXXI st internationalcongress of the ISBT in joint cooperationwith the 43 rd congress of the German society fortransfusion medicine and immunohematology(DGTI). In this issue, you will find a short articledealing with the current planning for the internationalISBT congress, which will take place at theinternational congress center (ICC) in Berlin,Germany, from June 26 th to July 1 st this year.Let me highlight some of the novel topics forBerlin 2010 for you: Parallel scientific sessionswill be presented in five scientific streams, whichwill be ongoing throughout the whole congress.I specifically want to recommend to you theeducational stream called ‘ISBT Academy’.Posters will be presented in a novel way by posterparties and 12 poster prizes will be awarded to thebest poster presentations. ISBT working partieshave agreed not only to meet during the congress,but also offer presentations and workshops as wellas scientific contributions to the programme.As ISBT president, I highly appreciate theircontributions to our society. I will come back tothe important tasks of ISBT working parties later.European Community funded projects have alsoplanned to organise meetings during the congress.Our partners from industry will offer a record numberof satellite symposia and the social programmelooks great. Berlin itself is worthwhile to be seenand explored as well! I am sure, that most of youhave already planned to come to Berlin in summerthis year:The record number of more than 1,200 scientificabstracts submitted makes the organising committeeshappy with all the tasks still on our desks.My congress co-president Reinhold Eckstein andmyself are really looking forward to meeting allof you in June in Berlin! For further detailed infor -mation, please refer to the article in this issue andthe congress homepage: www.isbt-web.org/berlin!The focus session of this issue of Transfusion Todayconcentrates on blood groups. The ISBT WorkingParty on Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood GroupTerminology has contributed significantly to thisissue. My sincere thanks to all members, whowork actively for this and other important topics intransfusion medicine! I wish you absorbing readingand hope to see you in Berlin in June! Please stayactive in our scientific field for the benefit ofpatients, who rely on our work!With my best wishes,Erhard SeifriedISBT President15

From ISBT Central OfficePaul SchmidtSixthCongressof the ISBTBoston USA, 1956[ intelligent ]My first ISBT Congress was the Sixth, held in Boston, September3-5, 1956. It followed immediately upon a Congress of theInternational Society of Hematology. That relationship wasfrequent at the time when both organizations had significantoverlap of interest. Observations on the effects of Rh andintroduction of new techniques in immunology had elevatedtransfusion to a clinical science, in place of its earlier statusas a surgical specialty. That synergy ended in later years wheninterests began to differ and Hematology continued to decideon the where and when.Additionally, that 1956 ISBT Congress was held in conjunctionwith the Ninth Annual Meeting of the American Associationof Blood Banks. The ISBT was bringing the famous of Europefor the first time to an American audience in a city with greatinterest in promoting what we now call Transfusion Medicine.Unlike later joint meetings with the AABB, 1972 (Washington),1990 (Los Angeles), the ISBT was not swallowed up by rigidmeeting control from AABB headquarters, then in Chicago.(Today that control is exercised by the ISBT from Amsterdamfor its own Congresses).ISBT President Isidore Ravdin, a surgeon from Philadelphiawas Congress President, along with Vice President LouisDiamond of Boston. Congress Secretary was Margaret Sloanof the National Research Council in Washington. Vice PresidentWilliam d’A Maycock of the Lister Institute, Great Britain,represented Europe.There were approximately 800 scientific registrants from41 countries. Registration was fifteen dollars for members andtwenty for non-members. Rooms at the headquarters HotelSomerset were $12 with ‘sunlight and plumbing in every room’.Dormitories were available at $3. Sessions were held in thehotel. Simultaneous translations were made into French andSpanish and the combined program and abstract book wasprinted in both English and Interlingua, at the time beingpromoted by William Dameshek, Hematology President, asthe international scientific language.At the banquet for some 600 guests, translation of the speecheswas not simultaneous and therefore seemingly endless.A panoramic photograph was taken by a man on a platform undera black cloth, rotating his huge camera slowly around the room.Fortunately the photo was taken before many of the attendeesdrifted away during the translations of the address of theprincipal speaker who described the glories of ‘ancient’ Boston.16Congress dinner, ISBT Congress in 1956 in Boston, USAOn September 1 and 2 sessions were