Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Associated with Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is characterized by the development of hypoxemia, shortness of breath, and pulmonary infiltrates within 6 hours of a blood transfusion. This complication is attributed to antineutrophil antibodies in the transfused blood (JW Oncol Hematol May 24 2011), but how these antibodies provoke the signs and symptoms of TRALI is unclear. One possibility is that the antibodies activate the recipient's neutrophils, causing them to release DNA fibers in the form of a sieve or neutrophil extracellular trap (NET).

To determine if NETs are formed in patients with TRALI, investigators studied blood samples from five TRALI patients. They found that the levels of DNA, nucleosomes, and myeloperoxidase in these patie…