Use of liquid nitrogen during storage in a cell and tissue bank: contamination risk and effect on the detectability of potential viral contaminants.

Autores de IIS La Fe

• Vicente Mirabet Lis

  Autor

• Pilar Solves Alcaina

  Autor

• Dolores Ocete Mochon

  Autor

• Concepcion Gimeno Cardona

  Autor

Participantes ajenos a IIS La Fe

• Alvarez M

Grupos

• Regeneración y Trasplante Cardíaco

Abstract

Cryopreservation is widely used for banking cells and tissues intended for transplantation. Liquid nitrogen provides a very stable ultra-low temperature environment. Thus, it is used for longterm storage. Unlike the exhaustive microbiological monitoring of the environmental conditions during tissue processing, storage is not usually considered as a critical point of potential contamination risk in professional standards for cell and tissue banking. We have analysed the presence of microbial agents inside our nitrogen tanks. We have mainly detected environmental and water-borne bacteria and fungi. In addition, we have studied the effect of liquid nitrogen exposure on virus detectability. Only differences for hepatitis C virus RNA were observed. Measures for contamination risk reduction during storage must be mandatory in cell and tissue banking.