held jointly with theCongress of Hematology, featuring a half-day on HemolyticDisease of the Newborn. On 3, 4 and 5 September, theprogram blended well into that of the AABB. Time was offeredfor Administrative sessions that were ordinarily not part ofISBT programs.The size and organization of the Congress presented remarkabledifferences from our Congresses today. Organization was muchon the personal level. There was no central office and peopleworked out of their own offices and homes. Mail to and fromEurope went by boat. A proposed airplane charter did notfill because too many participants preferred to travel the ocean.Maycock and Sloan worked for months to offer ‘travel grants’to attract potential speakers, whose names had been suggestedinformally. Details were endless: a grant was requested fora bank president’s daughter; a complimentary room had to befound for a baroness, etc.As a neophyte, those problems passed over my head, but asrepresentative of the US National Institutes of Health, I wasintroduced into a Society inhabited by the world famous whomade our practice what it is today. I was reporting on work onfrozen blood, done with my mentor, Hugh Chaplin. Hugh hadentered the field under the tutelage of Pat Mollison and I wasprivileged to make our presentation immediately after that ofMollison. My prized souvenir is the banquet photograph thatmeasures 9 x 18 inches and shows clearly some hundreds ofour scientific predecessors.At that Congress, I met Tibi Greenwalt for the first time. Hebecame a life-long personal friend and colleague and latergave a piece of advice that I can pass along. ‘Always take theopportunity to attend an internaional meeting’. That has broughtmy wife and me to wonderful parts of the world and reapedwonderful friendships.Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010To learn more about the Atreus system, contact yourCaridianBCT representative or visit www.caridianbct.com© 2010 CaridianBCT, Inc.Atreus ®Whole Blood Processing systemthe Atreus Whole Blood Processing Systemsimplifies whole blood processing by consolidatingmany labor-intensive manual process steps throughintelligent automation.caridianBct serves patients through its commitmentto its vision, For Better Blood and Better Lives bydeveloping and commercializing products that serveglobal customers in the blood banking, therapeuticapheresis and transfusion medicine industries.

From ISBT Central OfficeWelcome to our new membersAfrica• MALAWI: O. OliveAmericas• El Salvador:Claudia Villatoro deSorto, Claudia Hidalgo Ceron• Mexico: José Luis Alcaraz Lopez,Amalia Bravo Lindoro, ElizabethGuzman Vazquez, Ana D’Artote,• Bolivia: Wendy Cabrera Aguilar,Gloria Rodriguez Suarez• Nicaragua: Yorlene Del Socorro Cano• BraziL: Antonio Fabron Junior,• Canada: Marc Germain, Kellar Klein• Chile: Claudia Herrera,• United States of America: JedGorlin, Winston Ho, Monica La Sarre,Shannon Long, Elizabeth Read, FrankStrobl, Mayank Trivedi, Michelle Yacob,Karina YazdanbakhshEastern Mediterranean• Iran Nabiollah Izadi, AfshinMohammadi, Paridar Mostafa, AmirOlyiaie Rezaie, Zohreh Sharifi, MaryamKheirandish, Mosatafa Jamali, SeyedHassan Bozorgi, Hassan Abolghasemi,Mostafa Aghahosseini, HabibHabibzadeh, Ali Asghar Haghparast,• Saudi Arabia: Farjah Algahtani,Mohamed Al-Qahatani,Ahmed Alsuhibany,• Egypt: Heidi Goubran• Qatar: Sadika Ismail MahmoudiEurope• Germany: Norbert Ahrens, Peter Horn• Finland : Inna Sareneva, Katri Haimila,Akif Ali• United Kingdom: Shubha Allard,Nicola Anderson, Sue Barnes,• Denmark: Janna Borgstrup,Keld Mikkelsen Homburg• Switzerland: Geraldine Lorimier,Gerold Zerlauth,• Russia: Alexander Lozhkin, AlexanderOnufrievich, Aligeydar Ragimov,Alexander Chechetkin, Olga Crishina,Tatiana Fedorova, Elena Ogorodnikova,Michail Lazarenko, Olga Maiorova,Evgeny Maltsev, Oleg Vozilkin,• Netherlands: Ed SlotSouth East Asia• INDIA: Debasish Gupta,Chandrashekhar Muthuswamy,Hitish Narang, Sanjeev Sawhney,Kuldeep Singh• Indonesia: Titien Budhiaty, RatnaRosita Hendardji, Uke Muktimanah,Yanni Nuraini,• Sri Lanka R. Sivashankar,Asha de Alwis• Thailand Napatsiri SomjaiWestern Pacific• China: Chuanxi Wang, Ying Chen,Shi-jie Mu, Yongmei Lin, Yongshui Fu,Xin Ye, Jian Zhang, Shuming Zhao,Laurence Gauthier, Xing-Bin Hu• Australia: Rebecca Cortiula,Andrew Mead• Malaysia: Indra Jeyajothi Ratnam• Republic of Korea: Eun-Suk Kang• Japan: Akiko Katai, Kaoru Yoshinari• Singapore: Hwee Huang Tan• Taiwan: Kuang-Chao TsaiSEBRA ® is now Haemonetics ®Haemonetics’ goal is to partner with our customers and help youcollect the products you need, when you need them, and in the mostefficient manner possible.Elections to the ISBTBoard of Directors 2010The ISBT encourages you all to use your vote.For more information please visit the website:www.isbt-web.org/members_only.In MemoriamDr Harold MerymannISBT is sad to learn of the death of Dr Harold Merymann.Dr. Merymann was an ISBT member from 1991 – 2005.His specialty was cryobiology. In 1971 he