Impact of the Preparation Method of Red Cell Concentrates on Transfusion Indices in Thalassemic Patients

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient with beta(ß)-Thalassaemia transfusion-dependent (ß-Thalassemia Major or ß-Thalassemia Intermedia transfusion-dependent, regularly transfused since at least 5 years Exclusion Criteria: * Patient not exclusively transfused at Day Hospital Thalassaemia and Haemoglobinopathies of Ferrara * Patient with haemolytic auto-antibodies * Patient transfused with washed Packet RBCs units * Severe splenomegaly (\>18 cm on echography) * Elevated blood consumption (\>200 mL/kg of pure RBCs in the last year) * Patient receiving haemoglobin inducers in the last 6 months * Any significant clinical pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrine, hepatic, gastrointestinal, renal, infectious, immunological including significant allo- or auto-immunisation disease, considered not adequately controlled prior to the study * Patient treated with erythrocyte exchange * Pregnant females