Effect of blood storage conditions on leucocyte intracellular cytokine production

In cell cultures stored at RT or 4 °C for 24 h, significant changes in several leucocyte cytokines/chemokines were shown compared to blood cultures stimulated at time = 0. There was a significant decrease in IL-2, IL-4 and TNFα production by CD4+ T cells in blood cultures stored at RT but an increase in IL-2 in cultures at 4 °C. There was a significant decrease in TGFβ production by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in cultures kept at RT or 4 °C. There was a significant increase in MCP-1 and MCP-3 production by monocytes in blood cultures kept at RT or 4 °C. There was a decrease in IL-12 production by monocytes in cultures kept at 4 °C, whereas IL-10 production was decreased at RT and increased in cultures kept at 4 °C. Blood stored at 4 °C showed less immunomodulatory changes than blood kept at RT although overall a possible Th1 bias at 4 °C.