successfullydevised a method of freezing concentrated red blood cellsfor up to 10 years and then thawing them for patients' use.His "Merymann method," as it was called, was consideredadvantageous for patients with rare blood types, whichwere often in short supply.Our portfolio encompasses all facets of the blood supply chain,including recruitment, retention, automated and whole bloodcollection, testing and delivery. We provide the critical link betweenproducts, services and information technology.The acquisition of the SEBRA line of collection equipment is a sign ofour commitment to ensuring the success of your blood center.To learn more, contact us today:North America: 1-800-537-2802All other Locations: +41.22.363.9053or visit our website: www.sebra.com20 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010Copyright © 2010 Haemonetics Corporation. Haemonetics, SEBRA and SEBRA design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Haemonetics Corporation in the USA, other countries, or both. 02.2010 Germany.

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Regional AmericasRichard J. BenjaminEmma B. BenjaminHaïtiearthquake2010The role of the international community in ensuring a safe andavailable blood supply in the midst of catastrophe.ON JANUARY 12, at seven minutes to three in theafternoon, a chain of devastating earthquakesambushed the poorest country in the Westernhemisphere. In that culminating moment the livesof thousands of Haitians were shattered as theircities and homes came crashing to the ground beforetheir eyes. Trapped under the wreckage of crumblingbuildings, people were pulled from the rubble,exhausted and dehydrated, many with crushed limbsthat could not be saved. Rescued from underneatha collapsed six story apartment building after beingburied alive for seven days, Kiki Joachin was oneof the lucky ones. He smiled at his rescuers as theycarefully extracted him and his sister, later recalling,‘I smiled because I was free. I smiled because I wasalive.’ He is only seven years old. As many as800,000 survivors like Kiki are in urgent need ofbasic amenities and medical care. They have nosafe homes, so they sleep exposed in the streets.There is no effective means of communication,so many survivors and those with relatives in Haitican only pray that their families are still alive. Thistragedy stripped the country of its infrastructureand the people of their hope, as 194,000 injuredare suffering from physical and psychological pain.Kiki, like the countless others wounded by thetons of falling cement and debris, depend onthe medical care and support provided by relieforganizations on the ground. The Pan AmericanHealth Organization (PAHO) reports that over 50government and non-governmental organizations(NGO) are pouring support and supplies into Haiti,hampered somewhat by the initial closure of thePort-au-Prince seaport and the logistics of roadtransport from the Dominican Republic.As medical relief arrived, it was clear that the hospitalinfrastructure had been hard hit, necessitatingthe use of field hospitals and the USNS Comfort,a floating hospital capable of treating ~1000hospitalized patients. Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an internationalorganization providing emergency aid to thosewho have been affected, reports that 400 patientshad undergone surgery in the first week after thedisaster, many of them for amputations, someperformed outdoors. Many of the victims sustainedcrush injuries, lacerations, broken bones andother forms of trauma, necessitating access to cleanblood for transfusions.PAHO’s Dr. Jose’ Cruz, MD and Jon Kim Andrus,MD said in a press briefing that Haiti’s NationalBlood Centre building was damaged in the earthquake,and that some of its equipment may needto be replaced. Health officials on the mainland aremanaging the blood supply carefully, because theyhave few working refrigerators. In addition, electricityis intermittent, and while generators are available,health officials are afraid of running out of fuel forthem and losing power, which would render theblood unusable. Blood has begun to be suppliedfrom foreign countries. A medical storage warehouserun by PAHO received 200 units of blood and 600units of plasma from Bolivia’s Ministry of Health,as well as 100 units from the Dominican Republic.The US Navy’s ship USNS Comfort arrived in Haition Wednesday, Jan 20. It has 1,000 beds and fouroperating rooms, and it was carrying units of frozenred blood cells to be used onboard for surgeries andsupportive care. Donations of blood and bloodproducts from the US Navy are being coordinatedby the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP)which continues to supply blood to the Navy’sships, including the Comfort, and to send blood tothe military hospital in Guantanamo, where somevictims of the earthquake have been sent for treatment.Response by United States Blood CentersWithin hours of the earthquake, the AmericanRed Cross Blood