A recent meta-analysis [44] combined the results from seven RCTs, and was unable to detect clinically important decreases in mortality and postoperative infections. We added the results of a new RCT by van de Watering et al [45] to the above meta-analysis. The relative risk for allcause mortality was 1.05 (95% confidence interval 0.88-1.25), and was 1.10 (95% confidence interval 0.85-1.43) for postoperative infections. However, this meta-analysis excluded two positive RCTs [40, 46] because of the significant statistical heterogeneity introduced by these two studies. If all available RCTs are combined, ignoring heterogeneity, then the relative risk difference for postoperative infections across all studies is 1.60 (95% confidence interval 1.00-2.56; P = 0.05). Thus, the available evidence suggests that universal prestorage leukoreduction could have clinical effects that range from none to decreasing rates of infection by as much as 50% in high-risk patients. In summary, despite convincing laboratory evidence and some supportive clinical studies, the clinical significance of the immunosuppressive effects of allogeneic RBC transfusions have not been clearly established [47] . More importantly, the impact of a leukoreduction programme has not been studied in a large population of patients who are expected to have significant exposure to allogeneic RBCs.