The purpose of this research is to study how red blood cells (RBCs) survive in a person's circulation, and how that survival may be different in red blood cells that are donated and stored prior to being transfused.
In this study, blood is collected from healthy subjects, processed into packed red blood cell units, and either immediately afterwards or 40-42 days later the packed red blood cells are labeled with biotin. The biotin-labeled red blood cells are then re-infused back to the donor (autologous transfusion). Blood samples are then taken from the subject every week for up to 70 days (10 weeks) to track survival of the labeled red blood cells.
This study also seeks to demonstrate that biotin-labeled RBCs can be safely transfused back to autologous subjects without any adverse reactions. All participants will be followed to watch for the development of antibodies against biotin-labeled RBCs.
