Wolf in wolf's clothing: is it time to raise the bounty on the passenger leukocyte? [editorial]

Abstract

Most of us have a tendency to view transfusion as a ready means of correcting a deficiency in red blood cells, and so regard the material, administered intravenously, merely as a suspension of red cells, habitually disregarding the other ingredients, or at least minimizing their importance. We rarely consider the fact that the patient receives plasma, leukocytes and more or less damaged platelets in addition to the needed red cells."' ERIPHERAL BLOOD leukocytes were not designed