Services was alerted thoroughthe International Federation of Red Cross and RedCrescent Societies (IFRC) of the need to mobilizefor a massive international relief program. Some ofthe first requests were for blood products as injuredpatients with massive crush injuries, many requiringamputation, were evacuated from the area.The American Red Cross Blood Services delivered20 O+, 10 O- and 3 platelets products to the NavalHospital in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba plus 100 RBCunits (50 O+ and 50 O-) to the UN Mission in Haitirapidly though standing contracts, with a further5 platelets sent to Guantanamo Bay two days later.By Jan 19th, the PAHO made contact with theHaitian Ministry of Health and created a formalpathway to supply blood to Port-au-Prince hospitalsand field units. In response, the American Red CrossBlood Services shipped 249 Group O RBC productsto PAHO who delivered these to Dr Mahli CHO,Blood Transfusion Safety Advisor at the PAHO Officein Port-au-Prince via a commercial carrier, QuickInternational Couriers, who donated their services forfree. PAHO identified a continued need for blood andthis was quickly conveyed by the American RedCross Blood Services contact, Mr. Bill FitzGeraldto the AABB International Taskforce on DomesticDisasters and Acts of Terrorism (‘the AABB Taskforce’).Universally, taskforce members representingthe Americas Blood Centers, Blood Centers ofthe Americas and the American Red Cross BloodServices vied to contribute to this need. On January28 th a further 350 units group O RBC units weredelivered with the promise of weekly similarshipments through the AABB taskforce while theneed endures.A number of independent blood centers have initiatedprograms to assist the victims of the earthquakes inother ways. For example, Community Blood Services(CBS) in New Jersey is collecting medical supplieswhich it will donate to Project Medishare for Haiti,Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1994who will then forward them to Haiti. SoutheasternCommunity Blood Center (SCBC) in Florida ismaking monetary donations linked to each blooddonation received, to Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who are focusingon providing medical services on the ground.Florida’s Blood Centers is also donating similar fundsto the Red Cross Haiti relief Fund, as well as bottledwater and other supplies (as reported in ABCNewsletter Jan 22, 2010).Blood Banking in Haiti:Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemispherehas a fragile history in blood banking. In 1993,6.2% of the population was HIV infected, althoughthis was reduced to 3.1% in 2003 through aconcerted effort of government and non-governmentorganizations (NGO).24 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 201025

Regional AmericasRegional Eastern MediterreneanDr Ahmad MasoudBlood Collection Campaignsin Afghanistan during Ashura(Holy Month of Muharram)Blood transfusion was noted to be a major means toHIV transmission early in the epidemic, leading tothe closure of for-profit blood banks in 1985 and thedesignation of the Haitian Red Cross as the soleinstitution responsible for blood safety. NGO’s suchas GHESKIO (www.gheskio.com) have playedan important role in training laboratory and qualitycontrol training for the Red Cross, which remainspoorly funded and in need of resources suppliesand expertise.A major issue in Haiti has been the safety andsecurity of personnel and donors, and the difficultyof collecting blood in this environment. More recentlythe U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDSRelief (PEPFAR) program has assisted the HaitianRed Cross in planning and executing safe mobileblood drives in the secure parts of the city in orderto reduce its reliance on paid or family replacementdonors. Despite these obstacles, the improvedsafety of the blood supply is viewed as an importantcontribution to the declining HIV rates in the generalHaitian population. The earthquake in Haiti hashighlighted the need for continued efforts to rebuildand strengthen the blood supply after the immediaterequirements of this current disaster are met.The Haiti Red Cross, as the designated agencyresponsible for blood safety will need theinternational community to step up to the plate toensure better training, infrastructure, supplies andequipment, as well as assistance in moving awayfrom a replacement and family donor – based bloodsupply. This is an opportunity for ISBT membersfrom around the world to contribute throughcoordinated programs, best orchestrated throughexisting institutions such as PAHO, WHO and thePEPFAR programs, as well as the Global AdvisoryPanel (GAP) of the International Federation of RedCross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), aninternational group of Red Cross Societies dedicatedto assisting sister organizations in improving thegovernance and structure of their bloodprograms and promoting the use of voluntarynon-remunerated