BACKGROUND The preparation of blood components by hard centrifugation results in red cell concentrates with a small amount of plasma. The influence of various plasma factors, temperature, and storage time on white cell reduction by filtration was studied. METHODS Red cell concentrates were suspended in 100 mL of saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGMAN) solution or in SAGMAN solution in which 5 or 10 mL had been replaced with an equal amount of fresh plasma, albumin (4%), or heat-inactivated plasma. After overnight storage at 4 degrees C, filtration at a slow flow rate (2 hours) was performed. The effect of temperature was studied by filtration at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. To study the influence of storage time, red cell concentrates were stored for 4 to 8 hours or 14 to 20 hours at 4 degrees C and filtered through another model of filter. The number of white cells was counted microscopically or by flow cytometry. RESULTS When 5 or 10 mL of plasma was added, a significantly smaller number of white cells were found after filtration than were found in the SAGMAN control (the median difference between pairs: 23.6 x 10(6) for 5 mL [p = 0.006] and 14.9 x 10(6) for 10 mL [p = 0.003]). The number of white cells was significantly higher with 10 mL of albumin than with 10 mL of plasma (difference, 15.0 x 10(6); p = 0.006). When heat-inactivated plasma was used, the number of white cells was significantly lower than when fresh plasma was used (difference, 0.3 x 10(6); p = 0.009). Filtration at 37 degrees C resulted in a 64-percent reduction in white cells and that at 4 degrees C led to a 99.7-percent reduction (p = 0.006). When the second filter was used, a slight but significantly lower number of white cells was found in the red cell concentrate stored for 14 to 20 hours than in that stored for 4 to 8 hours (difference, 0.03 x 10(6); p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The amount of plasma in the red cell concentrate and the storage time and temperature are important factors in the outcome of white cell reduction by filtration. The effect of plasma does not seem to be due to a general influence of protein or to the activity of complement or fibrinogen.