buffy coat

The buffy coat is the red-gray layer between red blood cells & plasma after centrifugation of whole blood. With proper technique it may be aspirated to yield a largely leukocytes & platelets. Clinical significance: 1) helpful for detection of certain blood parasites: a) Leishmania donovani b) trypanosomes c) microfilariae 2) source of granulocytes from whole blood 3) source of totipotential stem cells for autologous & allogeneic bone marrow transplant

References

Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods, 19th edition, J.B. Henry (ed), W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA. 1996, pg 554, 810, 837, 1254