donors.ISBT has few members from the Caribbean basin.The onus is on us to actively recruit membersor exempt members to represent the idealsof the organization in promoting a safe andavailable blood supply in the Region.Muharram is a very important religious event in theIslamic calendar. SHIA Muslims in particular attachgreat significance to this time and recognize it in avery special way. 10 th of Muharram in Afghanistanwas celebrated as an event of great significance,and for the further reinforcement of the work of theAfghanistan National Blood Safety and TransfusionService [ANBSTS] and towards the WHO worldwidegoal of achieving 100% voluntary non-remunerateddonation of safe blood for all.SHIA scholars and leaders were again invited bythe Blood banking Services in Afghanistan(ANBSTS) to assist in the voluntary contribution ofblood by their members as part of their religious andsocial obligations. Last year during the same day(10 th of Muharram), the SHIA community inAfghanistan donated nearly 500 units of blood allover the country.This year ANBSTS again approached SHIA leadersand requested them to donate their blood. A meetingwas held between HE Vice President, HE DeputyMinister Health, Director ANBSTS and senior SHIAreligious elders. It was agreed between all that thecampaign would be officially inaugurated by theVice President in Imam Hussain Regional BloodBank and extended to blood donation campaignsat all Mosques (Takya Kana).The opening ceremony and public seminar onVoluntary Blood Donation was openedby Dr. Masoud. National Director ANBSTS whowelcomed participants and described the valueof giving of blood especially during the monthof Muharram.Dr. Kakar, Deputy Minister of Health also spoke andreinforced the benefits of donating blood during thisHoly month. He also specifically focused on andmentioned that citizens should never pay money forobtaining blood and that the giving of blood wasan honourable and civil duty of all citizens. HE VicePresident of Afghanistan Ustad Khalili, a SHIA leaderhimself, then spoke and requested all peoples ofAfghanistan to donate their blood to the ANBSTSbranches instead of flagellating themselves duringthis month of Muharram. HE then symbolicallydonated his blood conveying his message to all andasking them to keep up this habit and donate theirblood to patients who really need blood.His brother Mr. Nabi Khalili, a leading businessmanin Afghanistan, also donated blood and thenspontaneously announced that he would donate100,000 USD towards the opening of a blood bankbranch in Shahrak Nabee, a deprived district inKabul. This gesture was highly appreciated by MoPHSenior personnel present.This event received wide publicity across the countrythough all forms of media including all localtelevision networks. A major mobile blood donationdrive was also held on this day in throughoutKabul city and over 50 units of blood were donated.All ANBSTS blood banks in related provincesreported that a total of 600 units of blood were alsocollected on this day. Overall more than 2000 unitsof blood have been collected all over the countryduring Moharam 7 days.The Director of ANBSTS requested SHIA leaders tokeep up this habit and hold regular campaigns inorder to assist and develop the ANBSTS/WHO globalgoal of 100 % Voluntary Blood Donation for theneeds of the people in Afghanistan. This communityactivity is a significant achievement in the progressiontowards 100% voluntary blood availabilityfor the blood bank services in Afghanistan.The blood donation campaign continues and hasbeen recorded as another superb achievement of therecently formed ANBSTS.26 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 201027

Regional Eastern MediterreneanISBT- ATMC7Report and annexesAfter ATMC2 in Tunisia, the 2009 course returnedonce more to the shores of the Mediterranean.ATMC7 was held in Algeria between the 6 th and the9 th of December at the beautiful historic spot ofSidi Fredj 20 km. from the capital Algiers. This wasthe bay where the first French landing took place in1830 to colonise Algeria for 132 years. The battlesfor the Algeria’s independence and the achievementof independence in 1962 reminded the participantsof the struggle that we are currently going throughto establish the autonomy of our services andachieve safe and adequate blood supplies for ourcommunities in North Africa and the Middle East.The theme this year was ‘Governance, Regulationand Haemovigilance’ it was a revisit of the 1 st themein the cycle of courses that started on the Red Seaat Ain El Sokhna in Egypt in 2005 (see the newlyupdated web site at: www.atmc-online.org).The two main lectures of the first day covered theelements of governance, regulation, and thelegislative framework with emphasis on the role ofprofessionals and the concept of self-regulation.A number of activity reports were presented beforethe extended workshop where a set of recommendationswere drafted representing the views of theparticipants