[1] It is also theorized that the donor white blood cells may suppress the recipient's immune system by interacting with it.
[citation needed] An April 2007 meta-analysis by Dr. Neil Blumberg and others and covering 3093 patients who received leukoreduced blood was published in the scientific journal Transfusion.
[7][medical citation needed] The cost of leukoreduction is an increase of approximately US$30 per unit of blood product.
[citation needed] As of 2008, most developed nations have adopted universal leukoreduction of transfusions (defined as the routine application of this blood-processing step to all units of whole blood, red blood cells, and platelets prior to storage) with the notable exception of the United States.
[4] Woodlands Medical Centre is beginning a randomised controlled trial to look into the benefits of transfusing leukoreduced whole blood for the ICCU patients.