What is the composition of cryoprecipitate (blood product)?

Cryoprecipitate Composition

Cryoprecipitate is a leucodepleted plasma product containing concentrated factor VIII, von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, factor XIII, and fibronectin, produced by further processing of fresh frozen plasma (FFP). 1, 2

Key Components and Concentrations

• Fibrinogen: Each single unit contains 400-450 mg of fibrinogen 1, 2

  • Pooled bags (five units) contain at least 2 g of fibrinogen 1
  • Quality standards require that 75% of cryoprecipitate units should contain at least 140 mg of fibrinogen 2

• Other coagulation factors:

  • Factor VIII (antihemophilic factor)
  • von Willebrand factor (vWF)
  • Factor XIII
  • Fibronectin 1, 2, 3

Physical Characteristics and Preparation

• Volume:

  • Single units: 20-40 ml per unit 1
  • Pooled bags: 100-200 ml per bag (five units) 1

• Preparation process:

  • Produced when frozen plasma is slowly thawed at 1-6°C 4, 3
  • The high-molecular-weight plasma proteins precipitate during this controlled thawing process 3
  • After precipitation, the concentrate is separated from the remaining plasma (cryosupernatant) 4

Storage and Handling

• Storage conditions:

  • Must be stored at -25°C or below in a frozen state 1, 2
  • Can be stored frozen for up to 36 months 2
  • Once thawed for administration, can be kept at ambient temperature for 4 hours 1, 2
  • Should not be refrigerated again after thawing 1, 2

• Administration:

  • Transfused using a standard blood giving set with a 170-200 μm filter 1, 2
  • Typical adult dose is two pools 1

Important Considerations

• Cryoprecipitate is not a source of all coagulation factors - it contains only specific high-molecular-weight proteins that precipitate during the controlled thawing process 5, 3

• The cryosupernatant (remaining plasma after cryoprecipitate removal) is deficient in ristocetin cofactor activity and lacks the higher molecular weight multimers of von Willebrand factor 5

• The amount of plasma expressed during preparation significantly impacts the von Willebrand factor and fibrinogen content of the resulting product 6

• In some countries, cryoprecipitate for specific populations (e.g., those born in 1996 or later in the UK) undergoes viral inactivation with methylene blue 1, 2

• Pathogen-reduced cryoprecipitate maintains levels of factor VIII, factor XIII, and von Willebrand factor comparable to standard cryoprecipitate 7