regarding the need for changes andreview of the elements of good governance and selfregulationin national blood transfusion services.The second day was dedicated to haemovigilance.Speakers from France described in detail theorganisation of the French haemovigilance system.The system used in the UK with both its mandatoryand voluntary components was analysed andcompared with the French approach. An expose ofthe ATMC voluntary and confidential pan ArabHaemovigilance Network (AHN), and the recentlydeveloped software for regional reporting andanalysis of hazards of transfusion followed this. Thesoftware was presented during the workshop thatfollowed. A set of recommendations were drafted topromote region wide awareness and the culture ofvoluntary reporting of the side effects of transfusionto encourage the creation of national surveillancesystems for the complications of transfusion. Thethree topics that were covered during the thirdday were viral inactivation of blood products, newdevelopments in hepatitis B, and the practicalapproaches to the concept of validation in transfusionpractice. Several important issues were debatedin the workshop that followed including the newsystems for viral inactivation, the selection ofreagents and the methods for screening of bloodfor hepatitis B and the foundations for an effectivesystem for validation and quality control.The two standing regional working groups onDonors and quality took place on the pre-courseday. A set of recommendations were preparedand will be followed up and monitored on regularbasis during the coming courses.The rest of therecommendations prepared during these workshopswill be communicated to the Ministers of Healthof the league of Arab Nations via the Arab Societyof Transfusion Medicine. 96 participants attendedthe course from Algeria and a smaller numberfrom Tunisia, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Sudan, and thekingdom of Saudi Arabia.Several factors conspired to reduce the number ofcountry participation, but this has been compensatedfor by the degree of enthusiasm and interactiveparticipation over the three and a half days. Theprovision of simultaneous translation during allthe lectures and the workshops facilitated languagecommunication. The poster session was unfortunatelyaffected by the reduced participation, however thetwo posters presented were of very high quality.The effort, organisation, and financial support of theAlgerian Blood Agency contributed considerably tothe success of the course as it clearly expressed inthe evaluation report.The course ended with a number of interventionsgiven by the WHO Blood Safety Adviser; Dr JBTapko, The General Director of the Algerian BloodAgency; Professor K Kezzal and the ISBT-ATMCcoordinator; Professor Boukef who invited all thosepresent to ATMC8 in Yemen in 2010.ATMC 7, Algiers 6-9 December 2009 RecommendationsA - Policy, regulation and governanceA system must be put in place to regulate bloodtransfusion services in our countries accordingto national and/or international standards.Where it does not exist, a centralized nationalregulatory authority must be established. Bloodtransfusion services must be autonomous Systemfor good governance must be facilitated whereit does not exist.B - Blood donation1. Increase awareness about the importance of thevoluntary repeat blood donation2. A national strategy must be developed to increasethe number of voluntary non remuneratedblood donors by encouraging the creation ofspecial programs for recruitment and retentionof blood donors3. Where they exist, paid donation systems mustbe phased out4. Family donation still exists in the majority of ourcountries. A national communication strategymust elaborated to retain the family donorsand convert them into regular communityorienteddonors5. Blood transfusion services must establish strongcommunication links with community groupsand NGOs (blood donors association studentassociation etc..)6. Blood transfusion services should insureadequate blood supply for the country7. Specific action must be developed toward youngpeople to sensitize and mobilize them to becomeregular committed blood donors8. It is essential to appoint donor recruiters intransfusion services and to support their trainingC - Quality1. Increase awareness of the importance tointroduce a quality management system in ourblood transfusion services2. Encourage the establishment of a comprehensivedocumentation system covering all the bloodtransfusion chain, to ensure traceability3. Reinforce regular training in the field of qualityfor all the blood transfusion staff4. Implementation a quality management systemwhich covers the entire spectrum of the bloodtransfusion process must be the main objectiveof blood transfusion services in the Arab countries5. Norms and standards for blood services must beestablished for the blood components supportedwith regular quality control and monitoringand systems6. Consumables and reagents must be purchasedbased on specifications that are regularlycontrolled and validatedD - Haemovigilance1. Increase awareness through;a) Introducing the Arab Heamovigilance Networkb) Encouraging training and education inhaemovigilance to all hospital staff in thetransfusion chain2. Encourage hospitals to report to local,national haemovigilance system and to the ArabHaemovigilance network3. Set an action plan to facilitate the establishmentof haemovigilance and reporting systemsin transfusion facilities in all Arab countries28 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 201029

Regional Western pacificUpcoming BerlinWestern Pacific ActivitiesWe bring some reports of activities held in the Regionin November and December last year. Activities such asthese have been very important in the move to strengthentransfusion medicine and blood safety in our Region.XXXI st International Congress of the ISBTin joint cooperation with the 43 rd congress of the German Societyfor Transfusion Medicine and Immuno-hematology (DGTI)The 4 th National Transfusion Medicine ConferenceKuala Lumpur, Malaysia 20-22 November 2009Yasmin Ayob, MalaysiaSince 2001 the Malaysian Blood Transfusion Societytogether with the National Blood Centre has beenorganizing The National Transfusion medicineConference every two years. This is an event thatenables all those involved in this specialty to meetand share experiences on various topics of interest,from donor management to clinical transfusion aswell as cell therapy and organ transplantation.As usual, both local and international speakers wereinvited to bring in the latest news, views and facts.This year, the line-up of international speakersincluded Harvey Kline, John Hess, John Barbara,Patrick Coghlan, Joyce Pool, Diana Teo and ImeldaBramilow. There was a total of 375 participantsincluding colleagues from Singapore, Brunei,Indonesia, Thailand and the Middle East. Theposter competition which is also a constant featurehas shown improvement in quality, substance aswell as originality. It is without doubt that thisregular event has spurred interest in TransfusionMedicine in Malaysia.The XXXI st international Congress of the ISBT will be held in Berlin,the capital of Germany, from June 26 to July 1, 2010 in joint sessionwith the German transfusion society DGTI.Annual Youth Donor Training Camp- Singapore 11-14 December 2009Shirley Ng, SingaporeA total of 80 youth donor club members,including 23 from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmarand Hong Kong, participated in the annual youthdonor training camp held in Singapore. Thisplatform provided the youth donors the opportunityto learn and share experiences on voluntaryblood donation and to showcase the differentinitiatives taken in their countries. The highlight ofthe camp was a youth forum where the topic of‘why blood donation should be voluntary andnon-remunerated’ was hotly debated.7 th Regional Workshop on VoluntaryBlood Donor Recruitment - Jakarta,Indonesia 1-4 December 2009Cecilia Tan, SingaporeA total of 12 countries: Singapore, Lao, Myanmar,Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand,Mongolia, DPRK, South Korea, China and Australiaparticipated in this workshop organised by the SEAsia Regional Health Unit of the IFRC.The workshop focused on increasing the capacityof National Societies that are engaged in voluntary,non–remunerated blood donor (VNRBD) recruitmentactivities to achieve 100% VNRBD status.Plans for the scientific programme as well aspreparations for social events and meetings arewell advanced and we are looking forward tohosting a great number of colleagues from all overthe world here in Germany early this summer.Don’t miss this event!Scientific ProgrammeThe scientific committees are happy to announcethat a large number of internationally prominentclinicians and scientists has already been linedup to give lectures during the congress.International and national authorities, Europeancommission-funded projects, and ISBT workingparties will all be organising symposia, scientificmeetings and training courses at the congress.In addition, more than 1,200 scientific abstractshave been received, a record number in ISBThistory! All abstracts are currently going throughpeer review and the highest-rated abstracts willbe accepted for oral or poster presentations.Plenary sessions will feature ‘Pro & Con’ debateson controversial scientific topics in transfusionmedicine. Moreover, state-of-the-art lectures oncellular and gene therapy as well as clinicalhemotherapy will also be presented during theplenary sessions. Parallel scientific sessionswill follow a novel stream structure. Five parallelstreams of lectures by invited speakers and oralpresentations will focus on the areas of: Training& Education (called the ‘ISBT Academy’);‘Blood Safety’; Translational research and itsimplementation (called ‘From Lab to Patient’);‘Quality Management’; and novel developmentsin the field of cellular therapy.Poster presenters will also find novel structuresduring ISBT / DGTI 2010 in Berlin. Two posterwalks on Monday and Tuesday evening will beguided by chairs who will encourage and moderatescientific discussion between presenters and theaudience. Posters will be grouped by abstract topicswith scientific ‘market places’ located in the middleof the displayed posters where presenters can meetwith colleagues for scientific and social networking.read more on the next page30 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 201031

Erhard SeifriedThe poster walks will be followed by poster parties,where food and drinks will be served along with lightmusic. Further networking is strictly encouraged!A poster award committee comprising physiciansand scientists from all over the world will select thebest posters and 12 prizes of 750 Euro each willbe awarded to the lucky winners by the two congressco-presidents during the gala dinner/congress banqueton Wednesday evening. Submit an excellent posterand you could be one of them!Our industry partners will organise a record numberof satellite symposia, more than at any other ISBTcongress before.Social ProgrammeSince the reunification of Germany, Berlin hasregained its position as one of Europe’s leadingcentres of business, politics, culture and medicalresearch. This international congress will not onlyoffer a great number of opportunities to meetwith colleagues and work on your scientific andsocial network; it will also offer great social events,where some flashes of German and centralEuropean culture and architecture will be shown.The opening ceremony and welcome receptionon Sunday evening will give you some insightinto German music, while the congress banqueton Wednesday will showcase Berlin’s culturethroughout the centuries. On Wednesday morning,you are invited to join the DGTI / ISBT morningfun run through the heart of Berlin. Coffee, lunchand tea breaks as well as poster parties willoffer additional opportunities to meet and greetcolleagues. Excursion programmes and tours foraccompanying persons will give you a taste of Berlinand a holiday here before or after the congress isan excellent idea!The local and international scientific committees,thecongress organisers, the local organising committeeand both congress co-presidents are looking forwardto seeing you in Berlin in June this year!For the organisers and all committeesErhard SeifriedISBT presidentCongress presidentFor more information about the scientific programme,list of speakers, registration, hotels, generalinformation, or the social programme, please visitthe congress website: www.isbt-web.org/berlinWhy did so many advanced expert laboratories choosethe most effective solution in ImmunoHaematology?www.IHsolution.comT he blood matching company32Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010 33

Upcoming EventsApril 8 - 911 th Annual NATA SymposiumBarcelona, Spainwww.nataonline.comnata.secretary@mededgs.comJune 3 - 6VI Congreso Colombianode Medicina TransfusionalBogotá. D.C., Colombiawww.acobasmet.orgmarcelagarciag@telmex.net.coJune 26 - July 1XXXI st International Congress of the ISBTBerlin, Germanywww.bbts.org.ukisbt.berlin@eurocongress.comIt’s so simple:the new CompoFlow System.From Expenditure to Efficiency.May 23 - 2616 th Annual ISCT MeetingPhiladelphia, USAwww.celltherapy2010.comisct@celltherapysociety.orgMay 26 - 27IPFA/PEI 17 th WorkshopZagreb, Croatiawww.ipfa.nlipfa@sanquin.nlMay 27 - 286 th Symposium onImmunohaematologyand Transfusion SecurityGuimaraes, Portugalwww.skyros-congressos.com6simposio@skyros-congressos.comJune 9 - 12XXXIX Convegno Nazionaledegli Studi di MedicinaTrasfusionaleMilan, Italywww.transfusionmedicine.orgconvegni@simtiservizi.comJune 10 -1315 th Congress of the EuropeanHematology AssociationBarcelona, Spainwww.ehaweb.orgeha@eurocongress.comJune 16 - 19ISSCR 8 th Annual MeetingSan Francisco, USAwww.isscr.org/meetingsisscr@isscr.orgSeptember 9 - 1128 th Annual Scientific Meeting BBTSBournemouth, UKbbts@bbts.org.ukOctober 9 - 12AABB Annual MeetingBaltimore, United States of Americawww.aabb.orgmeeting@aabb.orgOctober 21 - 24XI European Symposium on Plateletand Granulocyte ImmunobiologyBeaune, Francesfts.asso.fr/sympo-plateletinsc-sympo-platelet@europa-organisation.comJune 18 - 22XXI st Regional Congress of the ISBT, EuropeLisbon, Portugalwww.isbt-web.org/congressesisbt.lisbon@eurocongress.comNovember 25 - 29XXII nd Regional Congress of the ISBT, AsiaTaipei, Taiwanwww.isbt-web.org/congressesisbt.taipei@eurocongress.comThe innovative CompoFlow System is a total conceptapproach in blood component preparation offeringhigh level efficiency thanks to• Superior Quality –reduced risk of haemolysis caused by failed opening• Improved Convenience –automatic opening of new bag breaker prevents RSI• High Performance –faster, more standardized, more automated production process34Transfusion Today | Number 82, March 2010

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